Tales too dark to tell Essay Example For Students

Tales too dark to tell Essay Its easy to characterize the atrocities of the Cambodian holocaust as abhorrent crimes against humanity; explaining how such things could happen is far more difficult. Despite the political realities that allowed the Khmer Rouge of Pol Pot to take control of the country, many Cambodians cannot help but point the finger of blame at their collective selves. The irony and conflict inherent in such an epic moral quandary would make good drama anywhere. In Lowell, Mass., where Merrimack Repertory Theatre staged an adaptation of actor and author Dr. Haing S. Ngors own story of his survival of the Cambodian holocaust, the drama takes on particular weight. David Kent, now in his third season as artistic director of Merrimack Rep, says that in the past three years the company has rededicated itself to telling stories of the Lowell community. With the staging of The Survivor: A Cambodian Odyssey, the theatre has taken a giant step in that direction. Cambodians make up more than 20 percent of Lowells total populationin fact, with an estimated 25,000 people, it has the second largest Cambodian population of any city in the U.S. Kent felt that MRT had to embrace this community in a meaningful way. We will write a custom essay on Tales too dark to tell specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This city has developed an ability to incorporate immigrants into its fabricthough not perfectlyeven in the case of the Cambodian population, Kent observes. One in four students in the Lowell schools is Cambodian, and one in three Southeast Asian. And many of these are not just immigrants, but survivors of a holocaust. And so it was that Kent began searching for the vehicle to tell the story of that part of the theatres community. He enlisted playwright Jon Lipsky to supervise the creation of a script. Kent wanted to find paths into the Cambodian community of Lowell and harvest original, personal stories that could be forged into a theatrical event. One of the difficulties of doing so was that few Cambodian survivors ever speak of their experiences, Kent says. There was not only a cultural barrier, but the holocaust experience to overcome, he says. Or, as Lipsky notes, Theres a compact of silence surrounding the events. The subject matter makes it extremely difficult to get stories. Theres a natural resistance, and they dont tell the stories that are most meaningful without trust. It looked like a monumental task. Lipsky found his way in by accident, however, while in a bookstore looking for material about Cambodia. Haing S. Ngors now out-of-print autobiography, A Cambodian Odyssey, written with Roger Warner, told such a compelling tale of love and survival that Lipsky knew upon reading it that hed found what he calls the spine of the play. Ngors story has at the center of it an incredibly moving love story, which makes the horror all the more poignant, Lipsky says. Plus, theres an interesting antagonist, Pen Tip, who incorporates many of the figures who crossed Ngors trail. And finally, Ngor is the only Cambodian besides Dith Pran and Prince Sihanouk whom Americans know. Dr. Haing S. Ngor is in fact often confused with fellow Cambodian Dith Pran, the real-life former assistant to journalist Sydney Schanberg, whom Ngor played in the movie The Killing Fields. After the doctor was forced to become a slave in the rice fields and finally a manure spreader, Ngor ultimately escaped and discovered fame in America when he won an Oscar for his performance opposite Sam Waterston and John Malkovich. By virtue of his existence as a city dweller in Phnom Penh, Ngor, like Pran and millions of other Cambodians, was one of the new persons under the Khmer Rouge regime that toppled General Lon Nols government in 1975. The three million inhabitants of Phnom Penh were forced to evacuate within hours of takeover by the Khmer Rouge. The new persons were the last in line for food distribution and first in line for torture and execution. An estimated 1.2 to 2 million Cambodians died in the Khmer Rouge work camps. By denying his former status as a doctor and posing as a taxi driver named Samnang (Lucky), Ngor survived. But not without enduring near starvation, torture and the loss of his wife and most of his family. To this day Ngor defines himself as a survivor of the Cambodian holocaust. That is who I am. .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 , .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 .postImageUrl , .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 , .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0:hover , .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0:visited , .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0:active { border:0!important; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0:active , .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0 .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc38c527518f5d2eadff3bb38e8d61ec0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Henry Woronicz: in the rain with Oregon's own Renaissance man EssayThe Khmer Rouge systematically destroyed the family, village and religious ties that were the traditional fabric of Cambodian life, in order to begin a new communist existence with devotion only to the common good of the state. In the process, they committed atrocities as horrific as any in history. Ngor describes Khmer soldiers using bayonets to rip open the pregnant bellies of women suspected of being wives of intellectuals, then yanking out the unborn fetuses by hand and hanging them like windchimes from the roof. The film The Killing Fields, Ngor feels, hardly went far enough in depicting the horror. One of the major difficulties in adapting Ngors book, Lipsky notes, is communicating the extent of the horror without numbing the audience. If we get people only thinking, instead of feeling, that this is a horrible thing, then weve failed, he says. We have to allow people to have their feeling without going numb. Lipsky points out that as an autobiography, A Cambodian Odyssey is told from Ngors very specific point of view. To create a play with the requisite dramatic conflict and character development, Lipsky had to fill in the points of view of Ngors wife, My Huoy, and nemesis, Pen Tip. To insure artistic license, Kent and Lipsky got Ngors blessing to adapt his 500-page work freely, and consulted him numerous times as well. Kent and Lipsky knew that they would need help to represent the culture of Cambodia accurately on stage. And while they spent time in Buddhist temples and interacted with the Cambodian community when possible, the play owes much of its authenticity to the input of Samnang