Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Patterns A short documentary by Kirsten Sheridan Essay Example for Free

Patterns A short documentary by Kirsten Sheridan Essay Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that shapes the way a person communicates and relates to people around them. People with autism have difficulties with everyday social interactions, learning disabilities and difficulty in making sense of the world. Kirsten Sheridan found an interest in this and chose to portray it in a brief documentary. She lived with her autistic cousin and he was a strong influence on her which got her interested in autistic people. The short film is about an autistic boy and the way he sees things from his point of view and how he interprets things. I will be analysing; the way Tommy acts compared to the other characters in the film, the different types of sounds used to represent whats going on in Tommys head, camera angles, movement, lighting, colour and editing. Also, I will be looking at the patterns and shapes established or repeated throughout the film. At the start of the film, there is a homely rhythmic guitar chord playing when Tommy is walking down the corridor alone. By doing this, Kirsten Sheridan gives the audience the awareness that Tommy is a simple person and that he likes things in a pattern or order. You can hear children playing outside; this makes us assume that Tommy is different as he was isolated from everyone else. The long camera shots show us that Tommy is walking with his head down and taking heavy steps like he is trying to block out all the noises going on around him. At the beginning of Patterns a plain, black and white check pattern is already established and gives us the notion that this pattern will be shown throughout the film. When Tommy was at school he couldnt walk across the black and white tiled floor because he was puzzled and couldnt understand the pattern. Kirsten Sheridan illustrated this by having a scene where Tommy is stood still, staring at the floor, trying to figure out the pattern. Jimmy helps him by telling him to look up and they both count in odd numbers whilst running across the floor. Most autistic people count in odd numbers, prime numbers and so on. In the film you can tell that Tommy is autistic or has something wrong with  him because he doesnt face people when they are talking to him, he tends to turn away. When Tommy and Jimmy are walking home from school, Tommy is talking to Jimmy with his back to him, when Tommy says What time is it Jimmy? And Jimmy says Ten minutes past four. Autistic people are likely to face away from the person they are talking to. Kirsten Sheridan uses a mixture of sounds and camera shots to show unusual aspects of Tommys autism. When Tommy comes home from school and his Mother asks him what he wants for dinner, Tommy hears a lot of different noises in the house, which results in Tommy shaking and holding his head and shouting I dont want anything to eat. Tommys Mother gives him too many choices and autistic people like things in order or something they can put in a pattern. Kirsten Sheridan muffles all the sounds, which are going on around Tommy, together so it sounds confusing for the audience to hear what is going on, so we can hear what Tommy is hearing. He then goes into the bathroom and turns the tap on to watch the water run down the drain, the repetitive pattern of the running water settles him down and puts things back in order. The close up camera shot of the running water shows us what its like from Tommys viewpoint. Tommy and Jimmy go outside to play on the swing. Jimmy is pushing Tommy on the swing and they are both laughing. Tommy appears to be enjoying this as he is in a calm, relaxed and ordered environment. Kirsten Sheridan uses a camera shot from Tommys point of view, in this scene, to show us the repeating pattern of seeing the grass then the sky. Kirsten Sheridan shows a distinct line between the ways the other characters dress to the way Tommy dresses. Tommy is dressed in dull, dreary, dark clothes whereas his brother Jimmy is dressed in the complete opposite, in bright and vivid colours to show that he is a typical 8 year old. This gives us the sense that Tommy is unlike everyone else. This helps us distinguish who is autistic. Also Tommys speech and accent is different to everyone elses, the other characters all talk with an Irish accent but Tommy talks with an English accent. In one of the scenes the family are sat at the dinner table, Tommy and Kathleen are talking. What was my baby today? Kathleen says. Tommy replies He was the best baby, and Kathleen was very proud wasnt she? This shows that Kathleen isnt very close with Tommy as he refers to her as Kathleen not Mum. Tommy takes things that people say literally. Tommys Dad said he will be at home at 6 oclock and Tommy expects him to come through the door at exactly 6 oclock. Sheridan shows this by having a scene where Tommy is sitting on the stairs in front of the door waiting until the time was precisely 6 oclock. He was making clicking noises while looking intently at the door waiting for his Dad to come home. Autistic people take what you say literally; in contrast, non-autistic people dont take what people say literally because the person isnt exactly going to know whats going to happen in the future. At the dinner table, Tommy is picking letters out of his bowl to spell numbers, when he cant find the T to spell eight he starts making clicking noises with his mouth and flicking his soup everywhere. His parents dont know what to do, so then Jimmy starts tapping a rhythm on the table which calms Tommy down and seems to put everything back in order in Tommys brain. Autistic people like things in order. The camera shots Kirsten Sheridan uses in this scene are very efficient, as they show us what its like to be in Tommys mind. The camera rotates around the dinner table very swiftly, this makes you feel dizzy and awkward which gives us and insight to what Tommy feels like. Tommy is in his room listening to music when the record starts to jump which causes him to have a panic attack. Kathleen rushes over to him and tries to control him but that does nothing except instigate the problem even more. So then Jimmy has to come in and help Tommy calm down, while Kathleen stands in the doorway crying. And Tommy says Bye now Kathleen. Not realising that his Mother was upset. Autistic people are often unaware of other peoples emotions and facial expressions. Near the end of the film Kirsten Sheridan adds a turning point, where Tommy starts to let go of his brother and the assistance he gives him. Tommy says  to Jimmy Time to go now, so bye now. Jimmy responds with Youll be on your own so. Tommy appreciates what Jimmy says and goes inside leaving Jimmy to go and play with his friends. Tommy becomes more independent at this point and this is the initial start to Tommy and Jimmy leading their individual lives. Throughout the study of Patterns I have discovered that Jimmy is a big part of Tommys life and I have presented the problems caused from Tommys autism. I think this short film is a clever method of presenting to non-autistic people the way an autistic person acts, behaves and why they do so. It also gives an inside view of how an autistic person has to deal with everyday life. Bibliography: the short documentry by Kirsten Sheridan.

