Urban studies- Theories of Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Urban studies- Theories of Poverty - Essay Example The principle cause of this is the lack of proper socioeconomic structures that should be set up by leaders. Supporters of the fact that poverty is a consequence of structures argue that it is built in the political and economic structure in the capitalist society in the U.S. It is the political and economic structures that bring about poverty and not individual problems or the temporary weakness of the economy. As such, Linn (par 1-3) indicates that the issue of poverty in numerous cities in America has remained a stubborn element in spite of the prescription of varied public policies. Also, the situation has remained constant for a long time regardless of the many efforts that have been put to reduce the problem. Instead of helping to deal with the poverty problem, the economic, political and social factors have elevated the position instead. This paper will reveal how the poor have remained poor as a result of the political and economic structures, which are the main causes of pov erty as opposed to its linkage to pathology or accidents. The issue of urban poverty in the contemporary economic environment has been highlighted through the use of various media. It is widely portrayed as an element in the ghetto or barrio areas in the towns and has been connected with a number of causes and consequences in large-scale socioeconomic perspectives. In the US, the causes of urban poverty include inadequate human capital, discrimination in relation to race, and gender. However, the main cause lies in the economic and political structure such as the Federal Reserve. Slight changes can either elevate or prevent poverty such as change in oil prices that came as a shock between 1974 and 1994 in the U.S (Ni and Kresl 37). Within the economic field, the main reasons for the shift and increase in poverty levels include changes in technology and the organization within most manufacturing companies. In addition, there has been a relative growth in the

Creative Writing Aptitude Essay Example for Free

Creative Writing Aptitude Essay Being a writer is someone who uses writing on a regular basis. You have to be a writer before you can be a good writer. Its about being good or at least good enough. But students dont see themselves as writers at all because they have been structurally defined as deficient. This means that a student is someone who does not write up to a certain standard of performance with academic discourse. A writer does not simply write at someone elses command but on their own initiative. So as a writer and a student you need an independent plan into which you fit into a certain given curriculum and writing assignments. That doesnt mean you should be single-minded, but rhetoric and composition needs be a place where students should realize they need to take control for their educational experience. Rhetoric and composition have become a part of how we do things since we have been young. We are eventually taught in school the types of writing we will need to use in our everyday situations to help us communicate to others for a specific purpose and effectively. This writing informs, persuades, or explains what it is we want the audience to know or come away with. R C studies use academic essays, papers, memos, or class handouts while creative writing studies primarily create literary works. Students are not there to compare one another as writers, artists, or human beings in general. It is a way for each of us to develop our own writing style and self-expression. It builds up the individuals ability to express his or her own thoughts and technique more clearly by engaging into writing to get our mind working. Creative writing and compositions studies†¦ seem to operate with a distinct sense of a constituency for its teaching, an audience for its writing, and a function it performs† (Lardner, 770). Creative writing is a way to express what you feel inside your heart or the ideas that are in your head. It gives the writers a means for expressing their views of their surroundings and their world. Individuality exists in creative writing because the work is never the same as someone elses. It is a personal expression that comes from each individual writer at each individual moment. However, the true test of creativity occurs when the writing can be said to give readers an experience. For that the reason the writing is called Creative because it creates an experience in the minds of its readers. Examples of some these writing forms are: poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Each form has its own concepts involved with R C because creative writing uses your self-expression as a big part of development than formality. Let’s start off with poetry. Poetry is possibly the most comprehensive way we have of expressing ourselves. Poetry works at a deep level of emotion. â€Å"To feel emotion is at least to feel. The crime against life, the worst of all crimes, is not to feel† (MacLeish, 66). Poetry opens up your emotions and helps you express anything through the use of metaphors, images, and feelings. â€Å"Often the poet operates by suggestion and implication† as well (Adams, 11). Poetry starts in odd phrases, an image, a tune in the head, a deeply incoherent pain. The originating emotion still congests the lines or, in striving for uniqueness, the work becomes untidy, exaggerated or confused. So each property (meaning, association, weight, color, duration, shape, texture, etc. ) changes as words are combined into phrases, rhythms, lines, stanzas and eventually completed poems. Out of those properties the poetry is built, even if the end cannot be entirely foreseen. In responding to what has