Wilson, who acted as a special assistant to the director. Wilson, a Cambodian survivor of the holocaust who lives in Boxford, Mass., says her own story is not that different from the drama on stage. Born in Phnom Penh and only 18 years old in 1975, Wilson lost her parents in the conflict, and then her husband was executed 15 days after her son was born. She escaped to Thailand in 1980, subsequently making her way to the U.S. I was afraid of reliving my own past, she admits, still emotional in recounting her reluctance to join the project. Ultimately, she decided it was more important to help tell the Cambodian story to the world. It was that element of memory that fascinated Lipsky. How does one go about remembering a holocaust? he asks. It takes an act of will to go back into your worst moments. The catalytic period in the development of the play actually came during a six-day workshop in January of this year, during which members of the Lowell Cambodian community were invited to observe and comment on the play-in-progress. Participating in the workshop were actors Ernest Abuba, who plays Pen Tip, and Dawn Akemi Saito, who plays Huoy. At one point during the workshop, Lipsky recounts, there was an impromptu conference with Samnang Wilson and the local Cambodians about a moment taken from the book in which Ngor and other survivors take out their revenge on a stray Khmer Rouge, ultimately decapitating him and installing his head under a sign reading Khmer Rouge, enemy forever. Perpetual revenge rejected While Americans like to think of things in black and white, Lipsky notes, Cambodians see ambiguity. The culture avoids directness. The Cambodians at the workshop explained that actually verbalizing Khmer Rouge, enemy forever, was to consign the nation to perpetual kum, or revenge. If you say forever, that means our sons and our sons sons will have to have revenge and it will never end, they said, suggesting a change. The change was made. And the play continued to change through the rehearsal period. The director and playwright both credit the actors with invaluable help and influence as it took shape. .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 , .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 .postImageUrl , .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 , .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2:hover , .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2:visited , .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2:active { border:0!important; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2:active , .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2 .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u70e9faa0b5d054a4862c5e50912990a2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Grave matters. EssayIn the case of classical Cambodian dancer Somaly Hay, the input was more personal. A former court dancer in Phnom Penh, she received a letter when the city fell from a Khmer Rouge soldier telling her how to behave in order to survive, which she did. She eventually escaped and now lives in Connecticut. Cambodian Odyssey is immensely ambitious not only in what it attempts on stage, but also as it seeks to straddle an enormous void between two cultures in its audience. It must suitably explain concepts of kum and kama to an American viewer, while adequately telling a painfully familiar story to a Cambodian audience unfamiliar with the language or even the medium of theatre. One of the cultural bridges that the play needed to gap was the nature and source of the evil that spawned the Cambodian holocaust. The play is not about the Khmer Rouge being villains, nor about Haing Ngor being a hero, Kent explains. The rules didnt apply, and the play calls for a reinvestigation of expectations in evaluating the experience. Although we begin with Ngor as a hero and Pen Tip as a villain, it becomes clear that they are really not that different, Lipsky says. Survival doesnt have to do with good or evil.

Should we eat meat Essays

Should we eat meat Essays Should we eat meat Essay Should we eat meat Essay Essay Topic: Vegetarian The moral argument of animal rights has been discussed for decades. There are many types of cruelty to animals, including vivisection and animal testing, eating meat, hunting and farming. Campaigners risk their lives to protect animals, but some people are totally opposed to the idea of rights for them. Although more than 25% of the British population does not think eating meat is safe or healthy, only 4. 5% actually avoid it. The arguments for vegetarianism include cruelty, health matters and taste. But there are almost as many good arguments against it for the same type of reasons. What is vegetarianism? The dictionary definition is someone who does not eat meat. However, millions of people would claim that they are vegetarians or veggies but still eat poultry, seafood and use animal based or tested products. Tere are a handful (4%) of vegetarians that do abide by all the rules. These are generally called vegans, and do not use any animals related products. This includes leather, milk and obviously meat. Avoiding meat is a lot harder than one may think. Many types of pasta, for instance, contain egg, which is from a chicken. All dairy produce derives from animal milk; meaning they cannot, or will not, eat yoghurt, cheese or butter. But doesnt this just inconvenience themselves as well as others? Apparently not. Most people become vegetarian because they believe it is wrong to slaughter animals. The Vegetarian Society. This is a true point, most people believe it is not at all acceptable to kill an animal for food. But they believe it is right to slaughter an animal to find a cure for disease, or to kill an animal for its skin. What I am trying to say is, if you are going to not eat meat for one reason then you might as well at least think of another reason. Animals used in laboratories are worse kept than any farm animal, so why do they believe this is right? Because it is not directly affecting the people. They see meat in shops, and think of the animals being slaughtered. But when they see a cured person walk out of a hospital, or they find their headache has stopped after taking aspirin, they do not see a mouse with growths on its legs dead in a bin. I am trying to say that there is no point in just not eating meat, this is not going to help stop cruelty to animals. In fact, vegetarians alone are not doing any good at all. As Carla Lane, a writer and animal welfare campaigner, said,Its no good crying out against the [calf export] trade if you are going to have milk. She is a vegetarian. Many communities live on meat. The Massai tribe of Africa is a good example of this, as in drought seasons they thrive on every part of the cow. After milking, the cow is slaughtered, then the tribe eat the meat and use the milk and blood together as a beverage. The bones are used to build structures and houses. They seem to find nothing wrong with this; the word barbaric does not enter their minds as this is their only means of food, especially if the crops are not growing well. The cow is considered sacred in these parts of Africa, but still eaten. 