Friday, September 6, 2019

Jack Johnson Essay Example for Free

Jack Johnson Essay Jack Johnson was born in Texas. He was the second in a family of nine children. His parents were slaves in their past then became successful Methodists. Speaking about his education, it must be mentioned that he studied at school only for five years and even was excommunicated for his statements about non-existence of the God. However, he succeeded in other field: it can be stated with certainty that the longest reigning Heavyweight Champion of the world was a man by the name of John Aurthur Jonson. (Zirin) Johnson had his first attack, a 16-round conquest, when he was 15. He became professional in 1897, working in private organizations and earning much money. Then he appeared under arrest and was imprisoned for the reason that boxing was an illegal occupation in Texas. Johnson left Galveston after release. (Horowitz 2007) In 1908, Johnson became a world champion after the battle with Tommy Burns. However he got the title only in 1910 after the fight with Jeffries in Las Vegas. After Johnson’s fight with Jeffries race rebellion started. The Texas Legislature forbade movies of his winnings over white boxes being afraid of more rebellion. In 1913, Johnson ran away because of concocted accusations of breaching the Mann Acts provisions against transporting white women to the country for prostitution. (Horowitz 2007) Speaking about his hobbies, Remnick states that â€Å"Johnson was fond of classical music and played the bass viol. In October, 1936, he took the role of Rhadames, the Ethiopian general, in a Chicago Grand Opera Company production of Aida. In no other country in the world are those who start at the bottom and reach the top more generally admired than in America. It is therefore quite impossible to exclude Johnson from Americas galaxy of self-made men, for he was certainly one of the most brilliant examples. His rise from poverty to international fame had in it all those elements of romance and glitter that unfailingly delight mankind. † (Remnick 2003) Johnsons fighting technique and sport achievements Johnsons fighting technique was extremely individual. He worked out a more tolerant method than one expected that time: fighting protectively, looking for an error, and after that using it correspondingly. Johnson for all time started a session carefully, gradually turning over the sessions into a more insistent boxer. He frequently struggled to penalize his enemies sooner than hit them out, continually passing up their knocks and hitting with speedy blows. He usually showed that he had much more to present and, if pressed, he managed to blow rather effectively. (Zirin) Johnsons method was extremely successful; however it was assessed in the media as gutless and conniving. On the contrary, the white champion Jim Corbett had applied a lot of the identical method as ten years before, and was called by the media the cleverest man in boxing. One of the principal benefits of his techniques is that Johnson was able to make huge systematization of the already existing fighting methods. This is clearly seen through the strict structure of the fight, with each part addressing the separate aspect of the battle. (Horowitz 2007) Thus, step by step, the spectator fills the image of the fight which he has shown with additional aspects and details, making it multidimensional. The principal difference and one of the main advantages of this technique is that it is done through the protection, during which Johnson was learning the methods of his opponent to find a mistake then. (Zirin) This showed the perfect knowledge of the battle techniques that Johnson possessed – in order to understand techniques he should have known them pretty well. Methodology which was used by the boxer is mostly learning – Johnson spent rather long time speaking to people about the techniques to gather all information possible. As it was clear, the technique was absolutely strict, vivid, logical and correct. (Zirin) â€Å"No better proof of Johnsons skill can be cited than the fact that his face, ears, and skin, unlike those of most pugilists, bore no disfiguring marks. † (Remnick 2003) By 1902, Johnson triumphed in no less than 50 battles with black white and adversaries. He got his first title in 1903, in the fight with Denver Ed Martin. His attempts to get the full rank were let down as because Heavyweight Champion James J. Jeffries rejected to fight with him because he was black. Actually, Negroes could fight with white people however the heavyweight competition was very appreciated and popular arrangement in America that Negroes were not considered praiseworthy to take part in it. Nevertheless, Johnson had a chance to have a battle with ex- champion Bob Fitzsimmons in 1907. He finally got the World Heavyweight Title in 1908, after his fight with the world champion Tommy Burns. The battle had fourteen rounds and them was stopped because the Johnson’s