Misuse of Comic Relief

Misuse of Comic Relief Misuse of Comic Relief Misuse of Comic Relief By Maeve Maddox The following passage from a newspaper feature alerted me to confusion between the literary term comic relief and the idiom to throw [something] into relief: Inside, the obituary request for humane society donations comes into comic relief. Theres a Jack Russell and a King Charles, a cockatoo Miss Peepers and a cage full of finches. Theres a goldendoodle, an Australian shepherd, a standard poodle, and now Rosss two Persians and another cat. A second tropical bird is at a Memphis vet. The journalist is writing about a man whose obituary requested that memorial donations be made to the local humane society. When he visited the family home and saw the multitude of pets, the memorial request took on greater significance. The existence of the orphaned animals caused the request to come into relief, but not into comic relief. The noun relief has two usual meanings. One kind of relief is ease or alleviation given to or received by a person through the removal or lessening of some cause of distress or anxiety. For example, Passengers  are breathing a  sigh of relief  after an Ebola scare at Los Angeles International Airport. Another kind of relief is the projection of a design from a flat surface. For example, The alabaster wall panel shows the mounted figure of King Ashurbanipal in relief. This latter meaning of relief is used figuratively to mean vividness, distinctness, or prominence due to contrast. For example, At a time when for-profits strategically adopt the stylized selflessness of nonprofit design, nonprofit profit-seeking stands out in ever sharper relief. The idiom to throw into relief means, to make something plainly evident or clearly visible by contrast. For example, The effect of the  comment  is to  throw into relief  the wonder of his conversion and to point to the contrast between his  previous  way of life and [his] new calling. The term comic relief has nothing to do with a raised image. Comic relief is the writing technique of relieving serious content with humorous or comic interludes. In this context, relief means, alleviation of distressful emotions. The insertion of comic relief may be in the form of an entire scene, like the much-cited knocking at the gate example in Macbeth. Shakespeare provides his audience with the porters bawdy monologue before facing them with the harrowing discovery of King Duncans mutilated corpse. The effect of lightening somber content can also be achieved by a line of dialogue or a comical character who appears from time to time and can be relied on to provoke a laugh from the audience or reader. For example, Falstaff relieves the bloody history lessons of Shakespeares Henry plays. The sardonic one-liners of Lenny in episodes of Law and Order are intended to lighten the gruesome images of murder. Comic relief is, therefore, the deliberate use of humorous effect in the midst of serious content. The journalist cited above may have been amused by the Doctor Doolittle-esque collection of animals, but his personal amusement does not justify the use of the term comic relief in the context. I found additional examples of the misuse of comic relief on the Web. Heres one: The claim [by Italian authorities that France should return the Mona Lisa to Italy] throws into comic relief other more serious recent attempts by source countries to extend their repatriation claims to objects that left their borders years, decades or even (in the latest case) centuries before the 1970 cutoff date agreed to by signatories of the UNESCO Convention.- Arts Journal. The writer regards Italys claim as wacky and goes on to refer to other claims for art repatriation by other countries that are not as extremely preposterous, but which are in his view, also ridiculous. The expression that would make sense in this context is to throw into relief: Writers need to think twice before prefacing relief with comic Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should Know26 Feel-Good WordsParticular vs. Specific

Non-Toxic Christmas Tree Food

Non-Toxic Christmas Tree Food Christmas tree food helps the tree absorb water and food to help keep the tree hydrated. The tree will retain its needles better and wont present a fire hazard. The following recipes are non-toxic and safe to keep around young children and pets. The acidity in the tree food helps the tree absorb water while deterring bacteria and mold. The sugar is the nutritive food part of the tree food. Christmas Tree Food Recipe #1 Mix a splash of real lemonade, limeade or orange juice with water. I have been using limeade in water for my tree this season. Its still going strong, even though I put it up Thanksgiving weekend. The ratio of the ingredients is not critical. Id say Im using about 1/4 limeade with 3/4 parts water. Christmas Tree Food Recipe #2 This is a variation on my original tree food: 1-gallon water2 cups light corn syrup4 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar Christmas Tree Food Recipe #3 Mix together a citrus soft drink, like Sprite or 7-UP, together with water. When you first put up your tree, you might want to use warm water to encourage the tree to drink water. Afterward just make sure liquid remains available. If youve got a black thumb and manage to kill your Christmas tree anyway, you can use chemistry to make a silver crystal tree. It doesnt require food or water!

