Payment Card Systems Were Breached - 1026 Words

On September 8th, 2014, Home Depot released a statement indicating that its payment card systems were breached. An investigation had started on September 2nd but they were still trying to discover the actual scope and impact of the breach. Home Depot was one of the many victims to a retail data breach in 2014. The unfortunate thing is the way the attacker’s infiltrated the POS networks and how the attackers were able to steal the payment card data, were the same methods used in the Target data breach. By ignoring the warnings created from the breach at Target, Home Depot allowed the attackers to use similar methods that could have been easily defended. Through the use of a third-party vendor’s logon credentials, the attackers were able to gain access. Then they exploited a zero-day vulnerability in Windows, which allowed them to pivot from the vendor-specific environment to the Home Depot corporate environment. Since both networks were linked, this was very easy. Once they were in the Home Depot network, they were able install memory scraping malware on over 7,500 self-checkout POS terminals. They just put out an update to all the POS machines. Just like any IT shop would do. This malware was able to grab 56 million credit and debit cards. The malware was also able to capture 53 million email addresses. The stolen payment cards were used to put up for sale and bought by carders. The stolen email addresses were helpful in putting together large phishing campaigns. AlthoughShow MoreRelatedCredit Card Fraud, An Integral Part Of The World s Economy1259 Words   |  6 Pagesand Debit cards have become an integral part of the world’s economy. Due to this extensive usage of cards, we have become a â€Å"cashless society†. We make use of credit cards to make online payments, to buy items at retailers and grocery stores; almost anywhere we go and purchase, we extensively make use of credit cards. This over dependency and usage of credit cards has given rise to new form of crime called the Credit Card fraud. Credit card fraud is the use of one person’s credit card informationRead MoreComputer Hacking Is The Scale Of The Problem Essay972 Words   |  4 Pagesaccess to their systems. The Department of homeland Security and Secret service recently, estimated that more than 1,000 businesses in the United States had been infected with malware programmed to siphon payment card details from cash registers. It is believed that many of these companies had no idea they were breached and sharing the information of thousands of customer’s credit card information. A main reason for concern with cybercrime is the scale of the problem. If it were a series of on-offRead MoreSecurity Violations And Security Breaches1190 Words   |  5 Pagesbusinesses from getting hacked. Network security is to help protected information, to create the possibilities that various information is not being breached or hacked by other users. The network security is to be concerned about employee information, visitors and customer information, as well as vouchers and data. The consequences of security being breached can be significant in many ways. In the event of a potential breach of security, some state laws require businesses to follow up with informationRead MoreSecurity Violations And Security Breaches1718 Words   |  7 Pagesbusinesses from getting hacked. Network security is to help protected information, to create the possibilities that various information is not being breached or hacked by other users. The network security is to be concerned about employee information, visitors and customer information, as well as vouchers and data. The consequences of security being breached can be significant in many ways. In the event of a potential breach of security, some state laws require businesses to follow up with informationRead MoreMichaels Store Inc.1038 Words   |  5 PagesMichael’s store Inc. had a Security breach, which took place between May 8, 2013 and January 27, 2 014. About 2.6 million cards or about 7 percent of payment cards used at its stores during the period were affected. Alarmingly, its subsidiary Aaron brothers also had been breached between June 26, 2013 and February 27, 2014. It was reported that Aaron brothers had 400,000 cards impacted. The duration of the treacherous attack in total was 8 months (Schwartz, 2014). In this report, security breach ofRead MoreTjx Security Breach Essay1119 Words   |  5 PagesCanada. In January 2007, it was discovered that hackers stole as many as 200 million customer records due to a failed security system by TJX which resulted in a $4.8 billion dollars’ worth of damages (Swann, 2007). It is said that the breach occurred because they did not have any security measures in place to protect consumer’s data such as their debit cards, credit cards, checking account information, and driver’s license numbers. Reports identified three major areas of vulnerability: inadequateRead MoreS ecurity Breach Of Banking Industry And Retail Business1621 Words   |  7 Pagesand Retail Business Financial technologies play a significant role in modern banking system. Most of us are familiar with internet banking and mobile banking. These technologies allow us to access our accounts, transfer funds, pay for our purchases, and even apply for a loan without leaving a house or an office. In addition, most of us prefer to pay for our purchases with a quick swipe of a credit or a debit card. No doubt, it is more convenient than caring and counting cash every time we go to aRead MoreElectronic Payment : A Long Time Since We Adopted Electronic Payments1269 Words   |  6 Pageselectronic payments. Currently the most common form of an electronic payment is the use of EMV (Europay, MasterCard, VISA) cards with a magnetic stripe. These include credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards, and now smart cards. In these processes the card or card number is swiped or entered into the merchant’s computer through a terminal. The terminal transmits data to the acquirer (a bank, for ex ample), and then the acquirer transmits data through a card association to the card issuer who makesRead MoreCustomer Privacy Of The Hospitality Service Industry Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pagesan easy target for data security infiltration. Hotel payment card data are stored longer with the practice of booking rooms in advance. Moreover, credit card data are stored during the duration of the stay and even longer to cover payments of restaurant bills and other services. Multiple hotel chains like Hyatt, Sheraton, Trump, Hilton and Mandarin Orinetal have admitted to having their POS or point-of-sale systems hacked in 2015. POS systems are both the physical technology and software used inRead MoreFinancial And Business Implications Of Target Corporation Essay1562 Words   |  7 Pageswas affected by the security breach it was the largest breach that ever happened. This document will explore how many people were affected, what is the effect on Financial and Business implications from t he data breach, Lawsuits against the target company, How did the company handle the crisis like when did the company discovered the breach and when did the customers were notified. Introduction About target: Target store was first opened on May 1st 1962 Minneapolis of Roseville, it mainly focused

