The Case Of The Prospective Decorative Artwork Business Of...

In forming a business, it is essential to ensure that the entity is legally compliant with the governing regulations in the territory of operation. In addition, it is imperative to take the necessary actions to protect the entity from any potential risks and avoidable financial expenditures associated with its business activities. To this end, in the case of the prospective decorative artwork business of Tom, Dick, and Harry – they need to be properly enlightened as to the pertinent components required for business affairs. In this regard, for this paper – the author endeavours to provide legal advice to the prospective business associates concerning the possible business type along with categories of investors connected to the same. After, information will be furnished as to copyright protection for the decorative art pieces. Next, the writer presents information pertaining to important components that ought to be included in the terms of agreement of staff. The guidel ines applicable to apprenticeship, will be covered since the business intends to utilise an apprentice. Following the preceding, the writer examines the options available to house the business. Lastly, advice will be given to Tom, Dick, and Harry as to the potential insurance requirements for the business. Business Type Options For this type of business, Tom and his two colleagues can either decide to form a partnership or to incorporate their business. Partnership In the case of a partnership, based on

Essay On Trump And DACA - 830 Words

Trump and DACA In September of 2017, the Trump administration made a statement saying that DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) will come to an end, calling the program unconstitutional and criticizing it as unilateral executive amnesty. DACA is an executive order created by former President Barack Obama, and the program allows hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who came to the United States as a child illegally to remain in the United States. The majority of applicants to DACA cannot have serious criminal history and must have been brought to the US before 2007, under the age of 16. DACA allows for these young people to live and work inside the US legally without risk of deportation. Now, the issue with Trump ending†¦show more content†¦The challenge of the country and what Americans and US citizens find controversial is to deal with the problem of whether people honestly believe that everyone, regardless of legal status, country of origin, race or ethnicity , is entitled to the American dream, or if only DACA recipients are entitled to the American dream. There are two sides of the argument over the ending of DACA, on one side many Americans also support the continuation of DACA, and believe that the decision is cowardly, cruel, and bad economic policy. Americans and Latinos who support DACA say that ending DACA is a cruel decision because hundreds of thousands of these young immigrants will lose their jobs, be at risk for deportation, and will be victimized as criminals and dangerous people. However, the first thing DACA does when young immigrants apply is only accept young immigrants who are not criminals, so the fact that people believe that they are dangerous is stereotypical victimization, and their statement would be contradictory. On the other side of the argument, many Americans think that ending DACA is a positive decision by the Trump administration because they argue that DACA is bad public policy and violates core constitut ional principles. They also argue that DACA provides an administrative amnesty for illegal aliens and gives its recipients work authorizations and access to government benefits, which is unfairShow MoreRelatedEssay On Trump Move To End Daca And Calls On Congress To Act1237 Words   |  5 PagesTrump Moves to End DACA and Calls on Congress to Act On September 5, 2017, Michael D. Shear and Julie Hirschfeld Davis wrote the article, Trump Moves to End DACA and Calls on Congress to Act. On this day, President Donald Trump said that he would be putting an end to the DACA Program that was created during Barack Obama’s Presidency. President Trump is now discussing the issue of revoking DACA due to his early comments in the election about immigration laws, â€Å"The announcement was an effort by MrRead MoreThe Violation Of World War Three1255 Words   |  6 Pageswould talk about it in class. News in both entertainment and politics can be ephemeral, but both can have effects that influence the way we live for years. Both Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un having access to nuclear weapons makes me uneasy. Donald Trump is not going to grant amnesty to the children of illegal immigrants by repealing DACA. The authoritarian, communist regime in North Korea has threatened the U.S. about nuclear warfare many times; the attitude of the average American toward North KoreaRead MoreReflection Paper1004 Words   |  5 Pageselements of an essay that is often overlooked. An organized essay is clear, focused, logical and effective.Even though the content was always there in my essays, sometimes it didnt make sense all because of the organization of my essay.During week 8 cause and effect essay was written. In that essay, the goal was to explain the effects of a cause of your topic OR the causes of an effect of your topic. The organization of this essay varied.Although it was great in some places of the essay , it neededRead MoreThe Political Issue Of Immigration2073 Words   |  9 Pagesseveral different peer reviewed journals, and articles the paper will give a well analysed view on the situation of reform currently in America by touching on the case of DAPA and DACA plans proposed by Presid ent Obama. The essay will also cover the positions of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump to show a future America could be heading towards.  Immigration or Deportation The United States’ Role in Immigration Reform Every year, around one million people are immigratingRead MoreThe Cultural Disconnect Between Latino Self Identification And White American Misconceptions Of Hispanic Ethnicity1605 Words   |  7 Pagespeople with power like the chiefs of police and even presidential candidates. While the media portrays Latinos as maids and gangsters, the majority of Latinos migrate to the USA looking for a better future for their families and for themselves. In this essay, I will investigate the complex role that Latinos have played in American society, economic, and political life, focusing specifically on the cultural disconnect between Latino self-identification and white-American misconceptions of Latino-specificRead MoreDefining A Post Colonial Identity Essay2164 Words   |  9 PagesClinton and Donald Trump somehow managed to be my options. Clinton espouses immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship, would establish an Office of Immigrant Affairs to coordinate immigration policies, an d supports Obama’s executive orders on the DACA and DAPA programs. Trump, on the other hand, intends to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, proposed a ban on Muslims entering the United States, and supports rescinding Obama’s executive orders on the DACA and DAPA programs. The