Review article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Review - Article Example Thain, Hall and Miller (951) thus investigated the rhythmic expression of a particular gene using a bioluminescent luciferase reporter gene. For this purpose, three promoters (PHYB, CHS and CAB) in a transgenic Arabidopsis plant were monitored in the presence of light/dark treatments to specific tissue areas. The study showed that plants have circadian clocks spaced throughout them. These clocks are autonomous and are not controlled by a localized pace maker, unlike animals. These regulate the gene expression in plants. The independent circadian rhythms are synchronized by independent and simultaneous entrainment of the clocks. The circadian system is less accurate but highly flexible. One question that this paper might raise is the significance of autonomy of the localized circadian clocks. How the organism is able to be regulated as a whole might be the subject of future study. Another question that is raised by this study is what advantage (evolutionary or functional advantage) does the more flexible yet less accurate circadian timing provide to the

Business planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business planning - Research Paper Example Customization includes making the new jewelry with desired sizes, color, and design. We would also be able to accommodate the customer selected designs or drawn with mutually agreeable way. Opportunity and Strategy- The following are the available opportunities for the proposed business: the increasing consumer preference toward classic designs; the regional growth in suppliers will benefit the company; the existence of the creation of a new product through customization; the increased number of technology users; and the increased demand in locally-made and reliable products. The company would wish to exploit the above-mentioned opportunities using the following strategies: first, by providing uniquely made jewelry through combinations and customization. Second, by establishing an online portal, for the potential customers, where they can choose, modify, mix and match and upload their preferred designs. The company wants to make sure that those who do not have time during normal trading hours can use this portal which will be of mutual benefit. The target market and projections- We would like to consider factors that influence buyer’s behavior as the basis for selecting the target market rather than segregation criteria based on age or gender. The business would like to concentrate on the buyer’s purchasing decision in order to establish marketing factors such as the customer preference and the range of jewelry they use. Sara’s Jewelry: it maters Inc. wants deliver their product for the middle class (Targets the middle class). The value we want is affordable, durable and long lasting custom-made products. The business aims at satisfying the local demand of unique jewelry through local production. Sara’s Jewelry: it maters Inc. would like to serve their customers by creating a need rather than targeting at any problem. The customer value proposition can be defined as the ‘value’ which will make them feel satisfied and make them loyal

How Stan Musial Has Made Me Become a Better Person Essay Example for Free

How Stan Musial Has Made Me Become a Better Person Essay When you think of the All-Time greatest Major League baseball players who do you think of? I’m sure Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Lou Gehrig come to mind. All of these players are considered to be the greatest to ever play the game but there is one legend that a lot of people over look or probably just have never heard of and his name is Stan â€Å"The Man† Musial. Stan was born on November 21, 1920 in Donora, Pennsylvania. His parents were Lukasz and Mary Musial. His mother was of Czech descent and his father was a Polish immigrant. Musial frequently played baseball with his brother Ed and other friends during his childhood. Musial also had the benefit of learning about baseball from his neighbor Joe Barbao who was a former minor league pitcher. At age 15 Musial joined the Donora Zincs, a semi-professional team managed by Barbao. In his debut he pitched 6 innings and struck out 13 batters, all of them adults. Musial also played one season with the Donora High School baseball team. He also played basketball for Donora and he was even offered a scholarship from the University of Pittsburgh. Meanwhile the St. Louis Cardinals had scouted him as a pitcher and in 1937 offered him a professional contract, which he later accepted. After he accepted the contract he spent three years with Cardinals class D team the Williamson Red Birds and Class AA Columbus Red Birds. On September 17, 1941 Musial made his major league debut. He finally got his chance and he definitely didn’t waste it. Musial went on to play for 22 seasons never getting thrown out of one game. He had a career batting average of .331, he had 3,630 hits, 475 home runs, and 1,951 runs batted in. Musial was a 24 time All-Star, 3 time World Series champion, 3 time NL MVP, 7 time NL batting champion, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969 as a first ballot Hall of Famer. Stan played in his last game on September 29, 1963, he finished right where he left off with a hit of course but this hit was a foreshowing of what was to come. Musials last hit in his career was hit past the Cincinnati Reds first baseman at the time, Pete Rose, who would later break Musial’s National League hit record and later break Cobbs record to become the al l time hit king. Musial then retired after the 1963 season. After he retired Musial was named a vice president of the St. Louis Cardinals in September of 1963, and he remained in that position until after the 1966 season. Before the 1967 season began, the Cardinals named Musial the teams general manager, and he oversaw the clubs World Series championship that year. Through the 1990s, he frequently played the harmonica at public gatherings, such as the annual Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony and various charity events. Musial died on January 19, 2013 in his home in Ladue, Missouri. After he died another Cardinal great Albert Pujols had this to say about his passing. It was such a sad day, but I am so blessed to have spent time with him the last 12 years. He blessed my life and many, many lives in baseball during his career, and after his career. He touched so many lives. He means as much as Roberto Clemente does to Latin people. Thank God I had the opportunity to know him. Pujols also says, â€Å"I wish my kids had the opportunity to be around him, because thats how I want my kids to live their lives. I want them to be like Stan Musial.Not the baseball player. The person. Thats the respect I have for that man. Stan wasn’t just known for being â€Å"The Man† on the field but he was just as much of a man off the field as well. After he retired Musial didn’t just fall off the face of the earth like most ball players do, he stayed in St. Louis and hosted golf tournaments, worked with the boys and girls club of St. Louis and helped raise money for baseball fields and equipment all over the city. He was always around the team. Anytime there was a Cardinal event, parade, retirement or just a big game at Busch Stadium Stan Musial was there. He didn’t just sit in the team box and waved to the crowd either. Stan Musial was a real person who always took time to walk around the stadium, shake hands and sign anything. In conclusion, Stan Musial to me isn’t just one of the greatest baseball players of all-time he was one of the greatest men of all-time. He is someone that I look up to not just as a baseball player but as a person as well. He’s the reason I wear the number 6 because every time I put that jersey on I remind myself of Stan and how he played the game and that’s how I want to play. Just. Like. The Man.