Media Bias In The Media - 1474 Words

Throughout America’s infantile years, the media solely consisted of the printing press, but as a result of industrialization, commercialization, and professionalization, it now extends into the world of technology, reaching far more Americans than ever before. Media can be defined as collective outlets for mass communication. In today’s society, massive amounts of media are consumed in a plethora of forms: newspapers, magazines, television, Internet, and social media. The 2007 U.S. Census Bureau s Statistical Abstract of the United States reports that adults and teens spend nearly five months out the year watching television, surfing the Internet, reading daily newspapers and listening to music (cited in ABC News, 2006). In correspondence†¦show more content†¦On the contrary, my mother, a liberal, denounces Fox News, relying on CNN, ABC, and MSNBC for her news. Their opposing political beliefs reinforce the dichotomy within media with conservatives on the right and liberals on the left, both remaining loyal to their respective news outlets. This is far more common than my interviewee’s anecdotal story; it extends across the entire nation. The Pew Research Center fortifies this claim by analyzing the relationship between political beliefs and preferred media sources. In doing so, they discovered that Fox News serves as the primary news outlet for 47 percent of conservatives, while CNN, NPR, and MSNBC are preferred by liberals (Mitchell, Gottfried, Kiley, Matsa, 2014). By narrowing in on a specific ideology, news networks earn the trust of their audience and retain their attention. The Pew Research study corresponds with the results from my interviews, showing that 88 percent of conservatives trust Fox News, like my father, and 52 percent of liberals trust MSNBC, like my mother (Mitchell et al., 2014). The growing trust within partisan outlets simultaneously corresponds with the major spike in viewership these businesses experienced . According to The Wall Street Journal, Fox News came in first in prime time television rating in 2016 with an average audience of 3.1 million, which was a 72 percent increase from the previous yearShow MoreRelatedMedia Bias And The Media980 Words   |  4 PagesChurchill The â€Å"roots† of bias in the media date back to the nineteenth century, and criticism about bias partly reflects a controversial idea about what exactly is the media’s role and purpose. Newspapers and television alike are suppose to exist to relay objective, factual information gathered and communicated by journalists and reporters. By definition according to wikipedia, media bias is bias or perceived bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of eventsRead MoreMedia Bias And The Media1042 Words   |  5 Pagesor the method for reporting them is termed as Media Bias. It is some of the time said that media tailor the news and as opposed to introducing the truths it shows different purposes of perspectives and sentiments. Media inclination is pervasive or broad and it defies the guidelines of news-casting. Media Bias is seen in just about all the nations on the planet and the bearing and level of its effect differs. Some of the time the impediments of media may likewise be translated as inclination. SuchRead MoreMedia Bias And The Media1365 Words   |  6 PagesMedia Bias In today’s society, remaining connected and knowledgeable of current events and the newest trends is vital to staying ahead in business, education, and social standing. This information is supplied to everyone through the internet, newspapers, television, and radio. One can tune into stations such as CNN, NBC, Fox News, Al-Jazeera, and many others (â€Å"SQs of Media Outlets†). In order to meet the needs of viewers, readers, and listeners, the ideal media system would contain accurate, quickRead MoreMedia Bias And The Media1531 Words   |  7 PagesPeople who perceive media bias will factor in the news source when they attempt to formulate opinions of ideological bias in the news content. This idea is called the hostile media phenomenon or hostile media effect. In a groundbreaking study in 1985, researchers, Vallone, Ross, and Lepper, postulated that when there is a controversial issue, a partisan is more likely to perceive bias against their viewpoint, even if the inf ormation is coming from an objective news source. The causes effects of theRead MoreMedia Bias And The Media1353 Words   |  6 PagesMedia has been playing a significant role in our daily lives by developing our personalities, enriching our knowledge and providing us with different sorts of information. It has a tremendous power in framing cultural guidelines and shaping political dissertation. If the information provided to the U.S. citizens is distorted, then they cannot make informed decisions on the matters of public policy. Thus, it becomes vital to the American democracy that the news media and its institutions remain unbiasedRead MoreMedia Bias And The Media1402 Words   |  6 PagesMedia has become an integral part of the lives of both Americans and people all around the world. It has its influences on different aspects of a person’s aspect on life. Many political analysts have looked at the influence of media on elections, especially as the media has become more p rominent in the world. With technology becoming more and more a n integral part of the daily life of a person, this subject will become that much more relevant. We live in a time where almost every person in the developingRead MoreThe Bias Of The Media1317 Words   |  6 Pages There is no getting away from the fact that the media is biased it is just which side of the aisle that they are biased to that I believe is the main question that needs to be answered. The progressive liberal side screams bias whiles the conservative army also scream bias so is there really bias in the media. I will take a look at the mass media most specifically cable news and syndicated talk shows to prove the point that bias in the media is more a myth that the leaders of each side preachesRead MoreThe Bias Of Media Bias1820 Words   |  8 PagesI. Introduction While there have been several studies on how people perceive media bias, few have been conducted to determine how to combat incorrect identification of media bias. To combat this lack of knowledge, we created an experiment to determine if gaining knowledge about media bias through two different treatments enables people to identify, rather than perceive, media bias. The first treatment is a list of tenants that the liberal and conservative ideologies maintain on specific issues.Read MoreMedia Bias2516 Words   |  11 Pagesthat plagues us everyday without us even realizing it is media bias. We see it in the news. We see it on our favorite sitcoms. We read it everyday in the paper. Yet, we really dont recognize it when we hear it or see it. Media bias is evident in every aspect of the media, yet the problem is that we dont even recognize it when it is right in front of our faces. Are the impressions that we form about individuals a product of the media? Do we form certain opinions about particular types of peopleRead More Media Power and Media Bias Essay995 Words   |  4 Pages The powerful media barons have always altered broadcasts to achieve their personal or corporate agenda. What purpose does the media serve now? Measuring Bias on Television by Barrie Gunter has elaborated on the idea that news was originally set up to act as a nati onal tool to stir thoughts. But is it? No! Is the media even enlightening the public now? After careful speculation of mass media and the communication world, I am under the impression that broadcasts have been used to entertain, frighten

