Thursday, October 31, 2019

What Makes Friends Stick Together Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What Makes Friends Stick Together - Essay Example They both like good food and thus eat out quite often. Even though they are the best of friends, a lot between them is not in common. Their similarities, therefore, are very few yet they cling on to each other because they adore each other’s company. Also, they like to associate as either Alan’s pal or as Zack’s mate. There are however very few similarities between the two which is surprising to state. Both like to be at their best when it comes to wit and humor, which is another similarity. Their differences are in terms of their dressing sense where Alan is more formal and classy while Zack believes in informal attire. Alan likes to pray at night while Zack sleeps early. Alan is good at studies while Zack hardly does so. The differences are endless yet both of them stay with each other for quite a long time, both at school and in the neighborhood. What is even more surprising is the fact that one of them (Alan) loves sports and indulges in different games as well but Zack likes to enjoy through collecting stamps and old currency notes. One can easily think that both Alan and Zack are not friends but this is not the case at all. In the end, it can be stated here that both Alan and Zack like to accompany one another and thus enjoy the warmth that their friendship brings for them in the long run. Even though they have more differences than similarities, they hold fast on to one another.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Urinary Calculi Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Urinary Calculi - Case Study Example An imbalance in an individual’s metabolism is another causative factor of Urinary calculi. The imbalance leads to abnormally high levels of mineral salts agglomerating in the urine. Stones with uric acid composition occur in people having diseases such as gout, chronic dehydration and some cancers (Hesse, 2009). The third causative factor is hyperparathyroidism, a disorder affecting parathyroid glands making it overactive thus resulting to the production of excess parathyroid hormone. Other causative factors are type specific. Calcium stones result when there is too much calcium in the urine (Rao, Preminger & Kavanagh, 2009). Uric acid stones occur whenever there is a high amount of acid in the urine. Diet is also usable in analyzing the composition of a patient’s calculi. Patients taking little amount of water have a high tendency of experiencing dehydration. Dehydration is a causative factor leading urinary calculi. The state leads to dominance of the mineral salts resulting to the condition. An individual’s diet determines the contents of his or her calculi. An excess of calcium in the diet results in calcium

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Disadvantages Of Fast Foods English Language Essay

Disadvantages Of Fast Foods English Language Essay Fast food, the type of food changed our lives. According to Bender and Bender, fast food is a general term used for a limited menu of foods that lend themselves to production line techniques and that are typically hamburgers, pizzas, chicken or sandwiches (Davies Smith, 2004).) There is 59% of adult population that eats at take-away restaurants at least once a week (ACNielsen, 2005). This is due to convenience concept of fast food restaurant match the busy lifestyles and ease of access to a wide variety of fast food restaurants in the markets. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAl8Bf2__zM/TiWoKHkuCcI/AAAAAAAABGA/SJtJUeBRvj8/s1600/fast-food-restaurants.jpg Nowadays, many people, mostly young people, prefer to eat fast food such as hamburgers, fried chicken, shawarma, or pizza. ). Its fast, easy to prepare, easy to eat, and cheap. Its for everyone. Its for the poor and the non-poor. Its for students, managers, actors, for factory workers, for criminals, for priests and others. Today it seems like fast food was always around and it is not possible to imagine a world without fast food. Even countries like Japan, which has a traditional diet of rice, fish, vegetables and soy products, accepted fast food into their worlds. Malaysians were first introduced to fast foods when AW established its first restaurant in 1963. Since then, consumers acceptance of fast foods has been on the upward trend. This is manifested by the proliferation of fast food outlets in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, such as McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Grandys, Pizza Hut and Shakeys Pizza. Restaurants are nothing new, but the idea of fast food is a newer concept. In ancient Rome and Greece taverns usually served food and drink to their guests. These places served food out of necessity not because the guests though it would be fun. For a long time, people liked to eat at home more than they liked to eat at a restaurant. In the 17th century people like to drink coffee and beer in taverns, but eating out didnt start to become popular until the late 18th century. White Castle was one of the first fast-food chains in the United States. White Castle sold burgers and fries and helped to popularized hamburgers across the nation. In the 1930s drive-through fast food restaurants began to appear. Of course McDonalds followed suit in 1948. McDonalds was so popular that other fast food chains started to pop up all over the United States. Time is money. This is the new buzzword in todays world. People are now spending more time by running after money then spending time on their daily activities. No wonder fast food is on the rise. May people do not realize that fast food is a slow death. There are a host of disadvantages associated with eating fast food such as effect to health, economy and loss of the family tradition. The greatest disadvantage of fast food is the