opponent was severely defected. After this winning over Burns, ethnic hostility among white people became so serious that a collectivist like Jack London spoke about Great White Hope to get the title back from black man — who was rudely illustrated as a subhuman chimpanzee, bring it back it to the place it must be at, with the better white race. Being title owner, Johnson therefore had to fight many opponents billed by advertisers as great white hopes, usually in presentation competitions. In 1909 Johnson defeated such fighters as Tony Ross, Victor McLaglen, Al Kaufman, Frank Moran, Stanley Ketchel. â€Å"The match with Ketchel was keenly fought by both men until the 12th and last round, when Ketchel threw a right to Johnsons head, knocking him down. Slowly regaining his feet, Johnson threw a straight to Ketchels jaw, knocking him out, along with several of his teeth. His fight with Philadelphia Jack OBrien was a disappointing one for Johnson: though scaling 205 pounds to OBriens 161, he could only achieve a six-round draw with the great middleweight. † (Remnick 2003) Johnson had three wives; all of them were white women. However, he had no children. He died in the automobile accident happened on June 10, 1946, in North Carolina. Conclusion The fights of Johnson could be viewed as the basis for deep analysis and understanding of the methods which existed in the previous fights. The significance of the technique analyzed here is not under any doubts; it has become clear that the methods used by Johnson is so successful that it cannot be stated any other fighter has been able to create a better one even over the recent years. The significance of this technique is more increased through the two following factors: first of all, it has been done from inside of the battle with Johnson undertaking multiple efforts to learn partner’s technique; and second, making the serious conclusions touching the need of opponent’s behavior learning. (Stump 1963) Works Cited Remnick, David Struggle for his soul, The Observer, 2003 Zirin, Dave The Hidden History of Muhammad Ali, Edge of Sports Stump, Al. The rowdy reign of the Black avenger. True: The Mens Magazine January 1963. Horowitz, Adam, et al. 101 Dumbest Moments in Business, CNN. com, 2007

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Wittgensteins Picture Theory in the Tractatus

Wittgensteins Picture Theory in the Tractatus AN EVALUATION OF WITTGENSTEIN’S PICTURE THEORY IN THE TRACTATUS Wittgenstein created the picture theory of meaning in his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus as a way to look at how design and the mechanics of artistic drawing are translated from an interaction with the physical world as well as to expound on his interests in ethics and the mythical state of existence. This paper explores Wittgenstein’s picture theory as it is explained within his work, Tractatus, in order to understand the true dynamics of what he was trying to propose and how it is still relevant today. Before delving into the obtuse philosophical ideas that Wittgenstein puts forth in his first book, the Tractatus, it is important to take a moment to first get a sense of why the book was written and why it seemed to be so difficult to digest. This book was written while Wittgenstein was serving with the Austrian army during World War I and whilst a prison of war in Italy (Jago 2006: 1). The idea of the book sprung out of his work related to the â€Å"analysis of complex sentences into symbolic components† (Cashell 2005: 6). His theory was that â€Å"if a proto-sign was discovered to represent the universal form of the general proposition, then such a sign would somehow also demonstrate the logical structure underlying language: that which enables language to describe†¦a reality apparently indifferent to our description of it† (Cashell 2005: 6). His conclusion that â€Å"the relational form (logo) co-ordinating thought, language and the world was pictorial in natu re† (Cashell 2005: 6), setting the foundation for the Tractatus. The book is written in a condensed writing style that reflects the depth and complexity of what Wittgenstein was trying to express in as logical manner as possible (Jago 2006: 1). Wittgenstein divided the book up into a series of numbered paragraphs that represented seven integer propositions and created an outline of the book (Hauptli 2006: 6). The Tractatus was the vehicle that Wittgenstein used to explain his picture theory. It is important to note that the picture theory did not just mean visual images. The theory also incorporated language, music, art, and engineering. Primarily, Wittgenstein relied on engineering, or projection drawing, as the basis for the picture theory because it seemed like the easiest way to explain his ideas (Biggs 2000: 7). His main objective in creating the Tractatus was to â€Å"determine the limit of expression of thought† and â€Å"establish the notion of the projective form in his picture