Monday, September 30, 2019

Supermarket Marketing

1) For this assignment I decided to visit the Tom Thumb Supermarket located in Lovers Lane. When I walked into the supermarket the first thing I saw was a stand in the middle of a small-like room in which people get the kart to do their shopping. In this stand there were organic fruits such as apples, peaches, melons, kiwi and a couple of other small fruits. All of them contained the yellow sign of â€Å"every day savings†, meaning that the fruits were on a discount from their regular prices. I think that the retailer strategically puts these items in the entrance since they know fruits are a high demand product for consumers. Once I passed through the doors and into the supermarket, I observed a flower stand with many flowers for sale and many stands containing chips and many soft drinks that came in boxes like coca-cola, sprite, Canada dry and others. I think that the flowers are great location since they attract every consumer that walks into the supermarket independently if he/she is going to buy flowers or not. It also gives a better experience to the consumer as he walks in, since flowers are produce a sense of calm for many. ) As I walked through the supermarket, I reached the pharmacy of the supermarket. As I had seen in many places before such as CVS and Walgreens, this supermarket also had generic brands in many of the medications being sold. These generic brands were found among the most common medications sold daily. Beside Advil, Tylenol, and ZzzQuil, there were the generic products. The generic products had a simpler look from the outside than the national brand names, but contained the exact same ingredients as the national brands, for $2 and up to $3 dollars less in most cases. There were also generic products for well-known brands such as Tums, Mucinex, Aleve, Alka-Seltzer, and even Pepto Bismol. I believe that that these brands are positioned this way so the consumer is able to compare the national brand to a generic product and realize that the only difference between them is the price and a nice looking box. 3) While walking through the aisles I realized that there were products at the end-of-aisle that were not from the same category as the aisle. There was a similarity between all of these products that were located at the end-cap. The majority of these items were snacks or small products for daily use. These items were mostly chips, there were some with water and it was the cheapest one, one contained small toys, wine, and soft drinks. I believe that these items are located at the end-cap since it is something that almost every consumer likes and wants. So it is a strategic location for retailers to place products that have a very high demand. 4) I was not shocked to see an item that was displayed in two different locations since it was one that we usually do not relate to a supermarket. While walking to the pharmacy there was a stand in the middle of the aisle. This stand contained ceramic plates and silverware, there were also a few toys and a lot of hard plastic containers for water or drinks. These items were located in a different area than they usually are. I imagine that these products do not have a lot of demand. So the retailer tries to create this demand by separating the product into two locations and probably attract consumers in different locations such as the pharmacy that could be more interested in the product. ) When I went to the mustard category I realized that the most expensive type of mustard were also among the most famous brands. The most expensive mustard was Heinz, followed by other brands such as Safeway, Guldens, Jack Daniels, and Grey Poupon, which were in the same price range. The cheapest mustard was the French’s brand, which I am almost sure is no different than the Heinz mustard. The differences in prices among the mustards wer e also influenced by the type of mustard not only the brand. The Dijon, Horseradish, Spicy Brown, Sweet and Spicy, and Brown mustards were more expensive than regular plain mustard.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Antz vs Lion King Political

People may just watch Disney movies and walk out of the theater without having any knowledge of the meaning in the movie they just watched. They take their kids to pass the time away and maybe laugh for a few moments. Despite this, these people should know that inside every movie there is a meaning, even if it is an animated Disney movie. In this paper, I will discuss the movie Antz and the movie The Lion King. In the movie Antz, directed by Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson, Z 4195 is a worker ant. Feeling unimportant in this conformity system, he accidentally meets beautiful Princess Bala, who has a similar problem on the other end of the social scale. In order to meet her again, Z switches sides with his soldier friend Weaver. By doing this, he ends up crossing the path of General Mandible (Bala's fiance), who wants to divide the ant society into a superior, strong race (soldiers) and an inferior, soon to be killed race (the workers). But Z and Bala, both oblivious of the dangerous situation, try to leave the cruel system by heading for Insectopia, where there is no such system and all insects coexist in harmony. In the movie The Lion King, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, a young lion prince is born in Africa, making his uncle Scar the second in line to be king. Scar plots with the hyenas to kill King Mufasa and Prince Simba, in order to make himself King. The King is killed and Simba is led to believe by Scar that it was his fault, so Simba leaves the kingdom. After years of exile he returns back to the kingdom to take back what was once his father’s, and now his. After watching both of the films, there seemed to be a political message in both of them. In the movie Antz, it seems as if they are trying to show a totalitarian government. According to the American Heritage dictionary, totalitarian is defined as: being, or imposing a form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is suppressed (American Heritage). In other words, General Mandible runs a totalitarian government in order to make the army ants superior than the worker ants. He wants to take full control of the ant colony by marrying the princess and trying to kill the queen in order to make himself king. The one ant, Z, tries to promote individualism so it can be the remedy for the totalitarian government General Mandible is trying to run. Individualism is defined as: belief in the primary importance of the individual and in the virtues of self-reliance and personal independence (American Heritage). He tries to tell the other ants that they don’t have to work if they don’t want to. The work they do is the reason why their society is becoming larger. In the movie The Lion King, it seems as if it shows a dictatorship. Dictatorship is defined as: Absolute or despotic control or power (American Heritage). Despite this, Scar, the inferior brother to King Mufasa, tries to take control over Mufasa and Simba and rule the lands. King Mufasa and the animals of Africa are the protagonists. The antagonists are Scar and the Hyenas, who want to control Africa. Some critics have said that Scar is portrayed as Hitler, who leads the hyenas (Nazis) to overthrow King Mufasa and the rest of the animals (Europe) (IMDB). When Scar does take over, everything starts to deteriorate (such as the Nazis did to Eastern Europe). It seemed as if they were running concentration camps. When Simba returns, everything returns to normal-the trees grow back and the grass turns bright green again, symbolizing the relief ceased (The Nazi fall). In a way, these two films are similar. In each movie, both of the antagonists are depicted as evil and angry. They try to take control of the whole colony or kingdom. When they see an obstacle in the way, they try to eliminate it so they can obtain an easy path to the throne. In the movie Antz, individualism is represented as a great value. Z, the individualistic ant, tries to confront General Mandible for his wrongdoings. He tries to stand up for himself and what he believes in, and soon after the rest of the colony starts to follow his ideas. Seeing that Z has now won over the colony with his beliefs, General Mandible gives out a compelling speech about how the colony needs the workers, and that they have their place in helping build a better colony. He goes on to tell his soldiers, â€Å"Gentlemen, now you can see how dangerous individualism can be. It makes us†¦vulnerable. † (Antz, General Mandible). This is why he wants to destroy the working ants. He knows that if the ants all become individualistic, that he will be overrun and not be able to pursue the superior race that he greatly wants. Later on, Z goes on to tell Princess Bala, â€Å"†¦he just died in my arms. I don’t think that once in his life he made his own choice. † (Antz, Z). Here he is talking about one of the soldiers, who told Z not to follow orders all of his life. This scene depicts the reality of the ant colony; unfortunately, the entire colony, especially the ants, were always following commands and following orders-they had no choice. On the contrary, The Lion King does not depict any degree of unhappiness under the rule of King Mufasa. All the animals are living in harmony, doing as they please; therefore, their individualism is not threatened by King Mufasa’s power. Once Scar comes into rule, he begins to dictate and change everything about the kingdom. He gave the hyenas superior authority over the lions and the other animals. Soon, the rest of the animals start to leave the area and the kingdom becomes infested solely with hyenas. With the dictatorship of Scar, the animals’ freedom and sense of individualism was diminished. The political power in each film is exercised in a similar matter. Both movies contain a monarchy, which contains a queen in the movie Antz, and a king in the movie The Lion King. In the movie Antz, the queen ant has a daughter who is the princess. Soon after the Queen dies, the princess will take her place and so on. In order for General Mandible to take control of the whole colony and become king, he must marry Princess Bala. He takes advantage of the monarchy, and turns it into more of a totalitarian government. On the other hand, The Lion King, has a different approach to its monarchy. King Mufasa expresses to his son that they follow the â€Å"Circle of Life† (Allers, Minkoff). In the â€Å"Circle of Life†, King Mufasa explains that, â€Å"When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life†. (Allers, Minkoff). The kingdom in which they live, is not about exercising a control in one’s power, but rather, it is about respect. King Mufasa does take pride in being king, but he does not command and tell the other animals what to do in every aspect of their lives. Scar was second in line to the throne, being King Mufasa’s brother, but Simba’s birth made him the direct heir to the throne, thus pushing back Scar to third in line. And as the story goes, Scar becomes furious and turns on his own family because he is greedy. He then goes on to kill his brother and he tries to kill Simba but with no success. Simba returns from going away for a while, and goes back to being king and completing the â€Å"Circle of Life†. In each of the films, it shows us what a government should do in a situation where it endangers its people. In Antz, after General Mandible takes the soldier ants out of the colony, and closes in the working ants, the worker ants come together and help each other out. The people (ants) of the government (ant colony), need to stick together and not be against each other. In the end, General Mandible says, â€Å"I am the colony†, and soon after tries to kill Z but ends up killing himself. The colony came together and stood up for what they believed in, and took down the tyrant who was trying to make the colony â€Å"better† by turning it into a totalitarian government. In The Lion King, the government (jungle) does not really put up a fight against Scar. They let him control the lands and do whatever he pleases with the hyenas. Only when Simba comes back, the other lions are motivated to fight. In a point in the movie, Scar is cornered and blames everything on the hyenas and is soon after pushed over the cliff by Simba. Although Scar killed King Mufasa, Simba did not want to kill Scar. Instead justice was served when the hyenas attacked Scar because he had turned his back on them after false promises. You can see that all over the world, there have been dictators, such as Fidel Castro or Hitler, that have fallen. They have fallen not only because of their decisions, but because of the people. Like the aforementioned, there is more to a movie than you think. Before doing this paper, I just thought these movies were just animated films that were made for children. But the truth is that they have a meaning towards the adult viewers also. I believe that in Antz, the ants try to overthrow General Mandible’s totalitarian government in order to achieve a full sense of individualism. In the movie The Lion King, I believe that there is a dictatorship when Scar is in command. He does not rule the lands like King Mufasa, who gave everyone an equal right to live and be happy. Despite the antagonist’s attempts to rule, their justice is served, and in both movies the protagonists get what they want. All in all, always find the true meaning behind a film.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Moet and Chandon