The Party’s Over by Richard Heinberg Free Essays

Energy is the critical element of our daily performance. Energy is the matter of our survival on earth. Those who possess energy possess the world, and balancing our energy needs with the availability of renewable energy sources is essential to provide us with sufficient opportunities to survive tough environmental conditions. We will write a custom essay sample on The Party’s Over by Richard Heinberg or any similar topic only for you Order Now To a large extent, we ourselves are guilty of not being reasonable in energy consumption. Moreover, we are responsible for resolving the majority of the current energy issues. Since humans are expected to be reasonable, our attitudes toward energy should be reasonable too. How often we are willing to look deeper into the causes of the major energy crises will also predetermine our chances to balance technological advancement, industrialization, the growing energy needs with the limitedness of energy resources. The Party’s Over by Richard Heinberg Introduction Energy is the critical element of our daily performance. Energy is the matter of our survival on earth. Those who possess energy possess the world, and balancing our energy needs with the availability of renewable energy sources is essential to provide us with sufficient opportunities to survive tough environmental conditions. To a large extent, we ourselves are guilty of not being reasonable in energy consumption. Moreover, we are responsible for resolving the majority of the current energy issues. Since humans are expected to be reasonable, our attitudes toward energy should be reasonable too. How often we are willing to look deeper into the causes of the major energy crises will also predetermine our chances to balance technological advancement, industrialization, the growing energy needs with the limitedness of energy resources. As humans, we constantly seek to capture the most promising sources of energy. In this context, oil has been widely recognized as the most attractive and universal source of energy. However, this impression is at least deceptive, and our energy issues grow out of our unreasonable attitudes towards the most widely used sources of energy. Heinberg (2005) is correct: â€Å"it is because living things are open systems, with energy and matter continually flowing through them, that they can afford to create and sustain order. Take away their sources of usable energy or matter, and they soon die and begin to disintegrate† (p. 11). That is one of the reasons Heinberg (2005) provides – the reasons that should push us toward reconsidering the traditional patterns of energy consumption in society. In other words, where energy serves the basis of stability and social order in society, energy should also be reasonably consumed, and the need to preserve this social order is the basic reason why we should review the traditional ways of using and consuming energy from different sources. Unfortunately, we tend to forget that energy is not inexhaustible; even the basic laws of thermodynamics suggest that the transformation of energy from one form into another is accompanied by losing of the certain amount of this energy in the form of heat. These amounts of energy are readily used but are not easy to reproduce, and if we don’t address the current energy scarcity, we will soon follow the rabbits that in their desire to inhabit Australia (another Heinberg’s example) have sentenced themselves to death. It should be noted, that the example of rabbits is very demonstrative: in simple words Heinberg (2005) tries to explain WHY and HOW we should pay more attention to HOW MUCH energy we consume and how much energy we are able to reproduce. In simple words, Heinberg (2005) explains the consequences which insufficient energy is likely to cause, and apart from disrupting social order and social stability the lack of energy resources leads humans to inevitable death. Since the proliferating rabbits may eat available vegetation at a faster rate than it can naturally be regenerated, the rabbits may actually reduce their environment’s rabbit-carrying capacity; [†¦] the rabbit population will rapidly crash – that is, the rabbits will die off† (Heinberg 2005, p. 19). Even the threat of death cannot serve an argument convincing enough to change our attitudes toward energy. Heinberg (2005) shows that changing our approaches to energy consumption is the matter of life vs. e ath, but we tend to believe that the most serious energy troubles will leave us intact. Moreover, we are not always prepared to look further into the future and to evaluate the long-term impacts of the current energy crisis. As humans, we always seek to establish our rules of the game and to gain and preserve control over the most important natural resources. However, as â€Å"energy supplies are not always limited; there is no free ride; and in the long run, it is in every species’ interest to use energy frugally† (Heinberg 2005, p. 0), our unreasonable energy consumption will lead us to losing control over the resources, and as a result, our lives. As soon as energy comes to an end, we will no longer be able to prove our dominance in the natural hierarchy of species and will be doomed to surrender to the dominant forces of nature. This is one more reason which Heinberg (2005) tries to explain in his book, and if the need to save energy does not seem persuasive, applying for power, omnipotence and natural human dominance is expected to change human beliefs about energy. Does that mean that we are at the edge of the new energy crisis? Does that mean we cannot do anything to improve the situation? Moreover, does that mean that the energy party is over? It depends on how we tend to interpret the meaning of Heinberg’s (2005) â€Å"Party†. If â€Å"party† implies the age of unreasonable energy consumption, then humanity does not have other choice but to recognize that it has finally come to an end. If â€Å"party† is associated with energy in general and energy use in particular, we have not yet lost our chance to expand our survival opportunities. Personally, we can contribute into the development of more reasonable behaviors by being more attentive toward the amounts of energy we use and lose daily. The use of renewable sources of energy may also provide humanity with a chance to preserve its natural dominant position. For example, developing the means to capture usable energy from sunlight can satisfy prodigious energy appetites of industrial societies (Heinberg 2005, p. 156). The age of cheap oil and related sources of energy has gone forever, and even if the oil price falls, we will not be able to replenish what we have lost during the last century. Changing the structure of energy sources, however, will be meaningless without changing human mentality. As a result, whether we succeed to improve our wellbeing and our chances to survive, will depend on how well we work to restructure our personal attitudes toward energy, as far as all social changes begin at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Conclusion. Energy means life, and if we want to survive the current energy crisis, we must also realize that the age of cheap oil has come to an end. Developing reasonable attitudes toward energy consumption is necessary to satisfy the growing needs of industrial societies. Renewable sources of energy could help us maintain social stability, but promoting energy changes is impossible without changing human mentality. As a result, whether we are able to develop effective energy strategies will depend on how we change our individual attitudes toward the principles of consuming and saving energy. How to cite The Party’s Over by Richard Heinberg, Papers