theory† by making â€Å"a logical correspondence between the language and reality† (Actus 2007: 2-3). The picture theory is defined as â€Å"a theory of intentionality, i.e. aboutness† (Mandik 2003: 2). The premise of this theory attempted to make â€Å"an explicit distinction between what can be said and what can be shown† (Biggs 2000: 7). In simplifying what he was trying to say, the basic idea of the theory â€Å"says the function of language is to allow us to picture things† (Jago 2006: 1). Wittgenstein was fascinated with the idea of how to achieve pure realism in visual, artistic, and language mediums (Mandik 2003: 1). It is about using these mediums to create â€Å"the identification of aboutness with resemblance: something is about that which it resembles† (Mandik 2003: 2). Everything is based on the fact that observations are made of â€Å"how paintings and photographs represent their subjects,† meaning they have the properties of those objects but have the inability to be the same as those objects (Mandik 2003: 3). Since anything can resem ble a number of objects without being those objects, there is much that is open to interpretation just like words used in sentences can have a lot of meanings (Mandik 2003: 4). However, Wittgenstein did suggest that there had to be a logical connection between the reality and the picture projected of that reality (Actus 2007: 1). In delving farther into the idea of what can be said and what can be shown, many who have studied the picture theory believe that it is based on the analogy of depiction where â€Å"an engineering drawing is derived by means of projection from the object, and the way in which language and/or thought is derived from the world around us† (Biggs 2000: 1). This analogy does not mean that the world is like the representation but instead is based on an interpretation of what the artist or mechanical engineer sees from their perspective (Biggs 2002: 2). This means that â€Å"language or other forms of representation stand in a relationship to the objects that they represent, and this relationship is analogous to the relationship that subsists between pictures and objects† (Biggs 2000: 7). Wittgenstein’s depiction of performance spoke about the ability to â€Å"reconstruct an object from its representation, to reconstruct a thought from a sentence, etc.† (Biggs 20 00: 4). It is important to emphasize here that â€Å"what a picture means is independent of whether it is a truthful representation or not† (Jago 2006: 1). What is more important is the idea â€Å"that the lines in the diagram are related together in a way that mimics the way the things they correspond to are related† (Jago 2006: 1). In this way, he made the distinction between showing and saying (Mandik 2003: 1). It is important that pictures showed something instead of said something, doing this through grammar, form, or logic within the human and natural languages (Hauptli 2006: 3). Instead of simply trying to interpret what the world appears to look like, Wittgenstein took it to the next level by trying to â€Å"operate within the model and draw conclusions about properties in the world† (Biggs 2000: 3). Labelled the â€Å"theory of description, he elucidates logically the essential situation when the languages describe the reality† (Actus 2007: 3). This is where the â€Å"thing is whether it keeps a proper (right) relation to the reality (Actus 2007: 3). This involved actual mathematical calculations rather than simple depictions and moved the person toward â€Å"graphical statics and dynamic models† (Biggs 2000: 3). In carrying this thought process over into the world of language, Wittgenstein then believed that a method could be constructed that enabled decisions related to ethical matters and other intangible ideals (Biggs 2000: 3). Overall, Wittgenstein was looking to achieve â€Å"a perfect language† (Biggs 2000: 6). His theory of language says that â€Å"sentence work like pictures: their purpose is also to picture possible situations† (Jago 2006: 2). His philosophy was not concerned with mental pictures that come from language but relied on â€Å"a more abstract notion of a picture, as something that either agrees or disagrees with any way the world might have been, and which says, this is the way things actually are† (Jago 2006: 2). In other words, â€Å"For sentences to have sense, they can not depend exclusively on the sense of other sentences – ultimately there must be elementary propositions which get their sense not from other sentences, but rather direct ly from the world† (Hauptli 2006: 3). To Wittgenstein, the world is comprised of â€Å"simples, which are named by certain words† that are put into a certain number of combinations that create reality (Hauptli 2006: 3). This other viewpoint on Wittgenstein’s picture theory has become known as the â€Å"form-of-life,† which was about the â€Å"general relationship of notation and conceivability† (Biggs 2000: 7). This invoked the idea that Wittgenstein