been written; feeling it, understanding it, and extending its potential with imagination, honesty and sensitivity that very fine lines, vocal use, ample sympathies, kindness of heart and a consideration for the human condition become essential. But poetry is nothing without extended labor. In contrast to the development of a delicate tension between speaker and subject, between various parts of a poem and between the feelings warring within the speaker,† there also can be a â€Å"considerable looseness and vagueness† (Adams, 15). You can either have a clear understanding of what you think the poetry is portraying or you can be at a complete loss. Poetry trains the personality needed to be an artist, an unlimited capacity to be honest and take pains. It calls for self-criticism, which becomes essential as a writers talents develop. Criticism also â€Å"hones† skills that involve the poet’s needs by close reading, clarification and evaluation. It also requires the analysis and growth out of the very development between audience response and the poet. â€Å"The poet writes to [an audience] representing artistic perfection rather than to a reader chosen at random† (Adams, 143). Poetry may be complex, requiring a good deal of sorting out, but there has to be an immediate impact of some sort that allows the reviewer to be in awe. Poets need to know whats been done before, and how comparisons may be objectively undertaken. The next form I will discuss is fiction. Fiction is most definitely my favorite. The first thing you need to know is the age group you are writing for. You can write for children, teenagers, young adults, adults, etc. This is perhaps a really important step before writing because you need to know what your audience wants and expects. After you have selected your age group then take the time to see what is out there in the age range that you want to write for. If the current rage is spaceships and outer space themes then writing about cowboys just wont cut it unless the cowboy is somehow swept into outer space. You also need to research what you will be writing about because some of the time you won’t know much about the topic you’ve chosen. â€Å"Research gives you a chance to investigate all those subjects you’ve always wanted to know about and it gives the breath of life and authenticity to your work† (Kubis, 150). Once you’ve done some research, now it is time to get started. Remember all fiction has a beginning, middle and an end. You need to start your story at the point that something happens to change it all by giving your characters a problem. It must be a worthwhile dilemma. For example, a girl who wants to move out of her parents house and is trying to find an apartment that she really wants when her parents refuse to help her because she can do it on her own is not an interesting problem. On the other hand, a lady who has three days to move out of her parent’s house is a more intriguing problem. Give your audience a reason to support your main character. â€Å"You want to achieve a character that is so real, so human, it seems inevitable that [she] does the thing you’ve determined [she] must do† (Kubis, 49). Your story should progress toward the middle, the climax of your story. â€Å"The hero had to solve the dilemma [herself], without having outside forces do it for [her]† (Kubis, 3). It should climax into a problem that is worth caring about, and â€Å"it should influence the outcome of the story†¦ [but it] does not necessarily resolve the story [only] provides information that leads to the resolution† (kubis, 113). From there you need to let the readers know how it was adequately resolved with a positive result or a defeat. Then there is view point is which the story being told. Who is telling the story or through whose eyes is the story being related? Is it a narrator, the main character, a secondary character? Once you start with a viewpoint stick with it. Do not switch from character to character. Also stay away from over used phrases. Over done phrases are a definite no. Describing something as black as night is too boring. Look for a different way of saying the same thing. You could say ‘black ink dark’ or ‘all encompassing black’. Make a list of all the overdone phrases you can think of and then practice saying them a different way. Nothing is ever said in your story that doesnt lead you somewhere. Know how to correspond properly. It will make all the difference to a readers understanding of what you are trying to say. Never throw in information that does not lead your story forward. Try to find a fresh way of telling a story by saying it again but differently. If everyone is writing about pirates it can get pretty boring after awhile if you use a similar plot line like everyone else. Find a fresh way of telling the same story, maybe from a captive’s point of view or how someone became an unwilling pirate. Use the phrase what if. Ask what if such and such happens what would be the result and if this happened what would be the outcome. This is the time to use your imagination. Get creative and see where it leads you. The last form I will talk about is creative nonfiction. Not a lot of people know what it is and it can take on different styles: a narrative, personal essays, memoir, travel writing, food writing, biography, literary journalism, short stories, etc. Its where you research a topic just as a journalist does but the writer must write in scenes. They don’t think of facts as the basic building blocks of their stories; they think scenes instead. A scene in creative nonfiction occurs in a specific place (where); usually the narrator and one or more others are there (who); at a particular time (when); something happens (what); people converse (dialog or captured conversation); and sometimes someone