Monday, August 5, 2019

Crisis Management: Preparedness for Tsunami

Crisis Management: Preparedness for Tsunami Implications of wave behaviour for everyday life How would a tsunami affect Christchurch? The effects of a tsunami on Christchurch and the surrounding areas would be devastating. Depending on where the tsunami is generated the damage will vary. The risks of a tsunami occurring in Christchurch are relatively low, but there is still a small risk. The highest risk of a tsunami is generated off the coasts of South America, caused by the Nazca plate colliding with the South American plate. These two plates have caused many large earthquakes and tsunamis. Chile’s 2010 8.8 magnitude earthquake caused a 2.3 – 2.6 meter tsunami to hit the coast of Chile and Peru. This tsunami travelled across the pacific ocean and reached New Zealand. Authorities stated they did not expect the tsunami to reach New Zealand but later issued a warning stating that waves of up to 1 meter could hit the coasts. Waves were recorded above 0.5 meters in some areas. The Heathcote and Avon estuary in Christchurch received waves of up to 0.50 meters and surges past 1 meter. Lyttleton which is no t far from Christchurch experienced surges over 2 meters, luckily it was low tide and the water didn’t break its banks. The effects of a tsunami on Christchurch can range from unnoticeable to devastating. The effects of a tsunami depend on the characteristics of theseismic eventthat generated the tsunami, the distance from its point of origin, magnitude and, at last, the depth of the ocean. Small tsunamis, non-destructive and are undetectable without specialized equipment, happen almost every day as a result of minorearthquakesand other events. They are very often too far away from land or they are too small to have any effect when they hit the shore. When a small tsunami comes to the shoreline it is often seen as a strong and fast-moving tide. Tsunamis have long periods and can overcome obstacles such as gulfs, bays and islands. These tsunamis make landfall usually in the form of suddenly decreasing and then rapidly increasing water levels, a combination of several large waves in session. Generally tsunamis arrive, not as giant breaking waves, but as a forceful rapid increase in water levels that result in violent flooding. However, when tsunami waves become extremely large in height, they savagely attack coastlines, causing devastating property damage and loss of life. A small wave only 30 centimetres high in the deep ocean may grow into a monster wave 30m high as it sweeps over the shore. The effects can be further amplified by bays, and harbours acting as a funnel for the waves to move inland. Large tsunamis have been known to rise to over 50 meters, although this clearly never occurred in New Zealand. The initial wave of a huge tsunami is extremely tall, however, most damage is not sustained by this wave. Most of the damage is caused by the huge mass of water behind the initial wave front, as the height of the sea keeps rising fast and floods powerfully into the coastal area. It is the power behind the waves, the endless rushing water that causes devastation and loss of life. When the giant breaking waves of a tsunami batter the shoreline, they can destroy everything in their path. Destruction is caused by two mechanisms: the smashing force of a wall of water traveling at high speed, and the destructive power of a large volume of water draining off the land and carrying all with it, even if the wave did not look large. The energy tsunamis carry with them is massive. People living near coastal areas are advised to have an evacuation plan in place. If a local tsunami was to occur there would only be a few minutes to escape to higher ground. The violent force of the tsunami results in instant death, most commonly by drowning. Buildings collapsing, and electrocution, also floating debris is another cause of death. What evacuation plans are in place for Christchurch? The Christchurch City Council and NZ Police have evacuation plans in place for regional tsunamis. The NZ Police and Christchurch City Council have identified 19 at-risk sectorswithin the Christchurch coastal zone which will be the focus of any evacuation activity. About 23,000 people in 8570 households will be involved in a total evacuation of the zone. Official warnings will be announced via TV and radio. The following are official radio stations that the warning will be issued on: Classic Hits (97.7FM) National Radio (101.7FM or 675AM) Newstalk ZB (1098AM) More FM (92.1FM) Radio Live (99.3FM or 738 AM) The Breeze (94.5FM) NZ Police, Fire Service, Christchurch City Council Park Rangers and Response Team personnel, and Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Response Team personnel would start to evacuate residents from identified risk sectors. Evacuation personal will deliver messages to each of the residents of the risk sectors. Twenty-two sirens have been installed from Waimairi beach to Sumner beach. The warning system has been installed and working since July 1st 2012. These sirens will only be used for regional tsunamis that take 2 or more hours to reach the coasts of Christchurch. For a local tsunami the council and police have plans in place. The Christchurch city council highly suggest you have your own personal evacuation plan in place, especially if you are disabled or caring for someone with disabilities. It is advised to get at least 15 meters above sea level, travelling a few blocks inland or getting on top of a cliff, try and take shelter in a two story building if you do not have enough time to go inland or get to higher ground. Tsunami waves can travel twice their height up a wall or cliff, this is why it is advised to be at least 15 meters above sea level. Are the sirens loud enough and is there enough warning systems? Twenty-two sirens have been installed from Waimairi beach to Sumner beach. Some Christchurch residents are calling the citys new tsunami warning system a dud. The $550,000 sirens had been installed on the coastline between Waimari Beach and Sumner. Residents along the coast reported that the system sounded faint. However, Civil defence and emergency management manager Murray Sinclair said the sirens were only meant to be heard up to 600 metres away from the coast, and were not designed to penetrate walls. The sirens are set at 85 decibels, which was the balance between having as many people hear it as possible and preventing anyone nearby from suffering hearing damage. Although many people had to block their ears when standing outside as it was too loud. The reason for the sirens only operating at 85 decibels as any louder and peoples hearing will be damaged. Sound is measured in units called decibels. Sounds louder than 80 decibel will cause hearing damage. 75 db will not cause hear ing damage, even after a long time exposed to it; it is unlikely to cause hearing loss. Repeated sounds above 80 decibels for long periods of time will cause hearing loss. The higher the decibel, the less time it will take for hearing loss to occur. Hearing loss happens when you are over exposed to loud sounds. Sounds over 110 decibels will cause immediate damage to your ears. Inside the ear there are microscopic hair cells found in the cochlea. When exposed to loud sounds these hairs become damaged. These cells respond to sound vibrations by sending a chemical signal to the auditory nerve. The reason being that you lose higher frequencies first is because these groups of cells are more sensitive to louder sounds and therefor are damaged more easily. The human ear can hear sounds in the range of 20Hz to 20,000 Hz. With age and time, the cell’s stereocilia become damaged and broken. Hearing loss results when the hairs become damaged. Once these cells are damaged they cannot gr ow back, that is why it is important to protect your hearing. Here are the average decibel ratings of some familiar sounds in general life: The humming of a refrigerator: 45 decibels, Normal conversation: 60 decibels, Noise from heavy city traffic: 85 decibels, Motorcycles: 95 decibels, An MP3 player at maximum volume: 105 decibels, ambulance Sirens: 120 decibels, Firecrackers and firearms: 150 decibels The 85 Decibel sirens are designed to be heard up to 600 metres away. By moving away, the decibel level of a sound will decrease by 6dB every time you double the distance from the sound. The Inverse Square Law has taught us that for every doubling of the distance between a sound source and the recipient, the sound drops by 6db. At 1 metre is 85db then at 2 metres the sound will be 79db, 4 metres will be 73db, 8 metres will be 67db, and so on. That would mean at 600 metres the sound would be 30db, this is without considering the factors of weather, humidity, and temperature. Wind would also affect how far sound could travel. Wind currents can alter or distort the sound waves, which travel by compressing and decompressing the air particles. Winds and other airflows can disrupt that action and distort the sound, either