Interpret Trends free essay sample

From this I can conclude that those who live in the Brisbane city area earn a lot more than those in the Sunshine city area. The difference in average wage is $41056. 19. This is a lot of difference between the two cities. As well as looking at the average earnings, you can also see the average; customers are willing to spend in these different areas. Those who live in Brisbane city are willing to pay an average of $15125. 53 compared to an average of $5099. 39. This is huge difference of $10026. 14. I can conclude from these results that those living in the Brisbane City area are much more likely to spend more in store. This will help me when pricing my products as it will allow me to adjust the prices to ensure that I am targeting consumers within the affordable price range for them. This will hopefully increase my overall sales. Market Share | The Yard| BBQ’s R us| Outdoorz| BBQfun| 009 of 2000 BBQs sold in Brisbane| -| 500| 500| 1000| 2010 of 250 BBQ’s in Brisbane| -| 75| 75| 100| From the pie charts above, you can see that in 2009 and 2010, BBQfun was the leading outdoor retailer in terms of number of BBQs sold. In 2009, BBQfun sold 50% of the BBQs sold however this dropped in 2010 to 40%. This indicates that there is a problem with the amount of BBQs being sold and that BBQfun has lost some of its market share. This is probably due to a need in product development in terms of the BBQs however the fact that customers are leaving the store as well indicates that drastic improvements need to be made. Sales Performance | 2007| 2008| 2009| 2010| Total Sales $| 5,000,000| 8,000,000| 10,000,000| 11,000,000| From the results above, you can see that since 2007, the sales performance of the company has continuously increased. Starting at $5,000,000 in 2007, the first 2 years saw a 100% increase. This has significantly dropped from 2009-2010 however, with only an additional $1,000,000 being made. Linking in with the market share results, this indicates that there is probably a huge room for product development as well as the company needing to improve overall as well! Qualitative analysis Currently, BBQfun have 3 main competitors: The Yard, BBQ’s R us and Outdoorz. The Yard is a great competitor as they sale high end quality, Australian products however their stores are not located in Brisbane which makes them less of a local threat. The other stores however have either cheap or no imported good and are gaining strength in the Brisbane market. I have created a questionnaire to ask my customers to find out what makes them return to our store and continue to purchase our products opposed to our competitors. Which store do you prefer purchasing products from? BBQfun BBQs R us Outdoorz 2. What makes you continue to visit our store opposed to the competitors? 3. What do you prefer about the other stores in comparison to ours? 4. What do you think of our customer service and in which ways can we improve? 5. What do you think about the quality of our products? 6. What are the favorite products that we offer? 7. How do you feel about the location of our store? Easy accessible Satisfactory Hard to access 8. Does having a guarantee longer than our competitors, influence you to come back to us? I asked these questions to 100 of staff in store on a Saturday. The sample I used was an opportunity sample as I used the first 100 people I could talk to. The feedback that I received from the interviews was the following: * Our biggest competitors were reasonably even in terms amount of people prefer purchasing products from them. 60% of people did say that they prefer purchasing from our store however this could be a biased view as they were in our store at the time. The biggest strength of other companies seemed to be that Outdoorz offered an excellent customer service. Apparently they offer free home delivery, help packing products and always have enough, friendly staff employed to help with all enquires. This is something where we can look to improve. * Our customer service is perceived as great however the main improvements I gathered were that we need to have more staff during busy periods. This is something to definitely take action on so that we can offer a higher quality service to all customers. * The quality of our products was perceived as very high. 0% of our customers were extremely happy with our products. Also, one of the main reasons consumers continually buy from us instead is due to the 3 year guarantee that we offer opposed to other stores. This is something we are very happy with and will continue to monitor and provide. * The favorite products that we mentioned were the Outdoor Furniture collection. 50% were happy with the quality and price and broad range of products that we offer. * I also found that the location of our store is a big key to our success and gives us an edge over our competitors. Due to us having a big customer car park and being easily accessible, we have an edge over our competitors which we will continuously monitor to ensure this stays the same. Overall, from this feedback, we are doing fantastically well however if we improve on other areas such as customer service, I’m sure that our market share will increase as well as our sales and profit! Opportunities and Threats Opportunities * A growing market in a high growth area with a significant percentage of the target market still not aware of BBQfun’s offer. * Increasing sales opportunities outside of our target area – greater Brisbane Threats Competition from local independents that can reduce prices as owner operates lower than our staff-run stores. * Competition from national chains moving into the Brisbane market. * A slump in the economy reducing customer’s disposable income spent on outdoor lifestyles. Assessment Task 2: Analyse qualitative data – report BBQfun†™s marketing strategy is looking at utilizing an advertising budget of $250,000 for the year. They are looking to target local letter box drops, radio and magazines. BBQfun will use direct mail and local advertising, with coupon inserts in the BrisNews magazine likely to be the most successful of the campaigns. There will be no discrimination or unethical practices. Occupational Health and Safety Act This ensures that the customers and employees are always looked after and provided a safe environment to work or shop in. Kelly Marie Vidler S10268 Interpret market trends and developments Assessment Task 1: Draft Report Kelly Marie Vidler S10268 Interpret market trends and developments Assessment Task 2: Analyse qualitative data- report Kelly Marie Vidler S10268 Interpret market trends and developments Assessment Task 3: Market analysis report and presentation