Saturday, March 23, 13 The World’s most LOVED Champagne Saturday, March 23, 13 History & Background ?Part-holder of LVMH (66% share in M&C) ? Established in 1743 by Claude Moet – as Moet et Cie (Moet&Co. ) – for wine trading ? Began business in 1750 by supplying the Royal Court at Compiegne ? In 1750 also shipping to Germany, Spain, Eastern EU, and colonial British America ? In 1972, Jean-Remy Moet (grandson) has begin the winery production by buying vineyards; ? While the French Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, mastered double-fermentation for creating champagne Now owns more than 2,500 acres vineyards ? Produce approx 26M bottles of champagne annually ? Accounts for approx 25% of global champagne market (by volume) Saturday, March 23, 13 LVMH brands Saturday, March 23, 13 Moet at a Glance ?4 Main Products ? Moet Imperial ? Rose Imperial ? Nectar Imperial ? Moet Ice Imperial ? Grand Vintage ?Plus other vintage and special limited-edition champagnes Saturday, Marc h 23, 13 Moet at a Glance ? In-media appearance ? Slogan: Be Fabulous ? Print ads ? of? cial website ? Facebook ? YouTube ? Twitter ? iOS applications Saturday, March 23, 13Moet at a Glance ? Marketing situation ? Perceived to be the most prominent brand in online world (partly due to extensive online advertising and Roger Federer) ? The biggest export market is UK but the consumption volume is slightly declining Saturday, March 23, 13 Strategy ? Glocal strategy – in 2011, began to grow grapes in Northwest China with farm operator Ningxia Nongken Will be China’s ? rst-time-ever made in China Champagne Aim to capture Asia market esp China and India – with joint venture approach Has done this for the U. S. for 30 yrs ald (sells in the U. S. nder brand Roederer Estate, Chandon) Grow business by encouraging younger audience to engage with the brand ? ? ? ? â€Å"In the Night† concept of brand communication (in cinema platform) using movie stars and reference for celebration To achieve â€Å"Champagne of Cinema† image, Moet appears in various hollywood movies and at international ? lm festivals, private dinners, parties and premieres Boost sports alignment via Roger Federer ? ? ? Saturday, March 23, 13 Main Competitors ?Veuve Cliquot et Ruinart (LVMH) ? Remy Cointreau (Piper-Heidsieck) ? BCC (Boizel Chanoine Champagne) ?Pernot-Ricard (Perrier-Jouet et Mumm) Saturday, March 23, 13 Key Persons Bernard Arnault (Bernard Jean Etienne Arnault) LVMH director Saturday, March 23, 13 Key Persons Stephane Baschiera, president and chief executive of Moet & Chandon (since Mar 2012) ? Stephane Baschiera joined Moet Hennessy, the wines and spirits division of LVMH, in 1996 and since then has been Commercial Director of Moet Hennessy Diageo France, Director of Moet Hennessy in Italy, and then Chief Executive Of? cer of the Maison Ruinart. ? Since 2009, he has held the position of Chief Executive Of? er of the Maison Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin, and h as contributed to the excellent performance of the Maison since that time. About Jean-Marc Lacave, former CEO Jean-Marc Lacave will become Chief Executive Of? cer of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. Jean-Marc Lacave joined the Watches & Jewelry division of the LVMH group in the United Kingdom in 2001. Since 2007 he has been Chief Executive Of? cer of Watches & Jewelry in Asia. Saturday, March 23, 13 Moet & Chandon Organization chart Saturday, March 23, 13 Hot Issues ? In Dec, 2012, Roger Federer became brand ambassador (in place of Scarlett Johansson, former BA signed in 2009) In Sept, 2013, will serve as the of? cial champagne of the 34th America’s Cup (sailing’s most prestigious international race) ? Signal tht M&C targeting at hi-so sports sectors – with concept Champagne of Victory ? In 2012, was analyzed to be loosing brand value (declined by 13% or ? over $500 million) – brand value at $3. 8 billion (98th rank – fall from 77th at $4. 3billion in 201 1) Might due to the emerging part of the world that do not yet associate champagne with celebration ? Recently opened White 1921, a boutique hotel in St. Tropez ? Recently launched celebrity-hosted tours worldwide Saturday, March 23, 13

Friday, September 27, 2019

Horror movie review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Horror - Movie Review Example When the family moved in, they experienced horrible experiences such as having falling picture frames, a clapping hand that is really scary. Such circumstances that sciences often do not accept as existent; make the story intriguing. Moreover, the characters express fears and other emotions common to viewers which make them relate to what is happening in the story. Such features of the aforementioned movie make the storytelling very effective, influencing the viewers as intended. Movies are often more powerful in their effects than written stories because the producers and actors help bring to life the characters and images described by the storyteller. When one is simply reading a story, he has to have an active imagination to really bring to life the written text. Although reading allows the reader boundless horrible images, experiences and knowledge tend to limit the imagination. On the other hand, watching movies is more powerful because one does not simply see the scenes but he also hears the sounds that help viewers imagine themselves witnessing the scenes as they happen in real

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Love DISABILITY & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Love DISABILITY & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY - Essay Example This report discusses the major barriers that restrict disabled people in accessing and progressing within the available sporting infrastructure in Darlington Borough, in United Kingdom. Bone and Meltzer (1999, p14) define disability as â€Å"any physical or mental state that limits movements, activities or senses of the affected person†. According to Arthur and Finch(1999, p41), persons with disabilities includes â€Å"people afflicted by long term mental, physical, intellectual, or sensory malfunctions, which limit their ability to participate fully and effectively in society like other able people†. Disability could be temporary, permanent or it could recur periodically within the life span of the affected person. Darlington Borough has an estimated population of 99,475 (PMP, 2009). Elderly persons aged 65 years and above account to 17% of the total population in the region, compared to national average of 16%. The proportion of people aged below 40 years in the borough is less than the national average. About 31% of people in the area do not have private cars for transport (PMP 2009, p16). This limits access to available sporting facilities, especially among the disabled persons. The region has unemployment rate of 4%, which is above the national level in the United Kingdom (PMP 2009, 37). According to PMP (2009) disabled persons account to 10.6 % of the entire population in the borough. Most of the disabled are elderly persons aged over 65 years. Darlington borough has an estimated 107.5 hectares of land for playing pitches, but only 39% of this area is available for public use (PMP, 2009, p65). In spite of economic prosperity in various regions, people with disabilities encounter higher levels of social, economic and political isolation compared to those without the condition (Andreasen, 1995, p 17). These challenges permeate into sports across different regions and Darlington is not an exception. Although factors such as age, ethnicity, gender,

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and Living Assignment

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and Living - Assignment Example There is still no cure for the virus that causes AIDS. However antiretroviral treatments that suppress the HIV virus are available. Some patients have been known to regain strong immune systems as a result of antiretroviral therapy. The therapy not only helps prolong lives but also prevents people infected by the virus from developing AIDS. Celebrities like Rock Hudson, Freddie Mercury, and Arthur Ashe who died of the disease have given a face to it ensuring that it is known to one and all. They have also helped to educate, empower and raise public awareness. Some have funded organizations that financially help AIDS patients. The challenge is to spread awareness of the ways in which the virus is transmitted to prevent the infection. As former US president Bill Clinton remarked: â€Å"new data from 51 countries suggests 70 percent of HIV-related deaths could have been prevented.† Numerous initiatives have been launched to lower prices of life-saving antiretroviral drugs in order to improve access to treatment. Scientists the world over are working overtime to find a cure for the disease. There are a whole host of organizations working to combat the disease, find cures and help and educate those communities that do not have the means to help themselves. Bill Clinton at the world AIDS conference in Melbourne observed, â€Å"The AIDS-free world that so many of you have worked to build is just over the horizon. We just need to step up the pace.†Ã‚  

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Major Controversies on Human Trafficking Research Paper

Major Controversies on Human Trafficking - Research Paper Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the IOM (International Organization for Migration) approximated in 2006 that there were about one hundred and ninety one million (191M) immigrants in the globe. These people (immigrants) are often treated by the host countries as outsiders thus impacting on how they are treated. For instance, most of them are denied the rights and protection as citizens of the host country. This is inflamed by their status as outsiders. Immigrants are frequently exposed to various harms and forms of exploitation such as human trafficking and basic human rights violation conceived as a form of modern-day slavery. Trafficking of human is a representation of an extreme way of labor exploitation. Furthermore, it is regarded as one of the negative impacts of globalization. Trafficking supplies people for purposes of street begging, prostitution, marriage, adoption, domestic work, construction, agricultural work and armed conflicts among o thers which form part of exploitative services or labor. Exploiting individuals for labor purposes has generated a lot of profits for those individuals involved in the acts. According to Feingold, the approximate gained benefit is about$32billion yearly. As a result, human trafficking was defined as the worlds’ fastest expanding criminal industry by the United States of America Department of Health and Human Services. In comparison to enterprises that are illegal, trafficking comes second after drug trafficking. Moreover, it is linked to industries dealing with illegal arms due to its capability of generating dollars.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Assignment 12(675) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment 12(675) - Essay Example Sarah, being a novice teacher, is not likely to be acquainted with the norms and practices of Elmstreet Elementary School. The problems faced due to a conflict between school culture and her teaching approaches are chanced to be high. This is because the students would be used to a different technique of teaching and a different way of classroom management. For example, if other teachers were fairly strict with their approach to discipline and a new teacher seems to be softer, students may take advantage of the leniency. This causes classroom disturbance. This certainly does not point to the teacher’s incompetence in maintaining class discipline, rather the students not being used to such an instructor. A similar situation is displayed in Sarah’s case. Another problem that may arise is of a difference in delivering the lecture. Some teachers use an interactive approach and do excessive questioning, keeping the classroom lively by cracking jokes, whereas some may be too professional. What is important in schools is to adopt a way that suits the learning process of students and keeps them under control. The role to be taken of the mentor teacher is one of a personality mentor as well as a motivational guide. As mentioned in the vignette, Sarah lacks strong personal authority. The mentor must guide Sarah towards the type of culture that prevails in the school, motivate her so that she strengthens her personal authority and advise her ways to adopt to the culture. When someone is told off for their actions or their shortcomings are pointed out by someone else, it is in our human nature to not accept it fully and possibly feel angered and belittled. The most effective self-improvement is done where a person himself identifies and accepts his/her flaws and works on a plan to improve them. Having Sarah involved in her growth plan development will help keep her motivation and self-image intact. This will make her work harder than she would have had someone else