Family values Project Essay Example For Students

Family values Project Essay Gang violence only takes place in big, urbanized, poverty stricken, low class neighborhoods and does not have any effect on middle or upper class areas; or does it? The Mall of America shooting exemplifies how gang violence can erupt anywhere and that no part of society is immune to this problem. As the mall employee in the article states, you just cant be safe anywhere. Every time you turn around someone is being shot, or beat up, or killed. Why are events such as the mall shooting so common? Why do these tragedies even take place? What is the motivation for people to engage in such immoral and delinquent behavior? Do people who commit crimes such as murder fit an exact stereotype? All of these questions must be examined to properly understand what caused this horrible catastrophe at the Mall of America that took the lives of two innocent bystanders who were waiting to see a movie at the mall cinema. The violent occurrence that took place at the Mall of America in Minnesota erupted late while mall workers were closing up shop and customers and patrons of the mall movie theatre remained inside. Police believe this incident to be a gang related dispute that was sparked by a verbal confrontation between the groups who were hanging out at the mall. This confrontation led to twelve gunshots being fired and the killing of twelve-year-old Enrique Suarez and twenty-one-year-old Mario Cardenas. When conveyed to the public, shocking atrocities such as the mall shooting can have a negative and lasting effect on society. Could an incident such as this create a moral panic? What characterizes a moral panic? According to Goode Ben-Yehuda, a moral panic is defined by five key elements. First, there must be a heightened sense of public concern caused by the event. As with the mall shooting, this is clearly evident. The statement issued in a press release by the head of the Minneapolis police department, James Martin, is a prime example of how these moral panics originate. He is quoted as saying, it used to be that violence was confined to big cities and bad neighborhoods. Now, every time you walk outside your door you think am I going to survive the day. Such a statement will inevitably instill fear among society members. The mall, which is generally considered a peaceful and safe place for people to go, may become a place that is considered dangerous. Second, there must be an increased level of hostility towards the category of people involved. Gang members are usually considered detriments to society and are generally the objects of hostility among people of the world. Lets face it; gang members are people we love to hate. Third, there must be a certain level of agreement, a consensus, that there is a real, definite problem In this article, the problem of gang violence is seen as a substantial issue that must be addressed and there is a collective hostility aimed at people involved in gangs. As detective Martin states, gang violence has begun to take over the city, leaving no place violence-free. Fourth, moral panics are associated with some level of disproportionality. The amount of concern related to this incident maybe much greater than the problem really is. In this case, gang related murders at the mall may not take place on a frequent basis, but the media will no doubt blow this incident out of proportion. And Finally, moral panics are volatile, that is they develop suddenly and almost as sudden they disappear, although they may last for long periods of time. Only time will tell how long this panic among the residents of Bloomington, Minnesota will exist. When examining the question of why depressing events such as murder ever even take place, one must look at the people involved and how they came to become criminal. Sutherlands theory of differential association may help provide an explanation to the above question. Sutherland states that criminal behavior is not inherited rather it is learned through social interactions. .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 , .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 .postImageUrl , .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 , .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591:hover , .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591:visited , .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591:active { border:0!important; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 { 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; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591:active , .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 .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; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591 .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub1fc50a6ee0185c0ddfc03b2d1685591:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Downsizing And Organizational Culture Essay Is it merely a coincidence that mentioned suspects in the article are best friends and both repeatedly engage in criminal behavior. The offenders in .

The Recent Financial Crisis

buy custom Digital Literacy essay

buy custom Digital Literacy essay Computer literacy in the work place requires prove through numerous certifications (EDC, 2005). The certifications to prove digital literacy include ICDL, ECDL, IC, and GDLC. The curricula for certification often changes with the changing technology making it necessary for people to re-certify in order to remain competitive with the changing technology (Bawden and Robinson, 2008). The major aspect of digital literacy to consider is the impact it has in the society today. Digital literacy has profound benefits in the world today and in the countries where the level of digital literacy is high. Most of the jobs today require the knowledge to use computers and use the internet to perform basic functions. Companies recruiting people in the workforce therefore require people with this knowledge and require certifications from those they are to employ. People with digital literacy therefore will be more likely to get employment in the growing number of companies using digital technology (EDC, 2005). A growing number of companies are dealing with innovations, development, and maintenance of digital technology. The companies are requiring employees who must be proficient with the digital technology. Job recruiters mostly look for potential employees in the internet. People with digital literacy are therefore more likely to be economically stable as compared to those who are illiterate in egards to digital technology (Bawden and Robinson, 2008). Countries with the high level of digital literacy, e.g. China are doing well in terms of economy while the countries with low level of digital literacy are struggling with their economy, e.g. most third world countries (Gilster, 1997). Digital literacy has had major impacts on the education sector (Bawden and Robinson, 2008). Students need to get information on the current technological advancements in the world. In order to get the information students require digital literate teacher and the use of computers in classrooms to make sure the students get the right and adequate information on the matter (Bawden and Robinson, 2008). Digital technology has made research done by students easy, students are able to access millions of databases found online on the subject of research using search engines such as Google. Libraries are also increasingly hosted online making access of information easier to students. Students are also able to interact with students worldwide exchanging ideas, which help in the advancement of education and innovations (Education Development Centre 2005). Digital literacy has enhanced communication between different people. Mobile phone technology has made it possible for people to communicate at any given time, anywhere in the world (EDC, 2005). A social network such as Facebook helps friends and family reconnect and stay in touch with each other. Social networks have provided the avenue where people pass timely important information. News also spread faster with the use of digital technology. Digital technology has also made it possible for the digital literate to buy and sell goods easily through the internet. Digital literacy therefore improves on the social life of the digitally literate persons. Digital literacy has also some negative effects on the society. Digital technology resulted to crimes such as cybercrimes. This includes cyber bullying and computer piracy among others. Digital literacy has also made it easier for crimes like fraud and conning (Bowden, Robinson2008). The major factor affecting digital literacy is the access to digital technology (Bawden and Robinson, 2008). Improving on the development of the digital technology and thus providing access of the technology would be the major boost towards digital literacy. Conclusion Digital literacy has many benefits to a country as it generally helps in improving the economy of a country. Countries where digital literacy is high do well economically (Gilster, 1997). Although digital literacy has its disadvantages, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore, it should be a duty of every individual and country to seek digital literacy. Buy custom Digital Literacy essay