by altering its volume so it will sound louder or nearly non-existent, changing its direction slightly, or even altering its frequency. Christchurch residents complain that in the case of a local tsunamis there is no warning system in place. The 22 sirens will only be used for tsunamis that will take 3 hours or more to arrive. Residents along the coast say that we need a warning system in place in case of a local tsunami. Christchurch city council states that they do not have the resources for a warning system for a local tsunami. The risk of a local tsunami happening in Christchurch is very low, there is only a few faults in the banks peninsula area that are capable of producing tsunamis with a max wave height of 1.5 – 2 meters. Therefor CCC has ruled that a warning system for local tsunamis would be unneeded. CCC says if you feel the ground shake and find it hard to stand up for 3 minutes or more you should evacuate the area and move to higher ground. Also during a regional tsunami evacuating groups will evacuate coastal areas. Conclusion Are the sirens loud enough? The majority of residents along the coast complain that the sirens are not loud enough. Obviously 85 decibel is not loud enough. CCC will not increase the sound as it will cause slight hearing damage. People complain that during a local tsunami that there should be a warning system in place, currently there is no systems in place for local tsunamis. People have to rely on natural signs. CCC will not install any siren systems as the risk for a local tsunami is not high enough. Are there enough warning systems in place? For a local tsunami the residents complain there isn’t, but for a regional tsunami there are the warning sirens and evacuation crews in place, also radio and TV will have official warnings in place. References: http://www.ccc.govt.nz/homeliving/civildefence/informationondisastershazards/tsunami.aspx#jumplink8 http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/canterbury/9227634/Review-of-Canterbury-tsunami-impact http://ecan.govt.nz/advice/emergencies-and-hazard/tsunami/pages/tsunami.aspx#what http://resources.ccc.govt.nz/files/CCCTsunamiBrochure-informationondisastershazards.pdf http://ecan.govt.nz/advice/emergencies-and-hazard/tsunami/pages/gns-tsunami-report-canterbury.aspx http://www.ccc.govt.nz/homeliving/civildefence/informationondisastershazards/tsunami.aspx http://www.ccc.govt.nz/homeliving/civildefence/informationondisastershazards/tsunamiwarningsystem.aspx Analysis of Globalization Theory: Hybridization Analysis of Globalization Theory: Hybridization On a Monday morning, I set out to carry out my ethnographic study at the city centre in Bradford. The city centre, a large surrounding filled with tall buildings with various concrete partitions. The sloping walking hill corner of the city centre witnesses most stores, shops and shopping plaza having their last floor with glass display or walling for product displays with attractive inscription of sales, price slashes and percentage reductions to attract passersby to their outlets. In trying to observe, I discovered loads of people encompassing various demography of gender and age description trooping in and out of the stores, shops and supermarkets with different bags and shopping packages. The people appeared focused inwards and determined to get to where they wanted to be; most people just seemed to be on the way without personal concerns. Everybody seemed to be walking in a rushed manner, like clockwork figures or programmed robots. The flower sellers and a man at the bakery stan d at the middle of the walking arena at the city centre seemed to be the only ones who were looking into the faces of people, trying to get them to stop and purchase their products. They were quite vocal with their sales chant. I also observed an old woman on a small mechanized wheel chair; she looked sober, tired and weary. As she drove past, I saw she had different packages from different stores on her machine tray. Many visible diverse nationalities (assumed based on various perception of sight) walking around were observed to have similar outfits. There were people in jean, jackets, boots, caftans, turbans, hijabs etc. the jacket being the most common and which was a result of the weather conditions and the adaptation of human culture through globalization. Apart from male police officers and one female officer taking a patrol with their hefty wear attached with various mechanical gadgets around them looking ready for crime mongers/war. Most observed people seem to know how and where to shop, there seem to be no description as to where to go and how to go about it but just mere advertisement in the front of every main door step with products of sales. However, a young man and woman were observed to be paying for a Chinese meal in a Chinese restaurant through the Debit Card point service and an attractive TV displaying Chinese movie was also seen from the outer view of the restaurant through its transparent glass partitioning. Looking behind, I saw a group of people discussing in English language and interchanging it with some Chinese language at intervals in a loud manner; while another group adjacent to them even though diverse, appeared to be speaking English but in a quiet mode. A further stroll, noticed the sight of a group of old men seen playing guitar by the road side singing (numerous cultural and globalized music spanning from Westernized to European and even Jamaican) and receiving accolades from a group of people comprising both genders but diff erent nationalities; assumed Pakistan and some European young blokes and ladies. Globalization thesis Hybridization theory Theoretically, Culture and globalization are two diverse concepts involved in this study. Globalization involves a process of local and regional adaptations in many areas of human life under emerging global situation (Mondal, 2010). This elucidates that Globalization creates a double challenge for all of concerns: that of trying to examine and understand these progressions, and their long-term implication, but also that of deciding how human beings act in response to them. Globalization, hence, poses normative preference as much as strained analytic comprehensions (Halliday 2000). It is described as a general currency only in the past decade and include many diverse and often vague meanings, spanning from the elimination of barriers between societies, political and economic systems and the significant enlarged volume of exchange, in terms of finance, trade, ideas or people, amid them (Halliday 2000). Braibant (2002) supported the definition of Halliday (2000) in a way but concluded b y stating that globalization also comes with various infections, diseases and pollution. Hofstede (1980) asserts that Cultures and nations mostly function through essential structures such as the family, local groups, societies and circumscribed traditions, etc. In effect, organizational structures and its functioning are impacted by unique cultural traditions. In combining these two concepts discussed above, Rankin (2009) opines that Cultural globalization is regularly understood to mean the expanded movement of images, goods, technology, people and ideas around the world resulting from processes of economic globalization ever since the 1970s. It has been the theme of sizeable moral angst in academic and popular venues alike, as observers diversely lament the cultural destructions or celebrate the cultural mixings that are regularly understood to go with globalizing processes. In addition, Mondal (2010) described cultural globalization as a process which creates global culture; arguing that globalization intends to expand a world view to support multicultural society and intercultural exchange with relevant respect of regional and local cultures. A range of cultural issues and consequence have been associated with globalization and these can be examined in relation to three foremost theses, which includes; polarization, homogenization and hybridization (Chris 2006). The polarization thesis claims that global interdependence and interconnection do not compulsorily mean cultural accord, as culture is stronger to standardize than economic society and technology; while the homogenization thesis advocates that global culture is becoming uniformed and standardized around an American or Westernized model. The hybridization thesis finally argues that local cultures borrow and integrate elements from each other, creating syncretic, or hybrid, forms. This can be evidenced from daily life activities such as popular religious and music life (Holton 2000). However, this study intends to engage the HYBRIDIZATION THEORY by Pierterse (1994) for the purpose of analyzing the perceptions and observation from the ethnography study. Pierterse (1994) refers globalization as a Hybridization process that results in global mà ©lange overtime. He argues that globalization is a multidimensional process that unfolds in numerous realms of existence concurrently, like all important