Monday, September 23, 2019

The popular crowd (summary and response) Assignment

The popular crowd (summary and response) - Assignment Example According to his study of Narcissism Personality Index it is revealed that American teenagers are highly narcissist. He also explores BIGR ( bask in reflection glory) in relevance to life of a personal assistant to celebrity Annie Brent well. In final section the author travels to Pittsburgh where he meets diehard fans of Rod Stewart and realizes the obsession for fame has taken over the country. It is unfortunate to understand the impression the celebrities can have on growing children. In adolescence their psyche is tender enough to be manipulated and obsession with celebrities can bring about adversities in youngsters. The media has a big hand in such a narcissist attitude among American teenagers as it consistently promotes celebrity- oriented shows. The society conveys to the children that being popular make life easy .Such social conditioning is dangerous and can hamper the life of teenagers. The parents and school authorities need to create awareness among children to be realistic about their future and have set goals. The author has been justifiable in his discussions and celebrity obsession is a fact among American

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Essay Example for Free

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Essay Society is like the bully in middle school. It is harsh, it takes money, and it tries to conform people. In life, everyone needs some type of protector. A protector can be a friend, a parent, an uncle, a religious figure, or even a teacher. A protector looks out for others and leads people in the right direction. In Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Jim is the protector of Huck. The lessons that Huck learns through his journey shows the reader that not all black people are what society claims they are. Along Huck’s adventure, Jim lends his guidance and support to Huck, through his actions and advice, which helps mature Huck as an individual. Jim’s actions, specifically his decision to share his family life with Huck, allow Huck to mature. Pap, Huck’s father, never was quite a father figure to Huck. He frequently beats Huck and doesn’t respect the fact that Huck is educated. When Huck runs away from home and meets Jim, it is the first time in his life where he has someone actually care about him. Although the two are not friends before they flee, they form a special bond throughout their adventures and Jim becomes a fatherly figure to Huck. He is the father that Huck never had. It doesn’t take long for Jim to make an impact on Huck. Shortly into their journey, Huck and Jim find a washed out house that has floated down the river past the island. When the two enter, they find the body of a man. Jim goes up to the man who has been shot in the back and says to Huck, â€Å"It’s a deadman. Yes,indeedy; naked,too. He’s been shot in de back. I reck’n he’s ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan’ look at his face- it’s too gashly. ( Twain 38)† Towards the end of the novel, the reader finds out that the dead man inside the house was in fact Huck’s dad. Jim recognized Pap in the house and he made sure that Huck didn’t see the naked body of his dead father. Even though Huck never had a good relationship with Pap, the sight of his fathers dead body with a bullet hole in his back is one that he does not want to see, especially since he is still a young kid. Jim’s decision was crucial in the development of Huck in the novel. Later on their journey while on the raft Jim mentions his family and how he was separated from them. He says that the first thing he will do when he gets freedom is save up enough money to buy his wife and children back from their owners. He doesn’t think twice before starting the topic and his words catch Huck by surprise. Huck’s conscience begins to stir, trying to lead him in the right direction. He starts to have a conversation with his own conscience and says, â€Å"Let up on me-it ain’t too late, yet-I’ll paddle ashore at the first light and tell†(Twain 67). He contemplates whether to reveal Jims true identity or not and ultimately decided to let Jim have his freedom. The impact of this decision is seen where Jim says, â€Å"Huck; you’s de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de only fren’ ole Jim’s got now† (Twain 67). He goes on to say, â€Å"Dah you goes, de ole tru Huck; de on’y white gentleman dat ever kep’ his promise to ole Jim† (Twain 67). Jim makes it clear that Huck is the first white man to ever treat him with respect. Huck knows the trust that Jim instills in him right when Jim starts the conversation. Huck’s decision to not tell about Jim, shows that going against the flow of things is not a bad thing and that a person can think for himself or herself. There is no need for anyone or anything to make choices for someone else. Jim’s response to Huck’s actions solidifies the strength of their relationship and Huck ultimately wins the battle between what he knows is right and what society thinks is right. Jim’s guidance and support along the journey creates a friendship that appears almost unbreakable. Throughout the entire novel, Huck has an internal struggle deciding whether to follow the code of society and turn Jim in or to follow what he knows is right and to let Jim be a free man. He decides to write a letter that roots from his childhood teachings and societies belief that blacks are not equal to whites. â€Å"The more I studied about this, the more my conscience went to grinding me, and the more wicked and low-down and ornery I got to feeling† (Twain 160).. He writes the letter and to his surprise he feels relieved. Huck says, â€Å"I felt good and all washed and clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray now† (Twain 161). Although Huck feels great right after he finishes the letter, he begins to think about what he is about to do. As he sits with the letter, he thinks about all of the experiences and memories that he and Jim have had together. He thinks of all the support, knowledge, and lessons that Jim has taught him. He thinks of all the laughs they shared, the talks they had, and the songs they sung. He thinks of all the positives of their relationship, but he cannot think of any negatives about Jim. He realizes that he has the power to change a life and has the ability make a difference . The reader knows that Jim has succeeded in his goal to make Huck anti-racist when Huck tears up the letter that he has written to Miss Watson. Right before he tears it up he says, â€Å"All right then, Ill go to hell. (Twain 162)† This is the one of the first scenes where the reader see’s Huck make a conscience decision by himself. He weighs the positives and negatives and ultimately chooses what he believes is morally correct. Huck would rather go to hell doing what he knows is right, than to conform to society and hurt the ones that mean the most to him. Huck’s ability to make a conscience decision is a sign of majority and he reached this level of majority through the guidance of his dear friend Jim. Jim is a natural father like figure throughout the whole story. Not only to Huck along their journey but to Tom at the end of the story. Jim’s sacrifice at the end of the novel is one of the bravest sacrifices made throughout the book. After Tom gets shot in the leg, Jim displays concern for the him. He says, No, sah-I doan budge a step outn dis place dout a doctor; not if its forty year! (Twain 207) Despite all of the racism and harsh tricks that Tom has played on Jim, Jim risks his life to save his â€Å"friend†. Not knowing that he is truly free, Jim risks his own freedom to save Tom’s life. This decision has a huge impact on Huck. When Jim sacrifices himself knowing the extent of the situation, Huck makes a huge step in his character development. He learns that all men, including blacks, are equal. Throughout the novel Huck struggles with this concept. This is the first time where Huck see’s Jim as an equal human being rather than just a â€Å"ni****†. Huck thinks to himself, I knowed he was white inside(Twain 207). This quote shows the progress that Huck has made. He has matured to someone who can think on their own and who can see the flaws in society. By thinking this, it is clear to the reader that he views whites and blacks as equal. Jim risked his freedom to save an immature, racist white boy who had treated him, not as an equal, but as an inferior, unequal black person, and that is the ultimate sacrifice that teaches Huck a valuable life lesson. Along Huck’s adventure, Jim lends his guidance and support to Huck, through his actions and advice, which helps mature Huck as an individual. Guidance is a key to success in life. One must have someone or something to show them the ropes of the world. In the case of Huckleberry Finn, shows Huck right from wrong. Each adventure contains some type of life lesson. From the first time that Jim and Huck meet up with each other, to the time where Huck writes the letter about Jim, and to the end of the novel where Tom is racist towards Jim, Jim is always there for Huck. He is Huck’s protector.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Recombinant Green Fluorescent Protein Purification