proposed that humans try to â€Å"live from the nature of the world† rather than just imitating or depicting it (Biggs 2000: 7). This would allow humans to â€Å"understand the reality of life† which is currently unexplainable because it is hard to see directly (Actus 2007: 3). Going back to the original simplified idea about the theory, language then becomes a way for humans to get in touch and experience the true reality of life and nature. It is this idea of being connected to nature on another level that suggests that Wittgenstein’s picture theory also included his ideas about and interest in the metaphysical. In fact, Albert Levi concluded that the Tractatus represented â€Å"a picture of traditional metaphysical dualism (Cashell 2005: 3). This is evident in his metaphor of the eye in which â€Å"it can see only that which his other than itself† as he says that â€Å"from nothing in the field of sight can it be concluded that it is seem from an eye† (Mandik 2003: 7). In connection to metaphysical beliefs, Wittgenstein â€Å"took language, logic, world and self to be coextensive† and concluded the Tractatus by stating that anyone will truly understand the world once they move beyond his limited suggestions about the world (Mandik 2003: 8-9). His comments here at the end of Tractatus emphasised his belief that â€Å"all philosophical reflection is meaningless† (Jago 2006: 4). Wittgenstein illustrated the difference between that meaninglessness and what he was attempting to do in this book by showing his readers things instead of attempting to draw conclusions for them (Jago 2006: 4). In this way, his book concludes with his interest in the mystic and metaphysical, taking the reader on a journey through his thoughts and creating pictures through the language he uses within the book to show instead of tell. References Actus. (2007). Wittgenstein and his picture theory. Available at: http://www.actus.org/witt.html. Biggs, M.A.R. (2000). Visualisation and Wittgenstein’s â€Å"Tractatus.† Faculty of Art and Design, University of Hertfordshire, 1-9. Cashell, K. (2005). Attempt to understand Wittgenstein’s picture theory of the proposition. Available at: http://www.ul.ie/~philos/vol2/cashell.html. Hauptli, B. W. (2006). Hauptli’s introduction to the Tractatus. Available at: http://www.fiu.edu/~hauptili/IntroductiontoWittgenstein’sTractatus.html. Jago, M. (2006). Pictures and nonsense. Philosophy Now. Available at: http://www.philosophynow.org/issue58/58jago.htm. Mandik, P. (2003). Picturing, showing, and solipsism in Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Available at: http://www.petemandik.com/philosophy/papers/witt.html.

The Elements Of Violence In Macbeth English Literature Essay

The Elements Of Violence In Macbeth English Literature Essay With elements like wars, assassinations, and murders, violence takes up a significant part of Macbeth. At the early stage of Macbeth, the audience is presented a battlefield scene where a bloody massager appears. Echoing such a violent and bloody image, the play ends with Macbeth being killed. Although karma is an Indian belief, lines like This even-handed justice / Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice / to our own lips (Macbeth I.vii.10) reveal traits of karma in the Scottish play.  [1]  Karma means that all actions have consequences which will affect the doers of the actions at some future time (Reichenbach 399). In this essay, I will argue that violence is not merely actions performed by the characters but the skeleton of plot and theme. For the sake of a clear analysis, I will first outline the concept of karma and karma of violence in Macbeth. Then I will conclude that the karmic effect of violence drives the development of plot and reflects moral judgement. As suggested by Rajendra Prasad, the law of karma should be viewed as a retributive theory of morality (qtd. in Keown 331). Reichenbach also noted that 1.Morally accountable actions which are done out of desire for their fruits are subjected to karma; 2.Some karmic effects are manifested at once or in this life, some in the next life; 3.Karmic effect of actions can be accumulated (qtd. in Keown 335). In this essay, Keowns idea on karma is taken; the relationship between karma and intention is indisputable; volitional action alone can result in karma; sinning in ones heart without physical performance is possible that same act may have different karma for different people (Keown 336). Rebirth and karma beyond characters portrayed lives will not be discussed here. Violence is not only a part of the play, but its skeleton. Karma, as stated, is accumulative and is resulted from moral and physical actions. In Macbeth, violence, with its karmic effect, breeds violence. In Act one, Macbeth is reported about cutting Macdonwald open, unseame[s] him from the nave to th chops, / [a]nd fixe[s] his head upon battlements (I.ii.22-3)and is [n]othing afeard of what [himself] didst make, / [s]trange images of death (I.iii.97-8). This suggests his violent nature and his capacity of bloody deeds in the future. Such a valiant and worthy achievement (I.ii.24), as a result, won him the title of Thane of Cawdor. It was then the realization of prophecy bred his ambition whose murder yet is but fantastical (I.iii.139). The word fantastical echoes with Banquos address to the witches I the name of truth, / Are ye fantastical or that indeed / which outwardly ye show?