Horse Dealers Daughter Essay -- essays research papers

Horse Dealer's Daughter This story is about a girl named Mabel who tries to commit suicide by drowning herself in a pond. A young doctor, Joe Ferguson, saves her. She then believes that he loves her. Although this idea never occurred to Joe, he begins to find that he indeed loves her. However, Mabel thinks she is "too awful" to be loved, and finds that when Joe declares over and over that he wants her and that he loves her, she is more scared about that than of Joe not wanting her. So does Joe really love Mabel? Somehow, he is convinced that he is. I don't think the idea of love or marriage ever occurred to him. When Mabel finds out that he saved her, she convinces herself that he loves her. "Do you love me, then?" she asks him. Then, more confidently, she says, "You love me. I know you love me, I know." The reason why I think she committed suicide is because she felt unloved at her home. Her father had recently died and her brothers were unkind to her. The father had left the family in debt, and the family will soon have to leave their house and move somewhere else. When asked which path she would pursue, she did not answer. I don't think she had anything planned. She probably didn't have a good education so there were few options for her. Perhaps she felt overwhelmed with the pressure to decide what to do, and decided to commit suicide. Thus, when Joe Ferguson saves her, her hope in life is renewed and she convinces herself that Joe loves he...

Storm Born Chapter Eleven

Someone was screaming in the desert, and I didn't realize it was me until Tim raced over and grabbed my shoulders. â€Å"Jesus! Eugenie, what's wrong?† I broke from him, dropped to my knees, and threw up into a convenient shrub. That soon gave way to endless dry heaves, my body's distress too strong to stop. When I finally finished – it seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes – I ran my hands over my face. It felt like I had shoved my head through a window, cutting my skin to shreds. Yet, when I pulled my hands back, there was no blood. Apparently convinced I was done bringing up everything in my stomach, Tim carefully handed me a bottle of water. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and then drank greedily. When I started to hand the bottle back, he shook his head. â€Å"Keep it. What happened?† â€Å"Transition shock,† came Volusian's flat voice. â€Å"You came through the worlds too hard and too fast, mistress.† â€Å"You should be dead,† added Nandi. â€Å"Or at least segmented.† â€Å"Segmented?† asked Tim. I nodded and drank again. â€Å"If you're not strong enough to make it work, only your spirit will get back here. The body stays in the Otherworld.† He stared. â€Å"Will that kill you?† â€Å"Worse.† â€Å"What's worse than death?† asked a new voice. Or not so new. Wil. I'd forgotten about Wil. I leapt to my feet and spun toward him, gun drawn. Some part of me wondered if I even had bullets left. I'd changed the cartridge once in the Otherworld but couldn't recall how many times I'd fired at Aeson's men. Tim's mouth dropped open. â€Å"Eugenie, put that away!† â€Å"You don't know what he's done. He's a fucking backstabber.† Wil, sitting on the blanket he'd gone into trance on, froze, too afraid to move. But not too afraid to speak. â€Å"I had to. It was the only way to get Jasmine.† â€Å"Yeah, it worked pretty well, huh?† He sounded near tears. â€Å"I'd gone a year without any chance of getting her. Then that sprite cut me the deal. Said if I got you to go over, they'd give me Jasmine back. I'm sorry.† I didn't move the gun. â€Å"I was your only chance to get her back. If you hadn't led us into that trap, we'd be back here with her now.† He groaned, burying his face in his hands. â€Å"I didn't know. I didn't know. I just wanted her so badly.† He looked back up at me. â€Å"What happened? Why did she run away? Was she scared?† â€Å"Maybe. Or it could be that†¦what's that called? Where people help their kidnappers? Stockholm syndrome?† â€Å"What, like Patty Hearst? No. Jasmine wouldn't do that.† I wasn't so sure. She was young and impressionable, and Aeson struck me as a very forceful figure. â€Å"He's too pathetic to kill,† observed Finn after studying Wil for a moment. â€Å"No harm in doing it anyway,† said Volusian. â€Å"Kill him and enslave his soul.† Wil's eyes widened farther. â€Å"Eugenie!† Tim stared at me like I was insane. â€Å"You aren't seriously considering that.† Probably not. Sighing, I lowered the gun. â€Å"Get out of here, Wil. I don't ever want to see you again.† He scrambled to his feet, face falling. â€Å"But Jasmine – â€Å" â€Å"You lost your chance. You blew it. Get in your car before I do something stupid.