Recombinant Green Fluorescent Protein Purification A series of experiments were performed on the E.coli strain BL21 pLysS pRSETA-GFPUV in order to express and purify a recombinant form of Green Fluorescent Protein (rGFP) using Ni2+-Agarose chromatography based on the rGFP His6 tag properties. A rGFP crude extract (GCE) was collected and later purified resulting in 10 washes and 10 elutions. A Bradford assay was performed on the first 6 samples of the washes and elutions to determine activity via relative fluorescent units (RFUs). A sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-Page) followed to determine purity of the samples and a Western Blot verified the presence of rGFP. The sample with the highest activity was the E3 having 31,927 RFUs with an estimated purity of 10 percent and a molecular weight of 36 kDa. The estimated total yield of our protein is 2.07 ug. Introduction First discovered by Osamu Shimomura in 1961, the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) was isolated and identified as a protein that fluoresce green light. When calcium binds to the photoprotein aequorin, in vitro aequorin produces blue light (1). However, in the original jelleyfish A. equorea victoria green light was produced. The green light produced was the result of a second protein GFP driving its excitation energy from aequorin (2). After purification, GFP is a protein of 238 amino acids absorbing blue light at 395 nm and emitting green light at nearly 509 nm (2, 3, 4). This chromophore is very stable towards multiple harsh conditions including extreme pH and heat (5). The Aequorea GFP also measures to be at 30 kDa monomer (6). Purifying rGFP required a unique way of identifying the protein without isolating other protein contaminants. This particular rGFP was tagged genetically to the N-terminal of the protein sequence. This tag is useful due to the unique property of the chromatography technique used. Using Ni2+ -agarose affinity chromatography, the histadine tagged rGFP binds to the Ni2+ , thereby attaching this particular protein to the column. Next, the rGFP is eluted from the Ni2+ -agarose column by running a competitor compound that has a higher affinity for the Ni2+ called imidazole. The His6 tag unbinds from the column allowing the rGFP protein to be collected for experimental purposes (7). The purpose of this experiment is to express and purify the E. coli strain BL21(DE3) using Ni2+ -agarose affinity chromatography followed by the SDS-PAGE and Western Blot procedures to estimate purity and confirmation of the protein. Materials and Methods Expression of rGFP and Preparation of the rGFP Crude Extract (GCE) The BL21(DE3) bacterial culture referred to as G was used to inoculate 10 ml liquid LB [100ug/ml Amp;25ug/ml Cam] growth media and grown overnight at 37 degrees celsius with vigorous shaking. OD600 of .1 of 500 ml of liquid LB growth media was achieved after a second inoculation was achieved with the culture grown overnight. The 500 ml culture was allowed to grow to OD600 reached .5 by vigorous shaking at 37 degrees celsius. The bacterial pellet was stored at -20 degrees celsius and labeled as G0 while 1 ml of the culture was pelleted in a centrifuge tube and induced with IPTG. At the time of induction the cultures relative time is zero. Three hours post induction, the culture was labeled G3, stored at -20 degrees celsius after the supernatant discarded. The same procedure was done to the G3-15 ml with the exception of pelleting 15 ml of the culture. Next, the culture was vortexed at 37 degrees celsius to lyse the bacteria. A 1 ml breaking buffer was added, solution vortexed, and placed in a 37 degrees celsius water bath. After the centrifugation the supernatant was decanted into a new tube labeled GCE representing rGFP crude extract. (8). Purification of rGFP using Ni2+-Agarose Affinity Chromatography A plastic syringe with a luer-lock was blocked by glass wool to hold in the Ni2+ Agarose matrix. The syringe was then secured vertically using a ring stand and filled with approximately 100ul of buffer followed by 2 ml to ensure the removal of air bubbles trapped in the system. A 50 % slurry of Ni2+-agarose was added to 500 ul buffer on top of the glass wool. The system is then opened to ensure packing of the agarose matrix towards the bottom. The final step in setting up the column is the pre-equilibration step which is the addition of breaking buffer to the column while the leur-lock is open until the ethanol is out of the system. After storing away 100 ul of GCE for future use, 1 ml of breaking buffer was added to the centrifuge tube. The GCE was transfered to the Ni2+ -agarose column. After a 10 minute period the luer-lock was opened and .5 ml effluent liquid was collected and labeled W1 followed by W2 until W10. Meanwhile washing the unbound proteins with 4 ml of breaking buffer. After the 10th wash was collected, the column was washed with an additional 5 ml of breaking buffer. A similar process was followed collecting elution 1 through 10 in 1.5 centrifuge tubes, however by adding the elution buffer containing imidazole. The elution buffer formula available in the solution manual (8). Estimating Protein Concentration of rGFP Determine protein amount using the Bradford assay requires a standard curve using known amount of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). The Bradford assay was performed on six known amounts of BSA (0, 2.5, 5,10, 15, and 20 ug). 50 ul of solution containing the BSA was added with 1 ml of Bradford reagent to a glass tube. The solution was mixed and incubated at room temperature for 10 minutes. 200 ul of the 6 assays were transferred to a microtiter dish to read the absorbance at 595 nm in a microplate reader. A standard curve was plotted (Absorbance Vs BSA amount) to determine the highest absorbance reading that can be extrapolated from this curve. The same procedure was done on the first six washes and six elutions in triplicate. (9). SDS-PAGE/Coomassie Blue Analysis procedure Two recipes were followed in order to make a resolving gel and a stacking gel. The 12 % resolving gel consists of water, 4x resolving buffer, 30 % Acylamide, 10% ammonium persulfate, and TEMED. This solution was poured between two glass plates until polymerization. The 5 % stacking gel consisted of water, 4x stacking buffer, 30 % Acrylamide, 10 % ammonium persulfate, and TEMED. The Stacking buffer was added on top of the resolving buffer followed by the addition of a toothed comb until polymerization. Afterwards, the samples G0, G3, GCE, W2, W3, E2, E3 were loaded into the gel. The loading of the samples was done after the plates were placed in the electrophoresis tank. The electrophoresis tank then ran for 45 minutes at 200 volts. (10). Preparation and Development of the Western Blot Using the 7 samples from the previous procedure, we add 2-Me (Beta-mercaptoethanol) to each sample and developed another gel. After electrophoresis, the gel was to be used as a part of a sandwich for the Western Blot. The sandwich consisted of (from the top) a clear cassette lid, sponge, filter paper, nitrocellulose, gel, filter paper, and sponge that laid against the black cassette lid. After an incubation period, the protein transferred from the gel to the nitrocellulose. Removing the nitrocellulose to a container, the Ponceau S stain was added for two minutes and rinsed several times with distilled water. This was done until red bands appeared. The molecular weight ladder was marked with pencil for further review. Next a blocking step followed where the nitrocellulose membrane was placed in a Tupperware with 30 ml of 5% non-fat dry milk/TBS solution. The Tupperware was placed on a shaking platform for 30 minutes. Afterwards, the blocking solution was discarded and a washing step compromising of 30ml of .05% Tween 20/TBS solution was added. The Tupperware was placed on a shaking platform for 5 minutes. This process was repeated two more times. Following the washing step a primary probing step was performed by adding 7 ml of mouse IgG anti-Xpress epitope MAb solution and incubated on a shaking platform for 45 minutes. Another washing step followed using 30 ml of .05% Tween 20/TBS and repeated two more times. 7 ml of Sheep IgG anti-mouse IgG conjugated horse radish peroxidase polyclonal anti-serum solution was added in a secondary probing step that lasted 45 minutes on a shaking platform. The same washing step previous done followed and repeated two times. Finally, the final wash step with 30 ml of TBS was performed on a shaking platform for 5 minutes. For the final step, 7 ml of TMB substrate solution was added to the membrane until band color intensity was achieved. Then the membrane was moved into a Tupperware container filled with water to stop the development. The nitrocellulose membrane was then dried and results recorded. (11). Results The bacterial expression system of rGFP is presented in Figure 1. The Lac repressor is made from Lac1 of the bacterial chromosome. The lac repressor blocks the t7 RNA polymerase but after inducing it with IPTG, the Lac repressor itself will be blocked. Hence, T7 RNA polymerase will start being abundant and be the promoter to the expression for the His6-Xpress-GFPuv thereby resulting in rGFP (7). For a better understanding of rGFP a schematic diagram is provided in Figure 2. The elution of interest was E3 which had 31,927, the highest relative fluorescent units. We also see that from the combined elution profile in Figure 3 which displays the RFU for the first six washes and elutions. The samples were then run through a Bradford assay. The E3 sample had a 20.7 +/- 12.45 ug total amount of protein. The specific activity was 342,995 RFU/mg. The SDS-PAGE gel (Figure 4) presented the molecular weight of E3 standing at 36 kDa. We determined that using the ladder provided. The results gathered was off by 3 kDa from the verified experimental value of the rGFP. From the relative color density, it was determined that the rGFP band retains 10 % purity which resulted in a calculated yeild of 2.07 ug. Figure 5 presents the Western Blot assay which was used to verify the presence of rGFP. E3 and E2 showed a stronger color while G0 as expected did not show a band due to lack of rGFP. The washes also show a faint color. We have confirmed the presence of rGFP by comapring the E3 band to the ladder which approximates 36 kDa. Conclusion/Discussion The confirmation of rGFP was obtained though proceeding with a Western blot analysis. The experiments that were performed beforehand gave a good understanding of how rGFP was induced, expressed, and purified. To recap, Ni2+-agarose affinity chromatography was used to isolate our protein through the unique property having affinity to the His6 tag in the rGFP. Followed by the Bradford assay we estimated how much protein the samples contained. The SDS-PAGe gel gave us an estimation of the molecular weight and purity of the samples which was paramount in the bigger picture of identifying the protein. Even though the purity gained was very low, we proceeded and developed a Western Blot which confirmed the presence of rGFP through band intensities. Since the GFP protein is very robust to pH and temperature, one can transfect or transcribe this gene into other living bacteria or even human cells to possibly see movement. One follow up experiment would to do just that, seeing if we can insert the rGFP into cancer cells or enzymes like insulin for further studies. We already know that GFP changes color based on the excitation energy which might be altered to produce different colors. This can be used to study two systems or their interactions or lack of interaction. We can study the energy consumption of different bacteria and learn which colonies survive longer. We can apply this method in cancer research and find out how cancer fast certain cancers grow by studying the relative fluorescence given off. The impact of this finding may be similar to the impact of creating spectacles (glasses) that allowed millions to see clearly. This protein offers that unique new ability to visually track things we could not have tracked as easily. References O. Shimomura, F. H. Johnson, Y. Saiga. J. Cell. Comp. Physiol. 59, 223 (1962). J. G. Morin and J. W. Hastings, J. Cell Physiol. 77, 313 (1971); H. Morise, O. Shimomura, F. H. Johnson, J. Winant, Biochemistry 13, 2656 (1974). D. C. Prasher, V. K. Eckenrode, W. W. Ward, F. G. Prendergast, M. J. Cormier, Gene 111, 229 (1992) . W. W. Ward, C. W. Cody, R. C. Hart, M. J. Cormier, Photochem. Photobiol. 31, 611 (1980). Ward, W.W. and Bokman, S.H.: Reversible denaturation of Aequorea green-fluorescent protein: physical separation and characterization of the renatured protein. Biochemistry 21 (1982) 4535-4550. Prendergast, F.G. and Mann, K.G.: Chemical and physical properties of aequorin and the green-fluorescent protein isolated from Aequorea forskalea. Biochemistry 17 (1978) 3448-3453. R. Scott, and E. Picket. Biochemistry Laboratory Manual. United States. (2012). R. Scott, and E. Picket. Biochemistry Laboratory Manual. United States. 84-88 (2012). R. Scott, and E. Picket. Biochemistry Laboratory Manual. United States. 99-100 (2012). R. Scott, and E. Picket. Biochemistry Laboratory Manual. United States. 125-126 (2012). R. Scott, and E. Picket. Biochemistry Laboratory Manual. United States. 139-140 (2012). R. Scott, and E. Picket. Biochemistry Laboratory Manual. United States. (2012). R. Scott, and E. Picket. Biochemistry Laboratory Manual. United States. (2012). citations: Primary stucture of the aequorea victoria GRP Douglas prasher, virginia eckenrode-229-223 1992 GFP as a marker for gene expression martin chalfie, vuan tu vol 263, feb 1994 Wavelength mutations and post translational autoxidation of GFP vol 91, pp. 12501-1250 dec 1994