The East West link Project

Introduction The intention of the Victorian State Government to undertake the East West Link Project is a good move that will improve the state of infrastructure in the City of Melbourne.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The East West link Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The construction of 18 kilometer-road network across Melbourne to link the already existing Western Ring Road to the Eastern Freeway is a very ambitious project. Given that this project is estimated to cost about 8 billion US dollars, it is clear that the project will be very involving and therefore, needs a lot of dedication from the government and all the stakeholders. According to Kloppenborg (2009), it is always important to understand the magnitude of a project before developing its prototype. When developing a prototype, the management should have a deep understanding of the intended goals and objectives that the project seeks to a ccomplish. In this case, the project management must have an understanding of what the Victorian State Government expects from the project. This government intends to spend about 8 billion dollars in this project. It must get what its investment is worth. The project management team has a major task of ensuring that this project yields the needed result. This must start from the planning stage of this project. Heldman (2011) says that a successful project is always seen at the planning stage. Planning of the project involves forecasting what the project team members will be doing, the expected timeline for every activity in the project, the associated costs at every stage, and any other costs and tasks that will be carried out within the project. The planning stage also involves defining the roles of every project member. Project Initiation Tonnquist (2009, p. 118) observes that the first stage in project management process is the initiation stage. At this stage, the financiers and those who own the project identifies the need to undertake the project.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this project, the Victorian State Government has identified the need to develop a road that would join Western Ring Road to Eastern Freeway as a way of decongesting the City of Melbourne. Having identified the need to be met by project, then the project team members can move to the planning stage. Project Planning Project Objectives According to Meredith (2012), it is not possible for a project to be successful when project members and the stakeholders do not understand the exact objectives of the project. Defining specific project objectives is always important before the onset of the project. In most of the cases, the financier is always responsible for the development of these objectives. This is because the financier knows what should be achieved upon completion of the project. In this project, the Victorian State Government knows why this project is important and what it should achieve when it is finally completed. Developing project objectives is not only meant for the financiers or owners of the project. Every stakeholder has a role to play in this in order to ensure that the objectives developed are smart in nature. The objectives should be specific and implementable within a given timeline. The following are some of the specific objectives that this project should achieve when it is finally completed. This road should be able to link Western Ring Road to Eastern Freeway upon its completion. The infrastructure should be long lasting and able to meet the traffic needs within Melbourne City. The infrastructure should be developed based on the set standards of roads in Australia. The development of this infrastructure should cost this government an amount, which is within the initially set budget. The project should be completed on or befor e the set timeline in order to meet the expectations of the taxpayers. The above are some of the objectives that the project members must work with focus of achieving them. Given that this project will commence in late 2014, it is important for all the stakeholders to ensure that they do everything within their powers to make the project start in the right manner, and that all the needed project deliverables are availed. It is through this that this team will be assured that the project will run smoothly until the day of its completion. The Victorian State Government has a duty to play in ensuring that it avails all the resources that is needed for this project. The project managers also have a role of stipulating the path this project will take, and explaining to the financier all that which is needed to make this project a reality. Justification of the project Meredith and Mantel (2012, p. 71) observes that projects are always costly ventures in terms of the resources needed, and the time that is invested in it. The East West Link Project will cost about 8 billion US dollars. The project will also need about six years to be completed. These are massive resources that this project will consume for it to be completed successfully.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The East West link Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The taxpayers will have to meet the costs of this project. It is therefore, important to state clearly to them the importance of the project. They should be made to understand why the project is worth the cost. Making all the stakeholders understand the importance of the project helps in justifying the need to implement the project. In the East West Link Project, the intention is to link Western Ring Road and Eastern Freeway, which already exist. The need to link them emanated from the fact that motorists are forced to spend a lot of time on the road using the existing r outes, thereby creating congestions in the city. The project seeks to ease traffic congestion within the City of Melbourne by creating a new route that will enable motorists to take shorter routes. Upon its completion, the project will ensure that traffic snarl-ups that are always experienced within Melbourne City are eliminated. This will improve efficiency of doing business in this city. It will attract more investors who will consider the city attractive due to improved infrastructure. It will also help in eliminating millions of dollars that is lost every year because of the slow movement of traffic, especially during the peak hours. The residents of Melbourne will have a pleasant experience of moving on roads that are free from traffic jam. The link will be cost effective for road users not only because of the eliminated traffic jam, but also because of the reduced distance motorists will have to cover. Therefore, this viable project can help this city in a great way when it is finally completed in 2019. Project scope When undertaking any given project, hopes are always high from various stakeholders as each individual speculates on what the project shall achieve when it is finally completed. According to Bruce and Langdon (2000, p. 56), it is always important to regulate these expectations by defining what the project scope is, in order to make everyone understand the real intention of the project. Harmonizing the expectations of all the stakeholders is important in ensuring that the outcome of the project is convincing to every individual. It helps in eliminating some unrealistic hopes that some stakeholders may have, and making them know what to expect of the project. It is always the intention of project members to satisfy the needs of all the stakeholders when a project is completed.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Defining the scope of the project makes them understand what to expect from the project, hence increasing chances of the project satisfying the stakeholders upon its completion. This will form part of the success of the project when it is finally brought into completion. In this project, the scope is limited to constructing a road linking Western Ring Rad and Eastern Freeway. This road will be a dual carriageway that will be able to support all types of vehicles. The road will have six lanes. This road is expected to eliminate the need for motorists who are on Western Ring Road to travel to the city center before going to the Eastern Freeway. Those on Eastern Freeway will also not need to travel to the city center before getting on the Western Ring Road. The road under this project will link the two routes directly. This will ease congestion in the city, as it will reduce the number of vehicles travelling to the city center. This project will save time for the road users because it would take a shorter time to use this new road than to go through the city center. It will reduce the cost of fuel for road users because of the shorter distance to cover. The project is limited to developing a standard quality road linking the two highways. Project Execution The Project Management Team The first step in project execution is to identify project team members. In every project, it is important to understand the project members who will participate in various activities within the project. As Nagarajan (2005, p. 27) says, sensitive projects such as those involving infrastructure needs people with necessary skills to undertake various duties. In the development of this infrastructure, there will be a need for civil engineers, designers, among others professionals. There will also be a need to have a lawyer who will constantly ensure that the interests of all the stakeholders in the project are protected. There should be a clear hierarchy among all the project members de fining the role of each project member and their ranks. The following diagram shows the hierarchy of the project members. The above diagram shows the capacities held by different individuals within this project. The project manager heads the project. It is important to note that the Financier of the project, who is the Victorian State Government, occupies a special position within the project. The government falls in a special rank within the project, which allows it to supervise the activities within the project, but neither directing nor being directed by any officer within the project. This means that the financier, who owns this project, will have an opportunity to monitor directly the operations of the project without the feeling that it is interfering with the normal operations of the project. Under the project manager are specialists who are responsible for various tasks within the project. The project team managers will be in charge of specific groups tasked with various du ties in the project. The project members, especially the junior officers will be undertaking various operational tasks within the project. Project team manager will head each group within the project. This team manager must be an individual with the technical knowledge in the area he or she will be heading. This means that most of them will be engineers. Each team will be reporting to the project manager who will then brief the top officials of the Victorian State Government. It is important to note that The Victorian State Government will have its own officials in the project who will carry out various investigative activities within the project and report directly to the top officials of the Victorian State Government. The reports given by the government agents in the project will be compared closely with the report given by the project manager to determine if they agree. It is important to note that the government agents will be working independently to investigate progress of th e project. The quality assurance team will be answerable to two offices about the progress of the project and the quality achieved at each stage. The first office it will be answerable to is the project manager’s office. This must be done twice in every week. The quality assurance team is also answerable to the agents of the Victorian State Government whenever they request for any information. The project manager will be responsible for ensuring that the project members work in line with the overall objective of the project, and in unity. This will help in ensuring that all the intended objectives are achieved successfully and within the desired timeline. Project Costs and Timeline It is important to state project costs and the timeline within which it should be brought to completion. Specifying project costs helps in weighing the benefits against its costs. This way, the client in the project can determine whether another cheaper option can be taken. To the team responsible for implementing the project, it is important to define costs in order to ensure that every item within the project is catered for to avoid disruption. According to Kerzner (2013, p. 45), there are cases where a project fails because there was no precise determination of the costs of the project. In such cases, implementers may come to realize that the amount of money they had set for the project is not enough. It would force them to ask for more funding otherwise the project may be grounded. In order to avoid such failures, defining a comprehensive cost of the project is important in ensuring that the project experiences no financial challenges once it gets underway. In this project, it is expected that the total cost of the project will be about 8 billion US dollars. Project timeline helps in defining project success. Haynes (2002, p. 45) notes that stating the timeline helps in the assessment of the project. The project assessment team will always use the set timeline to determin e if the project is running within the schedule. Every stage in the project must have a clear date on which it should be completed. Any causes of delay that are justifiable should be communicated to the relevant authorities as soon as possible so that they can make a decision on how to handle the issue in time. In this project, it is estimated that it would take about six years for this project to be completed. It will start in late 2014 and completed in 2019 or 2020. The timeline for this project is further stated in the Gantt chart attached. The Gantt chart explains all the activities involved in this project and the estimated time it will take to complete the entire project. Activities to be undertaken in the Project It is at the implementation phase of a project that a lot of attention and concentration is needed. This project is expected to begin officially in 2014. This means that the duration between now and its commencement date will involve a series of planning, and other a pproval activities that will be carried out by various stakeholders. This will need to start by development of a prototype (Field and Keller 1998, p. 89). The prototype will need to be tested to determine its effectiveness and the ability to meet the required standards. The engineers involved in the project will do this. The lawyer will help them by giving advice on relevant laws and government requirements in every stage of planning and project implementation. The lawyer will tell the engineers of the consequences that the project may face when they take a given path. Monitoring and Controlling Process In order to ensure that the needed quality in this project is achieved, a team will monitor the project closely. When a given prototype has been developed, the project manager and the engineers who were responsible for developing the prototype will explain the model to the owners of the project (top officials of the Victorian State Government). These officials will need to approve th e prototype before it can be given green light for full implementation. When these officials reject the prototype, the engineers and all the responsible project members will be forced to go back to the drawing board and develop a new prototype that is acceptable to the project owners. When the prototype is accepted, then the project members will go to the next step of implementing the approved model. When monitoring the progress of the project, the quality assurance team, and Victorian State Government officials will use the prototype that was approved to determine if the project is in line with its objectives as outlined in its plan. Closure This project can be brought to a closure under three circumstances. The first circumstance under which the project can be brought to a closure is upon its completion, which is scheduled in 2020. The project can also be brought to a closure when either of the parties breaches the contract. The third reason for the closure can be when either of t he parties feels frustrated with the project. Conclusion The East West Link Project is very ambitious, and upon its completion, it will help improve the infrastructure within the City of Melbourne. However, the project will cost the Victorian State Government a lot of money to complete. The government will need to spend about eight billion US dollars to bring the project to completion. The project will take about six years, starting from 2014 until 2019 or 2020. For this project to be successful, all the project members must understand the requirements of the project at every stage. All the project members must actively participate in this project. List of References Bruce, A Langdon, K 2000, Project management, Dorling Kindersley, New York. Field, M Keller, L 1998, Project management, International Thomson Business Press, London. Haynes, M 2002, Project management: Practical tools for success, Crisp Learning, Menlo Park. Heldman, K 2011, Project management jumpstart, Wiley, Hobok en. Kerzner, H 2013, Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken. Kloppenborg, T 2009, Contemporary Project Management, South-Western, New York. Meredith, J 2012, Project management: A managerial approach, Wiley, Hoboken. Meredith, J Mantel, S 2012, Project management, Wiley, Hoboken. Nagarajan, K 2005, Project management, New Age International, New Delhi. Tonnquist, B 2009,Project management: A complete guide, Academica, Aarhus. This report on The East West link Project was written and submitted by user Punisher to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Romantic Dialectics