social processes. Holton (2000) however, refers the hybridization thesis has a focus on the intercultural exchange and the incorporation of cultural elements from a variety of sources within particular cultural practices. Hybridization can be described as the chips among polar perspectives, its existence is assumed to be derived from the paradigm of polarization and the paradigm of homogenization, with derived significance in relation to them (Pierterse, 1995). World culture theorists have claimed that world culture exist, but to a large extent less homogeneous than claimed by the world polity theorists (Bryan 2001). Rather, globalization is better characterized by processes, alternatively described as hybridization (Pieterse, 1995), glocalization (Kraidy, 1999), or creolization (Hannerz, 2000/01) where different cultural elements are connected in new and at times unexpected ways as they make contact with each other as a product of different cultural flows (Bryan H, 2001). Pierterse (1995) observed that most interpretation refers globalization as a homogenization process that stems from the perception that the world is becoming more standard and uniform, through cultural, commercial and technological synchronization emerging from the west; and an assumption that modernity is often tied up to Globalization. He however argued that the assumption that modernity often equates globalization and westernization is critical, ambiguous, historically narrow and shallow. Pieterse (1995) advocates that globalization does not compulsorily portray declining of nation-states has frequently been referred. He argues that globalization can be reinforced together with localism as in Think globally, act locally. He opines that increase in politics of ethnic identity and neo-traditional religious actions can also be perceived in the light of globalization even as identity blueprint are emerging to be complex and local loyalties are asserted by people, who however want to share in global lifestyles and values. Globalization is perceived as a process of open-ended interconnection of influence on culture (western as well as eastern). The rapid awareness of cultural difference is interdependent with globalization and there exist both strive for acknowledgment and cultural difference on a global scale. The strive for acknowledgment entails a claim to equal rights, equality and sameness of interest which results generally as a universe with common difference. Pierte se (1994) refers culture as learned and shared beliefs and behavior; making emphasis to the term Learned not instinctual and shared not individual. This leads the argument that there exist no boundaries to culture, as cultures are always open. Nonetheless, Tomlinson (2003) argue that past scholars view globalization of culture in a pessimistic light as associated with the demolition of cultural uniqueness, and also victims of accelerated encroachment of westernized and homogenized consumer culture. He emphasized that the globalization depredation has put identification of culture at risk everywhere, particularly the developing world. His contradictory argument is that globalization is also a significant force for proliferating and creating cultural identity. Analysis of the Ethnographic study and Globalization theory (Hybridization) Glocalization, a concept of globalization that pierces through the heart of cultural hybridization (Kraidy, 1999). The glocalization concept can be viewed from the ethnography study stemming from the outer view of a young man who was using his Debit card to pay for his meal in a Chinese restaurant. This portrays a view of organizations using a global means (use of Debit card Internet banking) to satisfy local customers, and still retaining local culture of its Chinese meal and movie. This shows that globalization is out of the local or global context in which it has been perceived, as people from various nationalities of the world move around taking their country meals in other countries and making payments using a globalized advantage. The view of Piertese (1995), that globalization can be reinforced together with localism as in Think globally, act locally is emphasized. Another perception of the globalization process in relation to the ethnography study is the old man seen playing a guitar by the road side singing and receiving accolades from a group of people comprising both genders but different nationalities; assumed Pakistan and some European young blokes and ladies. The old man seems to entice people with various types of music stemming from European to westernized and also Jamaican musics. This shows the proposition by Holton (2000), that various elements of local cultures are been borrowed and integrated from each other, which in turn creates a syncretic, or hybrid, form. The groups of people viewed at the city centre are also another perception of the globalization process in relation to the ethnography study. The communication methods seem diverse and integrating. A mix of people perceived not to be from the same nationality speaking English and communicating fluently; while the some other set of people seem to be speaking some Chinese language. This elucidates Holton (2000) argument that the intercultural exchange and the integration of cultural elements from a range of sources within particular cultural practices results in Hybridization. The adaption of human nature is also an aspect of emphasis. Most people were viewed to be costumed with jean and jackets, however, some people were seen to be putting on caftans and hijabs; but a constant wear amid all is the jacket. This is as a result of the weather conditions with the most people seem adapted to irrespective of their nationalities or cultural values. Even the people putting on the caftans and hijabs were seen to be putting on the Jackets. This supports the hybridization thesis of individuals and local groups having great power to adapt with in a glocalized world. Local individuals and groups are important and creative agents. The impact of globalization on culture stems from ones thought about how his local culture should be protected from external influence, or how one thinks the cultural creativity results from communication and integration of ideas from diverse cultures (Rothenberg 2003). This was observed in the language, restaurant and musical analysis of the ethnography study carried out. People get integrated and form a cartel of globalised material in the world but however protect their local customs i.e. food, music and language evidenced by the ethnography study at the city centre. Granell (2000) argued that cultural issues are increasingly becoming an important source of strategic advantage, as part of the rising and ongoing globalization process. Although globalization is perceived by developing countries as a threat and an undesirable but nevertheless an inevitable process. He further argued that attributes of globalization does not include eradicating differences, mimicking others, or permitting more developed nations to force their models but rather incorporating differences, combination of strengths, restructuring differences and establishing efforts for a win-win process. He however, concluded by regarding Globalization is a worldwide pressure for change. Conclusion The importance of culture integration cannot be over-emphasized due to migration of various individuals and organizations to diverse nationalities. It is important to be conversant with different culture for enormous reasons; business, personal, social and governmental reasons. The knowledge of various cultures gives us an innovative idea for creating industrious inventions; while also creating better understanding amongst people in a simple way. The knowledge of diverse culture does not necessarily eliminate the cultural beliefs and values of an individual or a nation as posed by various theorists. It is not feasible to expect that the emerging global culture will substitute national cultures. Nevertheless, it is feasible to conclude that national cultures must be flexible and able to emphasize the charisma of their core essentials if they wish to remain significant in some viable style (Bird and Stevens, 2003). Globalization helps us to understand the world we live in and sometimes expands our ways of life. In the globalised times when our lives are rapidly closely tied to events and actions on the other side of the planet, culture that cross national boundaries are needed. Or else we have slight hope of making sense of happening around us. Globalization of culture can help populace embrace and come to terms with several dissimilar identities, without eliminating its own local identity. Globalization around the world those not change a persons perceptive from his local meals, language, music and religion. A globalized culture does increases knowledge of citizens in global world and does not stop them from having a feed day with their localized content, which is in support of the Hybridization theory by pieterse (1994).