Friday, September 20, 2019

Fault Detection Robot for Underground and Overhead Cables

Fault Detection Robot for Underground and Overhead Cables CAREER EPISODE 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION During my journey of engineering, I completed a project named Fault Detection Robot for Underground and Overhead Cables. It was completed in my 6th semester while pursuing Bachelor of Technology in electronics and communication engineering from Guru Nanak Dev University, Gurdaspur, India. It was performed under the guidance of Prof. Anu Sheetal. The entire project was completed in six months from January 2012 to May 2012. Thus, my very first career episode is based on this project performed by me. 1.2 BACKGROUND Normally most of the companies prefer to lay wires through underground. Wires are laid underground for various purposes. The reason for doing this is to protect the wires from any climatic conditions and changes. But while considering this positive factor there are cons of this method too. There occur problems while laying wires and during service and maintenance it becomes very costly, time consuming and difficult to fix and solve the issue. Also, cable can break due to any reason then it gets difficult to locate them and replace it. Basically, in manual technique of replacing cables, approximate location I found and the cables are dug out and manual checking is done to find the exact point of problem. 1.3 To overcome such challenges, I have designed a robot which can find faults and the place of complaint, making it easy for engineers and technicians to dig a hole at the precise place for error solving and fixation. The technology used behind the working of such robot is electromagnetic theory for detecting the discontinuity of the cable wires. Induced magnetic field is generated when a low frequency based signal can pass through the wire with the help of signal injector, which helps in finding the place of possible defect. The robot can locate the position of the fault or short-circuit issue from external surface and point out the exact place of discontinuity. 1.4 OBJECTIVES The main idea and goal behind employing such project is to benefit the industries laying wires underground for various electronics, electrical or other purpose. In this project an overhead wire fault detection and location system is introduced as the main or fundamental for industrially controlled computers. The project was executed to overcome the problem to repair faulty wires which required the help of experienced and practical trained operators. The accuracy and precision of short circuit fault detection is improved and upgraded by using the combinations of different methods like current rate of change and zero detection are used, along with using different and new technology based hardware and software. Features like 5th harmonic current and ground phase voltage drop was integrated to it. The project was used and put to operation and it worked in good running condition. 1.5 MY WORK DUTIES To implement and achieve success in this project, I started planning on how to approach the problem statement and what could be the possible solution for it. which followed by initial understanding on the working principle of the project. After making a work flow on the approach, I decided upon the components that were required for its implementation. A budget was made and followed all the time and a safety level was maintained during the progress of the project. Later staged involved in planning and designing of the PCB layout based on the block diagrams and the circuit diagram. Coding was done for the working of the project which was followed by performing certain tests and troubleshooting the whole device to find any faults and resolve them on time. The last stage involved preparation of the presentation and reports. My duties also involved meeting the supervisor weekly and updating her about my project progress. 1.6 PERSONAL ENGINEERING ACTIVITY The execution part for my project began with outlining and understanding of all possible differences amongst industrial robots, service robots and their process of application or working. Along with that I also analyzed the challenges that are faced due to its application and different methods that could be employed to detect the fault and isolate the faults. I also included few examples for comparison of methods relating the situation. Based on their experimental results, I came up with my block diagram for the project. It has two parts one for the robot and other about the remote. 1.7 After finalizing my initial block diagram, I listed out the components that were required for the hardware structure of the robot and the remote. The components used are described below: 1. For Power Supply    Diodes of 1N4007, Capacitors of 1000 and 100  µf, IC7805, LEDs, Resistors, Push Buttons. Using these components, a power supply consisting of three parts namely, the rectifier unit, filter unit and regulator unit is designed for giving supply to my device. 2. LCD 162    for displaying the location of faults by displaying a message or small written signal 3. Tx IC HT12E 4. Transformer 0-12V and 500mA 5. Motor driver IC L293D 6. RxIC HT12E 7. Buzzer for alerting on finding a fault in the wiring 8. Transistor BC547 9. Motor 60rpm, to drive the robot 10. Microcontroller ATMEGA16, the coding and the program is written and loaded into it for the functioning and signaling of the robot. 11. Magnetic field sensor ZMY20, extremely sensitive sensor which is used for measurement of magnetic field or detection of magnetic ports. It has magneto-resistive effect of thin film perm alloy. 1.8 With the help of above components, I started to design and implement my hardware. I started with designing the power supply and then the robot. After completing the structure for the robot, I made a remote to operate it from a distance with the help of IR radiations. Once my whole device/robot was ready, I mapped a flow chart which described the working and the functioning of the device. The flow chart took lot of efforts as every small point had to be noted for the functioning of the robot. The flowchart can be seen below. 1.9 The core idea behind this robot was for short circuit detection that occur in the underground cable breaks. The continuity of the cables is first checked using a multimeter as the cables are laid across large areas. After detecting the stretch of wire where the problem of discontinuity occurs, the robot is made to use for detecting the final and precise location of the breakage or fault. External remote navigator circuit is used for the robot and it is placed on the cable. A wire is also connected to the signal generator unit. The robot is positioned in such a way that the discontinuity lies in the forward direction and the robot moves along that direction. 1.10 A 3KHz signal is passed through the wire and a power is supplied to the robotic unit. An electromagnetic field is generated as per the Faradays law, after the current starts receiving and moves around. This electromagnetic field will generate a voltage that will be provided using the microcontroller RA0 pin and thus controlling the movement of the robot. On reaching the point of discontinuity the robot will not generate electromagnetic field, which will trigger the buzzer circuit connected to it indicating the fault and location of the issue. The HALL sensor unit can be used and provided to get the exact distance that the robot moves in finding the discontinuity and the LCD module connected to it will display the details. Once the location of fault is found, the cable operators and technicians can dig that ground and resolve the problem easily. 1.11 Based on the working, I planned the flowchart for the coding and programming part of the circuit. I used the software called BASCOM-AVR which supports the 8051 microcontrollers and Atemls AVR microcontrollers. Both coding and testing can be performed using this software. I wrote a code for the below flow chart and successfully loaded it into the microcontroller to check its working. Robokits AVR USB programmer is used to load the program that is made in BASCOM into the microcontroller after generating a HEX file of the program. The best advantage of working on BASCOM is that it has menu options specially for troubleshooting your program. 1.12 After completing both hardware and software part for this robot, I gave it a test run to see its functioning. I faced an issue while running the robot, initially it didnt detect or generate an electromagnetic field which was required to detect the faulty cables. So, I made use of magnetic read switch which could generate magnetic field of 440V or above and It was cheaper than the magnetic field sensors. On considering the safety perspective, there was a risk due to the use of high voltage of 440V. Thus, I decided to use a magnet to generate the require magnetic field and current instead of providing such high voltage supply. So, once the robot senses the magnetic field around the magnetic read switch that is generated with the help of magnet, the buzzer will start to work. Another issue was replacing this component i.e. to replace the magnetic sensor with a magnet because all the connections were done and the circuit could get complicated. To do that, it took lot of patience and it h ad to be done carefully. This was the major problem I encountered during my project. 1.13 SUMMARY Thus, to save the manpower and wastage of time, I developed such robot that detects the faulty cables. I believe it will be helpful to various companies. The robot is designed to be user-friendly and easy to access. It is also cost-effective and controlling and maintenance is very easy. It has lot of scope for expansion, it can be used to detect faults at places which is not accessible by human hand or places which require large amount of safety. 1.14 This project was the first project of my bachelors degree, so it held lot of importance, and it taught me a lot. I gave a final presentation and a report document stating the work I did and the completed working and description of the project. I presented it to my faculty staff and in front of my classmates. I got good help and support from my guide in all difficult situations. It used my basic programming knowledge. It boosted my confidence in my field. I got motivated and inspired to implement and research new projects which would use more advance electronics and telecommunication knowledge.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Justinian I Essay -- essays research papers fc

Justinian I Justinian had a very significant role in world history. There are many things that are overlooked when speaking of Justinian. For instance, Justinian was a great architect. Many times we overlook the little characteristics of Justinian and we focus on the code of Justinian. Justinian was born a barbarian, probably born of Slavic parents in Illyia. We know nothing of his early years except that his uncle adopted him. His uncle was Justin I, the emperor of Constantinople. Then in 527 A.D., Justin made Justinian a co-ruler. Four months later, when Justin died, Justinian became the sole emperor. This was the beginning of Justinian’s famous rule, which lasted from 527 A.D. through 565 A.D. (The Reign of Justinian). The reign of Justinian was significant in many ways. First of all, it marked the final end of the Roman Empire. It was the establishment of the New Byzantine empire. It was also the beginning of Western Europe’s unique position within the civilization of the old world. The religion of Islam spread and the Franks rose to power (The Reign of Justinian). Among other things, Justinian’s rule saw a flourishment in the areas of architecture, the arts, and literature. It was a time of re-building for the empire. Justinian pursued an ambitious dream of restoring the old Roman Empire. In fact, Justinian led the Byzantine army in many wars to regain this land. These wars destroyed much of the great architecture that Justinian himself had created. More than any other series of events before of since that time. Justinian was successful in driving out the Ostrogoths from Italy, and the Vandals from Africa. During the western wars Justinian bought peace with the Persians, weakened the empire, and oppressed his subjects (Justinian). Justinian tried to restore the empire to match the size that it was at the time of the Roman Empire. These immense military efforts did all but exhaust the empire’s treasury. He even had to pay Persia for peace just so that he could have a free hand in the west. However, even after Justinian’s immense efforts, after his death, most of Italy, Southern Spain, and Africa were once again recaptured, leaving only Justinian’s dream of restoring the empire to the glory it once knew. His dream had failed (The Empire at the time of Justinian). The westerners didn’t want to return to some of the old Roman ways such as Roman taxation,... ...e of the capital city, a number of distinguished literary figures of Justinian’s time popped up. Their works were largely influenced by the great Greek philosopher such as Aristotle and Plato. It is said that if Justinian had sided with the Christians when dealing with the Classical Greek teachings, he would be cutting a major part of his heritage. The people, most of which, were not prepared for such an action (The Empire at the time of Justinian). Even though his dream of restoration had failed, he didn’t fail in all areas. many of the areas such as art, literature, architecture, and the famed Code of Justinian, are still around today. Parts of the code are found in laws of different countries. Justinian’s reign would prove to be beneficial not only to his empire, but to the world as we know it today. Justinian was a very important ruler who did much to influence history. Bibliography Empire at the time of Justinian, The- www.greece.org/Romiosini/constple.html Justinian- www.ukans.edu/kansas/medieval/108/lectures/justinian.html Justinian’s Code- www.wwlia.org/history.htm#529 Reign of Justinian, The - www.ukans.org/kansas/medieval/108/justinian.html *All authors are unknown*