2% of the British population eat meat more than five times a week, according to a 1998 poll. This means that although some people will refuse to eat meat, the traditional approach to Meat and two veg is still kept up in most households. In the same poll, 86% of people still have the custom Sunday dinner with chicken, lamb or beef. If vegetarian campaigners were to have their own way and stop the world from eating meat, not only would many people starve, but a considerable amount of workers would go out of business: Butchers shops are found on many a high street. This traditional method of buying meat is preferred by lots of people who believe that the best cuts of meat available are from an independent business. This is probably true, as many supermarkets have now branched out and include meat counters. The meat is generally mass produced from abattoirs, and each piece is not always taken so much care over to ensure the best quality. If all the butchers shops and counters were closed down, every single worker and skilled slaughterer would be out of a job. Abattoirs are huge warehouses that slaughter and treat meat before it is sent to a butcher. Even smaller abattoirs have at least 24 workers each. Farmers are the other large group of people that would lose jobs or even businesses. Many make their livings from selling eggs, milk, cheese and skins from their livestock, and selling the actual animals at markets and fairs. The stoppage of meat eating might even put some EHOs out of a job if they didnt have enough food complaints about meat and animal products. The promotion of vegetarianism in the media is more than expected after research. There are over 200 national organisations which campaign for animal rights, and numerous international groups. These are publicised by the media and supported by a number of celebrities. Celebrities with strong opinions cleverly make use of the fact that the press hang on to every word they say. Vegetarian celebrities make the most of their fame and try to convert others by preaching about their ideas. This is, in a way, negative as many meat eating parents may have children who look up to these personalities and want to be like them. Paul, Linda and Stella McCartney, Mark Owen and Tony Blackburn are all popular vegetarian icons. Their faces are plastered all over the front of every vegetarian magazine in the country. I cannot see how this helps the animals but they get paid a lot. An amusing aspect was included in resources sent to me from The Vegetarian Society, stressing the point in a child-friendly leaflet that the Teletubbies were vegetarian. It brings to mind four coloured creatures dancing and singing, Tubby-Tofu. They must have been desperate for names if they included fictional characters from an early morning infantile television show. It is basically becoming fashionable to not eat meat. There are no popstars or TV personalities that are actively working against vegetarians. Every single resource that I have been sent from vegetarian societies and organisations has been promoting vegetarianism in a good light. After numerous searches through post and internet, I have found that there is not one group actively working AGAINST vegetarianism. If there is then they have not promoted themselves very well because I havent found them. It seems that there are so many arguments against the consuming of meat that nobody has the heart to argue for it. I, Katherine E Mann, have decided to try and prove these people wrong. I have come to a conclusion that for every opinion in the world, there must be one against it, no matter how wrong or politically incorrect it may be. The arguments for vegetarianism are interesting, as many leaflets offer practical help for vegetarian dieting instead of trying to convince people how right they are. The BSE scare has put more people than ever off eating meat. It isnt just beef that some people have been avoiding, its other meats as well. They call this, A precaution. Why? I ask. There had been traces of BSE in very few lambs, but thats no reason to stop eating meat altogether. I found many quotes whilst studying this topic, both for and against vegetarianism. There were over 40% more quotes urging me to stop eating meat though. One particular point against vegetarianism that was put over was: I am at a loss to see how vegetarians would maintain their food supplies without the millions of tons of shit produced by the overwintering of beasts. Alan Owen. Mr Owen is a part time farmer, so he knows what he is talking about. It is a good point, that if we do stop breeding so many animals for meat, there will not be so much manure to nurture the crops which the vegetarians would eat. So, by not breeding the animals, we are stunting the growth of millions of plants which vegetarians would in turn want to eat. But what does a vegetarian have to offer to contradict this? We can keep the animals, but just not breed them for food. But then, surely, wouldnt the world be over populated with animals? Britain itself is very crowded, it would make it ten times worse to keep every animal we bred. We would have to find somewhere to put them all. But you find somewhere to put all the people, says the vegetarian. We dont though, not all of them. If she were to go homeless now, I suggest, wouldnt she prefer to have a house built for her by the council instead of having to live on the streets because there were animals on all the land they could possibly build on? The vegetarian goes quiet. I have found that this point wins the argument for this particular part of the discussion. Another argument is that it takes half as much land to grow crops for vegetarians than it does to keep animals. Two points contradict this: Firstly, where would all the animals be kept whilst still alive and not being bred? Secondly, once all the land was used for growing crops for vegetarians, there wouldnt be enough of it. Especially if everyone in the world stopped eating meat, there would be more than 150% of the land in use if possible. But this isnt possible. Following the discussion with The Vegetarian (she isnt meant to sound like an alien), I have decided to examine meat eaters opinions of vegetarians, and vegetarians opinions of meat eaters. Vegetarians generally dont see eye to eye