Sunday, August 4, 2019

A Tale of Two Cities - Quotes Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

1.â€Å"It was the best of times†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette, in the wake of the French Revolution, blithely married in England. (Book II, Chapter 18) Their marriage forged the loving ties between the two, and brought children to their household. To them, to be able to live with their loved one and to be able to caress their children was the best. They were oblivious of the rousing wraths of the peasants in France, and the time to them could not have been better. 2.â€Å"It was the worst of times†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In Book II, Chapter 21, the Defarges and their supporters angrily stormed the Bastille and ruthlessly decapitated the governor of the prison. Although the breaching of the Bastille was not unwarranted, the inexorable murder of a man trying to do his duty reflected the merciless spirits of the rebels, mad and seething with rage like a bull. The act might have seemed inconsequential then, but soon it would rouse the bloody Revolution where even the suspected man would be killed. Indeed, the storming, and the murder of the governor, marked the beginning of â€Å"the worst of times,† when order was replaced with chaos, when peace was replaced with violence. 3.â€Å"It was the age of wisdom†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At Charles Darnay’s first trial in France on charges of being an emigrant, Dr. Manette cleverly used his camaraderie with the mad mobs to liberate Charles. (Book III, Chapter 6) Manette had been a wronged prisoner in the Bastille charged by Evremonde, and, using his eminence and his relationship with Darnay, he was able to manipulate the jury. The wisdom of Manette saved his son-in-law. 4.â€Å"It was the age of foolishness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As the Revolution progresses, more people are executed per day, (â€Å"Fifty-two†, in Book III, Chapter 13) and the bloodthirstiness of t... ...uries befitting the state of a marquis in a luxurious age and country†¦ was conspicuous in their rich furniture†¦ diversified by many objects that were illustrations of old pages in the history of France.† (Book II, Chapter 9) The Marquis’s house was large, extravagant, and decorated – he had everything. 10.â€Å"We had nothing before us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In Book I, Chapter 5, a cask of wine was spilt on the ground, and the people â€Å"suspended their business, or their idleness, to run to the spot and drink the wine.† The ravenous drinking of the people reflects their hungry stomachs, their emptiness – â€Å"devoted themselves to the sodden and lee-dyed pieces of the cask, licking, and even champing the moister wine-rotted fragments with eager relish.† Even a drop of wine was worth the effort. The nothingness that existed for most of the commoners would help incite the French Revolution.

Gateway Drugs and Common Drug Abuse :: Substance Abuse Essays

Gateway Drugs and Common Drug Abuse The oldest known written record of drug use is a clay tablet from the ancient Sumerian civilization of the Middle East. This tablet, made in the 2000’s B.C., lists about a dozen drug prescriptions. An Egyptian scroll from bout 1550 B.C. names more than 800 prescriptions containing about 700 drugs. The ancient Chinese, Greek and Romans also used many drugs. The Greeks and Romans used opium to relieve pain. The Egyptians used castor oil as a laxative. The Chinese ate liver to cure anemia. In the 1500,s and 1600’s, doctors and scientists made important advances in Pharmacology and in other fields of science. In the early 1500’s, Swiss physician Philippus Paracelsus pioneered in the use of minerals as drugs. He introduces many compounds of lead, mercury and other minerals in the treatment of other diseases. Gateway drugs are substances that people take which, in many cases, lead to those people taking more drugs. Alcohol and pot are the most obvious gateway drugs. Studies show that if you smoke pot, you're more likely to try things like crystal meth or cocaine or heroin. Many people see alcohol and pot as less dangerous and harmful than other drugs, but the truth is, they are just as dangerous as any other drug in more ways than one. Not only are alcohol and pot dangerous in there own right, they also screw up your judgment making you more likely to use other drugs. Gateway drugs work in two major ways. The first, gateway drugs break down a psychological barrier against doing other drugs. Once you have crossed the line with a gateway drug, you are more likely to go there with other drugs. Second, Gateway drugs impair your judgment. If you are drunk to high, it is easier to say yes to cocaine or whatever else is around. These drugs break down your inhibitions, so you are more susceptible to peer pressure and experimenting. They do not just impair your judgment when you are on them they can change the way you feel about drugs in general. LSD LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the major drugs making up the hallucinogen class. LSD was discovered in 1938 and is one of the most potent mood- Schreiber 2 changing chemicals. It is manufactured commonly referred to as "acid," The effects of LSD are unpredictable.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Contemporary Rural America Captured in Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of