adverse effect that it has on ones health. It is a fact that fast food is more unhealthy than home-cooked meals, as they contain higher amounts of unwanted nutrients like salt, fat and various types of additives (artificial chemicals). It may contain harmful bacteria too. Frying destroys most of the essential nutrients from the food. Very small amounts of vegetables and fruits are normally present in fast food. Moreover, serving larger portions when most people dont need extra portions has led to several health problems. We require a small amount of salt to maintain the health of the cells and tissues. Fast food being rich in salt, adversely affects the heart health and the overall health of an individual. When customers consumed too much fast food they might become obese and develop diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes, and heart related symptoms due to high cholesterol from excessive fat (Bose D, and N.D,2001). Obesit y is on the rise, and a direct link is being cited between fast food and obesity in children.With obesity come other problems like high blood pressure and diseases of the joints. Beside that, because of the standardized menu and consistent quality, only minimal time need to be spent obtaining product information (Jekanowsky, Binkley, Eales, 2001) then consumer did not know what ingredients contain inside fast food. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpoU2X3k9hTxP1WYcYgBgdY_86NWlJHc_EnLQAeLfbvW9F0A9vBu4WV7U2nL4jWh1LXiIZiiJ5oIyFPbwyMwWkxy25aGaq1v4Pu6sjLaywSPef67lq2QjnCHtidQTWd25hiRAP75vaWsl/s320/Naturally+Yours+obesity+2.gif    Even though, fast food is the fastest way to feed our hunger, it is not healthy at all. It is full of saturated and unsaturated fat. Moreover, it is a major source of calories and most of these calories are from fat. Unsaturated fats are good fat. Which means someone can burn this fat overtime through exercise. On the other side, saturated fats are bad fat which cannot be burned and stay in our body. French fries, deep fried chicken and other deep fried foods are the major source of trans fats. Furthermore, it is one of the reasons behind people getting over weight these days. Fast food is full of sodium. If we look at the nutrients facts on one of our favorite fast food, we will see the highest percentage of sodium in it. Moreover, sugar is one of the major ingredients of fast food as we can see in desserts like apple pie and apple with caramel at MacDonalds. http://www.footballtainment.com/images/public/msg-food-disadvantages.jpg A further effect is on the economy for ourself or country.Although fast food is not very expensive, it is more expensive than cooking properly for yourself. The greater the number of people at a meal in a fast food restaurant, the larger is the bill. Eating at fast food outlets is economical only for a single person. Going out to a fast food eating joint with family once in a while wont matter much. However, frequent visits to such restaurants with ones family can become quite an expensive affair, besides being unhealthy. Beside that, many of the fast food companies are franchisees of foreign corporations, so profits leave the country. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qto3FQDv8es/STZZn5ge_fI/AAAAAAAAACA/3ii9jWKvNc0/s320/money_fly.gifhttp://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Finance-Economy-Stocks-Money-300225.jpghttp://www.mole.my/sites/default/files/images/malaysian-ringgit-598694.storyimage.jpg Another effect of fast food is the loss of the family tradition of eating together. Eating fast food encourages people to eat on the go. Diners are encouraged to eat quickly and then leave the premises or eat while doing something else. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Kdpqs-2V5lFA9HmXTjJAfiPmuErZFoiAoPfa-g-N26cizSKXXd2utU5KOQ6XP3W5htGaIEu-msOW4NMOh71gh8XXXwWdLU5v-wC8O4k7h4bkmMaQA1YGpa0H2OMWyp_4MTbN6GGOzRqz/s1600/eating20alone_canuckshutterer_xlarge.jpeg Fast food joints are being seen as a factor that is making a number of families spend less and less time together. Family meal time is something that is considered as an opportunity for all the members to come together and share their experiences. However, the fast food centers are quickly eating into this quality time. This is especially true about youngsters for whom a fast food center is a good place to hangout with friends and peers where the days experiences are shared with other members of the family. Additionally, many children from present time prefer eating in fast food branches with friends of their age rather than with their parents, this could also decrease the amount of time where the whole family actually gather (Brown J, 2009). Beside that, people who eat quickly tend to consume calories mindlessly. This can easily lead to overeating. http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4e25e076cadcbb470a000000-400-400/these-are-the-ten-most-bizarre-fast-food-locations-on-the-planet.jpg Fast food is certainly an occasional fun treat, and there are healthy menu choices.   Sadly, too many people visit too often, with unwholesome results and bad habits setting the stage for health disasters for our young people.Everyone should think twice before deciding to eat fast food. The health risks arent worth your life, and animals that live in slaughter houses arent treated properly or hygienically before their death, which can cause many food-borne illnesses to inhabit food. Although it is easy to buy and cheap, risking a life for something that isnt good for any person in the first place could cost thousands of dollars in hospital bills. It is important to eat healthy and make good choices when deciding what to put in your body. Dont be lazy and pick up fast food on your way home from work. Make the right choice and eat some vegetables. http://www.fitbodylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fast_food_kills.png In conclusion, fast food although it is convenient and a tasty addition to a diet, can have serious health, increase economy and social effects.People should learn to choose fast food carefully and remember the pleasure of eating good food in good company. It is not necessary to boycott all fast food restaurants, but its important to limit how often we eat at them. http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20091028/a1897_121.jpeg