with meat eaters on this topic. They do have more arguments, the word moral being frequently used. But are they necessarily right? Obviously, the meat eaters say No, and the vegetarians say, Yes. Vegetarians often see people that eat meat as people that would gladly kill an animal, have no conscience, dislike animals apart from for food, and barbaric. However, only very few meat eaters are actually like this. I have never met one. They do not generally like the idea of killing an animal, they do care about it and most usually like animals. But the vegetarians say that if they do care, why do they eat meat? Well it tastes good, humans have been eating it for millenniums, it is widely available, it is a healthy part of a staple diet But a meat eaters opinion of a vegetarian is usually one of two things. Firstly, a very thin person who does not eat any meat at all and every meal time consists of a carrot. Secondly, a person who will only eat the vegetarian option if they decide not to like the normal option. They will eat some meat, and eat meat if its the only thing available. Hypocrites? But they are not necessarily hypocrites, they just have opinions. If they chose not to eat meat, why shouldnt they? People chose to wear different clothes and worship different gods. This is OK for most people, they understand it. But when meat eaters start to dislike it is when the vegetarians call them cannibals, or barbarians. If it inconveniences people organising buffets or meals, then that is where it can get annoying. How would you like it if nobody had mentioned to you that a guest to your party was vegetarian and you were having a pure meat barbecue? Fortunately, many people ask if their guests have special dietary requirements nowadays. But still, why should we cook special foods for them? If most people are eating one thing, why cant they just go with the flow and join in? They can go back to vegetarianism the next day. If a family of four had bought a box of four lamb chops and one person was vegetarian, what would happen? I commented on this to someone, who kindly put it into practice. The vegetarian wouldnt eat the meat, but there was still a chop left. This chop couldnt be eaten by the other people because they had their own, so it was just thrown away. If it was going to be thrown out, they could have eaten it anyway. No difference made. The vegetarian claimed it was against her rights. Is the vegetarian option more healthy than meat? Most research shows, yes it is healthier. This is where the vegetarians point and laugh, and the meat eaters kick themselves. Meat is a valuable source of protein. But, a vegetarian diet can reduce levels of cholesterol, plus keep up levels of protein and iron. A point put across in a Viva! Leaflet was that vegetarians were no more likely to suffer anaemia than meat eaters. So? We wouldnt expect them to. The page also stated that zinc levels are normal in vegetarians. Nobody would even dream of thinking otherwise if they had any idea of becoming a vegetarian, or they shouldnt bother. It is a scientific fact that vegetarians are half as likely to suffer from cancer, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes and strokes. There is no argument against this. The same leaflet also pointed out that 95% of all food poisoning comes from animal and meat products. According to Pauline Kirby, an EHO from Sutton Council, the figures most probably arent that high. Many of the cases are actually from animal products like eggs, but all are because the people preparing the food dont work hygienically enough. If people could be bothered to cook their foods properly then there would be no cases of food poisoning from meat products. Saying this though, the world as a whole is getting lazier when it comes to food. The vast range of ready cooked meals in supermarkets is a good example of this. Many people just do not have the time to cook themselves a meal every night, and meat needs slightly more preparation than other foods as it is very high risk. People say that vegetarians find it easier to cook using no meat. I can verify that this is not always true, after extensive research. I have watched a vegan prepare tofu and cannot see how this is simpler than meat. Tofu is, admittedly, a lower risk food than any meat, but when treated and cooked properly with no extra effort meat is perfectly fine. Tofu. Most people have heard of it, but how many know what it is? After a brief questionnaire around my classmates at school, 9 out of 46 people knew what it actually was. Most people knew that it was a vegetarian alternative to some foods, but 6 of the 9 people that knew were actually vegetarians themselves. I have found that tofu was invented in Japan and quickly spread to the rest of the world. It is vegetable protein, and hardly contains any fat at all. The good point about meat is that it looks reasonable even when its not dressed up or with anything. Most people love the look and smell of freshly cooked meat and it is universally recognised. Tofu, on the other hand, needs lots of preparation for it to appeal. Apparently the taste on its own is disgusting, but there are numerous books and websites of recipes for tofu. It can be fried, stewed, marinated, anything the consumer wants. When I asked for an opinion from a strict vegetarian on what tofu looked like, it was compared to, A soggy sponge. Would you like to eat something that looked like a soggy sponge for your dinner? This description says it all. I have taken the liberty of including a picture of some tofu (pictures are surprisingly hard to come by) and a picture of a sponge to illustrate my point: From all these points and views, reasons and arguments put together, I have concluded that there are so many arguments for and against vegetarianism that most people find it easy to choose a side. Most people choose to be for it, but still eat meat. Personally, I like eating meat and am not considering stopping for the sake of the Teletubbies, hysterical animal rights activists and cute little furry creatures with hearts and feelings. I find the fact that vegetarians lecture people about eating meat when most of them have been cruel in another way to someone or something else dull and rambling. Humans have been eating meat for thousands of years why stop now? It would only break traditions. I know we dont need to eat meat anymore because of all the alternatives, but then again we dont need to buy designer clothes when car boot sales sell old ones. But we do. Why dont we eat cats or dogs? It would be an interesting concept. As for changes my opinions as a result of this project, it has only made my feelings stronger towards meat eating. Whilst petting my cat I am now going to eat a steak.