Reading journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Reading journal - Essay Example Nye Jr. states that there were more differences than similarities in industrial development in Britain, Germany, American and Japan (1). Moreover, Nye Jr. points out that industrial development in China, India and Brazil will not reflect that of U.S and Germany when completed (1). Additionally, Nye Jr. argues that the influence of America in other country is ‘situational’ and will diminish with time. According to him, the U.S was in the forefront in the current information revolution hence Americanizing other cultures through television programs and internet. However, if any other country took the place of Americans, the same would have happened (Nye Jr. 1). Of more importance, Nye Jr. maintains that some have strongly held to their cultural identity. For instance, the Japanese are persistent to their unique culture despite external influences from other countries. In addition, Nye Jr. argues that vibrant cultures borrow useful ideas from other cultures that need not to be the U.S (1). Finally, Nye Jr. points out that globalization is a double edged sword citing that in some incidences, the American culture has not only received a backlash but there have been efforts to change the culture itself. For example, the American policies concerning capital punishment and genetically modified foods draw a lot of criticism in Europe (Nye Jr. 1). Further, Nye Jr. argues that the American culture will diminish as people from other areas of the world gain increased technological capabilities (1). Interestingly, this article relates to several current personal experiences at various areas. Firstly, globalization has led to change in the modes used in teaching students in school. For instance, in the recent past, our tutors began training us through online programs that enabled easy assessment of individual performance. Secondly, at individual level, due

International Strategic Supply Management Term Paper

International Strategic Supply Management - Term Paper Example It is the responsibility of the Management to encourage all positive activities by individuals that leads to the attainment of the organizational goals and discourage all negative activities that proves to hinder the attainment of the organizational goals. All managers must have a single minded focus on attainment of the organizational goals. The strategic management process means setting the strategy for the organization. It can also be defined as the process by which managers make a set of strategies that will enable the organization to perform better, leads towards goal accomplishment and attain distinctive competitive advantage over the competitors. Strategic management is the on going process that evaluates the business, market and industries in which the organization is involved, evaluates its competitors, and then set goals to meet all the present and future competitor’s and then re-evaluate each strategy made. organization culture, organization image, type of business, Organizational structure, Key staff, Access to natural resources, Operational efficiency, Operational capacity, competitors, Market share, Financial resources etc plays a great role in setting organization’s strategic management process. Financial market is a place which allows buying and selling activities, there are many manufacturers and consumers available in the market. There are many products available of same type hence that raises competition in the market. The organization must set strategies that will enable them to attain distinctive competitive advantage over their competitors. Organization must realize that in today’s world innovation is the key. As all the producers are constantly trying to get an edge over the other producers in market. The organization must have the best knowledge about the market before setting their Strategic

Technical writting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Technical writting - Assignment Example He could position the data and information according to things to carry out in the diverse geographic or districts locations of the town. Spatial pattern makes logic intended for the author to standardize the information through physical location for the reason that the information is simple to understand as well as utilize in this format, mainly for tourists who are not well-known with the region (Friedlander, 2004). A Chronological principle of organization is order of importance or climactic order. In Chronological pattern, items are set as of least important to most important. Usual conversions would comprise most difficult, more important, by far the most expensive, still harder, worse up till now, even more damaging, and so on. This is an elastic standard of organization, as well as can guide the organization of the entire or part of case, cause & effect, comparison & contrast, plus description (Friedlander, 2004). For instance, a writers stated principle is to explain the past development or development of the city of Seattle. Supposing that Seattle is having 100 years old history, the writer could systematize the data and information through combining it into 4 chunks of 25-year each. In this state of affairs, the sub-points within all major part of time represent the mainly important events that happened throughout that particular time frame (University of Washington, 2009). Usability testing is proven to trim down expenditure, augment user satisfaction, also save on improvement as well as redesign work (Blastam, 2009). Usability testing assesses behavior, not preference.   Clients are notoriously bad at presenting what kind of software they want; on the other hand through observing and determining behavior, we are able to know about most excellent supports, their motivations, and objectives (Ostrander, 2000). Usability testing offers a great competitive