thinks about something. We like to see scenes in front of us since life does seem to occur as a series of scenes. To get a story from a particular subject you may have to be pokey by uncovering innermost thoughts and feelings of those interviewed. There’s highly involved research effort required that the writer should be willing and financially able to stick with a story for weeks, months, or even years. The creative nonfiction writer can’t work out of his or her memory and imagination alone, he or she must conduct research out in the real world, the raucous world, the dirty world. You should go around collecting facts from dusty records at City Hall, interviewing experts, and talking with the people involved. Also talk with the people immediately involved in the tory to flush out, and add fresh ideas, ideas you might never have come up with on your own, provide different angles, views, perspectives, and insights on the person or the topic under study. This requirement to work away from the studio or the study turns some writers away from this form of writing. Others love that side of the profession, it’s what draws them in. An important consideration before you begin to write in scenes is choosing the structure of your writing in the first place. â€Å"Structure is the arrangement of parts and all the techniques you use to hold the parts together and make it do what it is intended to do† (Gerard, 156). Most creative nonfiction writers may have a structure well in mind before writing at all because the material is promoted in the subconscious. Having the security of structure, or even just some structure, enables the writer to relax and play with any number of creative possibilities to perk up each scene. Since creative nonfiction is typically written scene by scene and is usually joined or separated by passages from a running account of what is happening at the moment, you need to study and perfect the structure. Some of these potential scenes will be embedded in the narrative synopsis, but it’s important to first identify the scenes that make up a story. The writer needs to select only those events that seem to have the greatest potential and then organize them into what seems will be the best sequence, which is not always chronological. â€Å"The hardest part of writing creative nonfiction is that you’re stuck with what really happened – you can’t make it up† (Gerard, 5). The goal is to communicate information, just as a reporter does, but in the way you construct a story. The relationship between the one who tells the story and the story itself may help determine if the story should be told in the first or third person point of view. Some say the third person point of view is the most difficult but the most rewarding since the author has to stay more out the way. In writing in first person narrative you need to learn how to get out of the way by being subjective but maintain objectivity. Just remember that you are the first person or narrator. It’s a balancing act but it has to do with finding a voice. Once the voice is found, the writer can posture, say things not meant, imply things not said, and have fun. Once you find the right voice for a piece of writing, it allows warmth, concern, compassion, flattery, and shared imperfections. You can also show something about a person by letting the reader hear him or her speak when people appear, particularly when they begin to converse, to help the story come to life. We have to learn to watch people unusually close, especially for anything unusual or distinct. Include in your report poses, posturing, habitual gestures, mannerisms, appearances, and glances. Writers frequently describe a group’s entertainment as a way to understand the group frequently looks at the way people dress. Writing about the typical daily life of a person helps illuminate a book and brings in the focus. The creative nonfiction writer can and should occasionally vividly describe the day-to-day life of one person. You should capture conversations and also show the reader how things look to your character in the world, leaving the reader to interpret what it all means. Although usually done sparingly, you might introduce your thoughts on the situation or the people. This emotional content enables you to create dramatic, vivid, accurate scenes. Creative nonfiction is the ability to capture the personal and the private by making it mean something significant to a larger audience. It also provides intellectual substance that will affect readers perhaps even provoke them to action or to change. The relationships of Creative Writing and R C to one another deserve attention in a number of ways. When we put words onto a paper, it’s our own individual way of expressing what we want to say. As I stated earlier, poetry is possibly the most comprehensive way we have of expressing ourselves. Poetry works at a deep level of emotion. The fact that poetry and prose have coincided in a long line in rhetorical study is, of course, a rewarding area of study. In fact, there’s much to be learned about audience and rhetorical situation by positioning oneself as the writer of poems. Even though rhetoricians might cringe at the idea of having students write styles of poetry, this area of study would be of great benefit to those examining the practice of rhetoric. It might also help rhetoric’s become better communicators to examine their own language to become more fluid, more colorful, and more imaginative. Also it would benefit all audiences to think of writing as a beautiful relationship of language and author. That’s if only because the process has such potential to benefit from the voices and views of others on their own journeys and might allow a fuller recognition of ways composition studies and creative writing coincide.