(History class) Movie Review. Long list to choose from Review

(History class) . Long list to choose from - Movie Review Example Vito is the patriarch of the Corleone family. He is a cunning Mafia leader called the Godfather. Michael Corleone is the youngest son of Vito. At the start of the movie, he is detached from the Mafia and appears to be advancing toward a political career. Eventually, he decided to drop his plans and take over the family business and the Corleone household. A ruthless Mafia boss with no patience for disloyalty or rebellion, Michael is even more motivated, harsher, and riskier than Vito. This essay critically reviews the film. Summary World War II was over. Don Vito is seen dealing with residents of the New York Italian neighborhood who are nervous to ask for his assistance. Accompanying him is Tom Hagen, Don Vito’s attorney and amigo. Singing can be heard from outside, where the marriage ceremony of Connie, Don Vito’s daughter, to Carlo is occurring. The balladeer Johnny Fontane attends the party to sing for the guests. Among the guests is Michael, who has removed himself from the illegal operations of his family. He tells his girlfriend Kay Adams how Johnny was rejected for a starring role in a movie due to his philandering. Don Vito was appalled by such actions, but as the godfather of Johnny he felt obliged to force the film producer Jack Woltz to cast Johnny for the main role. The intensity of the criminal activities of Don Vito is exposed at a business gathering. To prevent angering his political connections, he declines to give protection to Sollozzo, who is ‘The Turk’ in his drug operations. Don Vito is able to save himself from an assassination even though his bodyguard Paulie is not around. Fredo, Don Vito’s middle son, is revealed to be incompetent at dealing with such situation. Sonny, the hot-tempered oldest son of Don Vito, has Paulie murdered for abandoning his responsibility. Sollozzo is exposed as the mastermind of the assassination attempt. When Michael finds out from a newspaper what happened to his father, his loyalty to and love for his family is renewed. At the hospital where Don Vito is confined, Michael finds out that the guards have been pulled out under police directives. He averts another murder attempt on Don Vito’s life, kills Sollozzo and the cop protecting him and runs to Sicily. There he gets married to a native girl, but she died from an explosion which is intended for Michael. The conflict persists in New York, with Sonny being murdered in a surprise attack. Don Vito attempts to stop the internal feud by demanding a meeting of family leaders. An agreement is reached, the payment being that Don Vito has to allow the drug trade. Michael goes back to New York and looks for Kay, who agrees to marry him. Don Vito passes on the business to Michael, who decides to legitimize it and transfer it to Las Vegas. The bedridden Don Vito cautions Michael that whoever arrives to set up a business discussion with the other families will deceive him. The foreseen event arrives at Don V ito’s funeral. Michael is determined to avenge their family and his father’s death. He is godfather to the child of Connie and Carlo, and the murder of his enemies happens during the baptismal. Carlo is executed when he discloses his betrayal. Michael’s path is ready. The movie begins with a father looking for justice for his child after her aggressors have been given a postponed sentence. The shot

Advance project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advance project management - Essay Example There have been billion dollar resources, media infiltration in addition to celebrity supports, all in excess of what may possibly be illustrated as the effervescent water, by way of flavoring in addition to coloring. Nevertheless this list is not in excess of the product, however above the brand name. The reflection, the links, in addition to the standards that the brand corresponds to. As and when the customers tend to decide a well-known soft drink, they are not simply purchasing the element of refreshment, they are trading into the brand's individuality, in addition to what that brand signifies for. It was during the mid 0f 1990s that Diet Pepsi launched one of those refreshers within its artificial sweetener. In addition to that the market share set out up from an average 4.3 percent to an approximate 7 percent , towards the South of the boundary, Pepsi-Cola US was bundling up all their efforts , energy and creativeness up to inaugurate a new-fangled Diet Pepsi brand, Pepsi One. If Pepsi-Cola around the globe could not perk up the Diet Pepsi Cola business, they would have had to seize the costly stride of introducing Pepsi One. Coming face to face with this challenge, the Pepsi cola brand squad was stimulated to position a David in opposition to Goliath intention. This implied them to turn into the number one