† Wil hesitated, his face pleading and upset. Then wordlessly he headed toward the trail that led out to a makeshift parking area. I watched him leave, bitter anger boiling up within me. In the distance, thunder rumbled. â€Å"Eugenie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Tim hesitantly. A slight wind ruffled his hair. â€Å"I don't want to talk about it. Take me home.† We gathered up his things and walked in the direction Wil had gone. â€Å"Meet me back at my house,† I told the minions. They vanished. Tim had enough sense to leave me alone on the car ride back. I leaned my head against the window, liking the feel of the cool glass against my fevered cheek. So many things had happened tonight, I had no idea what to fixate on first. Jasmine? Wil's betrayal? Aeson's stupid accusation? Kiyo? Yes. Kiyo was probably the safest, which was saying something. My heart had leapt at seeing him again. It was stupid, considering the way he'd used me, but my emotions didn't appear to realize that yet. Why? Why did he have this pull on me when I barely knew him? I didn't believe in love at first sight. And what about the fox thing? I knew of no gentry who could do that, but I did know shape-shifters filled the Otherworld. I'd fought some before but never a fox. Seemed like a weird choice. Perhaps that explained why he hadn't felt gentry. He was something else, not gentry but still Otherworldly. Not much of an improvement. I left Tim as soon as we got home, seeking out the solitude of my room. Well, as much solitude as I could get with the three spirits waiting for me. I threw myself onto the bed, leaning into the corner where the bed sat against the wall. Exhaustion ran through me, and I did and said nothing, staring into the darkness. Thunder rumbled again but seemed fainter now, like the storm had changed its mind. The spirits simply waited and watched me. â€Å"Tell me what just happened.† â€Å"Um, which part?† asked Finn after a minute. â€Å"Any of it. Tell me what Kiyo is. The fox.† â€Å"Oh.† Finn seemed relieved to have a question he could answer. â€Å"He's a kitsune. Japanese fox spirit.† â€Å"Roland taught me hundreds of magical creatures. Never heard of a kitsune.† â€Å"You don't find them around here much,† explained Finn. â€Å"And they're not really dangerous.† â€Å"He looked dangerous enough to me.† â€Å"They carry animal traits into human form,† said Volusian. â€Å"Strength. Speed. A certain sense of aggression.† I thought about sex with Kiyo. Yeah. That had been pretty aggressive. I closed my eyes. â€Å"Why would he mark me and then follow me?† â€Å"I do not know.† It figured. â€Å"Anything else I should know about him? About them?† â€Å"They're usually female. Men are rare. Perhaps his human blood affected that,† said Nandi in her emotionless voice. â€Å"Half-human? Oh. His mother was the kitsune,† I mused, recalling him talking about his parents. â€Å"Yeah,† agreed Finn. â€Å"The women are supposed to be pretty hot. Like sirens. Real seductive. Men can't stay away from them.† â€Å"Like a drug,† added Volusian. I opened my eyes. â€Å"Could he do that too?† â€Å"Possibly.† Suddenly my obsession seemed less weird than twisted. Had he used some sort of sexual power to lure me in? Was that why I couldn't stop thinking about him? â€Å"I guess half-human isn't so bad,† I muttered, speaking out loud without meaning to. I hadn't bedded a full-fledged Otherworldly creature. â€Å"Not bad at all,† agreed Finn happily. â€Å"He's just like you.† â€Å"Stop it,† I snapped. â€Å"That whole thing†¦what Aeson said†¦it's stupid. I don't want to talk about it.† â€Å"And like so much, you ignore what you don't want to hear. Being Storm King's daughter is no small thing.† Volusian's red eyes held my gaze. â€Å"Your bluntness is so endearing.† My stomach turned, but it was now or never. â€Å"All right. I'll bite. Why does Aeson think that?† None of them had an answer right away. The impression I got from them was surprise more than ignorance. â€Å"Because you are, mistress,† said Nandi at last. â€Å"No, I'm not. I'm human.† Volusian crossed his arms over his chest. â€Å"You are half-human, mistress. And as I said, your prejudice blinds you from the truth.† â€Å"One gentry's accusation isn't the truth. Where are the facts?† â€Å"Facts? Very well. Here are facts. Who is your father?† â€Å"Roland.† â€Å"You know what I mean, mistress. Who is your blood father?† â€Å"I don't know. It doesn't matter. My mom always said he was a bastard not worth knowing.† Volusian stared at me expectantly. â€Å"That doesn't prove anything.† â€Å"What about your powers? You are rapidly surpassing every other human shaman. You are equal in strength in both worlds. Do you think it's coincidence that the most powerful shaman in remembered history grew up in Roland Markham's household? He brought you there, taking you from Storm King.† â€Å"From where? Are you saying I was born in the Otherworld?† Volusian inclined his head. â€Å"Storm King abducted your mother and made her his mistress. She bore his child. You.