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Mono Basin Volcanism Essay -- Geology Volcanoes Volcano Papers

Mono Basin Volcanism The last basin in the Basin and Range before the Sierra Nevada Mountain range is the Mono Basin. The Mono Basin consists of landforms such as the Mono-Inyo Craters, Black Point, Negit Island, Paoha Island, Mono Lake, Devils Punch Bowl, Panum Crater, and some others (Hamburger et al; 2004). All of these landforms were created by volcanism. Actually, the Mono Basin is in one of the most volcanically active places in the world (Forest Service; 2004). Paoha Island, Negit Island, and Panum Crater are the most recent volcanoes to erupt, which are the furthest north in the basin. The volcanoes' ages tend to get older the further south they are from Panum Crater; with the exception of Paoha. Eruptions in the Mono Basin have tended to occur in five hundred year intervals over the past two thousand to three thousand years (Molossia; 2004). Hot springs and fumeroles and other signs show that this area is still active (USDA; 97). Though there has not been any volcanic eruptions in the las t six hundred years, there is still evidence of volcanic unrest in the Mono Basin area. (The Picture above compliments of USGS). The Mono Craters were all formed within the last forty thousand years. These craters are localized on a north-trending fissure system that starts at the south of Mammoth Mountain up through the western moat to the north shore of Mono Lake; this system extends about fifty kilometers (USGS;2004). There are thirty domes that formed together (Molossia;2004). They were originally formed by the intrusion of a dike. About six hundred years ago when the magma began rising in the southern end of the Mono-Inyo Craters there was a series of eruptions and ground cracking. The dike was spreading both hor... ...is Panum Crater that is six hundred and forty years old (Topinka:2001). (Picture below compliments of USGS). Sources Molossian Institute of Volcanology. Long Valley Caldera. 2004 http://www.molossia.org.org/volcanology/longvalley.html Topinka, Lyn. Mono-Inyo Craters. Last updated 11/09/01. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/livingwith/volcanicpast/places/volcanic_past_long_valey.html. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Mono Basin. National Forest Scenic Area. Inyo National Forest. 11/97. U.S Geological Survey. Long Valley Observatory Website. Mono Lake Area, California. 2004. http://lvo.wr.usgs.gov/Inyoeruptions/inyoflows.html http://lvo.wr.usgs.gov/history.html Wood and Kienle, 1990, Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada: Cambridge University Press, 354p.,p.256-262. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/volcanoes/nevada/description_nevada.html

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of the opening scene Essay

Concentrating on the presentation of character, setting and sound, analyse review and comment on what seems to you to be significant features of Baz Luhrmann’s style as a film director, with particular reference to â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† Baz Luhrmann’s recreation of Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, as a film text, has been a great success in today’s modern world. Baz Luhrmann’s intentions, in making this film, were to take a classic Shakespearean play (something that not that many ‘young’ people appreciate any more in this modern age) and to modernise it. To translate the image of what would have been an exciting source of entertainment in the 17th century into a fun filled action/romantic movie suitable for the demanding eyes of the modern world’s youth . Baz Luhrmann had ask himself the question: if Shakespeare were alive today, how would he of made the movie. The expression he uses is ‘putting Shakespeare on a billboard in ‘Time Square’. The film opens with a picture of a television screen switched off then, with no sound, clicks one with a few credits on the screen as if someone is changing the channel to find something that would interest them then clicks onto this channel with a newsreader reading out what sounds like news but is the prologue of â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†. While the newsreader is reading out this in the background in a box, where you would see a picture of a broken wedding band, which symbolises the broken love between Romeo and Juliet. Then uses a series of camera styles like rapid zoom and whooshing noise as it goes into the image of the newsreader, followed by dramatic music. The images then start ‘whooshing’ onto other similar images of Verona and with this the prologue is repeated by the priest, with a more stern and authentic voice. Then it shows pictures of the cast with information about them. This is the introduction to Baz Luhrmann’s film and with this he catches the viewers attention. He achieves this by giving the viewers a taste of the excitement to come by showing a few short clips of some if the film. This makes them hungry for more. In the first scene of this recreational play we start off with 3 men from the house of Montague, the ‘Montague Boys’, which we see at the start of the film accompanied with a big title saying: ‘THE MONTAGUE BOYS’ and a rap style song repeating the words: â€Å"the boys, the boys†. They are achieving what Shakespeare wanted them to do originally – going around being boisterous and rowdy – but in a modern days style. In the original play the 2 men are just going around a market place showing off Baz Luhrmann pretty much goes along the same line of what happened in the original play but with cars, tall extravagant buildings, helicopters, sirens etc. Baz Luhrmann puts the Montague’s in a petrol station where they meat up with there rivals the Capulet’s and recreates the confrontations with guns, which just so happen have the brand name of swords, rapiers etc. It’s all very clever if you’ve seen the original play. Even though that Baz Luhrmann has changed the visuals and made the film more modern he hasn’t changed the script he has still kept it in that same Shakespearean tong: â€Å"thus, thou hast, knowest, thow etc. He did this for 2 reasons: 1 because if he didn’t keep the script it would virtually be the same as ‘East side story’ (another recreation of Romeo and Juliet) and 2 to bring a piece of the 17th century and stick it in the film to show people, of the modern world, how Shakespeare made his play. Baz Luhrmann kept the original scripture of the film; he did this so that he still kept the true nature of the play pure. In doing this he had to make the visuals far more stunning, majestic and exaggerated so as to make it so the audience could understand it through the visual image of the film. The characters in Luhrmann’s films are very exaggerated so by looking at the way they act and speak you can instantly tell what kind of person they are in the film: ‘The bad guy’, ‘the funny guy’, ‘the romantic guy’ etc. For example the two Montague boys are all rough and tough when they are talking behind the Capulets back but when they are face to face with the Capulets they are very jumpy and scared and also very comical at the same time. But the Capulet boys are much more mean and bullish. Abra a big scary looking character who strikes fear into the Montagues he also loses his temper and Tybalt. Tybalt being the main big bad guy of the film is very harsh and cruel he looks like a big gun slinger. He has a very stylised character – his movement his whole style gives him a great sense of character even by the way that he speaks you know he is the bad guy. The complexity of the sound involved in Baz Luhrmann’s creations is quite fascinating. At any one point in the film there are a lot of sounds being played for all the different types of things, which you can here, even in the simplest scenes. Many of the sounds are synthesized this means the sounds are created by a computer, this allows the editor to add in and take out sound with ease. You’ll see an image on the screen and will be listening to a complex layering of sounds, which will all be playing at once. For example: footsteps, gunshots, whooshing and cars in the background, dialogue and much more. The music will change to the emotion of the person or the film. If you were to listen to all the sounds individually and added together you would be able to hear how the affects are achieved and see how complicated it actually is. All the sounds are stored on a sound deck and are then arranged and played at the times required. The film even has its own sound track, which was released into the charts and went number one at one stage or another. People listened to this and were deeply encouraged to go and watch the film because of what they heard from the soundtrack. Sound is used to enhance emotion and interest: the rap style music at the start of the film when the Montague boys are in their car, a ‘cougar roar’ sound is emitted when the car revs its engine (this is used to give a sense of danger) Silence is also used to increase tension. Exaggerated sounds on small objects are also used for this purpose. Choreography is the word, which means ‘style of the character’ and the movement of the character i. e. the style of the movement given out gives a sense of character. Tybalt’s style is very intriguing in the way that he moves almost like he’s dancing. Tybalt’s movement is meant to be a sort of flamenco dance; he moves very fluently and gives a sense that he is an experienced gun fighter. The part when every thing goes silent and Tybalt comes onto the scene and all you see is boots which then crush on a dropped match and emits that horrible grinding sound. The way in which Tybalt moves embellishes his character. The Montague boys are very jumpy and scared and react with great movement this is called ‘Pantomimic exaggeration’. In the first scene 170 shots were used. The techniques used in the film were very much the same as the ones used in western films. The film was meant to be in a western genre, a spaghetti western. A spaghetti western is a sought of love story/ western. The camera techniques used in the film are very good at delivering different emotions or to increase/decrease tension. Big wide shots are less dramatic than the suspension given out by a close up shot. In the first scene there is a large variety of camera styles used, such as when Abra is confronting the Montague boys and the camera suddenly zooms in on his teeth with the word S I N inscribed on them, with camera is looking up at him, this terrifies the Montagues and then causes one of the Montague boys falls back into the car and the camera is looking down on him. When a camera is looking up at a character it is much more scarier than when a camera is looking down upon someone. Computer aided technology was used to help design the costumes for the characters in the film a photo’s was taken of the actor and the designs where then put on to the computer software to be mapped out and used so they could try samples on the actors to see how it looked and see if they liked it or not, in that context. The Montagues wore bright Hawaiian styled open t-shirts while the Capulets wore flat jackets and darker clothing in a more Latino style. They have also spent a lot of time designing the guns for the films, which symbolize the swords in the original play (that’s why the gun brand is called swords). You see in the film the two buildings of both Montague and Capulet, this represents the focus on religious iconography shows that religion (the 2 families are both religious families and respect there religious beliefs) and the law are not able to maintain the battle, the confrontation, and the feud between these to households. Miami was used to shoot the film because of its Latino genre and its religious environment hot country- hot blooded. The gas station was used in the film to symbolize modern city life and to keep the scene similar to that of the original play: market square and gas station both places of common publicity.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Disaster Recover and Accounting