Spanish Cinema During Dictatorship Film Studies Essay

Spanish Cinema During Dictatorship Film Studies Essay Filmmakers living under whatever military dictatorship are basically deprived of any open criticism of the regime as all cultural activities, including cinema, are rigorously controlled by censors. In order to share their ideas and produce films they want, they have to resort to the indirect methods of expression such as parables, metaphors, allegories, symbols and allusions and apply them in cinema language. The elements metaphorised during Francos years in Spain formed the basic criteria of the censorship Faith, Fatherland and Family. Hence, family as a microcosm became a condensed and concealed reference to the state for such directors as Carlos Saura Fernando Palacios, Luis Garcà ­a Berlanga to cite only a few. The questions that this essay raises concern the family category and family relationship in Crà ­a Cuervosà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦/Raise Ravens [Carlos Saura, 1975]; code of the figurative language in Spanish national cinema of the Francos years, along with the script, filming an d editing styles that convey internal impulses and foreign influences of that epoch in terms of single family. RR was shot and released during the period marked by the collapsing of Francisco Francos dictatorship that lasted for thirty-five years. It is necessary to bear in mind that the last decade of his governing was characterised by economic growth, social modernisation, population mobility, tourist development caused by domestic and external conditions. But the legacy of his flowering regime that is particularly identified with hispanidad and National Catholicism, gender, political and trade oppression, military regime, strict censorship and dominance of patriarchal family values was still in the air (Ibid., 173-183). In order to raise an issue of the burden of such politics Carlos Saura exploits the tragic story of the family where three sisters have lost both parents and become in charge of a strict aunt. The plot of child-centred RR might be considered as a long flashback of adult Ana recalling her infancy twenty years later in 1995 (DLugo 1991, 132). Thereby, reading this film as retrospective suggests mediation on Anas morbid childhood, on complex issues of family relations and grieves, their interplay and impact on her personality. But on the metaphorical level, audience is invited to meditate on the state of affairs of actual Spain caused by the loss of Empire (1898), unfruitful Second Spanish Republic (1931-39) resulted with the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) that paved the way for the military regime of Franco (1939-75). The opening credits sequence of RR proves Sauras ingenious realistic editing style that results in a non-linear structure and peculiar editing. Indeed it starts with the camera slowly moving across the photographs of child Ana [Ana Torrent] in order to compress the narrative time illustrating moments of her childhood and identifying her as the potential first-person narrative of the film. Further the viewer discovers that the visible limit between fantasy and reality is absent and transition takes place only through camera movement while characters enter the shot directly (07 min 02). From the technical point of view, the flying sequence of child Ana (15 min 35) is remarkable because the transition is realised by means of zooming, changing angle from low to high and subjective camera: in this sequence Ana escapes from her prison-house and it can be interpreted as the rejection of the authority. The passage from present to future is ensured in particular through the dolly shot and the off-screen voice of adult Ana [Geraldine Chaplin] (17 min 55) or solely by means of her voice-over (66 min 35). However the memories from the past are reconstructed from the photographs that are frequently fixed in tight shots (19 min 55, 35 min 06). As a result, the panoply of techniques contributes to the alternative editing and narrative in RR. The use of natural lightning and contemporary realistic settings enhance the authenticity, though complex, of the Spanish society. The establishing shot introduces the location of the gloomy family house and the further mise-en-scà ¨ne articulates the films space concentrated in this roomy isolated house situated in the centre of Madrid that symbolises the impoverished bourgeoisie by the end of the Spanish Civil War. The mansion is surrounded