Friday, October 25, 2019

Capital Punishment Is Wrong Essay -- Death Penalty Crime Essays

Capital Punishment Is Wrong To this date, Seven hundred and seventy two criminals in the U.S. alone have been subject to Capital Punishment. (Executions USA 2002). Using specific examples such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Timothy McVeigh execution, capital punishment is seen as inhumane, wrong and an unusual punishment. The death penalty is greatly rejected and discouraged by many countries and states. There are more than one hundred countries who have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, while the United States has increased the rate of executions and the number of crimes that are punishable by death (The Death Penalty†¦2000). Many politicians claim that they are tough on crimes, but they should spend ninety four percent of criminal justice money on preventing crimes instead of after the crime was committed (Get the Facts†¦2000). Protocol No.6 to the European Convention on Human Rights to Abolish is an agreement to abolish the death penalty in peacetime. The other two protocols, the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty, provide for the total abolition of the death penalty but allows states wishing to do so to retain the death penalty in wartime as an exception (Facts and Figures†¦2000). There are several different procedures that are used to execute such as hanging, the electric chair, gas chamber, lethal injection and the fire squad, which is still used in Idaho and Utah (The Death Penalty, 2000). The death penalty is abolished for all crimes under the Human Rights because it is believed to be inhumane, cruel and degrading, but it is still enforced today. The death penalty should also be abolished because the failure to prevent the execution of the innocent and the cost for executions are outrageous. In the eyes of those who are for the death penalty, they believe that the criminal should lose all rights once they commit a heinous crime and they also believe that the cost of imprisoning someone for life without parole is extremely higher than just putting them to death. They also take into consideration that the death penalty is okay by their religion. They believe that God was for the death penalty and they claim that He once killed men who crosse... ... http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/factsinnocence.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/cruelanddegrading.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/cost.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/violationofhrs.html Amnesty International. (2000). The Death Penalty in the U.S.A. (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/rightsforall/dp/index.html Amnesty International.(2000). Facts and Figures on the Death Penalty(Online). http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/imtcam/dp/dpfacts.htm Civil Liberty. (9 May 2001). Don't Kill McVeigh (Online). http://www.civilliberty.about.com/ CUADP. (2000). Get the Facts, Then Decide (Online). http://www.cuadp.org David McReynolds. (27 April 2001). The Case of Tim McVeigh & Capital Punishment (Online). http://www.zmag.org/mcveigh.htm ECADP. (30 April 2002). Executions USA 2002 (Online). http://www.ecadp.org/forall/cont_exec.html Human Rights Watch. (2000). The DEATH PENALTY(Online). http://www.hrw.org/about/initiatives/deathpen.htm Capital Punishment Is Wrong Essay -- Death Penalty Crime Essays Capital Punishment Is Wrong To this date, Seven hundred and seventy two criminals in the U.S. alone have been subject to Capital Punishment. (Executions USA 2002). Using specific examples such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Timothy McVeigh execution, capital punishment is seen as inhumane, wrong and an unusual punishment. The death penalty is greatly rejected and discouraged by many countries and states. There are more than one hundred countries who have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, while the United States has increased the rate of executions and the number of crimes that are punishable by death (The Death Penalty†¦2000). Many politicians claim that they are tough on crimes, but they should spend ninety four percent of criminal justice money on preventing crimes instead of after the crime was committed (Get the Facts†¦2000). Protocol No.6 to the European Convention on Human Rights to Abolish is an agreement to abolish the death penalty in peacetime. The other two protocols, the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty, provide for the total abolition of the death penalty but allows states wishing to do so to retain the death penalty in wartime as an exception (Facts and Figures†¦2000). There are several different procedures that are used to execute such as hanging, the electric chair, gas chamber, lethal injection and the fire squad, which is still used in Idaho and Utah (The Death Penalty, 2000). The death penalty is abolished for all crimes under the Human Rights because it is believed to be inhumane, cruel and degrading, but it is still enforced today. The death penalty should also be abolished because the failure to prevent the execution of the innocent and the cost for executions are outrageous. In the eyes of those who are for the death penalty, they believe that the criminal should lose all rights once they commit a heinous crime and they also believe that the cost of imprisoning someone for life without parole is extremely higher than just putting them to death. They also take into consideration that the death penalty is okay by their religion. They believe that God was for the death penalty and they claim that He once killed men who crosse... ... http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/factsinnocence.