Contemporary Rural America Captured in Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Most Americans probably believe our times are different from Washington Irving’s era. After all, almost 200 years have passed, and the differences in technology and civil liberties alone are huge. However, these dissimilarities seem merely surface ones. When reading â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† and â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,† I find that the world Irving creates in each story is very familiar to the one in which I grew up. The players may have changed, and institutions have mostly replaced roles traditionally taken on by people, but the overall pieces still fit the rural lifestyle of contemporary America. Perhaps the biggest variation from life in these stories and life today in the small town concerns the role of the Van Tassels. As the prominent family in Sleepy Hollow, they serve as the social center. Baltus Van Tassel has more the air of an English country squire during harvest time than he does an American farmer. He is hearty, down to earth, and full of largesse (â€Å"Sleepy Hollow† 549, 556-557). The â€Å"’quilting frolic’† (553) is really a potluck dance. This type of community gathering continued throughout American history in rural areas. We have barn-raisings, fall festivals, holiday celebrations. However, the nature of the gatherings has changed in that the role of the prominent family now goes to the city or civic groups (such as a church). Rural America still has wealthy families and farmers, but rarely do they open their homes to the community for dancing and potlucks. The closest we still see of this is the ranch barbeque , but the outside nature makes it far less intimate. In my experience, these events are... ...ture of King George in â€Å"Rip Van Winkle.† Rip returns to his village twenty years after he left and realizes that someone has transformed the King into George Washington (541). Irving, realizing that much of life is merely a refashioning of the same ideas and structures into something that looks new, has taken an old German folk tale and turned it into a story of American life. We may live in a time with vastly different resources, technologies, and opportunities, but the urges that drive us are still the same. Works Cited Irving, Washington. â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.† The American Tradition in Literature. Vol 1. Eds. George Perkins, et al. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1990: 544-563. 2 vols. ---. â€Å"Rip Van Winkle.† The American Tradition in Literature. Vol 1. Eds. George Perkins, et al. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1990: 533-544. 2 vols.