by overgrown garden and boasts an empty and ruined swimming pool connoting the decay, emptiness and death with an allusion to the dead-end political situation of the regime. The entering of the outside world into the closed space via consumerism is expressed by comics (09 min 36), glossy magazines (29 min 23) and billboards. Even the international influence on economic and cultural transformation of Spanish society is visualised in the national flags of the USA (14 min 46, 28 min 20). The only sequence set outside the city takes place in the ho use of servicemen Nicolà ¡s Garate [Germà ¡n Cobos] where children play outdoors and the diegetic birds singing (72 min 27) contrasts to the diegetic sound of heavy traffic heard in their garden (14 min 48, 16 min 28, 101 min 58). The ambiguity of adult Ana and Anas mother Maria [both by Geraldine Chaplin] contributes to the time, space and identities shift in the film. While mixing up memories and fantasies of child Ana with the reality of adult Ana and joining time layers of past, present, future and unreal together, Saura creates a concentrated reality where all characters and epochs interact and enter the field. Child Ana, the ambiguous protagonist, becomes a main link between Maria and adult Ana. As means to emphasise the importance of Anas viewpoint in the film, Saura applies the close-up on her face (03 min 35, 25 min 21, 46 min 37, 62 min 47, 67 min 17 etc.), and camera is also often placed at the level of her eyes despite the sequences with adults participation (07 min 11, 21 min 43, 30 min 35, 57 min 26, 58 min 22 etc.). This can be interpreted as the innocence of childs viewpoint and an appeal to viewers to adopt it. The films title RR as a part of popular Spanish saying states for Raise ravens and they will peck out your eyes could become a allegorical moral that not only the children could return evil for evil to their parents, but the unsatisfied country is able to take revenge on its former ideological leaders. Child Ana remains a powerful metaphor for Spains future that is still indefinite and unsure to defeat the regime, but potentially strong as her viewpoint is distinctly lucid, penetrating and analysing (DLugo 1991, 134-135). Thus, through the silent shots, she unveils what adults as censors try to conceal: adulteries of her father [Hà ©ctor Alterio] as an antithesis of canonised marriage (05 min 28, 74 min 20); grieves and pains of her mother standing for agony and frustration with the Francos regime (46 min 10, 55 min 22); quarrel of her parents proving the dominating role of husband in the family (58 min 02); affair of her aunt [Mà ³nica Randall] (88 min 19) contrasting with her a uthoritarian manner (21 min 17). Ana seems to understand that spontaneous stories of housemaid Rosa [Florinda Chico] with her genuine speech (24 min 37, 74 min 33) are more sincere than the orders of her aunt. The kitchen, which is Rosas realm, is also accentuated by means of bright lightning and grows into Anas safest place in the whole house. All in all, Anas character invites the audience to participate in estimation of cause-and-effect relations of the precedent and current epochs, depicted in her parents, as well as their impact on her future. As for the Anas surroundings, her household is characterised by double absence of parents and feminine composition. Since in Francos time the patriarchal family structure prevailed and the man was supposed to be the head of such mà ©nage (Helen Graham 1995, 184), this role is successfully played by Aunt Paulina whose iron discipline substitutes maternal affection. As Ana has already disclosed the illusion of the paternal system when she found her father dead in the arms of his mistress [Mirta Miller] at the beginning of the film (05 min 28), she does not obey her aunts orders and refuses to kiss her dead father (13 min 27). The symbolic meaning of this act lies in disapproval of established Catholic and militarist models embodied in her aunt and the servicemen present at her fathers funeral. Anas further rebel against her aunts rigorous education up to attempt to shoot (88 min 41) and to poison her (91 min 09) in the climax could be interpreted as an appeal for emancipation of the n ew generation, the yearning to burst the bonds of patriarchal family and to uphold womens rights in the society (Helen Graham 1995, 329). Yet Ana re-plays this rebellion in the scene with a doll blaming her disobedience (66 min 09). Girls dynamism and thirst for action are