diet cola brand within the past few years. Not straightforward, at all. Pepsi Cola went ahead towards toiling to comprehend what may conceivably be giving life to the point of brand stagnation. While doing so, there had been more than a few viewpoints that were demystified. On the other hand, Pepsi-Cola around the globe has established a lot many times that they are capable of looking after their brands. Pepsi cola along with this had been assuming that Diet Pepsi, in addition to being a very well maintained as well as grown-up brand name, may perhaps position on its own grounds by way of its individual descriptions, looking all the more interesting to the more old-fashioned diet cola drinkers. Moreover, Pepsi cola had not been wrong in judging some major factions of the above expressions and statements. Whenever the consumers were requested to attribute brand distinctiveness to the Diet Pepsi, the customers resorted time and time again to expressions that explained Regular Pepsi. These similes had been weaseled to be able to be a focus for the youthful, open intellect Pepsi drinker moreover this was perceptibly quite attractive to the target market .at the same time as this was an acknowledgment to the efficiency of the customary Pepsi's advertising, it fashioned a genuine matter for Diet Pepsi (Vasconcellos, 2007, pg 218). There had been two foundations from which a relocated Diet Pepsi may perhaps resource the sales volume. The most significant was the Pepsi Transistioners, regular Pepsi drinkers on the verge of changing to a diet Pepsi cola. The additional was a subdivision of Diet Pepsi drinkers who felt less associated to the conventionality of the Diet carbonated drinks world. Pepsi put these objectives beneath the magnifying glass. Pepsi cola on the entirety of it had the demographic outline of consumers majorly in between the age of 20 to 40 year olds, although the consumers furthermore collectively were going through comparable modifications within their everyday lives. Despite the fact that Pepsi colas board acknowledged as well as established this growing, they in addition encompassed a common sense of failure. The

The Impact of Computer Technology on Our Lives Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Computer Technology on Our Lives Essay Computer technology is such a big factor in everyone’s lives today. In my own life I cannot leave my house without my mobile phone I feel secure when I have my mobile phone with me so I can be contacted or if i was ever to be in trouble I could ring my family. Also social networking is another great form of communication. people who live in different countries and want or need to contact with friends or people from across the world, they can just set up a personal profile on a social networking site and work from there doing this safely and securely for them. Computer technology is also in schools for basic training for computers themselves as people can now do online courses to further their education, fitting this into their own schedules. Skype is also a great invention as I have family who live abroad so I and my family can always talk to them and see their faces its great as you wouldn’t see them for months at a time. Computer technology has made our lives a lot easier and convenient. For instance our banking needs. Years ago people had to manually file the important data of their customers now they can use the computer to find this data which is a lot easier. In just one click they would instantly find the birth date, address, email address, phone number etc. as for the clients of these banks they can easily get a quick look at their account balances through logging into their account through the bank website in addition to that a lot of people can apply for a loan with the use of the computer. As for the birth of computer technology we now have credit cards or what others would call plastic money, which is very useful especially when we do not have cash on hand or when you are ordering a certain product through the internet. It’s amazing how computer technology has changed so much through our way of living nowadays purchasing products such as clothes, bags, household utensils or even paying for bills can be done from the comfort of your own home. As far I know computer technology has helped a lot of buisnesses to better serve the community. But the computer have not only helped us in the business industry it also has an effect on our communication systems. Long before the computers were invented. Writing letters was the main source of communication which would have been such a hassle most espically for those who lived in far away places. plus telephones were quite expensive bac then so people would pretty much prefer to write a letter to there loves ones. Computer technology has changed our lives for the better. Without it, we would still be living in the pre historic times.