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/cruelanddegrading.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/cost.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/violationofhrs.html Amnesty International. (2000). The Death Penalty in the U.S.A. (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/rightsforall/dp/index.html Amnesty International.(2000). Facts and Figures on the Death Penalty(Online). http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/imtcam/dp/dpfacts.htm Civil Liberty. (9 May 2001). Don't Kill McVeigh (Online). http://www.civilliberty.about.com/ CUADP. (2000). Get the Facts, Then Decide (Online). http://www.cuadp.org David McReynolds. (27 April 2001). The Case of Tim McVeigh & Capital Punishment (Online). http://www.zmag.org/mcveigh.htm ECADP. (30 April 2002). Executions USA 2002 (Online). http://www.ecadp.org/forall/cont_exec.html Human Rights Watch. (2000). The DEATH PENALTY(Online). http://www.hrw.org/about/initiatives/deathpen.htm

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Carrie Chapter Seventeen

That this was happening in Chamberlain, in Chamberlain, for God's sake, where he drank iced tea on his mother's sun porch and refereed PAL basketball and made one last cruise out Route 6 past The Cavalier before turning in at 2:30 every morning. His town was burning UP. Tom Quillan came out of the police station and ran down the sidewalk to Doyle's cruiser. His hair was standing up every which way, he was dressed in dirty green work fatigues and an undershirt and he had his loafers on the wrong feet, but Doyle thought he had never been so glad to see anyone in his life. Tom Quillan was as much Chamberlain as anything, and he was thereintact. ‘Holy God,' he panted. ‘Did you see that?' ‘What's been happening?' Doyle asked curtly. ‘I been monitorin' the radio,' Quillan said, ‘Motton and Westover wanted to know if they should send ambulances and I said bell yes, send everything. Hearses too. Did I do right?' ‘Yes.' Doyle ran his hands through his hair. ‘Have you seen Harry Block?' Block was the town's Commissioner of Public Utilities, and that included water. ‘Nope. But Chief Deighan says they got water in the old Rennet Block across town. They're laying hose now. I collared some kids, and they're settin' up a hospital in the police station. They're good boys, but they're gonna get blood on your floor, Otis.' Otis Doyle felt unreality surge over him. Surely this conversation couldn't be happening in Chamberlain. Couldn't. ‘That's all right, Tommy. You did right. You go back there and start calling every doctor in the phone book. I'm going over to Summer Street.' ‘Okay, Otis. If you see that crazy broad, be careful.' ‘Who?' Doyle was not a barking man, but now he did. Tom Quillan flinched back. ‘Carrie, Carrie White.' ‘Who? How do you know?' Quillan blinked slowly. ‘I dunno. It just sort of †¦ came to me.' From the national AP ticker, 11:46 Pm: CHAMBERLAIN, MAINE (AP) A DISASTER OF MAJOR PROPORTIONS HAS STRUCK THE TOWN OF CHAMBERLAIN, MAINE TONIGHT. A FIRE, BELIEVED TO HAVE BEGUN AT EWEN (U-WIN) HIGH SCHOOL DURING A SCHOOL DANCE, HAS SPREAD TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA, RESULTING IN MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS THAT HAVE LEVELLED MUCH OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA. A RESIDENTIAL AREA TO THE WEST OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA IS ALSO REPORTED TO BE BURNING. HOWEVER, MOST CONCERN AT THIS TIME IS OVER THE HIGH SCHOOL WHERE A JUNIOR-SENIOR PROM WAS BEING HELD. IT IS BELIEVED THAT MANY OF THE PROM-GOERS WERE TRAPPED INSIDE. AN ANDOVER FIRE OFFICIAL SUMMONED TO THE SCENE SAID THE KNOWN TOTAL OF DEAD STOOD AT SIXTY-SEVEN. MOST OF THEM HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. ASKED HOW HIGH THE TOTAL MIGHT GO HE SAID: ‘WE DON'T KNOW. WE'RE AFRAID TO GUESS. THIS IS GOING TO BE WORSE THAN THE COCONUT GROVE.' AT LAST REPORT THREE FIRES WERE RAGING OUT OF CONTROL IN THE TOWN. REPORTS OF POSSIBLE ARSON ARE UNCONFIRMED. ENDS. 11:56 PM MAY 27 8943F AP There were no more AP reports from Chamberlain. At 12:06 AM., a Jackson Avenue gas main was opened. At 12:17, an ambulance attendant from Motton tossed out a cigarette butt as the rescue vehicle sped toward Summer Street. The explosion destroyed nearly half a block at a stroke, including the offices of The Chamberlain Clarion. By 12:18 A.M.. Chamberlain was cut off from the country that slept in reason beyond. At 12:10, still seven minutes before the gas-main explosion, the telephone exchange experienced a softer explosion: a complete jam of every town phone line still in operation. The three harried girls on duty stayed at their posts but were utterly unable to cope. They worked with expressions of wooden horror on their faces, trying to place unplaceable calls. And so Chamberlain drifted into the streets. They came like an invasion from the graveyard that lay in the elbow creek formed by the intersection of The Bellsqueeze Road and Route 6; they came in white nightgowns and in robes, as if in winding shrouds. They came in pyjamas and curlers (Mrs Dawson, she of the now-deceased son who had been a very funny fellow, came in a mudpack as if dressed for a minstrel show); they came to see what happened to their town, to see if it was indeed lying burnt and bleeding. Many of them also came to die. Carlin Street was thronged with them, a riptide of them, moving downtown through the hectic light in the sky, when Carrie came out of the Carlin Street Congregational Church, where she had been praying. She had gone in only five minutes before, after opening the gas