The aftermath of hurricane Katrina and September 11th 2001 attack was misinformation about financial positions of companies and individuals and misappropriation of funds meant for disaster recovery. Insurance companies were forced to pay some compensation based on financial statements which were prepared from insufficient records. After the two disasters accounting regulating body set out on how accounting should be recorded and reported in case of such disasters.Financial accounting is normally centred on the loses incurred during a natural disaster or a terrorist attack. Such events are recorded as extraordinary in the financial statement of companies and individuals. The recognition of terrorist acts in the financial statements should be treated as liabilities which can be measured if its impact is measurable in monetary forms. Attempts should be made by disaster recovery team to recover accounting documents for companies and individuals.During the September 11th 2001 much records were lost but the association of accountants came up with a standard for recognising such acts and the standards provides that in recording such liabilities sufficient information which is reliable should be obtained and the information obtained should be based on faith, verifiable and neutral. There was fraudulent financial reporting as regards to the position of institutions and individuals. In some cases most companies misstated their financial position to make them good while actually before the disaster they were badly of.The accounting standard board came up with the requirement for disclosure for loses of disaster. It provides that loses should be classified in a form of occurrence. The reporting effects of a natural disaster should be based on those natural disasters that are likely to occur. In the case of Katrina the government was compensating companies that made loses during the disaster. Most institutions and individuals lost their properties through the disaster, misi nformed because proper accounting records were not recovered.At one point forensic accounting was carried out to verify the proper financial position of some companies. However, fixed assets were recovered after the floods and were reported less the cost of reverting them to their original position. Intangible assets like good will were also recovered and were recorded to their original position. When such a disaster occurs good will of a company does not disappear. In accounting for good will and other assets the company should be able to show in the balance sheet the position of an intangible asset before and after a natural disaster. The date of the disaster should be quoted.In cases of natural disasters and terrorists acts, accounting reporting becomes very difficult but the accounting association has provided guidelines for reporting in the financial statement. The terrorist act and a natural disaster are the likely events to occur in a future date again. Therefore its reportin g should provide a provision in areas prone to disasters. Various governmental departments account for funds used during the disaster recovery process. In most cases it is found out that fraud and misuse of funds is rampant. At one point the military department was found to have misappropriated huge sums of money.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

What Did Charles George Gordon Do to Earn the View That He Was an Imperial Hero and Was It Justified?