(I.iii.54-5), drawing parallel between the witches and Macbeths fantastical thoughts which are not indee d outwardly [he] show[ed] as well. With such murderous thoughts, Macbeth, whose [place] [is] the nearest (I.iv.36) to Duncan betrays his own family blood and country to secure the throne. The karmic effect of this bloody throne is fear; the fear on Banquos issue and Macduffs flee to England prompts him further violence and ultimate self-destruction. His bloody acts make returning were as tedious as go over (III.iv.140-1).Violence, therefore, breeds on-and-on violent deeds till the end of the play. As Macbeth puts it, Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill (III.ii.55), such on-and-on violence increases intensity over time. After violence against Macdonwald, Macbeth killed Duncan in sleep. Sleep, under Shakespeares description, is innocent . . . that knits up the reveled sleeve of care . . . the great natures second course, chief nourisher in lifes feast (II.ii.34-8). The peaceful description of natures gift and Duncans royal position contrast with the murder, highlighting intensified violence. Although he is unsettled by the deed, he soon recovers and exhibits a greater degree of violence. Without consulting his wife, Macbeth readily kills two innocent servants. Compared to the hesitation shown in Duncans murder, he becomes bolder. Violence, as a recurring role, performs an endless loop. Macbeth, with a mind full of scorpions (III.ii.36), then sends out three men in total only to ensure Banquo and Fleances deaths. He becomes determined to take a step further to kill the weaker gender and innocent children in Macduffs family. When Macduff receives the tragic news, he asks about his children repeatedly and all my children?, My children too?, What, all my pretty chickens and their dam / at one fell swoop? (IV.iii.211-8). Such responses reflect that people then perceived the act of killing innocent children as outrageously violent.The climax of on-and-on violence came when Macduff greets the King with Macbeths head, saying Behold, where stands / the usurpers cursed head. (V.viii.54-5), putting an end on the loop of violence in the play. This illustration of the intensifying loop of violence suggests karmic consequences of murderous thoughts. In the analysis of Shakespearean violence, Foakes suggests that the urge to violence is deeply embedded in the human psyche, and creates recurring whatever political formations are dominant (Foakes 16). This viewpoint echoes with this karmic loop of violence. The series of violent acts keeps driving the plot development. The karma begins with Macbeths sinning in [his] heart (Keown 336) with murderous thoughts. Had he stopped at any point of his violent murders, he would not have suffered the deadly karma. Karmic effects of Macbeths repetitive violence, as suggested, accumulated throughout the play, causing the downfall of the soul and self-destruction. The karma of violence, therefore, extends the plot with series of consequences in Macbeth. In Macbeth, karma of violence is not only the consequences of behaviour. It implicitly reflects good morality in violence. Contrasting conventional idea, violence does not necessarily imply bad karma. Traditional Christian belief generally subscribes to the idea of Thou shalt not kill. However, under karma, same act may have different consequences for different people. At the beginning of the play, Duncan ordered the execution of Thane of Cawdor. This act of violence, justified by the traitors betrayal, did not result in a bad karma. Duncan, despite his death, enjoys the peace of mind of which Macbeth is deprived. Although Banquos violent behaviours are not explicitly described, audience can understand that Banquo, as a warrior, is capable of violence. His acts of violence, however, are justified by his selfless patriotism. In the play, Shakespeare uses Banquo as a moral contrast against Macbeth. They are of similar background, official rank and power at the beginning of Macbeth; they both face the tempting prophecy. However, Banquo endeavours to keep [his] bosom franchised and allegiance clear (II.i.26-7) while Macbeth jump[s] the life to come to commit murders (I.vii.7). The fact that Banquo succeeds in upholding morality in the same temptation suggests that Macbeths tragic ending is not a result of fatalism, but karma out of volitional actions. Karma is hugely based on ethical consideration and moral accountability. With moral actions, Banquos family line is blessed with good karma, contrasting Macbeths violence-induced fatal karma. Macduff, who performed the visually bloodiest violence by cutting and displaying Macbeths head, is also exempted from bad karma.  [2]  Since Macbeth has no children of his own, it is unlikely that Macduffs bloody deed would provoke another loop of violence against himself. It is reasonable to suggest that, Macduffs violent action, as a karma on Macbeth, is justified by its good intention of saving Scotland from the tyranny. The above examples of karma contrast against the deadly karma on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. In Macbeths case, he performs all the violence based on his desire for power and the fear in securing it. Accordingly, he is subjected to karmic effects, which mostly take the form of internal struggles. Booth concluded that, all three murders towards Duncan, Banquo and Macduffs family are followed immediately by scenes of suffering and self-tortures (Booth 31). After Duncans murder, every noise appals Macbeth and he hears ominous voices threatening that he could no longer sleep with peace (II.ii.56). Although Macbeth does not show explicit guilt after Banquos death, his sub-conscience tortures him. He is startled by the image of Banquos phantom despite his self-regard as a fearless man. Macbeths soul becomes weary after murdering Macduffs family. He pessimistically believes that [his] way of life / [i]s falln into the sere, the yellow leaf, / [a]nd that which should accompany old age, / [a]s h onor, love, obedience, troops of friends, / [he] must not look to have.(V.iii.22-6). Ironically, Macbeth has traded his soul, friends, honour for a fruitless crown and a lifeless life. He is caught in a tragedy of his own making. In this way, the karma on Macbeth manifests as his internal struggles. Despite sympathy towards Macbeth, Macbeths selfishness, betrayal and violence deserve his own deadly and violent karma. As suggested by the Bible, For the wages of sin is death (Roman 5: 23). Therefore, given his murderous deeds, his death has to be brutally violent for moral justification. Macbeths tragic death implies that Shakespeare has acknowledged the immorality of Macbeths violent deeds. Lady Macbeth, similarly, has to pay a price for pouring [her] spirit in [Macbeths] ear, / [a]nd chastise[s] with the valour of [her] tongue (I.v.24-5) Ribner commented that The relationship between Macbeth and his wife steadily deteriorates . . . . The force of evil severs Macbeth from the rest of humanity; it breaks also the bond which ties him to his wife. He lives more and more closely with his own fears into which she cannot intrude . . . . No longer does he confide in her. (Ribner 164) Considering Lady Macbeths admiration to Macbeth and her devotion to help him get the throne, psychological separation between the couple is unbearable to Lady Macbeth. It is reasonable to deduce that this psychological separation may explain her mental breakdown and loss of masculinity displayed before. The fact that the seemingly evil Lady Macbeth is also subjected to karmic condemnation from her own conscience may signifies her humanness, but more importantly, the deadly karma is to impose moral judgement on her behaviours. Karma of a particular behaviour reflects its moral nature and judgement. In Macbeth, not all violent deeds result in bad karma. Considering the play is set in a political disturbed period in which Scotland was first traumatized by traitors and then Macbeth the Tyrant, violence, to a certain extent, was a norm in that era. The fact that Scotland restores her order through violence against Macbeth suggests that some violence is morally right. These characters who perform violence for morally right reasons can be exempted from bad karma. Karma, in Buddhist belief, is controlled by a Supreme Being. Shakespeare, as a Supreme Being of this play, reflects judgements towards the characters behaviours with different karmas resulted. Karma on violence, therefore, gives the audience some ideas on the morality of violence. Violence is the linking element that drives plot development. It is through the recurring nature of karma that violence in Macbeth trammel[s] up the consequence (I.vii.3) of Macbeths self-destruction. By designing different karmic effects, Shakespeare explores the good and evil of violence. Although sympathy towards human flaws may be valued, it is necessary to have deadly karma for ill-intended murders committed. Violence, therefore, is not merely a part of the plot. It is the driving force of the plot and a subtle exploration on morality of violence.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Shamanism and the Indigenous Peoples of Siberia Essays -- Cultural Ant