opposed to her grandmothers [Josefina Dà ­az] immobility and passivity. Her paralysed and silent figure stands for the nostalgia for the glorious past of the Spanish Empire and is a true allusion to her powerlessness in Francos society. Her life was destroyed by wars and regimes; she remains merely a silent witness of the present epoch finding her comfort in photographs that accompanied by an old-fashioned song  ¡Hay, Maricruz! bring back her sweet memories. Moreover, Saura attributes an emblematic soundtrack to every women generation in the film. The opening credits start with the melancholic piano piece  Cancià ³n y Danzas N.6 by Federico Mompou; it is performed later by Anas mother with a symbolic reference to her abandoned career of concert pianist and her unfortunate marriage (Helen Graham 1995, 308). Finally, Jeanettes rhythmic tune Porque te vas (Because You are Leaving) is a pop song about the failed relationships but it also has a connotation of Anas revolt and vitality. Thus, the self-conscious role of diegetic music makes characters and their ideological values more vivid. Being an example for masculinities, Anas father Anselmo does not have any associated tune: he is a former military officer from the Blue Division devoted to his Fatherland, though unfaithful tyrannical husband and neglecting parent. Overflowed with authoritarianism, Anselmo stands for a purest metaphor for the Francos military regime with all its dreads, oppressions and gender inequalities. His dominating position is illustrated in one of the photographs from the opening credits where he rides a horse (01 min 13).The legacy of the Spanish Civil War subsists in the sequence when children put in order their fathers cabinet asking questions about his military role (87 min 00). His gifts (pistol, gun and colours) could signify the transmission of values of the dying regime, e.g. violence, brutal power and nationalism. Furthermore, Anselmos character reveals and completes the image of his passive wife Maria. Being the typical spouse of the Francoist society, she renounced her vocation so as to accept the upbringing of children (Helen Graham, 183-193). Indeed, she was not convinced of her success and this can suggest a hidden parallel to the dictatorship, when none of the artistic activities was beyond censors attention. Maria is also a vivid example of a victim recluse in the house dying in agony, as it was the destiny of the Second Spanish Republic that did not lived up to Spaniards expectations. Redefinition of gender roles of the parents takes place in the domestic play staged by the children where Ana and her elder sister Iren [Conchita Pà ©rez] act their parents (37 min 59). Performing the mise-en-abà ®me of their conflict, Ana metamorphoses her mothers character according to her rebel head that stands for a shift in the new generations mind. This scene appeals to the open-ending (102 min 06) when girls leave their family house for the school accompanied by the soundtrack Porque te vas foreshadowing Spains optimistic opening to the world. All in all, these examples do not pretend to be exhaustive but seem sufficient to evaluate Sauras creative authorial insight and his attempt of dramatising the historical background in terms of family life. So the childs trauma in the film refers to the disease of the nation under the infamous Francos dictatorship. The semiotic of Sauras film including the non-linear narrative, cinematographic blurring of the events due to the camera movement and its different angles; use of diegetic music and sounds, natural lightning as well as actors play, all this might have contributed to censors confusion and they allowed its release without any cut, moreover it was awarded the Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes Film Festival. RR can be also compared to the earlier works by Saura: La prima Angà ©lica/Cousin Angelica [Carlos Saura, 1974] and El jardà ­n de las delicias/Garden of Delights [Carlos Saura, 1970] which plots are also built on the family life with inevitable political subtext orienta ted on the intellectually engaged viewer. Word count: 2236 words Filmography Title: Crà ­a Cuervosà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Raise Ravens) Director: Carlos Saura Screenwriter: Carlos Saura Cinematographer: Teodoro Escamilla Editor: Pablo Gonzà ¡lez del Amo Music: Federico Mompou Year of release: 1976 Production Company: Elà ­as Querejeta Producciones Cinematogrà ¡ficas S.L. DVD reference: E166377