main (it had been easy; as soon as she pictured it lying there under the street it had been easy), but it seemed like hours. She had prayed long and deeply, sometimes aloud, sometimes silently. Her heart thudded and laboured. The veins on her face and neck bulged. Her mind was filled with the huge knowledge of POWERS, and of an ABYSS. She prayed in front of the altar, kneeling in her wet and torn and bloody gown, her feet bare and dirty and bleeding from a broken bottle she had stepped on. Her breath sobbed in and out of her throat, and the church was filled with groanings and swayings and sunderings as psychic energy sprang from her. Pews fell, hymnals flew, and a silver Communion set cruised silently across the vaulted darkness of the nave to crash into the far wall. She prayed and there was no answering. No one was there – or if there was, He/It was cowering from her. God had turned His face away, and why not? This horror was as much His doing as hers. And so she left the church, left it to go home and find her momma and make destruction complete. She paused on the lower step, looking at the flocks of people streaming toward the centre of town. Animals. Let them burn, then. Let the streets be filled with the smell of their sacrifice. Let this place be called racca, ichabod, wormwood. Flex And power transformers atop lightpoles bloomed into nacreous purple light, spitting catherine-wheel sparks. High-tension wires fell into the streets in pick-up-sticks tangles and some of them ran, and that was bad for them because now the whole street was littered with wires and the stink began, the burning began. People began to scream and back away and touched the cables and went into jerky electrical dances. Some had already slumped into the street, their robes and pyjamas smouldering. Carrie turned back and looked fixedly at the church she had just left. The heavy door suddenly swung shut, as if in a hurricane wind. Carrie turned towards home. From the sworn testimony of Mrs Cora Simard, taken before The State Investigatory Board (from The White Commission Report). pp. 217-218: Q. Mrs Simard, the Board, understands that you lost your daughter on Prom Night, and we sympathise with you deeply. We will make this as brief as possible. A. Thank you. I want to help if I can, of course. Q. Were you on Carlin Street at approximately 12.12 when Carietta White came out of the First Congregational Church on that street? A. Yes. Q. Why were you there? A. My husband had to be in Boston over the weekend on business and Rhonda was at the Spring Ball. I was home alone watching TV and waiting up for her. I was watching the Friday Night Movie when the town hall whistle went off, but I didn't connect that with the dance. But then the explosion †¦ I didn't know what to do. I tried to call the police but got a busy signal after the first three numbers. I †¦ I†¦Then †¦ Q. Take your time, Mrs Simard. All the time you need. A. I was getting frantic. There was a second explosion – Teddy's Amoco station, I know now – And I decided to go downtown and see what was happening. There was a glow in the sky, an awful glow. That was when Mrs Shyres pounded on the door. Q. Mrs Georgette Shyres? A. Yes, they live around the corner. 217 Willow. That's just of Carlin Street. She. was pounding and calling: ‘Cora, are you in there? Are you in there?' I went to the door. She was in her bath-robe and slippers. Her feet looked cold. She said they had called Auburn to see if they knew anything and they told her the school was on fire. I said: ‘Oh dear God, Rhonda's at the dance.' Q. Is this when you decided to go downtown with Mrs Shyres? A. We didn't decide anything. We just went. I put on a pair of slippers – Rhonda's, I think. They had little white puffballs on them. I should have worn my shoes, but I wasn't thinking. I guess I'm not thinking now. What do you want to hear about my shoes for? Q. You tell it in your own way, Mrs Simard. A. T-Thank you. I gave Mrs Shyres some old jacket that was around, and we went. Q. Were there many people walking down Carlin street? A. I don't know. I was too upset. Maybe thirty. Maybe more. Q. What happened? A. Georgette and I were walking toward Main Street, holding hands just like two little girls walking across a meadow after dark. Georgette's teeth were clicking. I remember that. I wanted to ask her to stop clicking her teeth, but I thought it would be impolite. A block and a half from the Congo Church, I saw the door open and I thought: Someone has gone in to ask God's help. But a second later I knew that wasn't true. Q. How did you know? It would be logical to assume just what you first assumed, wouldn't it? A. I just knew. Q. Did you know the person who came out of the church? A. Yes. It was Carrie White. Q. Had you ever seen Carrie White before? A. No. She was not one of my daughter's friends. Q. Had you ever seen a picture of Carrie White? A. No. Q. And in any case, it was dark and you were a block and a half from the church. A. Yes, sir. Q. Mrs Simard, how did you know it was Carrie White? A. I just knew. Q. This knowing, Mrs Simard: was it like a light going on in your head? A. No, sir. Q. What way it A. I can't tell you. It faded away the way a dream does. An hour after you get up you can only remember you had a dream. But I knew. Q. Was there an emotional feeling that went with this knowledge? A. Yes. Horror. Q. What did you do then? A. I turned to Georgette and said: There she is. Georgette said: ‘Yes, that's her.' She started to say something else, and then the whole street was lit up by a bright glow and there were crackling noises and then the power lines started to fall into the street, some of them spitting live sparks. One of them hit a man in front of us and he b-burst into flames. Another man started to run and he stepped on one of them and his body just arched backward, as if his back had turned into elastic. And then he fell down. Other