Shamanism and the Indigenous Peoples of Siberia Shamanism plays a role within most tribal communities of the indigenous peoples of Siberia. Within the community the shaman has many roles; one of his[1][1] main roles is that of a healer. The function of the shaman is closely related to the spirit world (Eliade 71). A shaman uses ecstatic trance to communicate with spirits. Spirits are integral to a shaman’s ability to heal within his community. â€Å"Shamanic activity is generally a public function† (Grim 11-12). Shamans are highly respected members of the community. â€Å"Shamans are of the ‘elect’;† recognition of a shaman can only be bestowed by the entire community (Eliade 7, 17). Without the community, a shaman is not a shaman and cannot function as such. An example of this situation would be vocational or self-made shamans, who are not chosen by the community, ancestry, or the underlying ‘numinous encounter’ to shamanize. The entire community does usually not recognize vocational shamans; they are not as effective as shamans and even viewed as frauds (Grim 45).[2][2] Therefore not anyone can be a shaman. â€Å"It is to the . . . shaman that tribal peoples turn for aid in dealing with the urgencies of life† (Grim 8). Due to the harsh Arctic environment, the shamanism of the indigenous peoples of Siberia is closely related to the struggle for existence in their world. The shaman is sought to aid the community in surviving by curing the sick and attacking or destroying evil spirits, among other roles (Hinnells 293-294). Within the community, the shaman has multiple roles including priest, magician, medicine man, mystic, poet and psychopomp (Eliade 4). One of his main roles is that of medicine man or healer. Accordin... ...d A Serpent’s Skin and A Bears Fur.† The Sun Maiden and the Crescent Moon: Siberian Folk Tales. Interlink Books. New York: 1991. 88-91. Waida, Manabu. â€Å"Problems of Central Asian and Siberian Shamanism.† Numen 30.2 (1983): 213-239. Notes: [1] ( The masculine pronoun is used throughout to describe the shaman. It is noted that not all shamans were males; in some tribes the majority of shamans (shamanesses) were female. However the masculine case is used from simplicity, since the gender role of the shaman is not being discussed in this case.) [2] For further discussion of numinous, see page 3 of this paper. [3] a main aspect of a shaman’s entrance into ecstatic trance [4] Most of this source covers the Ojibway Indians of the Great Lakes Region. However, Siberian Shamanism is used as a classical model from which Ojibway shamanism is derivied (56).

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Deformity in Richard III :: Richard II Richard III Essays

Richard III and Deformity Some scholars insist that Richard was neither crippled nor humpbacked, and they are passionately dedicated to proving that Shakespeare's portrait of the inhuman monster is based on Tudor propaganda used to bolster Henry VII's weak claim to the throne The only "proof" we have of Richard III's deformity is that which is provided by Sir Thomas More in "The History of King Richard the Third". It is here that modern readers digest the adjectives which forever plague Richard "Little of stature, ill-featured of limbs, crooked-backed, his left shoulder much higher than his right". This description may seem horrible, but it is only compounded when it is placed next to the deformity of his character. Regardless of whether Richard was truly the demon he was portrayed to be, the role of Richard III as established by William Shakespeare is one of the more challenging roles for the Shakespearean actor. Because this week's annotations were to be focused on the actor's perspective of Shakespeare, I chose to focus my posting on the same topic. First of all, Richard III is on stage longer than any other Bard character. Usually, the time on stage is not a bed of roses either. The actor must limp, wear a hump, or at least hunch over for the duration of the play. This may doom an actor to chiropractic sessions for the rest of their life! Certain actors have defined the role of Richard. Antony Sher researched the affects of scoliosis on the body, and any other back deformity he could. When it was time for him to begin acting the role and he saw the make-up crews version of his hump he stated, "With my heart in my mouth, I hurry over to see my back. It's much softer than I imagined, lying on the floor like a big pink blancmange, a slice of blubber, a side of Elephant Man.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Reading Report