Nothingness :: Creative Writing Short Stories

Nothingness The wall appears to be chiseled from one large block of marble. As if the Gods themselves found a piece of black marble large enough to cover an area apparently the size of Kansas. In fact the Gods themselves did, for this is the wall of Asgaard, realm of the Gods. Seated amidst mountains of mist and covering fully half of existence, the city of the Norse dead is surrounded by this towering wall of rough black marble. From the mountains, a stone paved path winds down to the foot of the wall. On the path a group of figures are descending its flagstones, working their way to the foot of an immense silver gate, that stands ajar, opening the way for any travelers. The gate is a delicate appearing mesh of shining sliver; if closed, even Thor could not force it open. He has tried. It must be that strong, it guards the only path between the land of the living and the land of the dead. Approximately forty souls are approaching the gate; one leads. She is a large woman, with long blonde hair braided down her back. Her white robes flow around her, giving the appearance of reality and solidity, an odd sight in the spirit world. Turning to those who follow her she focuses her gaze on each in turn,  ³No matter what happens, do not go through the gate. Only the Seekers may go through. You are not prepared for what will be on the other side. ² Her followers do not react, those whose eyes are open are more interested in the terrain. The majority of the people appear to be sleeping, their faces are relaxed and their eyes are closed. Of those whose eyes are open, only a few are awake and alert. Two are especially noteworthy. One is a tall youth with shoulder length blonde hair, the other is sightly shorter, with long curly dark brown hair. He is wearing a kilt and a short, ceremonial sword at his belt. The blonde lad is standing still, absorbing his surroundings with a passion. He seems to be looking for something.