Capital Punishment is Not an Effective Crime Deterrent Essay -- essays

While Capital Punishment has been one of the most feared things of our time, it is still being questioned if it is unconstitutional. The Death Penalty is being enforced in more than 100 countries in the world and are usually used in politically-related cases. Although it has been the case in many countries throughout the world it has been said that the Death Penalty is "cruel and unusual punishment" which is a direct violation to the Bill of Rights. Capital Punishment is a certain copy of the earliest days of slavery, when you had no rights or any different opinion, and like then, executions have no place in our civilized society. The Death Penalty, throughout it's years of existence, has always been against the views of the people, either because of it's brutality or because of it's lack of effectiveness. The Death Penalty has been opposed by the people since the beginning of it's era, which was around 1976, when the United States Supreme Court declared that the death penalty was not against the Constitution. But if read directly the Eight Amendment of the U.S. Constitution "prohibits cruel and unusual punishments" and not only that but abolitionists also think that Capital Punishment ensures Americans equality for all . The abolitionists also did a poll which ensured that there was "no support for the view that the death penalty provides a more effective deterrent to police homicides than alternative sanctions. Not for a single year was evidence found that police are safer in jurisdictions that provide for capital punishment" The highest homicide rates were also in Death Penalty states with executions: 9.7 homicides per 100,000 people... ...of the crime committed by the convicted person because it is judicial murder. Capital Punishment is a brutal act that does not enhance respect for human life, it cheapens and degrades it . Abolitionists also believe that "the state is a teacher and when it kills, it teaches vengeance and hatred. If the "barbaric practice of execution has been abolished in most major industrial countries, even in south Africa, so can the United States ("Death"2). "An execution is a dramatic, public spectacle of official, violent homicide that teaches the permissibility of killing people to solve social problems--the worst possible example to set for society" Will society put money into schools, rehabilitation, community services, and jobs, or will it bankrupt itself with more prisons and more victims? The death penalty is no solution to violence. Capital Punishment is Not an Effective Crime Deterrent Essay -- essays While Capital Punishment has been one of the most feared things of our time, it is still being questioned if it is unconstitutional. The Death Penalty is being enforced in more than 100 countries in the world and are usually used in politically-related cases. Although it has been the case in many countries throughout the world it has been said that the Death Penalty is "cruel and unusual punishment" which is a direct violation to the Bill of Rights. Capital Punishment is a certain copy of the earliest days of slavery, when you had no rights or any different opinion, and like then, executions have no place in our civilized society. The Death Penalty, throughout it's years of existence, has always been against the views of the people, either because of it's brutality or because of it's lack of effectiveness. The Death Penalty has been opposed by the people since the beginning of it's era, which was around 1976, when the United States Supreme Court declared that the death penalty was not against the Constitution. But if read directly the Eight Amendment of the U.S. Constitution "prohibits cruel and unusual punishments" and not only that but abolitionists also think that Capital Punishment ensures Americans equality for all . The abolitionists also did a poll which ensured that there was "no support for the view that the death penalty provides a more effective deterrent to police homicides than alternative sanctions. Not for a single year was evidence found that police are safer in jurisdictions that provide for capital punishment" The highest homicide rates were also in Death Penalty states with executions: 9.7 homicides per 100,000 people... ...of the crime committed by the convicted person because it is judicial murder. Capital Punishment is a brutal act that does not enhance respect for human life, it cheapens and degrades it . Abolitionists also believe that "the state is a teacher and when it kills, it teaches vengeance and hatred. If the "barbaric practice of execution has been abolished in most major industrial countries, even in south Africa, so can the United States ("Death"2). "An execution is a dramatic, public spectacle of official, violent homicide that teaches the permissibility of killing people to solve social problems--the worst possible example to set for society" Will society put money into schools, rehabilitation, community services, and jobs, or will it bankrupt itself with more prisons and more victims? The death penalty is no solution to violence.

Epistemology †cognition Essay

â€Å"I have found that such an object has always been attended with such an effect, and I foresee, that other objects, which are, in appearance, similar, will be attended with similar effects†. This foretells that with knowledge, our society may be able to associate a certain aspect/detail with an object, but that does not necessarily mean it will always happen. Therefore, Hume, who starts out as an empiricist, has arrived at the conclusion where an individual may not have knowledge at all, of skeptic doubt. This is explored through the three epistemology questions, the process he did take, and what the reader thinks on the matter. According to Hume, with his process of thought with empiricism, thinks knowledge is possible. He believed that all information about the world comes through experience. The contents of consciousness are what he calls perceptions. [†¦] include our original experiences [impressions] [†¦] sense data [†¦] â€Å"internal† world composed of the contents of our psychological experiences [†¦] also include what he calls ideas, or the contents of our memories and imagination. With this approach to whether knowledge is possible, it is clear that he thinks knowledge is possible through experience; through real experiences, sense data, psychological experiences and ideas. It states that one does not have innate ideas with us such as our senses or emotions, that an individual must experience these actions first in order to recognize what they must be. If one does not experience such actions, they are what he calls ideas, â€Å"the copies of them [impressions]† (The Search for Knowledge 69). He also states that, â€Å"We can deny any matter of fact without falling into a logical contradiction. The fact that we feel confident about certain facts of the world is merely the result of our expectations, which are based on past experience† (The Search for Knowledge 70). This theory is called Hume’s Fork, where it is between the relation of an idea and a matter of a fact. This says that society may be sure about our surroundings, but they