Just In Time (JIT) Inventory Control

Just In Time (JIT) Inventory Control Just In Time Introduction Just In Time Inventory Control is a production method which views inventory as waste. Although it eliminates the need for inventory, it a complex process which is not easily implemented in companies. In order for a company to successfully implement JIT Inventory Control, different areas of statistics, industrial engineering, production management, and behavioral sciences have to be taken into account. Just in Time (JIT) is a tool for process improvement. This type of manufacturing system has allowed the company to substantially improve the value stream, that is, increase profitability and build high-quality, low-cost products at high efficiencies. JIT principles are closely aligned with lean manufacturing, another production concept that grew out of Toyota. Lean is an overarching philosophy which seeks to reduce waste throughout the organization. While JIT is one of several tools used to achieve lean, it can be implemented on its own. Lean practitioners have a language of their own, and the definition or application of these terms is often debated. Here are some common terms which are associated with lean practices and one accepted meaning for each: 5S A five-step method for creating clean, organized workspaces: sort, simplify, sweep, standardize, and sustain. Kaizen is known as an event in which team members evaluate procedures or equipment and seek to make improvements. Kaizen events are part of a continuous improvement process. In addition, Kanban is a visual sign or signal typically used to trigger an order for parts or materials, (Edward J. Hay; Wiley, 1998.) Description According to the traditional accounting practices, inventory holds and adds value. Just In Time, on the contrary, views inventory as waste that is constantly incurring costs. The waste is associated in terms of time, labor, and storage space. In essence, JIT Inventory Control produces only what is needed, when needed, and only in the amount required. JIT Inventory Control also produces the required units, in required quantities, with the right quality. There are many problems which can arise due to having little or no inventory such as work center backups, machine breakdown, variance in processes, problems with employees, lack of flexibility of employees and equipment, or even insufficient capacity. The main problem with JIT Inventory Control is that companies cannot predict total accuracy of material flows. Another problem that is encountered is that warehouse inventories fluctuate and inventories may be full or near empty at any given time. This makes it a task for members of manag ement to accurately plan logistics. History and Development Ford Motor Company initially used JIT in the early 1920s. This was later implemented by Toyota in 1954 who then publicized the concept. This concept helped Toyota cut down on overstocking car production. The concept focuses on eliminating inventory that doesnt add value to the product and it views inventory as a sign of poor management as inventory acts as a buffer that conceals problems in the production system. Toyota has proved to be one of the largest players in the auto industry. The company is headquartered in Toyota City in Japan and has plants worldwide. Cultural aspects It is necessary to consider several factors that influence the Japanese culture, which accelerated the evolution of JIT. Different Japanese characteristics, from which will take those that is considered the most relevant are lack of space: in Japan in general there is not room enough for mostly any activity, not surprisingly the reduction of inventories was welcome by the management. Commitment to consumers: consumers satisfaction has always been a priority. JIT is a pull production system that minimizes the waiting time of each buyer. This time starts when the buyer places the request for new products. Overcrowded living conditions: lead time shortages and maximum efficiency are a consequence of Japaneses requirements to improve their living conditions, either inside the company or within the society. Toyota aims at producing cars of high quality at a low cost. JIT Process Control enables Toyota to achieve this effectively. Toyota, especially being situated all over the world, has excellent labor relations. For Toyota, parts are delivered to the assembly line just in time for assembly. Supplier and labor relations are a crucial aspect of this process. Toyota holds and maintains close relationships with its suppliers and focuses on continuous improvement. Together, teams follow a decentralized method of decision-making and move forward with a motivated workforce. Employees are cross-trained to operate many different types of machinery. Toyota also uses â€Å"Andon† to show daily production figures and to report problems encountered on the assembly line. Toyota also focuses on total quality that is achieved through zero defects. This ties in with just in time inventory control. If a part is defective, the pro blem is traced to the source and the problem is attended immediately or the production line is stopped. Without excellent supplier relations, a large manufacturer cannot support a just in time manufacturing system. Parts are delivered many times daily and suppliers are also responsible for entire systems such as brakes, seats, and electrical systems. Since deliveries can be interrupted, Toyota uses two suppliers. A strong, long-term relationship with a few suppliers is better than short-term, price-based relationships with many competing suppliers. â€Å"Toyota uses this long-term relationship to send Toyota staff to help suppliers improve their processes. These interventions have been going on for twenty years and have created a more reliable supply chain, improved margins for Toyota and suppliers, and lowered prices for customers. Toyota encourages their suppliers to use JIT with their own suppliers.