† â€Å"You seemly awfully sure about this.† â€Å"I saw your mother when she lived in the Otherworld. I have seen her in this world. She's the same woman.† â€Å"You're lying.† â€Å"By the power that binds us, you know I am not.† He was right. He couldn't lie to me – not so openly, at least. I knew that, and acknowledging that forced me to put my own world into a new perspective. It might explain why my mother hated the Otherworld so much. Why she and Roland had been adamant about instilling that hate in me, making sure I could never have any empathy with the gentry or anything else from that world. I swallowed and realized I was on the verge of tears. God. That would probably blow the show of strength I always tried to hold around these guys. We needed to get through this interview. â€Å"So, are you saying that's why Roland eventually killed him? To protect me?† â€Å"Among other things. Storm King's invasion was imminent. He had come to claim you. Roland Markham killed him, both saving you and halting Storm King's plans.† â€Å"So Dorian was telling the – wait a minute. He knew! That bastard. He sat there and fed me that stuff about Storm King, knowing who I was!† â€Å"Everyone knows who you are, mistress,† said Nandi. â€Å"It's pretty recent, though,† added Finn, seeing the look on my face. â€Å"Came out only a couple of weeks ago. The same time everyone learned your real name.† â€Å"How?† I glared at Volusian. He had known who I was this whole time. â€Å"Did you tell them?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Then why didn't you tell me before this? Why didn't any of you tell me when this came out?† They stared. â€Å"Because you did not ask us,† replied Nandi. â€Å"Yes,† agreed Volusian. â€Å"Had you asked us, ‘Am I Storm King's daughter?' we would have gladly – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, shut up.† I rubbed my eyes. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to sleep forever and forget all this. But I had miles to go before I slept, just like in the Robert Frost poem. â€Å"If everyone thought Storm King was so great, then why are they all coming after me? Shouldn't I be some kind of hero? Instead they want to kill me.† â€Å"Most aren't trying to kill you, unfortunately. They're trying to bed you, mistress.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Probably because of the prophecy,† said Nandi. â€Å"Prophecy,† I said dryly. â€Å"Wonderful. Now there's a prophecy.† â€Å"Mistress,† she said hastily, â€Å"had you asked us if there was a prophecy – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, yeah. I know. What's this one say? That I'm a good lay?† Finn hesitated. â€Å"Well†¦it says Storm King's vision will be carried out through his daughter's first son. That the human world will be reconquered.† â€Å"You're kidding.† Oh, God, I wanted to sleep. â€Å"When they found out you didn't have kids yet, everyone – well, every guy – wanted to get in on the action. Being the one to father Storm King's heir would be a pretty big deal.† â€Å"Likewise,† added Volusian, â€Å"the prophecy says Storm King's daughter will clear the way for her son. Being your consort would carry great prestige.† â€Å"Hey, I'm not clearing the way for any invasion. Not that I believe in prophecies. Not that I believe in any of this! In fact, that prophecy proves how stupid this all is. I wouldn't turn against my own kind.† I swear Volusian smiled. â€Å"Yes, but which people truly are your own kind? Your loyalties are now divided.† My anger flared. â€Å"No. Even if this is true and I am the daughter of the biggest gentry badass ever, I know where my loyalties are. I'm human. I act human. I have no gentry powers.† â€Å"As you say, mistress.† â€Å"Get out of here. All of you. None of this is true. I'll talk to my parents and clear this up.† Volusian bowed. â€Å"A wise idea, mistress.† I said the words to send them away and then lay on my bed. The storm had quieted outside, but one of my own raged inside me. I wanted to shut down my feelings. I wanted to forget all of this, because it wasn't true. It couldn't be. I wanted to take one of the prescription sleeping pills, but I didn't need Roland's warnings to know how stupid that would be. If every gentry was suddenly hot to get me pregnant, I couldn't let my guard down. I shouldn't have been able to sleep. Not after fighting gentry and seeing a girl run back to them. Not after learning my one-night stand was a kitsune. Not after discovering that I could very well be something I hated. Something that made me question everything I'd ever believed in. No, I shouldn't have been able to sleep at all, but my body knew better as tiredness flowed over me. My body knew I'd been up all night, that I'd fought and been injured. And most important, it knew my fight wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