From my experiences reading novels, dramas, poetry, and short stories, I think the purpose of fiction is to entertain; to provoke thought. I think students study fiction because it is very entertaining, and can teach many different lessons. People read fiction stones because it lets them get lost In a story that's not theirs. I believe people tell stones to express their Imagination and thoughts. B. A â€Å"take away† value I have learned from this concentration on fiction would be many life lessons. I feel Like the fiction stones we read In school relate to us somehow, and teach us lessons.They also teach us different vocabulary terms and how to use them. Reading stories Like Romeo and Juliet and Lice's Adventures In Wonderland also let us experience different types of literature. II. Nonfiction A. My English II class this year studied three very different examples of nonfiction. 1. The World Geography Textbook- Our geography textbook has a professional tone. The organization of the textbook had headers and sections, which makes finding the information you need easier to find. The purpose of this nonfiction is to inform. 2.The Burden of Womanhood- 3. MASS- This personal memoir about WIN has a serious, melancholy tone. The organization of this book is set up like a story, with pictures. I believe the purpose of MASS is to not only to inform about the events during WI, but to also entertain. B. Studying nonfiction in classes, such as an English II class, would be very beneficial. There are so many different values gained from studying nonfiction, such as how it helps develop critical thinking as well as literary skills, broadens students vocabulary ND world knowledge.Reading Report By theologically read fiction stories because it lets them get lost in a story that's not theirs. I believe people tell stories to express their imagination and thoughts. B. A â€Å"take away' value like the fiction stories we read in school relate to us somehow, and teach us lessons. Like Romeo and Juliet and Lice's Adventures in Wonderland also let us experience A. My English II class this year studied three very different examples of nonfiction. 1 . 3. MASS- This personal memoir about WI has a serious, melancholy tone.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Harrah’s Entertainment Inc.

Harrah's Entertainment Inc. Philip G. Satre, CEO of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. , had steered the company to a new direction and created a new competitive advantage for the company. In 1998, Gary Loveman joined Harrah's as chief operating officer (COO) and helped the company to change from operations-driven company that had its properties operate as â€Å"standalone business,† to a marketing-driven company that focused on the target customers and build loyalty under Harrah's brand. By December 1999, Harrah's had 50% growth in revenue and 100% growth in stock price and profits, which the results were significantly better than the industry. However, Satre had two questions for Gary Loveman and his team. He wanted to know how much percentage of the marketing dollars was accounted for this success and was these marketing efforts sustainable. Phillip Satre became CEO of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. in 1984. His first sustainable competitive advantage was to focus on customer. The first CRM system was the Winner's Information Network, which collected and analyzed data based on customers' play. The strategy was a success until mid 1990s when there were more competitors entered the market with better and flashier properties. The company launched the Total Gold program in fall 1997, which focused more on increasing customer royalty. After Gary Loveman joined the company in 1998, the data he analyzed was showed that customers had little loyalty to the company, so the company's main focus was to increase customers' loyalty. In order to succeed, Loveman introduced three major plans: changing the organization structure/ building the Harrah's brand, delivering extraordinary service, and exploiting relationship marketing opportunities. The new CRM was recreated and consisted of two components: Database Marketing (DBM) and the Total Gold Program. DBM could precisely predict â€Å"customer worth† – how much the casino expected to win from a customer. This system helped Harrah's to identify its potential great customers. It also helped Harrah's to develop customer centric approach to direct marketing, which comprised 3 phases to a customer relationship: new business, loyal and retention. The Total Gold Program was created to assist and support the cross-market visitation patterns of the customers. The Total Gold Program increased Harrah's cross-market revenues from 13% in 1997 to 23% in 2000. It also helped Harrah to create true royalty program which motivated customers to set goals and explained clearly for how to achieve them. Harrah's main focus was to increase customers' loyalty, so the metrics that could be used to assess its performance were customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. As far as how much percentage of the marketing efforts had contributed to the overall performance which could be measured by using return on investment metric. This competitive advantage probably sustained until the competitors introduced similar programs, which Harrah's might have to come up with new innovations. However, Harrah's had excelled in customer intimacy and also did very well in product leadership, which put Harrah's in better position than its competitors.