people were screaming and running, just running blindly, and more and more cables fell. They were strung all over the place like snakes. And she was glad about it. Glad! I could feel her being glad. I knew I had to keep my head. The people who were running were getting electrocuted. Georgette said: ‘Quick, Cora. Oh God, I don't want to get burned alive.' I said, ‘Stop that. We have to use our heads, Georgette, or we'll never use them again.' Something foolish like that. But she wouldn't listen. She let go of my hand and started to ran for the sidewalk. I screamed at her to stop – there was one of those heavy main cables broken off right in front of us – but she didn't listen. And she †¦ she†¦ oh, I could smell her when she started to burn. Smoke just seemed to burst out of her clothes and I thought: that's what it must be like when someone gets electrocuted. The smell was sweet like pork. Have any of you ever smelled that? Sometimes I smell it in my dreams. I stood still, watching Georgette Shyres turn black. There was a big explosion over in the West End-the gas main, I suppose – but I never even noticed it. I looked around and I was all alone. Everyone else had either run away or was burning. I saw maybe six bodies. They were like piles of old rags. One of the cables had fallen on to the porch of a house to the left, and it was catching on fire. I could hear the old-fashioned shake shingles poppin g like Corn. it seemed like I stood there a long time, telling myself to keep my head. It seemed like hours. I began to be afraid that I would faint and fall on one of the cables, or that I would panic and start to run. Like †¦ like Georgette. So then I started to walk. One step at a time. ‘Me street got even brighter, because of the burning house. I stepped over two live wires and went around a body that wasn't much more than a puddle. I-I-I had to look to see where I was going. There was a wedding ring on the body's hand, but it was all black. All black. Jesus, I was Oh dear Lord. I stepped over another one and then there were three, all at once. I just stood there looking at them. I thought if I got over those I'd be all right but †¦ I didn't dare. Do you know what I kept thinking of? That game you play when you're kids, Giant Step. A voice in my mind was saying, Cora, take one giant step over the live wires in the street. And I was thinking May P May P One of the m was still spitting a few sparks, but the other two looked dead. But you can't tell. The third rail looks dead too. So I stood there, waiting for someone to come and nobody did. The house was still burning and the flames had spread to the lawn and the trees and the hedge beside it. But no fire trucks came. Of course they didn't. The whole west side was burning up by that time. And I felt so faint. And at last I knew it was take the giant step or faint and so I took it, as big a giant step as I could, and the heel of my slipper came down not an inch from the last wire. Then I got over and went around the end of one more wire and then I started to run. And that's all I remember. When morning came I was lying on a blanket in the police station with a lot of other people. Some of them – a few-were kids in their prom get-ups and I started to ask them if they had seen Rhonda. And said †¦ they s-s-said †¦ (A short recess) Q. You are personally sure that Carrie White did this? A. Yes. Q. Thank you, Mrs Simard. A. I'd like to ask a question, if you please. Q. Of course. A. What happens if there are others like her? What happens to the world? From The Shadow Exploded (p. 15 1): By 12:45 on the morning of May 28, the situation in Chamberlain was critical. The school had burned itself out on a fairly isolated piece of ground, but the entire downtown area was ablaze. Almost all the city water in that area had been tapped, but enough was available (at low pressure) from Deighan Street water mains to save the business buildings below the intersection of Main and Oak a~. The explosion of Tony's Citgo on upper Summer Street had resulted in a ferocious fire that was not to be controlled until nearly ten o'clock that morning. There was water on Summer Street, there simply were no firemen or fire-fighting equipment to utilize it. Equipment was then on its way from Lewiston, Auburn, Lisbon and Brunswick, but nothing arrived until one o'clock. On Carlin Street, an electrical fire, caused by downed power lines, had begun. It was eventually to gut the entire north side of the street, including the bungalow where Margaret White gave birth to her daughter. On the west end of town, just below what is commonly caned Brickyard Hill, the worst disaster had taken place. The explosion of a gas main and a resulting fire that raged out of control through most of the next day. And if we look at these flash points on a municipal map (see page facing), we can pick out Carrie's route – a wandering, looping path of destruction through the town, but one with an almost certain destination: home †¦ Something toppled over in the living room, and Margaret White straightened up, cocking her head to one side. The butcher knife glittered dully in the light of the flames. The electric power had gone off sometime before, and the only fight in the house came from the fire up the street. One of the pictures fell from the wall with a thump. A moment later the Black Forest cuckoo clock fell. The mechanical bird gave a small, strangled squawk and was still. From the town the sirens whooped endlessly, but she could still hear the footsteps when they turned up the walk. The door blew open. Steps in the hall. She heard the plaster plaques in the living room (CHRIST, THE UNSEEN GUEST, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO, THE HOUR DRAWETH NIGH; IF TONIGHT BECAME JUDGMENT, WOULD YOU BE READY) explode one after the other, like plaster birds in a shooting gallery. (o i've been there and seen the harlots shimmy on wooden