Friday, August 2, 2019

Tort Law: Stella Liebeck Report

Hot coffee spill worth cool award McDonald's may fork over $2. 9 million Denver Post Copyright 1994 Friday, August 19, 1994 The Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE – A woman, who was scalded when her McDonald's coffee spilled won a jury award of $2. 9 million – or about two days' coffee sales for the fast-food chain. Lawyers for Stella Liebeck, 81, who suffered thirddegree burns in the 1992 incident, contended that McDonald's coffee was too hot. A state district court jury imposed $2. 7 million in punitive damages and $160,000 in compensatory damages Wednesday.Ken Wagner, one of Liebeck's attorneys, said that he had asked the jury for punitive damages equal to two days' worth of McDonald's coffee sales, which he estimated at $1. 34 million a day. Testimony indicated McDonald's coffee is served at 180 to 190 degrees, based on advice from a coffee consultant who has said it tastes best that hot, Wagner said yesterday. The lawsuit contended Liebreck's coffee was 165 to 170 degree s when it spilled. In contrast, he said, coffee brewed at home is generally 135 to 140 degrees.Defense attorney Tracy McGee said the company will appeal. Juror Richard Anglada said the jury was trying to deliver a message to the industry. â€Å"The coffee's too hot out there. This happened to be McDonald's,† Anglada said Wednesday. Liebeck's lead counsel, Reed Morgan of Houston, said there have been several lawsuits nationally over the temperature of McDonald's coffee, but that he believes the Liebeck case was the first to reach the verdict stage. A California case was settled out of court for $235,000, he said. He said the woman's medical bills totaled nearly $10,000.According to testimony, Liebeck was a passenger in a car driven by her grandson outside a McDonald's in southeast Albuquerque when she was burned by a cup of coffee purchased at a drive-through window. The jury found, among other things, that the coffee was defective and that McDonald's engaged in conduct justif ying the punitive damages. Caption: PHOTO: Associated Press/Adolph Louis THE VICTIM: Stella Liebeck, who suffered third- degree burns when a cup of McDonald's coffee spilled on her, is shown with her dog at her residence in Albuquerque. Woman burned by coffee given $2. 9 million by jury Austin American-Statesman Copyright 1994 Friday, August 19, 1994 ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. – A jury awarded $2. 9 million in damages to a woman who suffered third-degree burns after spilling a cup of McDonald's coffee. Stella Liebeck, 81, said in her lawsuit she was riding in a car in 1992 when she put a cup of the coffee between her legs while she removed the cap. The coffee spilled, scalding her. Testimony indicated McDonald's coffee is served at 180 to 190 degrees, based on a coffee consultant's advice that it tastes best that hot. In contrast, the lawsuit said, coffee brewed at home is generally 135 to 140 degrees.Juror Richard Anglada confirmed the jury was trying to deliver a message to the fas t-food industry with the large punitive damages. â€Å"The coffee's too hot out there,† Anglada said. Coffee burns result in $2. 9 million award from McDonald's †¢ The Fort Worth Star-Telegram Copyright 1994 Thursday, August 18, 1994 Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. – A jury awarded $2. 9 million in damages to a woman who suffered third-degree burns after spilling a cup of McDonald's coffee. Stella Liebeck, 81, said in her lawsuit that McDonald's serves coffee that is too hot.Liebeck testified she was riding in a car in February 1992 when she put the cup of coffee between her legs while she removed the cap. The coffee spilled and she suffered severe burns on her legs, groin and buttocks. Reed Morgan, her attorney, said the woman's medical bills totaled close to $10,000. Juror Richard Anglada said the jury was trying to deliver a message to the fast-food industry. â€Å"The coffee's too hot out there,† she said. â€Å"This (just) happened to be McDonald' s. † Tracy McGee, McDonald's attorney, said the company would appeal. Coffee Spill Burns Woman; Jury Awards $2. Million †¢ The Wall Street Journal Copyright (c) 1994, Dow Jones & Co. , Inc. Friday, August 19, 1994 The Business of Law ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. (AP) — A woman who was scalded when her McDonald's Corp. coffee spilled was awarded almost $2. 9 million by a jury. Lawyers for Stella Liebeck, who incurred thirddegree burns in the1992 incident, contended that McDonald's coffee was too hot. On Wednesday, a state district court jury imposed $2. 7 million in punitive damages and $160,000 in compensatory damages. Defense attorney Tracy McGee has said the company will appeal.Ms. Liebeck's medical bills totaled almost $10,000, according to one of her attorneys. Testimony indicated that McDonald's coffee is served at between 180and 190 degrees, based on advice from a coffee consultant who has said the beverage tastes best at that temperature, Ken Wagner, one of Ms. Liebec k's attorneys, said yesterday. The lawsuit contended that Ms. Liebeck's coffee was between 165 and 170 degrees when it spilled. In contrast, the complaint said, coffee brewed at home is generally between 135 and 140 degrees. Woman spills coffee, sues, wins $2. 9 million The Fort Worth Star-Telegram Copyright 1994 Friday, August 19, 1994 Jennifer Packer Star-Telegram Writer A jury in Albuquerque, N. M. , awarded nearly $2. 9 million to an81-year-old woman who was burned by a cup of coffee that she spilled on herself while riding in a car. Stella Liebeck suffered third-degree burns on her buttocks, groin and legs after she removed the top from a cup of McDonald's coffee that she had placed between her legs while riding in a car being driven by her grandson, according to testimony. The incident occurred in 1992. The jury awarded $2. 7 million in punitive damages and $160,000 in compensatory damages Wednesday.Liebeck's medical bills totaled nearly $10,000, according to court documents. â€Å"She couldn't sit. Her butt was burned, her crotch was burned -if you could see the pictures . . . it was disgusting,† Tracey Salazar, an Albuquerque civil court clerk, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. â€Å"She did deserve something, but $2. 9 million dollars? That's how it works in society today,† Salazar said. Testimony at the trial indicated that McDonald's coffee is served at temperatures between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit under a corporate guideline based on advice from a coffee consultant.The woman's coffee was between 165 and 170 degrees when it was spilled, according to testimony. Liebeck's lawyer, Reed Morgan, told The Associated Press that Liebeck's isn't the first lawsuit filed over McDonald's coffee temperature. But it's likely the first one to reach a verdict, he said. McDonald's attorney Tracy McGee said the company will appeal the decision. â€Å"We will pursue all the appropriate remedies,† she said. Ray Waddell, a Texas Wesleyan Univ ersity law professor, said he believes that the heavy punitive damages were meant to serve as a lesson to McDonald's and other restaurants. It's their legal duty not to serve dangerously hot coffee,† Waddell said. â€Å"The $2. 7 million is to . . . get McDonald's attention so they won't make boiling hot coffee anymore. It's more than likely the jury just got mad at McDonald's and decided to punish them. † Waddell said the publicity surrounding the case could provoke copycat coffee-inspired lawsuits. â€Å"You can suppose that people all over the country will go around buying big cups of coffee and spilling it on themselves,† he said. Fort Worth Fire Department Lt. G. D. Wilder said any liquid hotter than 110 degrees can cause a burn.Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. â€Å"The hotter it is, the less time it takes to burn,† Wilder said. The depth of the burn, he said, depends on how long the skin has been exposed to the hot substance. A small, unscient ific survey yesterday by the StarTelegram showed that coffee temperatures at Tarrant County restaurants ranged from 155to 175 degrees. The hottest coffee, at 175 degrees, came from a Dunkin' Donuts store. A 7-Eleven store served it at 170 degrees. A Whataburger restaurant's coffee was 160 degrees, and a cup of Texaco coffee registered 155degrees.One McDonald's manager in Fort Worth, who would not give her name, said company policy mandates that coffee be prepared at a temperature of about 195 degrees. But another Fort Worth McDonald's manager, who also declined to give her name, gave the official temperature as 170 degrees and said she has never had any complaints. â€Å"It's not a problem,† she said. â€Å"They always come back for more. † A Fort Worth Jack in The Box manager said company policy dictates that coffee be made with water that's about 195 degrees. â€Å"It's supposed to come out at 191 or better.We just want to make sure there's a minimum temperature,â⠂¬  manager Bobby Woodard said, adding that the staff checks water temperature daily with digital thermometer. â€Å"I've never had anybody saying that it was too hot. † At Grady's American Grill, a nationwide franchise whose parent company owns Chili's and several other chain restaurants, the only coffee temperature policy is an informal one: â€Å"As long as it's steaming, it's hot enough to serve,† said David Lalas, general manager of the chain's Helen Street restaurant. But Lalas said that he thinks the McDonald's verdict will change that soon. I'm sure there'll be some kind of stipulation on how hot it's supposed to be and to calibrate it,† Lalas said. â€Å"For true coffee drinkers,† Lalas said, â€Å"it's never going to be too hot for them. † Law Professor Waddell said he wouldn't be surprised if the verdict against McDonald's opens the door to a new era of food servers who will poke their fingers into cups of coffee before offering them to customers- all in the name of protecting their restaurants against legal complaints. â€Å"It would cost them millions of dollars a day to check their coffee,† Waddell said. The cheapest way to test it is to stick a finger in it. † Staff writer Chris Vaughn contributed to this report, which contains material from The Associated Press. LETTERS †¢ Austin American-Statesman Copyright 1994Friday, September 2, 1994 Take responsibility When are we going to make people responsible for their own actions? To blame McDonald's for serving hot coffee, let alone awarding $2. 9million for damages as reported Aug. 19, is ludicrous. It was Stella Liebeck who spilled the coffee, not McDonald's! McDonald's should not be held responsible for her bad judgment.I'm no fan of McDonald's but I am a senior citizen myself, and in good conscience I could not sue McDonald's for personal injury caused by mown carelessness. What's happened to our legal and jury systems? Is there no commonsense left in America? ROSE M. DONOVAN Austin, 78731-3918 Hot topic And lawyers wonder why so many view them as liars, cheats and corrupters of our legal system. Just look at the $2. 9 million given to an Albuquerque, N. M. , woman by a jury that was somehow convinced that McDonald's makes their coffee too hot!Stella Liebeck, 81, was riding in a car in 1992, and spilled coffee between her legs when she removed the cup's lid and burned herself. Testimony indicated that McDonald's serves coffee at between 180 and190 degrees Fahrenheit, while home brewed coffee is between 135 to 140 degrees. Just for fun, I checked the temperature of our two noncommercial coffee pots – a Freeware percolator and a Militia drip. The perc serves its brew at 190 and the drip at 185. I'll bet by the Laws of Chemistry that if I served boiled coffee it would be around 212, egg shells included.When Ford Motor Co. purposely chose to let people die in Pintos and face injury in models with a C-4 transmission ins tead of spending pennies on prevention, that was criminal. When McDonald's or any restaurant serves you hot coffee you should get exactly what you order -hot coffee. I guess I want to ask the lawyers and plaintiffs what's next -insulated cups, Tabasco, the famous cry in Mexican restaurants â€Å"Hot Plate,† melted cheese on pizza? Maybe that woman was too old to be served hot coffee and we should withhold dangerous food and beverages from anyone over 65.I'll be real disappointed the next time I order Hot and Sour soup and can only get Vichyssoise instead. ROBERT D. ATKINSON Austin, 78753 THE COFFEE'S HOT, STUPID! A proud nation of pioneers has become a land of whining plaintiffs †¢ Atlanta Journal Copyright 1994 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tuesday, September 13, 1994EDITORIALDebra Saunders San Francisco – Is it the job of the courts to protect Americans from themselves? Recent court cases suggest that many plaintiffs and jurors believe so. Last month's jury a ward in Albuquerque of $2. million in punitive damages to a woman scalded by McDonald's coffee is the first case. Stella Liebeck, 79, was a passenger in a car driven by her grandson whence bought her megabucks cup of coffee at a McDonald's drive-through in1992. She spilled the coffee on her lap after she pried the lid from the cup, which she had placed between her legs. It shouldn't take an Einstein to figure out that you don't open a full cup of coffee anywhere near your legs – never mind between them in a moving car. But in America, we reward such thoughtlessness and punish entities that don't treat people like mindless boobs.Juror Richard Anglada explained that the jury wanted to send the restaurant industry a message: â€Å"The coffee's too hot out there. This happened to be McDonald's. † It's true, restaurant coffee tends to be served at temperatures hotter than java brewed at home. So make McDonald's pay for Liebeck's medical bills. But reward her with $2. 7 mill ion for being careless wither coffee? Now some restaurants are considering putting warning labels on their coffee. Let them read: â€Å"Hot! Stupid. † Because in this litigious age, it's not enough to be hot, and everybody knows it, you have to shout â€Å"hot! † so that no one forgets it.In Sacramento and San Luis Obispo counties, separate lawsuits have been filed against authors Laura Davis and Ellen Bass, whose book â€Å"The Courage to Heal,† has become a self-help bible for incest survivors. Or, perhaps I should say, people who believe they are incest survivors. The book encourages readers to explore for retrieved memories of incest thus: â€Å"Even if you are unable to remember any specific instances of childhood sexual abuse but you have a feeling that something happened in your childhood, it probably did. † No doubt the book has prompted some desperate people to conjure up false memories, with tragic consequences.Last week, a Sacramento Superior C ourt judge dismissed the suit against the authors but let stay Deborah David's suit against her therapists, minister and health-care provider. As Neil Shapiro, who represents authors Davis and Bass, told the San Francisco Chronicle: â€Å"These are ideas, and you can't have liability for ideas. † While the court ruled correctly, it is disturbing that David asked the courts to shield her from the power of an idea. Her therapists and the authors through their books â€Å"convinced† David, the$4million-plus complaint argued, that â€Å"she was abused as a child, and that she had multiple personalities. The suit complained that while the book promised healing, it â€Å"failed to heal† David. She â€Å"relied on such representations and, in reliance thereon, purchased the book and the workbook and read them as directed. † There is an irony in this suit: Two priestesses in the cult of victimology have faced two suits based on the assumption that the plaintiffs were helpless before their rhetoric. Victimology has gone full circle. America has devolved from a country of pioneers to a nation of plaintiffs.