To what extent was there political and economic reform in the years 1906-1916?

To what extent was there political and economic reform in the years 1906-1916? In the years 1906-1916 there was some economic reform made my Stolypin and some political reform made by the four Dumas. Stolypin made his land reforms and other agricultural reforms in order to improve agriculture and increase production. However he was not majorly successful in constructing economic reforms to improve conditions in cities. The tsar had allowed an elected legislative assembly (Duma) which was in place for the first time.However the concessions the tsar made in the October manifesto after the 1905 revolution were expedients rather than real reforms. The Duma did not become a limitation on the tsar’s autocratic powers. This essay will look at both the extent to which there was political and economic reform in the years 1906-1916 by referring to Stolypin’s reforms, the strengths and weaknesses of the Duma, as well as the government’s involvement in political and economic reform. Stolypin was one factor which contributed to the economic reform in the years 1906-1916.Stolypin made reforms which contributed in modernising Russian agriculture and making it more productive. For example he passed a law that made it easier for peasants to break away from communes, allowing them to move freely around Russia. The peasants’ land bank was also promoted by Stolypin to give more loans to peasants and hence encourage them to move to the undeveloped agricultural areas of Siberia with the incentive of cheap land financed by the government loans. Stolypin’s reforms meant that increasing the number of peasants landowners who farmed more efficiently would lead to fewer Russian peasants being needed to farm land.They then had to move to the cities to gain employment, which helped in meeting the increasing demand for workers in cities. It could be argued that his land reforms were a success as in 1905, 20 per cent of peasants owned land which by 1915 incr eased to 50 per cent. Agricultural production had also increased from 45. 9 million tonnes in 1906 to 61. 7 million tonnes in 1913. These figures illustrate that the reforms he introduced had an enormous impact in the improvement of agriculture and production suggesting that Stolypin had made significant reforms and the years 1906-1916 were a period of major economic reform.However on the other hand it could be argued that Stolypins ideas were not as helpful in economic reform as although he had helped in agricultural production; he had done little to improve the cities. For example industries where most of the profit is generated were not developed and even thought he had helped peasants and brought great changes to the Russian countryside, he had not done much to improve living and working conditions of Russia’s industrial workers suggesting that there were little economic reforms in 1906-1916.With limited industrialisation Russia could not supply its self with all the requ ired goods and could not export goods and products to different countries hence their balance of payments and economic state was affected negatively; conveying that there was restricted economic reform in 1906-1916. The four Dumas from 1906- 1917 were a factor which contributed to the political reform in Russia in the years 1906-1916. In 1906 there was an elected legislative assembly (The first Duma) for the first time.All Dumas throughout the period questioned ministers and some were critics of the tsarist system. The amount of laws they were able to pass were limited, but the Dumas could be seen as a huge political reform as before 1906 there was no any form of democratic parliament but rather only the tsar ruled Russia. No one ever dared to question the tsarist system, but there was now a huge improvement and a step forward to what the people of Russia wanted a democratic power.However The Dumas were simply allowed by the tsar to give the appearance of a democratic government and so were not so significant in political reform in 1906-1916. The Dumas were very limited in their actions and the laws they could pass, as they had to be agreed by the tsar. For example the first Duma in 1906 had 319 requests of Laws but only 2 were passed. The tsars ‘Fundamental Laws’ hugely limited the powers of the Dumas and portrayed that things had still not changed majorly, the tsar was still the ruler of Russia and made the main decisions of running the country.This is further intensified by the fact that the tsar had dismissed the first two Dumas in 1906 and 1907 as they were strong critics of the tsarist system and voiced their anger as the ‘Supreme Autocratic Power’ still belonged to the tsar. This contrasts with the 3rd and 4rth Dumas which were kept for longer as were less critics of the tsarist system and were rather supportive. This clearly illustrates that there was limited political reform in 1906-1916 as the tsar was still the main ruler o f Russia and the Dumas were still not able to pass on laws which would improve the state of Russia.Finally although the policies of Stolypin and the introduction of the Duma were important advances, they were not enough to end the tsarist system or make significant political and economic reforms. There was very little political and economic reform in 1906-1916 which was partly because of the tsarist system, but also because of the tsars and governments resistance to make reforms. The government, the Dumas and the tsar also did not cooperate with each other to make changes but rather had their own interests, leading to the obstruction of reform.