What did Charles George Gordon do to earn the view that he was an Imperial Hero and was it justified? When discussing heroes the first things that would come to mind are selfless individuals, they would show a tremendous amount of bravery in the face of certain defeat and have the courage and determination to beat overwhelming odds. The dictionary definitions of heroes are â€Å"a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength and ability† or â€Å"a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities†.Charles George Gordon has gone down in history as a an imperial hero, during this essay I will ascertain what it was Charles Gordon did to earn this title and whether or not it was justified. Gordon was the son of a Royal Artillery officer and born in 1833. He was part of a large family with five sisters and five brothers. It would be from one his sisters that Gordon would inspiration for his strong religious views as his life went o n. Gordon followed in his father’s footsteps and enlisted in the military, he joined the Royal Engineers as an officer.Gordon thrived in the Engineers with the nature of the work perfectly suited to his personality; they were posted all over the world building bridges, siege work and buildings all over the world. One of his first postings was to Pembroke Dock in Wale, here Gordon converted to Christianity. Although this wasn’t the beginning of the Gospel spreading Gordon we know today, he was still indifferent with regards to his religion he was not actively spreading the Christian word.By the time of his death, Gordon was a devout Christian, he did not fear death for he genuinely felt that death would lead him to a better place. By 1854 Gordon had become a very religious man, a lot of the can be attributed to his older sister Augusta. He wrote to her often almost thanking her for her spiritual guidance whilst also keeping her updated with his religious journey â€Å" You know I was never confirmed. When I was a cadet, I thought it was a useless sin as I did not intend to alter (not that it was in my power to be converted when I chose).I however, took my first sacrament on Easter day, and have communed ever since. †(Churchill, 2009, p95) I feel that his change in religious views ultimately would have a huge affect in how we was remembered and thought of. Religion was a huge part of the Empire, although the main stimulants for empire were to expand lands and capture natural resources, there was an aspect that by colonising lands it would also spread the message of God. Civilise and educate the savages of foreign lands. At the height of the imperial age church people liked to argue that religion and the British empire were inseparable- that the visible, commercial and political empire was woven into the fabric of another, invisible country- a spiritual empire’ (Carey, 2008, p1). Charles Gordon was given many different political roles w ithin the British Empire whilst serving in the army, however it is the Sudan that he is renowned for. In 1874 was appointed the full Governor of the Sudan. In typical Gordon style he launched himself into his new role, paying particular attention to the curbing and stopping of the slave trade.This was the sort of impossible task that Gordon relished. Gordon despised the slave trade, and he wrote often about it, voicing his disgust frequently in his letters. â€Å"I am a fool, I dare say, but I cannot see the sufferings of these peoples without tears in my eyes†¦. †. (2010, Moore-Hall) Alice Moore-Hall writes that despite his hero label, Gordon didn’t successfully complete his objectives. Gordon essentially brought the area under the control of Egypt, however Moore-Hall explains that this was only really the case when Gordon or his representatives were present in the region.He was extremely successful at reducing the slave trade within the Sudan, a somewhat difficu lt task considering the affect that it had on the economy of the area. He did not however completely stop it, something that Moore-Hall attributes to the locals within Gordon’s expedition due to the participation of peoples under his command partaking in the enterprises they were in fact charged with stopping. The economic interest, political stability and social relations brought into question by the slave trade made it a practice that even the likes of Gordon would fail to eradicate.So the question remains, was it his efforts in Sudan that brought him heroic status within the empire, it wasn’t a finished job, there was no real glory or great British achievement within Gordon’s actions on his first trip to the Sudan, he wasn’t even working for the British military at the time. Gordon left the Sudan in 1879 with the intention of becoming the Private Secretary to the Viceroy of India amongst other things such as visiting Palestine, South Africa and Ireland . None of the positions he undertook following the Sudan were of any great importance highlighting the lack of trust in him from the British War Office.When looking at the roles which Gordon undertook, it is reasonable to question why it was exactly that he was the man sent to the Sudan when trouble was arising? The British Government, led by Gladstone had viciously attacked Disraeli and the previous government’s foreign policies, yet by 1882 an invasion of Egypt was sanctioned in order to protect the Suez Canal. This led to further involvement with the Sudan due to its ties with Egypt. A self proclaimed leader of Muslims, intent on holy war and cleansing the Muslim religion had succeeded in uniting the various groupings within the Sudan.The British government more than likely would have been happy with abandoning the Sudan, perhaps even Egypt. It is believed by Historians such as Michael Asher that Gladstone felt inclined to intervene in the Sudan due to his beliefs that the Sudanese were struggling to be free. By the end of 1883, Army Officers, clergymen, Egyptian Experts and even Queen Victoria herself were lobbying for Government intervention, more importantly, for Gordon. Gladstone reportedly had an intense dislike for Gordon, he felt that he was both rash and irresponsible.The media and public however did not feel the same way. W T Stead of the Pall Mall Gazzette wrote â€Å"We cannot send a regiment to Khartoum, but we can send a man who on similar circumstances than an entire army. Why not send Chinese Gordon with full powers to Khartoum, to assume absolute control for the territory, to treat with the Mahdi, to relieve the garrisons , and do what he can to save what can be saved from the wreck of the Sudan? † (Asher (2003) p4). This attitude was enthusiastically backed up Stead with their backing of Gordon.This wave of support pushed the government into acting quickly. This public support tells us that Gordon was held in high regard prior to his second visit to the Sudan. He had proven to the empire his skills, he held religion in extremely high regard and previous form tells us he achieved results. He gained an international reputation as an effective commander of armed forces not as skilled as the British. Particularly in China, he was rewarded by both the Chinese and the British for his efforts in quashing a rebellion.Surely he was the perfect man for the job. By the December of 1883, the British had ordered the Egyptians to order their troops to retreat and abandon the Sudan along with civilians and families. Gordon was sent with the intention of assisting the plans for evacuation. Gordon arrived in February the following year and immediately began to evacuate the women, children sick and wounded back to Egypt. It didn’t take long for Mahdi’s forces closed in the Sudanese capital following astounding defeats of the Egyptian forces.By April the British Forces had all withdrawn from Garrisons in the Sudan effectively leaving Gordon and his men abandoned. Gordon was not sent to the Sudan to fight the Ma’hdi, far from it and when the news had travelled that Gordon was in Sudan, he received little sympathy from the British Government. Gladstone did not act swiftly in sending a rescue party. It is believed by historians such as Dennis Judd, that the delay in this relief party was down to the Governments lack of interest in spending money abroad and annoyance that Gordon had not done what he was asked.The government dragged and the public rallied. Public Opinion in the end was too strong for the government and in the end an order was given to relieve Gordon in Khartoum, unfortunately for Gordon, and the government, it was too late. In the early hours of January 26th 1885 Gordon was murdered by Ma’hdi forces. There were various accounts of his death, varying in details. However the one that captured the Victorian peoples imaginations. Gordon immaculately dressed fightin g to the end.When addressing what it was that made Gordon the imperial hero he was is an interesting one, he was not your stereotypical Imperial hero. What he did do was heroically defend Khartoum, save thousands of women and children with his evacuation. For this it is fair that he is acclaimed a hero. But with regards to a hero of empire, it is harder to justify. He rallied against colonial rule, he didn’t obey his orders with regards to the evacuation of Sudan and he severely undermined the British government of the time. Yet he captured the hearts of a nation and perhaps most importantly, a queen. Dear Miss Gordon – How shall I write to you, or how shall I attempt to express what I feel! To think of your dear, noble, heroic Brother who served his Country and his Queen so truly, so heroically† (Churchill, S (2009) p112). this extract from a letter to Gordon’s sister captures not only the true thoughts of a queen, but perhaps a nation. Statues were erect ed and schools were named after him as well as books, journals and biographies written to celebrate a nations hero. In my opinion I find it very hard to describe Gordon as a hero of the empire.He was as a Christian Martyr foremost, he believed in honour, fairness and god before all else. His life was captured after his death and used to promote jingoistic ideals, the hijackers in fact were the following government, Disraeli jumped aboard promoting an empire of Enlightenment was exactly what the country wanted following the death of Gordon. However, despite the stories and support he received post-mortem the fact was he never conquered a single mile of land for the Queen, and spent the majority of his career working for foreign governments and not in fact the British Army.He was a hero for his achievements, moral code and was someone to look up to and aspire to be but he was not an imperial hero. Churchill, S (2009). General Gordon: A Christian Hero. London: Trediton. Judd, D (1997). Empire. Great Britain: Basicbooks. Pollock, J (1993). Gordon, The man behind the Legend. London: Constable. Asher, M (2003). Khartoum. 2nd ed. London: Penquin. Carey, H (2008). Empires of Religion. New Zealand: Macmillan. Moore-Hall, A (2010). Egypt's Africa Empire: Samuel Baker, Charles Gordon ; the Creation of Equatoria. Sussex: Sussex Academic Press What Did Charles George Gordon Do to Earn the View That He Was an Imperial Hero and Was It Justified? What did Charles George Gordon do to earn the view that he was an Imperial Hero and was it justified? When discussing heroes the first things that would come to mind are selfless individuals, they would show a tremendous amount of bravery in the face of certain defeat and have the courage and determination to beat overwhelming odds. The dictionary definitions of heroes are â€Å"a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength and ability† or â€Å"a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities†.Charles George Gordon has gone down in history as a an imperial hero, during this essay I will ascertain what it was Charles Gordon did to earn this title and whether or not it was justified. Gordon was the son of a Royal Artillery officer and born in 1833. He was part of a large family with five sisters and five brothers. It would be from one his sisters that Gordon would inspiration for his strong religious views as his life went o n. Gordon followed in his father’s footsteps and enlisted in the military, he joined the Royal Engineers as an officer.Gordon thrived in the Engineers with the nature of the work perfectly suited to his personality; they were posted all over the world building bridges, siege work and buildings all over the world. One of his first postings was to Pembroke Dock in Wale, here Gordon converted to Christianity. Although this wasn’t the beginning of the Gospel spreading Gordon we know today, he was still indifferent with regards to his religion he was not actively spreading the Christian word.By the time of his death, Gordon was a devout Christian, he did not fear death for he genuinely felt that death would lead him to a better place. By 1854 Gordon had become a very religious man, a lot of the can be attributed to his older sister Augusta. He wrote to her often almost thanking her for her spiritual guidance whilst also keeping her updated with his religious journey â€Å" You know I was never confirmed. When I was a cadet, I thought it was a useless sin as I did not intend to alter (not that it was in my power to be converted when I chose).I however, took my first sacrament on Easter day, and have communed ever since. †(Churchill, 2009, p95) I feel that his change in religious views ultimately would have a huge affect in how we was remembered and thought of. Religion was a huge part of the Empire, although the main stimulants for empire were to expand lands and capture natural resources, there was an aspect that by colonising lands it would also spread the message of God. Civilise and educate the savages of foreign lands. At the height of the imperial age church people liked to argue that religion and the British empire were inseparable- that the visible, commercial and political empire was woven into the fabric of another, invisible country- a spiritual empire’ (Carey, 2008, p1). Charles Gordon was given many different political roles w ithin the British Empire whilst serving in the army, however it is the Sudan that he is renowned for. In 1874 was appointed the full Governor of the Sudan. In typical Gordon style he launched himself into his new role, paying particular attention to the curbing and stopping of the slave trade.This was the sort of impossible task that Gordon relished. Gordon despised the slave trade, and he wrote often about it, voicing his disgust frequently in his letters. â€Å"I am a fool, I dare say, but I cannot see the sufferings of these peoples without tears in my eyes†¦. †. (2010, Moore-Hall) Alice Moore-Hall writes that despite his hero label, Gordon didn’t successfully complete his objectives. Gordon essentially brought the area under the control of Egypt, however Moore-Hall explains that this was only really the case when Gordon or his representatives were present in the region.He was extremely successful at reducing the slave trade within the Sudan, a somewhat difficu lt task considering the affect that it had on the economy of the area. He did not however completely stop it, something that Moore-Hall attributes to the locals within Gordon’s expedition due to the participation of peoples under his command partaking in the enterprises they were in fact charged with stopping. The economic interest, political stability and social relations brought into question by the slave trade made it a practice that even the likes of Gordon would fail to eradicate.So the question remains, was it his efforts in Sudan that brought him heroic status within the empire, it wasn’t a finished job, there was no real glory or great British achievement within Gordon’s actions on his first trip to the Sudan, he wasn’t even working for the British military at the time. Gordon left the Sudan in 1879 with the intention of becoming the Private Secretary to the Viceroy of India amongst other things such as visiting Palestine, South Africa and Ireland . None of the positions he undertook following the Sudan were of any great importance highlighting the lack of trust in him from the British War Office.When looking at the roles which Gordon undertook, it is reasonable to question why it was exactly that he was the man sent to the Sudan when trouble was arising? The British Government, led by Gladstone had viciously attacked Disraeli and the previous government’s foreign policies, yet by 1882 an invasion of Egypt was sanctioned in order to protect the Suez Canal. This led to further involvement with the Sudan due to its ties with Egypt. A self proclaimed leader of Muslims, intent on holy war and cleansing the Muslim religion had succeeded in uniting the various groupings within the Sudan.The British government more than likely would have been happy with abandoning the Sudan, perhaps even Egypt. It is believed by Historians such as Michael Asher that Gladstone felt inclined to intervene in the Sudan due to his beliefs that the Sudanese were struggling to be free. By the end of 1883, Army Officers, clergymen, Egyptian Experts and even Queen Victoria herself were lobbying for Government intervention, more importantly, for Gordon. Gladstone reportedly had an intense dislike for Gordon, he felt that he was both rash and irresponsible.The media and public however did not feel the same way. W T Stead of the Pall Mall Gazzette wrote â€Å"We cannot send a regiment to Khartoum, but we can send a man who on similar circumstances than an entire army. Why not send Chinese Gordon with full powers to Khartoum, to assume absolute control for the territory, to treat with the Mahdi, to relieve the garrisons , and do what he can to save what can be saved from the wreck of the Sudan? † (Asher (2003) p4). This attitude was enthusiastically backed up Stead with their backing of Gordon.This wave of support pushed the government into acting quickly. This public support tells us that Gordon was held in high regard prior to his second visit to the Sudan. He had proven to the empire his skills, he held religion in extremely high regard and previous form tells us he achieved results. He gained an international reputation as an effective commander of armed forces not as skilled as the British. Particularly in China, he was rewarded by both the Chinese and the British for his efforts in quashing a rebellion.Surely he was the perfect man for the job. By the December of 1883, the British had ordered the Egyptians to order their troops to retreat and abandon the Sudan along with civilians and families. Gordon was sent with the intention of assisting the plans for evacuation. Gordon arrived in February the following year and immediately began to evacuate the women, children sick and wounded back to Egypt. It didn’t take long for Mahdi’s forces closed in the Sudanese capital following astounding defeats of the Egyptian forces.By April the British Forces had all withdrawn from Garrisons in the Sudan effectively leaving Gordon and his men abandoned. Gordon was not sent to the Sudan to fight the Ma’hdi, far from it and when the news had travelled that Gordon was in Sudan, he received little sympathy from the British Government. Gladstone did not act swiftly in sending a rescue party. It is believed by historians such as Dennis Judd, that the delay in this relief party was down to the Governments lack of interest in spending money abroad and annoyance that Gordon had not done what he was asked.The government dragged and the public rallied. Public Opinion in the end was too strong for the government and in the end an order was given to relieve Gordon in Khartoum, unfortunately for Gordon, and the government, it was too late. In the early hours of January 26th 1885 Gordon was murdered by Ma’hdi forces. There were various accounts of his death, varying in details. However the one that captured the Victorian peoples imaginations. Gordon immaculately dressed fightin g to the end.When addressing what it was that made Gordon the imperial hero he was is an interesting one, he was not your stereotypical Imperial hero. What he did do was heroically defend Khartoum, save thousands of women and children with his evacuation. For this it is fair that he is acclaimed a hero. But with regards to a hero of empire, it is harder to justify. He rallied against colonial rule, he didn’t obey his orders with regards to the evacuation of Sudan and he severely undermined the British government of the time. Yet he captured the hearts of a nation and perhaps most importantly, a queen. Dear Miss Gordon – How shall I write to you, or how shall I attempt to express what I feel! To think of your dear, noble, heroic Brother who served his Country and his Queen so truly, so heroically† (Churchill, S (2009) p112). this extract from a letter to Gordon’s sister captures not only the true thoughts of a queen, but perhaps a nation. Statues were erect ed and schools were named after him as well as books, journals and biographies written to celebrate a nations hero. In my opinion I find it very hard to describe Gordon as a hero of the empire.He was as a Christian Martyr foremost, he believed in honour, fairness and god before all else. His life was captured after his death and used to promote jingoistic ideals, the hijackers in fact were the following government, Disraeli jumped aboard promoting an empire of Enlightenment was exactly what the country wanted following the death of Gordon. However, despite the stories and support he received post-mortem the fact was he never conquered a single mile of land for the Queen, and spent the majority of his career working for foreign governments and not in fact the British Army.He was a hero for his achievements, moral code and was someone to look up to and aspire to be but he was not an imperial hero. Churchill, S (2009). General Gordon: A Christian Hero. London: Trediton. Judd, D (1997). Empire. Great Britain: Basicbooks. Pollock, J (1993). Gordon, The man behind the Legend. London: Constable. Asher, M (2003). Khartoum. 2nd ed. London: Penquin. Carey, H (2008). Empires of Religion. New Zealand: Macmillan. Moore-Hall, A (2010). Egypt's Africa Empire: Samuel Baker, Charles Gordon ; the Creation of Equatoria. Sussex: Sussex Academic Press