stages) She sat up on her stool like a very bright scholar who has gone to the head of the class, but her eyes were deranged. The living-room windows blew outward. The kitchen door dammed and Carrie walked in. Her body seemed to have become twisted, shrunken, cronelike. The prom dress was in tatters and flaps, and the pig blood had began to clot and streak. There was a smudge of grease on her forehead and both knees were scraped and raw-looking. ‘Momma,' she whispered. Her eyes were preternaturally bright, hawklike, but her mouth was trembling. If someone had been them to watch, he would have been struck by the resemblance between them. Margaret White sat on her kitchen stool, the carving knife hidden among the folds of her dress in her lap. ‘I should have killed myself when he put it in me,' she said clearly. ‘After the first time, before we were married, he promised. Never again. He said we just †¦ slipped. I believed him. I fell down and I lost the baby and that was God's judgment. I felt that the sin had been expiated. By blood. But sin never dies. Sin †¦ never †¦ dies.' Her eyes glittered. ‘Momma' ‘At first it was all right. We lived sinlessly. We slept in the same bed, belly to belly sometimes, and O, I could feel the presence of the Serpent, but we never did until.' She began to grin, and it was a hard, terrible grin. ‘And that night I could see him looking at me That Way. We got down on our knees to pray for strength and he†¦ touched me. In that place. That woman place. And I sent him out of the house. He was gone for hours, and I prayed for him. I could see him in my mind's eye, walking the midnight streets, wrestling with the devil as Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord. And when he came back, my heart was filled with thanksgiving.' She paused, grinning her dry, spitless grin into the shifting shadows of the room. ‘Momma, I don't want to hear it!' Plates began to explode in the cupboards like clay pigeons. ‘It wasn't until he came in that I smelled the whiskey on his breath. And he took me. Took me! With the stink of filthy roadhouse whiskey still on him he took me †¦ and I liked it She screamed out the last words at the ceiling. ‘I liked it o all that dirty fucking and his hands on me ALL OVER ME!' ‘MOMMA!' (MOMMA!!) She broke off as if slapped and blinked at her daughter ‘I almost killed myself,' she said in a more normal tone of voice. ‘And Ralph wept and talked about atonement and I didn't and then he was dead and then I thought God had visited me with cancer; that He was turning my female parts into something as black and rotten as my sinning soul. But that would have been too easy. The Lord works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. I see that now. When the pains began I went and got a knife – this knife-‘ she held it up ‘-and waited for you to come so I could make my sacrifice. But I was weak and backsliding. I took this knife in hand again when you were three, and I backslid again. So now the devil has come home.' She held the knife up, and her eyes fastened hypnotically on the glittering hook of its blade. Carrie took a slow, blundering step forward.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Communist System of Government

Communism is an ideal society that is unrealistic for humans to maintain. In this system major resources and means of production are owned by the community rather than by individuals. The society is without money, without a state, without property and without social classes. All people would contribute to the society according to their ability and take from the society according to their needs. Fredrick Engel's believed that a proletarian could only be liberated by abolishing competition, private property, and all class differences, and replacing it with association. The concept was derived from ancient sources, such as Plato's Republic and the earliest Christian communes. In the early 19th century, the idea of a communist society was a response to the poor social classes that developed during the beginning of modern capitalism. Communal societies have existed for centuries, yet they eventually failed. Throughout history, religious groups have had the most success in maintaining communes. The Roman Catholic Church established monasteries all over Europe in the middle Ages. Most of these small-scale private xperiments involved voluntary cooperation, with everyone participating in the governing process. Philosophers Karl Marx and Fredric Engel influenced the movement of communism greatly. In the late 1800's the two discovered that they had individually come to ideal opinions on the perfect society. They collaborated their ideas in their most famous â€Å"Communist Manifesto†, as well as many other informative pamphlets. Third World countries striving for national independence and social change experimented with their philosophies on economics. Fredrick Engel wrote, â€Å"The general co-operation of all members f society for the purpose of planned exploitation of the forces of production, the expansion of production to the point where it will satisfy the needs of all, the abolition of a situation in which the needs of some are satisfied at the expense of the needs of others, the complete liquidation of classes and their conflicts, the rounded development of the capacities of all members of society through the elimination of the present division of labor, through industrial education, through engaging in varying activities, through the participation by all n the enjoyments produced by all, through the combination of city and country — these are the main consequences of the abolition of private property. The philosopher's ideals were kindled by the mistreatment of the working class throughout history. Every social system of the past, Marx argued, had been a device by which the rich and powerful few could live by the toil and misery of the powerless many, therefore causing