The Taming of The Shrew Analys essays

The Taming of The Shrew Analys essays The Taming Of The Shrew The Taming Of The Shrew by William Shakespeare is probably one of Shakespeares earliest comedies. Its plot comes from the popular war of the sexes theme in which males and females fight with one another for dominance in a marriage. The play begins with a drunk man named Cristopher Sly being fooled into believing he is a nobleman and watching a play performed for him. This play turns out to be the main part of The Taming Of The Shrew. In it, a rich man, Baptista Minola, attempts to get his two daughters married. One is the shrewish Katherine, while the other is the beautiful Bianca. In order to make sure Katherine is married, Baptista declares that he will not allow Bianca to be married until after Katherine is married. This forces all of Biancas suitors to try and find a husband for Katherine so that they can then in turn try to marry Bianca. Some would say that the story has a very sexist attitude, but the fact of the matter is that it is a comedy about an assertive woman dealing with how she is expected to act in the society of the late sixteenth century. Even further, Katherine is learning how she must follow the unwritten rules of her society in order to be accepted into it. Although the play ends with her acceptance to do what is expected by society this acceptance is only in action. Even though, she plays the part of the obedient wife, she still maintains her assertiveness, but now she just keeps it inside. Shakespeare introduces the idea of false realities in the beginning of the play when the actors fool Christopher Sly into believing he is someone he isnt and disguising themselves as other characters and performing a play for him. This play-in-play structure even furthers this idea Shakespeare has created of false realities. In the play we see a variety of examples as Petrucio acts (disguises) himself as someone hes not...