† Without cooperation and a dedicated workforce, success of the JIT Inventory Control system would not be possible for Toyota. Long term commitment and cooperation is essential for the success of JIT. Implementing JIT Just-in-time cannot be explained in a simple multi-step process. Naturally, every company presents unique challenges and opportunities. The following is a basic overview of just-in-time concepts. People involvement- whoever is related to the company that intends the implementation, shall be committed to the project. Starting with the machine operators and ending on the high level management, everybody has not only to be aware of the implications but to support the implementation as well. Implementation is a critic phase of JIT, and is advisable to avoid problems, to reduce the amount of time and efforts throughout this stage. Plants- numerous changes take place in the layout of the new plant. Some changes are easy to achieve as the so called productions cells, in which the machinery is located in a way that helps reducing the time it takes to move materials from one process to another. Nevertheless the introduction of Kanban (Japanese name of the cards that confirm material requirements), self-inspection, Material Requirement Planning (MRP) and MRP II (in case they were not already in use) and job enrichment within plant workers, involve structural change; thus they are far from being simple to implement. MRP I involves a computer system for building inventory, scheduling the production and to administrate inputs; on the other side MRP II, that stands for Manufacturing Resource Planning, includes the MRP Is activities plus marketing and purchasing operations and the financing function. Systems- existent systems may remain within the company; however the MRP and MRP II systems should be implemented. Further investments can take place, as the use of luminous Kanbans or the implementation of the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to link inventory existences with the suppliers. Purchasing- relationships with suppliers become a key factor not only in a JIT environment but in other production systems that intend to reach efficiency and to shorten production time. This issue is reviewed in depth on the 3rd part of this paper. Conclusion JIT Inventory Control is a very effective and efficient in eliminating waste. The process also enables companies to use more of the warehouse for assembly and production. Therefore space is not wasted and utilized instead to maximum capacity. This also reduces inventory costs. JIT Inventory Control requires cooperation and commitment between suppliers and the manufacturer. Without a close knit supplier-manufacturer relationship and reliability, JIT Inventory Control is useless. Although with many suppliers, manufacturers can expect price wars and competition enjoying lower prices. However, this puts reliability at stake. With limited or few suppliers as in the case with Toyota, a close bond can be maintained and reliability is not jeopardized. If it is possible, companies should adopt JIT Inventory Control and maintain long term supplier manufacturer relationships with dependable suppliers in order for the process to flow smoothly. Citation Just In Time Manufacture. C.A. Voss; IFS 1987. Retrieved December 4th, 2009 Just In Time Manufacturing: an aggressive manufacturing strategy. Richard T. Lubben; Mc Graw Hill, 1988. Retrieved December 4th, 2009 Just In Time Manufacturing: an introduction. T. C. E. Cheng and S. Podolsky (2nd edition); Chapman Hall, 1996.Retrieved December 4th, 2009 The Just In Time Breakthrough: implementing the new manufacturing basics. Edward J. Hay; Wiley, 1998. Retrieved December 4th, 2009 http://www.sytsa.com/repository/publications/ingles/jit_manufacturing.pdf Just In Time Manufacturing in Perspective. Alan Harrison; Prentice Hall, 1992. Retrieved 4th, 2009 Fundamentals of Logistics Management. D. M. Lambert, J. R. Stock and L. M. Ellram; Irwin Mc Graw Hill, 1998.Retreived December 4th, 2009 Hyer, Nancy Lea. Reorganizing the factory competing through cellular manufacturing. Portland,Or: Productivity P, 2002.Retrieved December 4th, 2009 Stevens, Tim. â€Å"Pedal Pushers.† Industry Week 17 July 2000. Retrieved December 4th, 2009 http://info.4imprint.com/wp-content/uploads/Blue%20Paper%20JIT.pdf Tim Osborne,† Internet Kanban delivers just in time†. Retrieved December 4th, 2009. http://www.ultriva.com/Articles/Internet_Kanban_delivers_just_in_time.pdf M. Reza Vaghefi,† Financial Times 2001 Report reproduced Oct. 3, 2002, Public Affairs Division, Toyota Motor Corporation. Retrieved December 4th, 2009 http://sysdoc.doors.ch/TOYOTA/toyotaphilosohy. Business Tycoons, Case Study â€Å"TOYOTAS GLOBAL PRODUCTION STRATEGY† http://www.iamebt.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/BT_Case_Study_2.46232317.pdf. Retrieved December 4th, 2009

Shakespeare Moot Court Project Essays -- William Shakespeare