class differences and conflict. Engel and Marx believed that the capitalist system was flawed and was bound to destroy itself. They tried to show that the more productive the system became, the more difficult it would be to make it function: The more goods it accumulated, the less use it would have for these goods; the more people it trained, the less it could utilize their talents. Capitalism, in short, would eventually choke on its own wealth. Poverty rapidly spread through civilized countries during the industrial revolution in the late 18th century. It was precipitated by the discovery of the steam engine, mechanical loom, and other various mechanical devices. Only â€Å"big capitalists† could afford the expensive achines, which transformed the entire mode of production. Former workers were replaced by machines, which were more productive, along with cheaper labor. Industrial product (brought about by machine labor) prices decreased, completely destroying the old system of hand labor. Within no time the bourgeoisie (big capitalists) increased profits and the former workers remained with nothing. The former workers, proletarians were then forced to work minimum wage for the bourgeoisie. They only provided the lower class enough money to survive, so they would not be able to rise above their class. So as the old saying goes, â€Å"the rich got richer and the poor only got poorer†. Many countries were revolutionized by Europe's mechanical industry production. Countries such as India and China were complete strangers to historical development, until they were violently forced out of their isolation. They bought cheaper commodities from the English and allowed their own manufacturing workers to wither away. Due to the one world market, civilized countries have repercussions in third world countries. By abolishing private property, competition would become obsolete. Karl Marx did not think that competition and individual management of industry could be separated, so his solution was to destroy both of the problems with one stone. He wanted to limit private property through progressively increasing property taxes (basically taxing the bourgeoisie). By removing competition, greediness would be eliminated. â€Å"Greediness is a consequence of capitalism and is merely a learned quality†, explains Kominf. If all humans were treated equally, there would be no need to compete with one another. In the ideal society, the state would provide ducation for all children. The children would be trained for a variety of occupations. Thus entering the work force, they would be prepared for a variety of jobs. Workers would rotate occupations in response to the needs of society. No longer would they be bound or exploited to their occupation. This would remove class differences, such as the one-sided character that is transfixed upon our current society. The variety of classes would soon disappear because there would no longer be a division of labor. Within a communistic society commodities are traded, opposed to using money. Commodities value is based upon the amount of labor time that was necessary to produce the product. However, this could result in a situation in which a lazy worker taking their time about making a commodity makes a commodity worth much more than the commodity made by a hard working efficient worker. If this were the case then employers would be sacking their diligent workers while telling the rest to go as slow as they can. Instead of Right-Wing politicians lambasting the poor for being lazy they would be lambasting them for being too hard working. This is not, however, what determines the value of a commodity. What determines the value of a commodity is the labor time socially necessary for its production. Shortages, inequalities, and coercive government have persisted in countries that call themselves ‘communist'. The followers of Marx that have come into power in nations have lacked some preconditions that Marx and Engel considered essential. Russia was one of the first countries to experiment with their own revised version of communism. In the early years its enemies within the country challenged the government's very existence repeatedly. The country strived to transform their backward country into a leading industrial nation and first rate military power. However this task required harsh discipline imposed only by an unrelenting dictatorship. Which controlled all of citizens activities. The resulting system of total control has been labeled totalitarianism. Totalitarianism by no means carried out Marx and Engel visions of utopia. The country's cultural and intellectual life remained under the control of the ruling party. Eventually in the early 1980's, the USSR had become the world's second-ranking industrial power. Its armed might and industrial potential were backed by important scientific advances and by a generally high level of technical education. However, their living conditions were low in comparison to that of the Western countries. The success was not maintained for more than a decade. In 1991 the political struggle led to the collapse of the Soviet Communist Party. In order for communism to succeed, it must be world wide. This is because of our one world market that exists in modern day. Countries in the world depend on one another for economical growth. Although with this dependency, the countries rise and fall with one another's economy. The internet is spreading the word of communism. Groups represented throughout the world are preparing for a future revolution. Unfortunately they are not afraid of brutally taking lives to get what they want. It is expected that one day the large number of the working class will join together and revolt against their higher class. If communism were to be world wide, they would be able to completely abolish competition. Within removing competition, people's trait of greediness would soon wither.