Daniel Websters Seventh of March Speech

Daniel Websters Seventh of March Speech As the United States struggled with the deeply divisive issue of slavery a decade before the Civil War, public attention in early 1850 was directed to Capitol Hill. And  Daniel Webster, widely regarded as the nations greatest orator, delivered one of the most controversial Senate speeches in history. Websters speech was widely anticipated and was a major news event. Crowds flocked to the Capitol and packed the galleries, and his words traveled quickly by telegraph to all regions of the country. Websters words, in what became famous as the Seventh of March Speech, provoked instant and extreme reactions. People who had admired him for years suddenly denounced him as a traitor. And those who had been suspicious of him for years praised him. The speech led to the Compromise of 1850 and helped to hold off open warfare over slavery. But it came at a cost to Websters popularity. Background of Websters Speech In 1850, the United States seemed to be splitting apart. Things seemed to be going well in some regards: the country had concluded the Mexican War, a hero of that war, Zachary Taylor, was in the White House, and newly acquired territories meant the country reached from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The nations nagging problem, of course, was slavery. There was a strong sentiment in the North against allowing slavery to spread to new territories and new states. In the South, that concept was deeply offensive. The dispute played out in the U.S. Senate. Three legends would be the major players:  Henry Clay of Kentucky would represent the West;  John C. Calhoun of South Carolina represented the South;  and Webster of Massachusetts would speak for the North. In early March, John C. Calhoun, too frail to speak for himself, had a colleague read a speech in which he denounced the North. Webster would respond. Websters Words In the days before Websters speech, rumors circulated that he would oppose any sort of compromise with the South. A New England newspaper, the Vermont Watchman and State Journal, published a dispatch credited to the Washington correspondent of a Philadelphia newspaper. After asserting that Webster would never compromise, the news item lavishly praised the speech Webster had not yet delivered: But Mr. Webster will make a powerful Union speech, one which will be a model of eloquence, and the memory of which will be cherished long after the orators bones shall have mingled with the kindred of his native soil. It will rival Washingtons farewell address, and be an admonition to both sections of the country to fulfill, through union, the great mission of the American people. On the afternoon of March 7, 1850, crowds struggled to get into the Capitol to hear what Webster would say.  In a packed Senate chamber, Webster rose to his feet and gave one of the most dramatic speeches of his long political career. I speak today for the preservation of the Union, Webster said near the beginning of his three-hour oration. The Seventh of March Speech  is now considered a classic example of American political oratory. But at the time it deeply offended many in the North. Webster endorsed one of the most hated provisions of the compromise bills in Congress, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. And for that, he would face withering criticism. Public Reaction On the day after Websters speech a leading newspaper in the North, the New York Tribune, published a brutal editorial. The speech, it said, was unworthy of its author. The Tribune asserted what many in the North felt. It was simply immoral to compromise with slave states to the extent of requiring citizens to become involved in capturing fugitive slaves: The position that Northern States and their Citizens are morally bound to recapture fugitive Slaves may be good for a lawyer, but is  not good for a Man. The provision is on the face of the Constitution. True, but that does not make it the duty of Mr. Webster nor any other human being, when a panting fugitive presents himself at  his door begging for shelter and the means of escape, to arrest and bind him and hand him over to the pursuers who are hot upon his trail. Near the end of the editorial, the Tribune stated: We cannot be converted into Slave-catchers, nor  can Slave-catchers operate freely among us. An abolitionist newspaper in Ohio, the Anti-Slavery Bugle, blasted Webster. Quoting the noted abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, it referred to him as the Colossal Coward. Some northerners, especially business people who preferred tranquility between the regions of the nation, did welcome Websters appeal for compromise. The speech was printed in many newspapers and was even sold in pamphlet form. Weeks after the speech, the Vermont Watchman and State Journal, the newspaper which had predicted that Webster would deliver a classic speech, published what amounted to a scorecard of editorial reactions. It began: As to Mr. Websters speech: it has been better praised by his enemies and better condemned by his friends than any speech ever before made by any statesman of his standing. The Watchman and State Journal noted that some northern papers praised the speech, yet many denounced it. And in the South, the reactions were considerably more favorable. In the end, the Compromise of 1850, including the Fugitive Slave Act, became law. And the Union wouldnt split until a decade later when the slave states seceded.

Fire Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fire Technology - Research Paper Example These factors include and not limited to electricity short circuiting, factory explosions, road accidents, lightening, earthquakes, gas leakages, petroleum outbursts, and other human activities like hunting and irresponsible smoking. In the same way, the increase in technology has also taken effect in fire technology where various fire disaster prevention and management procedures are in application. Where averting any disaster has been a challenge to all governments, all states have adopted various fire technology measures to this effect. They include fire brigades, fire technology academies, fire technology associations, and fire technology programs. Indeed, the federal government ensures that all citizens have the least fire technology education while few engineers get the highest fire technology education to handle fire disasters in the nation. Actually, the Fire Technology Department at Victor Valley College offers training and educational opportunities to students. Eligible stu dents qualify for employment as part time or full time firefighters with the California Department of Forestry, local agencies, the municipal fire department in California, and the United States Forest Service (Victory Valley College, 2011). This paper will address the topic of fire evacuation in the field of fire technology. Any organization should have a fire emergency evacuation plan (FEEP) that entails the action the staff and occupants of a given building should take in the event of fire and the arrangements for calling the fire brigade. Small premises can adopt a general fire notice  while a large premise can adopt a staff fire notice (Fire Safety Advice Centre, 2011). In all cases, the notices should be clear, concise, and prominently displayed. For any fire evacuation procedure to take place, detection of the occurrence of fire must happen with urgency and a warning given in real time for