Shakespeare in My Canada Desmond Manderson and Paul Yachnin created the Shakespeare Moot Court Project in 2002, aimed at exploring the interpretative nature of law and literature in relation to Shakespeare. In this court, Shakespeare is law; his plays and sonnets form a body of law used to argue cases of various topics. In 2003-2004, the project took on the issue of same-sex marriage in â€Å"Love on Trial: Same Sex Marriage and the Law of Shakespeare.† Halpern v. Attorney General of Canada, a case from 2002 that challenged the heterosexual definition of marriage in Ontario, was the starting point of the project. The legality of same-sex marriage according to Shakespeare was considered in relation to the meaning of the institution and the necessity of heterosexuality within it (Manderson 479). The case was initially decided in favor of same-sex marriage, and later was appealed and heard for a final time on 27 September 2004 at McGill University to a packed audience, an event which is the subject of this paper. While â€Å"Love on Trial† is an exercise in the connections between law, literature, and the social function of Shakespeare, it also performs a cultural function in its connection to a contemporary Canadian social issue. The blending of Canadian concerns regarding same-sex marriage and the authority of Shakespeare are joined in this project to create a forum to discuss the national issue in a literary context. The arguments for both sides of the appeal were previously published in the McGill Law Journal and are thus referred to here. Desmond Manderson’s first argument for the legality of same-sex marriage is the â€Å"Armenian argument†: both same-sex marriages and marriages between Armenians do not occur in Shakespe... ... issue that was nonexistent in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Though the trial is interested in looking at law, literature, and the interpretations of both through Shakespeare, in this case it becomes a forum to discuss a particularly Canadian issue. Thus Manderson’s and Yachnin’s adaptations of Shakespeare are related to issues of the nation. This tie between Shakespeare and Canada has been present throughout the history of the country, and â€Å"Love on Trial† suggests the continuing importance of Shakespeare in Canada. 6 Works Cited: Fischlin, Daniel and Mark Fortier. â€Å"General Introduction.† Adaptations of Shakespeare. Fischlin, Daniel and Mark Fortier, eds. London: Routledge, 2000: 1-22. Manderson, Desmond and Paul Yachnin. â€Å"Love on Trial: Nature, Law, and Same-Sex Marriage in the Court of Shakespeare.† McGill Law Journal. 49.3 (2004): 475-514.

History – Does General Haig Deserve the Title the Butcher?

General Haig's status prior to the Battle of the Somme had been remarkable. In 1885 General Haig was commissioned in the cavalry and served in several campaigns – Sudan and in the Boer War in South Africa between 1899 and 1902. In the Boer war General Haig had served with distinction and showed a lot of potential and was later promoted to the war office. Many people during this period after his first taste of success thought he had a lot of potential. And he didn't disappoint. In august 1914 when WW1 had started, General Haig was commanding his first army corps.General Haig and his men fought in several battles e. g. Battle of Mon and Battle of Ypres – In which he was very successful. All of this success lead to extremely high expectations of him as WW1 had started. However General Haig's title of ‘the butcher of the Somme' originated after the First World War, when, due to large number of casualties Britain suffered from the war and mostly the Somme. In which 20, 000 died in the first day of the Battle and many were injured. The people of Britain wanted someone to blame.This was a coping mechanism in which people could deal with the loss of the ‘lost generation'. Does General Haig deserve the title ‘Butcher of the Somme'? In this essay I will discus whether General Haig deserves to be remembered as ‘the butcher of the Somme'. General Haig's title of ‘the butcher of the Somme' originated after the First World War, when, due to large number of casualties Britain suffered from the war and mostly the Somme. The people of Britain wanted someone to blame. This was a coping mechanism in which people could deal with the loss of the ‘lost generation'.Arguably Haig does deserve his nickname. This is because Haig sent thousands of men to their deaths continuously after his war efforts seemed not to be working. For instance 60,000 soldiers died in the first day alone in the battle of the Somme. The reason that so many peopl e died was that Haig ordered his men to walk across no-mans land. They were easy targets for the German machine guns. However Haig assisted Britain in winning the war and although he did so with tremendous loss of life, these men did not die pointlessly.They died to protect their families and everyone else on the home front, and they died to prevent Britain from becoming a German Nation. Haig was also faced with an almost impossible task of winning the war in the quickest means possible. Haig was under constant pressure from the government to have a large victory to boost morale. This factor as well as the fact that Haig was not used to the tactics of a war of attrition may have caused Haig to act rashly and therefore if he was not under so much pressure he may have acted differently. Haig was also fed false Intel that was meant to boost morale.Haig was advised that his seven day artillery bombardment had proven to be successful (the aim of the bombardment was to brake all the barbe d wire and kill most of the Germans in the trenches) therefore he ordered his men to walk across no-mans land and look for mines. This shows that he thought about what to do and what was in the best interest for his men as there was no point in telling his men to run across no-mans land to be blown up by mines. It is debatable that Haig deserves his nickname as, while his men are starving in the cold and muddy trench, Haig is sipping French wine.