Schlegel summarizes the terms of his new aesthetic in a now famous passage: Romantic poetry is a progressive, universal poetry. Its aim isn’t merely to reunite all the separate species of poetry and put poetry in touch with philosophy and rhetoric. It tries to and should mix and fuse poetry and prose, inspiration and criticism, the poetry of art and the poetry of nature; and make poetry lively and sociable, and life and society poetical...It alone can become, like the epic, a mirror of the whole circumambient world, an image of the age. And it can also more than any other form hover at the midpoint between the portrayed and the portrayer, free of all real and ideal self-interest, on the wings of poetic reflection, and can raise that reflection again and again to a higher power, can multiply it in an endless succession of mirrors. It is capable of the highest and most variegated refinement, not only from within outwards, but also from without inwards; capable in that it organizes for everything that seeks a wholeness in its effects the parts al ong similar lines, so that it opens up a perspective upon an infinitely increasing classicism... Other kinds of poetry are finished and are now capable of being fully analyzed. The romantic kind of poetry is still in the state of becoming; that, in fact, is its real essence: that it should forever be becoming and never be perfected. It can be exhausted by no theory and only a divinatory criticism would dare try to characterize its idea... This passage is striking for its emphasis on various forms of synthesis. This is a key theme in his characterization of modern literature; the modern age is, after all, a chemical age, and Schlegel links this with synthesis as much as with analysis. Schlegel lists a number of synthetic possibilities (or projects): mixing poetry with prose, poetry with society, art with nature. Other fragments suggest the blending of philosophy and grammar... Free Essays on Romantic Dialectics Free Essays on Romantic Dialectics Schlegel summarizes the terms of his new aesthetic in a now famous passage: Romantic poetry is a progressive, universal poetry. Its aim isn’t merely to reunite all the separate species of poetry and put poetry in touch with philosophy and rhetoric. It tries to and should mix and fuse poetry and prose, inspiration and criticism, the poetry of art and the poetry of nature; and make poetry lively and sociable, and life and society poetical...It alone can become, like the epic, a mirror of the whole circumambient world, an image of the age. And it can also more than any other form hover at the midpoint between the portrayed and the portrayer, free of all real and ideal self-interest, on the wings of poetic reflection, and can raise that reflection again and again to a higher power, can multiply it in an endless succession of mirrors. It is capable of the highest and most variegated refinement, not only from within outwards, but also from without inwards; capable in that it organizes for everything that seeks a wholeness in its effects the parts al ong similar lines, so that it opens up a perspective upon an infinitely increasing classicism... Other kinds of poetry are finished and are now capable of being fully analyzed. The romantic kind of poetry is still in the state of becoming; that, in fact, is its real essence: that it should forever be becoming and never be perfected. It can be exhausted by no theory and only a divinatory criticism would dare try to characterize its idea... This passage is striking for its emphasis on various forms of synthesis. This is a key theme in his characterization of modern literature; the modern age is, after all, a chemical age, and Schlegel links this with synthesis as much as with analysis. Schlegel lists a number of synthetic possibilities (or projects): mixing poetry with prose, poetry with society, art with nature. Other fragments suggest the blending of philosophy and grammar...