are not certain. Ideas do not tell us anything about the world, but only our thoughts of what they may be, and matters of facts are knowledge per say, but are not always certain as well. Basically, it shows that one cannot be certain of the world around us, as it may change. With the question of the role of reason within the possibility of knowledge, he believes that, â€Å"We can learn nothing about what lies outside the subjective contents found within our experiences. † (The Search for Knowledge 71), therefore reason cannot be established as the primary source of knowledge. He clarifies his reasoning with the principle of induction and the uniformity of nature. The principle of induction is basically assuming that, for example, since the sun has risen yesterday, it shall rise today and rise tomorrow. Society makes the connection that when an event occurs more than once; one will believe that it shall again happen. The uniformity of nature is where the belief of the laws of nature will continue to commence, therefore it should be still commencing in days to come. Another way he delivers this statement is through the theory of being constantly conjoined. He states that, â€Å"Causes and effects are distinct events† (The Search for Knowledge 73). It can be said that when do an action, there is an equal consequence that follows. If you take the example of where you light up a candle with a match, and then touch the flame, you experience a burning sensation where you have touched said flame. If one repeats this process, one comes to the conclusion that since this has happened in the past, it will most likely be the same or similar in the future. With the third epistemology question of whether reality is represented as it really is, he declares that, â€Å"The only certainty we can have concerns the relationships of our ideas. But since these judgments concern only the realm of ideas, they do not tell us about the external world† (The Search for Knowledge 78). As a result, one can determine that reality cannot be represented as it really is due to the fact that one cannot gain any knowledge from the outside world from our ideas. Ergo, in the world, a person may experience objects such as desks, but this person is uncertain if they are connected to an external world. Hume raises that, â€Å"Impressions are always data that are internal [†¦] hence; we have no data about what is external† (The Search for Knowledge 75). It clarifies his reasoning that society believes that they live in an external world, or that there may be one, but one does not have sufficient explanation as to why this is true. As well, an individual must also question the fact of the self. Hume affirms that, â€Å"If all we can know are sensory impressions or our internal psychological states, then we can never experience the self† (The Search for Knowledge 76). With this in mind, people are certain that they cannot experience a self because it is not a true experience such as a color, which can be experienced. There is no foundation for experiencing the self, as all one has are beliefs, assumptions and ideas, which are never certain. In a few words, Hume is specifying that as a person, one cannot step outside our bodies to see ourselves; that a person can only believe that there is a self. Going back to where knowledge is possible, in the beginning, Hume does believe knowledge is possible with perceptions and impressions. With his thought process, the reader can determine that he has progressed from the thought process of empiricism to skeptic doubt and skepticism, questioning if society has knowledge at all. He believes that in the start, society has knowledge through what he calls perceptions; which consists of the senses, the memory and the psychological states. Overall, society must have experiences if it has developed these sources of knowledge. This in turn concludes that an individual can have knowledge through experience. Since Hume believes that this is the only knowledge an individual can have, he comes to the realization where, â€Å"If all we know are the contents of experience, how can we know anything about what lies outside our experience? † (The Search for Knowledge 70-71). This expresses that one cannot have knowledge, since the foundation he has set is only for our internal thoughts. From this, he describes his thought process of skeptic doubt through causal relations and knowledge of the outside world and self. This clarifies that a person can believe something will always happen but is never certain (causal), and stating that they cannot step outside the world they have created to see what will happen outside of such (external world and self). The reader must have an assessment on the matter of Hume’s empiricism and his process towards skeptic doubt. Dealing with Hume’s empiricism, I believe that his thought process is very vague and has various doubts of its own. The idea of perceptions cannot be knowledge to begin with, because it is what we have and think, but does not necessarily mean other people in society think this same way as well. Therefore, he has already led himself into skepticism, because he cannot explain thoroughly why this is knowledge. What he explains as experience, which is where we obtain this knowledge, is unsatisfactory because the experience he says is mostly reasoning such as sense data and psychological states. For that reason, his thought process in the beginning can also be confused with rationalism, since most of what he verbalizes is knowledge that can only be discovered through reasoning and not experience. Looking at his progression towards skepticism, he believes that we cannot have knowledge because all that we have is our internal world to base our beliefs on. It is shown that through the principle of induction and the uniformity of nature, we will have the reoccurring thought that, â€Å"The future will be like the past† (The Search for Knowledge 71). With this basic in mind, we are automatically assuming every event that happens in our lives will happen or not happen again, because of past experiences. With this amount of information, it is not sufficient enough to say that we always be certain it will again happen. It all comes back to the fact that since we only have our world to experience, and since there is no way to step outside and look at the external world or the self, we are never certain of anything. Hence, we have no knowledge at all because knowledge is classified as true, justified belief and our ideas and thoughts are not. This is a strong case, and therefore, I believe with his knowledge towards skepticism, but I do not necessarily believe in skepticism. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Hume has answered the three epistemological questions with very strong points; first as an empiricist, who then leads to a skeptic. Overall, the opinion of the reader is satisfied, because even though Hume has a very doubtful thought process of empiricism with the idea of perceptions and ideas, he then breaks down his theory with the fact that this so-called knowledge is the only source of knowledge an individual can possibly have, therefore it is not knowledge. Knowledge is worth nothing unless you can practice it.