Matilda Dixon and The Curse of Port Fairy Professor Ramos Blog

Matilda Dixon and The Curse of Port Fairy Matilda Dixon was adored by all the children of Port Fairy for her generosity and kindness. The question is, why did this kindhearted individual turn into a vengeful evil spirit that haunts and murders the children of Port Fairy? There may not be one specific cause, but several reasons could have contributed to Matilda’s metaphoric process from a loving childhood icon to a child murdering banshee. Contributing factors could be traced back to the loss of her husband, her unorthodox practice of collecting teeth, the prejudice that she experienced from the town’s people, and her lynching that ended with her cursing the town’s peopleThe first contributing factor for Matilda’s transformation was dealing with the loss of her husband.   Matilda Dixon, born Matilda Schultz, was like everyone else in the town of Port Fairy. She led a normal life working hard at a bakery and had married a sailor by the name of Sonny Dixon. One night, in 1836, Sonny’s ship t he Guiding Light was lost at sea during a storm. In this storm, 15 sailors lost their lives including Sonny Dixon. Matilda was devastated that the love of her life was gone, and his death left a gaping hole in her heart that could not be filled. The loss of a loved one is shattering and leaves us with so many unanswered questions that we would have longed to communicate with those who have passed away. Throughout the centuries many cultures believe that communication with the dead is possible and claim that the living can reach out to the dead by using special techniques and rituals. Senior Lecture in the school of Psychology Dr. Tassell-Matamua explains â€Å"humankind has told of conversing with the dead for millennia. The tales transcend civilizations and time† (Tassell-Matamua 107).   It could be said that Matilda longed to hear from her long-lost love Sonny and sot ways to reconnect with him choosing a path which would lead her down a dark road. Matilda would find a wa y to bridge this connection using the baby teeth of the children of Port Fairy.    Another contributing factor was Matilda’s unorthodox collection of baby teeth. Matilda was childless and had no other family to comfort her in her time of loss. Matilda loved to bake and would try to pass the time spreading cheer among the children of Port Fairy, but the loneliness was unbearable, and the time spent with the children was not enough. Matilda longed to speak with her husband Sonny, so she decided that she would try to find a way to do this. Whenever a child would lose their tooth, she would bake them a special cake in exchange for their tooth, earning her the name The Tooth Fairy. The towns people thought this practice a little odd but ignored it because it brought joy to the children, and Matilda seemed harmless enough. What was unknown to the people of Port Fairy was that Matilda was collecting the teeth for their magical properties. Matilda wanted a way to communicate with her dead husband Sonny and would use the teeth to obtain this desire. According to Professor Charles Allen, â€Å"few people have ever thought about or given consideration to the large place the teeth occupy in magic, sorcery and folklore. Since the earliest times and among all primitive races, teeth, especially human teeth have occupied an important place in magic ceremonies, sorcery, incantations, the practice of magic, and the working of charms† (Allen 722). Tooth lore and practices have changed throughout the ages, thus some people believed that it was important to dispose of baby teeth correctly in fear that a witch would obtain them and put a curse on the individual. Teeth were swallowed, burned or buried so that this would not happen.   Further evidence of her unorthodox practices leads the towns people to believe she was practicing witchcraft. The Children of Port Fairy would continue to seek Matilda whenever they would lose a tooth in order to get a taste of her yummy treats, until one night an oven fired swept through her kitchen. The towns people hurried to her home to put out the fire, but Matilda had already put the fire out, but not before she had burned her face and most of her body. Matilda refused to let the town’s people in her home to help her and sent them away. Matilda had become more reclusive and she did not allow the children to come over anymore from that time on. She hid her face behind a porcelain mask and dark cloak because of her burns and sensitivity to sunlight. The town’s people became suspicious of what had happened that night of the fire. It was said that it was not her baking that caused the fire in her kitchen, but that Matilda was practicing witchcraft and, that she co nsorted with evil