Answers to Questions About Articles

Answers to Questions About Articles Answers to Questions About Articles Answers to Questions About Articles By Mark Nichol 1. I found the follow information about the indefinite article a in The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: â€Å"used before uncountable nouns when these have an adjective in front of them, or phrase following them. For example, â€Å"a good knowledge of French†; â€Å"a sadness that won’t go away.† I dont understand the information. The dictionary says that the a is used before uncountable nouns when these have an adjective in front of them. But, as far as I know, the indefinite article a cannot be used in front of uncountable nouns. Does the information mean that we can always use the indefinite article a in front of uncountable nouns that have an adjective in front of them? Is it a rule? Mass, or noncount, nouns can be preceded by the indefinite article a when they are modified by a preceding adjective or a subsequent phrase: For example, though you would refer to bravery as courage, not â€Å"a courage,† you can write of â€Å"an uncommon courage† and â€Å"a courage like no other.† However, the passage from the resource you mentioned refers only to the possibility of the former type of usage, not to its ubiquity; it is rare. 2. Something I would like some clarification on is the use of a or an before the word holistic. I have been taught an, but this doesn’t seem to make sense to me, as there are many instances when a word beginning with h is preceded by a rather than an. Are you able to shed some light on this? Use a or an before a word that begins with the letter h depending on whether the h is pronounced: â€Å"a historic occasion,† but â€Å"an honest mistake.† 3. I don’t know what to do with the names of institutions when they call themselves a name with the in the title for example, â€Å"the Open Door.† In the middle of a sentence, do you have to capitalize the? Would you say, â€Å"We met at The Open Door†? The direct article should be lowercase even when it is integral to an entity’s name (as in â€Å"the American Automobile Association,† when it would not be referred to, minus the, as American Automobile Association†), but many entities insist on capitalizing it as part of a branding identity. (And it’s best to do so for indirect articles, as in, for example, the name of a community center called A Place for Teens.) If you work for the Open Door or it’s giving your organization money or other consideration and management at the Open Door wants the name treated as â€Å"The Open Door,† treat it as â€Å"The Open Door.† Otherwise, style it â€Å"the Open Door.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business EmailsRules for Capitalization in TitlesComment, Suggestion, and Feedback