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Eavan Boland Personal Response

The poetry of Eavan Boland is clear,relateable and realistic. The stanzas in her poems are terse,but she manages to evoke strong feelings in the reader,e. g. the sense of apathy in â€Å"The War Horse†. Her poems are relateable because she is a contemporary poet and her themes generally involve the suburban culture. Her poetry is realistic because she elaborates and paints evocative pictures of ordinary sights like â€Å"the harsh shyness of the Atlantic light† (White Hawthorn in the West of Ireland).In the following,I will express in more detail of my personal response to the poetry of Eavan Boland. The theme of War and Human suffering is very powerful and appealing to me. In â€Å"The War Horse†,she shows how people living in suburbia can turn a ‘blind eye' to the war and suffering of others. The apathy of the people made the poet angry,she was sarcastic in the lines – â€Å"Why should we care/If a rose,a hedge,a crocus is uprooted/Like corpses,re mote,crushed,mutialated? â€Å"-it shows the nonchalance of the people towards the distant suffering of others.In emphasis of the theme of war,the poet uses the horse as a metaphor of violence – â€Å"[the] iron of his shoes as he stamps death/Like a mint on the innocent coinage of earth†. The size,weight and force of the horse causes some damage and destruction,imitating the raw violence that is happening to those distant in Northern Ireland. As the horse leaves,the poet â€Å"breathe[s] relief† – this reminds her of her ancestors and she feels ashamed of herself as she is just as apathetic as the people in her neighbourhood,because she is also only observing the horse coming into her neighbourhood.Her â€Å"blood is still with atavism†,for a fleeting moment she is reminded of her ancestors whose lives were threatened but they fought back and had passion for the safety of others but she is ashamed for she â€Å"use[d] the subterfuge of curtainsà ¢â‚¬  and became just as bad as her neighbours. The theme of war is further emphasized in â€Å"Child of Our time†. This poem deals with the tragic loss of life caused by war and conflict and it shows how all too often,it is the children who suffer.The child's â€Å"final cry† is one of pain and anguish. â€Å"We†,the public,the adults,the society should have made possible and supported a safe environment for that murdered child – â€Å"We should have known how to instruct† – have failed. The fact that we cannot guarantee safety forour children is all the more frightening. The poet knows that she and others â€Å"must learn from you dead† in order to â€Å"rebuild† society. Out of the destruction of the child's death by bombing,the poet grasps the possibility of learning and rebuilding.This one act of violence becomes a symbol for every act of violence in which innocent people are killed. Thus,sosiety is held responsible for t he child's death – â€Å"Our times have robbed your cradle†,but if a â€Å"new language† can be found then the child may not have died in vain. So,in my opinion,Boland effectively gets her point across to the readers – the theme of war – and I for one,also believe that most people are apathetic towards war and that a â€Å"new language† should be found. (etc. )