spirits to gain the ability to communicate with the dead. Matilda crossed a line that she will never be able to return from and her punishment was to live a life in darkness never to feel the sunlight on her face again due to her burns. Cohen states in thesis V that â€Å"the monster stands as a warning against exploration of its uncertain demesnes† (Cohen 12). Matilda’s sadness caused her to explore the realm of witchcraft which is forbidden in most cultures. Witches have been around for centuries; they are the mediators between human beings and spirits. One of the earliest records of a witch (medium) is found in the Bible in the book of 1 Samuel. It tells the story of when King Saul consulted with a medium to summon the dead prophet Samuel’s spirit for advice for how to defeat the Philistine army. Matilda isolated herself from the rest of the town except for that her desire to collect the children’s teeth continued. Matilda would conti nue to collect the baby teeth of the children of Port Fairy but under the cover of darkness. The children placed their tooth in a handkerchief and tacked it to door of their home. Matilda would wait for the town to sleep before going and collecting the teeth but instead of leaving a baked treat she replaced it with a gold coin. The towns prejudice towards Matilda grew and she was soon under scrutiny. Another contributing factor of Matilda’s metamorphism into an evil specter was the growing prejudice of the town’s people. Matilda was no longer seen as a kind generous woman who had lived amongst them. The town’s fear and gossip had turned Matilda into something monstrous. Cohens monster thesis IV tells us that â€Å"the exaggeration of cultural difference into monstrous aberration is familiar enough (Cohen 7). The town’s fear of Matilda grew in their eyes, so she was no longer one of them but an outsider, a monster. One day two children had supposedly ventured off to visit Matilda’s home but never returned home that night. The town’s people were enraged with anger stemming from fear of the unknown. The father of the children formed a mob from the drunken men in the tavern. Without question the town’s people made their way to Matilda’s house, drug her out from her home, and hung her on a nearby tree till she was dead. The children were found later that night returning from the next town over. The whole town witnessed the death of Matilda, and the whole town was guilty of murdering an innocent woman. The town of Port Fairy turned into the very monster that they feared and would have to live with their actions for the rest of their lives. The town buried Matilda along with their secret but secretes have a way of resurfacing. Cohen tell us in his monster theses VII that â€Å"this thing of darkness I acknowledge mine† (Cohen 20). The murder of Matilda Dixon was the town’s contribution to the creation of a vengeful spirit that Matilda would become. Matilda was dead, but this would not be the last time that the town of Port Fairy would see her. Matilda had cursed the town with her dying breath saying, â€Å"what I took in kindness I will take in vengeance.† This was the precipitating cause that transformed Matilda Dixon into an evil child murdering banshee of Port Fairy. She would return to visit the children of Port Fairy when they would lose their last baby tooth killing all those who looked upon her porcelain masked face.    The conclusion is that Matilda Dixon was not really a monster, but she was someone who became a monster because of her vengeful spirit. Investigation into the life of Matilda Dixon and the sequences that lead Matilda down a road to her inevitable transformation from kind heart soul to a tooth collecting killer leads one to believe that there was not just one event that caused this spiral into a life of monstrosity but multiple contributing factors.   Factors such as the experience of dealing with the traumatic loss of her husband and her unorthodox practices of tooth collecting, also the prejudice of the town’s people that lead to her a hanging and her cursing the town. These were contributed to the creation of a monster. Work Cited Allen, Charles Channing. â€Å"The Teeth in Sorcery and Magic.† American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 3, issue 12, 722-728 Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. â€Å"Monster Culture: Seven Theses.† From Monster Theory: Reading Culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996. 3-25. â€Å"movieweb Darkness Fall The Legend of Matilda Dixon MovieWeb com.† YouTube, uploaded by Samuel Thompson, 8 April 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GYSf32mJ_Yt=33s Tassell-Matamua, Natasha A. â€Å"Brief Report: Phenomenology of Near-Death Experiences: An Analysis of a Maori Case Study.† (2013).