Krugman gives cautionary advice against the goverment policies warning Essay

Krugman gives cautionary advice against the goverment policies warning if there is no change the american drean will perish - Essay Example The constant fear of war and the possession of people and their believe in themselves found the claims leveled on the country of how it reflected the presence of the works. In the claims, the leftist holds information that if not dispensed would look at it as social problem. The principles of hard work define the principle. The inclination of her job with her life and the understanding of the America that was compared with the America that has become. A reduction in social mobility provides better grounds for us to make a move as accompany to consider the employees that it wants to help it achieve the objectives. A research activity aimed at finding out the reasons and the effects that the authorities will face for the elimination of each person involved and the inclusion of some people at the American Dream. The details of these all clearly follow in the summary below: â€Å"Our political leaders are doing everything they can try to fortify class inequality while denouncing anyone who complains or even points out what is happening as a practitioner am mature in relations and we should see his face†(Krugman, p1). The actions of our leaders have for years aimed at serving the interests of the people that fund their political ambitions. The funding is provided with strings attached relationships that many have suffered. The inclusion of many people in the gap for checking the inequality gap proves the point. The fact that a large number of people still lie un aided throughout these tough times makes the American Dream an image that the writer or the country cannot find easy to put across to its citizens that have sacrificed for years to work hard to keep the American Dream. The thoughts of an unachieved dream make each person reason towards the elimination of the dream or the elimination of some people from the pathway. That way the dream remains on truck and easy to manage. Aspects of income distribution all brought to thought after the

Gordon Adams, Organ Selling, and E Pluribus Unum Essay

Gordon Adams, Organ Selling, and E Pluribus Unum - Essay Example This essay presents a portfolio of my three projects, which addresses them in relation to subject matter knowledge, writing process knowledge, rhetorical knowledge, genre knowledge, discourse community knowledge, and meta-cognition. Ultimately, the essay will draw a detailed conclusion on semester growth and impact on other discourse communities as an author and as a responder. In writing the project, the summary of Gordon Adams essay, I sought to address a specific audience, which includes students from Arizona State University, the management of Arizona State University, career experts, academic professionals, and future law students. Ideally, the purpose of this project was to present the views and academic journey of the future law student as well as my opinion on his views. Furthermore, the constraints related to this project relate to lack of reference literature, a possibility of biased information, cultural influence, and use of second person narration. The stance of this pro ject depicts the mental or emotional position adopted with respect to Gordon Adams’ letter. The stance is that of hostility against the University’s Mathematics Requirement Arizona and that Arizona State University should grant Adams his request because he would not require algebra knowledge in his legal profession. The ethos of this project relates to the fact that Gordon Adams was an adult, a Justice Studies student of the university student, and a member of the Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma who seeks to become a lawyer and representative of his tribe. The pathos of the project relates to the fact that he was the first person in his tribe to enter college, had a good academic record, and focused on his career path. The logos of the project relate to the idea that the legal profession does not require algebra knowledge. This project depicts metacognition where Adams uses higher thinking to realize that a waiver of the university’s mathematics requirements would help him realize his career objectives. Moreover, the genres used in this project include narrative writing, descriptive writing, and persuasive writing where I use logical appeals and emotions to win the audience’ support from my viewpoint. Notably, my project refers to the mathematics discourse community s seen in the specialized terminologies as algebra used in the project. In writing the project, I sought to address a specific audience, which includes kidney patients in America and their families, medical professionals, and my fellow students. Ideally, the purpose of this project was to present the views of the two authors, analyze their power of conviction, and present my opinion with regard to organ selling as a solution to kidney problems in America. The constraints in this project relate to the possibility of unsound and unhealthy decisions, lack of medical knowledge, and the presence of both positive and negative statements. The stance of this project depicts the legal, medical, and emotional position adopted with respect to organ selling. Joanna MacKay’s stance is in support of organ selling while David Holcberg’s stance is in support of human capacity to reason and make the right decisions. Most assuredly, my stance is that the legalization of organ selling can help many people but be building healthy lives would be more efficient in helping kidney patients.     

Gulf War between Iraq and Kuwait Essay Example for Free

Gulf War between Iraq and Kuwait Essay This paper that in intensively researched, will examine on the reasons that led the Gulf war between Iraq and Kuwait, Saddam Hussein war invasion to Kuwait, Relations between Kuwait and Iraq, causes and effects of the war, the characteristics of Saddam Hussein, and the reason why he need money. According to the western sources especially from the USA, Saddam Hussein, a complex political leader, is portrayed as the â€Å"axis of Evil† in the Middle East. . He practiced cruel methods of leadership skills, his motivations, perceptions and decision making on behalf of the Iraq’s and his country neighbors for example the Kuwaitis. He has been pursing the development of weapons of mass destruction, despite the UN sanctions and terrorizing his associates especially in Kuwait. This information was gathered through the following sources. Information about â€Å"The Gulf Syndrome† www. geocities. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009 Information about â€Å"The profile of Saddam Hussein† www. mideastnews. co. Retrieved on 6th April 2009, Majid K. â€Å"War in the Gulf 1990-1991†, Information on â€Å"Persian Gulf War† www. encarta. msn. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009, Jerrold M. (2002), â€Å"Saddam Hussein of Iraq: Apolitical Psychology profile† and Information on â€Å"The characteristics of Saddam Hussein† www. qrmapps. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009 The historical background of Iraq and Kuwait Iraq was created under the British rule in 1932. The formation of this state under single administration resulted to third pole power in that region leading to unstable combination of people with collective influences that might lopsided its neighbors to the south. State of Kuwait northernmost emirate of Arabian isthmus dates its history as a take apart geopolitical body back to the founding of Kuwait City in 1710. It became independent from British. Following the 1973 oil crisis, the soaring oil prices brought with it extraordinary wealth to this small country. Relations between Kuwait and Iraq As Kuwait was declared a sovereign state, Iraq voiced objections to its admission to the Arab league but instead declared it an Iraq territory. In 1963 Iraq dropped the objectives and in 1980 they enjoyed close ties during war against Iran as Kuwait supported Iraq. Causes of the war The border between these two counties has been in question. Nominally, Kuwait was part of the Ottoman Empire from the 18th century. In 1899, it asked for and received British protection in return for autonomy in its local affairs. It was granted independence in 1961 and this lead to Iraq claiming that Kuwait had been governed as part of the Ottoman province in southern Iraq and was rightfully Iraq’s. It only recognized Kuwait in 1963. But since then, there have been occasional clashes between the two nations. The Iraq troops invaded Kuwait in August 2nd 1990 taking the emirates by one day headed by the strongest leader in this region, Saddam Hussein. The 150,000 of his troops from Iraq overwhelmed the 20,000 Iran’s troop staking control of the capital city of Kuwait and then controlled the whole country. Effects of war It had a vast impact to the oil industry and affects the future of the civilians in Iraq. This has reduced it from affluence to a third world status. This led to a large number of the US and British forces stationed in Kuwait and other gulf states as well as Turkey. There is an increasing rate of a multinational task force of warships patrols the red sea and the Persian Gulf which tries to prevent the illegal export of oil from Iraq. The war led to many environmental hazards such as the destruction of marshes, burning of hundreds of oil wells, hence polluting the global environment. Characteristics of Saddam Hussein He is a dictator who saw Iraq as a great country and as an extension to himself. He saw himself as the successor of Nebuchadnezzar. He once said that â€Å"Our nation has a message,† he once proclaimed. â€Å"That is why it can never be an average nation. Throughout history our nation has either soared to the heights or fallen into the abyss through the envy, conspiracy and enmity of others. † He is self-centered. He saw the Iraq treasury centered to himself. During the Gulf war, the Kuwaitis investigated on Iraq’s assets by Kroll Associates, a New York firm and the detected that he had $2. 4 controlled deposits which spread among 50 banks which were controlled by Hussein’s family. He used to skim five percent of the Iraq’s annual oil income and did business with other external firms in foreign territory. He is an exalted self concept. â€Å"Saddam is Iraq and Iraq is Saddam†. He made sure that he built a cult of himself allover Iraq. This can be proved by his images everywhere in Iraq. His name is linked to hundreds of public works projects. For example the Saddam housing companies and also the â€Å"Saddam Line† in Iraq. He named part of Kuwait to himself the moment he took over Kuwait. When he appears in public, he has created an environment where people cheer, clap, and even kiss his hand when he appears in a public gathering. He killed whoever who did not show enthusiasm to the great leader. He killed by imprisoning them, helicopter crashes, tortured to death, sealing their bodies to the coffins. He used a secret police unit to achieve his ordeals. He used his Messianic to achieve his ambition of political power. He is malevolent. He has cold canning behind his every action. His ruthlessness was found to be terrible leading to cruelty, for fun, leadership style of Vlad the Impaler. He was stupid because the boasts were proved to be hollow. His lies were proven false quickly His is also portrayed as the madman of the Middle East and his name means the one who confronts. He is a paranoid in decision making His achievements were the transformation of the country where he built new roads, improved housing standards; food was brought to the people’s tables, cut illiteracy by 11% according to the official estimates. The cultural aspects of Muslims were relaxed allowing women equal pay for equal work. Reasons as to why he needed money The oil money allowed him to accumulate the largest and best equipped military machine in the Arab world. Most of them were Soviet, French and from other nations. Most of them were first rated. He had an annual budget of $12. 9 billion which was an average f $721 per Iraq citizen ye the average annual per citizen was $1950. He therefore equipped his army to distress the regional balances by ruthless mass killings, He was the veteran in army in the region. According to Jordanian newspaper ad-Dustour, Saddam â€Å"awakened the desire in every Arab soul for a glorious Arab stand,† Saddam Hussein was a ruthless dictator who was used to terrorizing his neighbors and gassed his own subjects. He normally followed his mafia rules which were not well understood by many in the world including the United States of America. He grew up as a thug and a hired gun, yet he has a soaring popularity in the Arab world. The differences between a Totalitarian and Authoritarian leader A totalitarian political power is in the hands of a few groups while the authoritarianism refers political power is in the hands of one person. Hence Saddam Hussein can be equated to both an authoritarian leader and a totalitarian according to the definitions and his leadership skills. Reference Information about â€Å"The Gulf Syndrome† www. geocities. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009 Information about â€Å"The profile of Saddam Hussein† www. mideastnews. co. Retrieved on 6th April 2009 Majid K. â€Å"War in the Gulf 1990-1991. New York: McMillan. Information on â€Å"Persian Gulf War† www. encarta. msn. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009 Jerrold M. (2002), â€Å"Saddam Hussein of Iraq: Apolitical Psychology profile† New York: Pearson’s Education. Information on â€Å"The characteristics of Saddam Hussein† www. qrmapps. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009

France and Great Birtains Political Systems Essay -- Politics Governm

France and Great Birtain's Political Systems INTRODUCTION I chose these two systems, which interest me for different reasons. The British system is one that has evolved over many centuries, with both small and large adjustments along the way to keep in on course. In contrast to this, the French model has changed dramatically on several occasions, and can rarely have been described as stable. However, in 1958 Charles de Gaulle made some brave changes to the constitution, which after being approved by the French public, set the scene for the classic semi-presidential system that we see today. Despite these opposing histories, there are many similarities between the two systems, which I intend to discuss. BRITAIN The United Kingdom is a democratic constitutional monarchy, with a system of government often known as the Westminster Model. It has been used as a model of governance in many countries, and undoubtedly indirectly inspired many more. Somewhat unusually, the constitution is unwritten, consisting of conventions along with statutory law and common law, which are collectively referred to as British constitutional law. The head of state and theoretical source of executive and legislative power in the UK is the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. In theory, the British sovereign can dissolve Parliament whenever they desire. They can in theory choose any British citizen to be Prime Minister, even if they are not a member of the House of Commons or House of Lords. Theoretically, the Sovereign possesses the ability to refrain from granting Royal Assent to a Bill from Parliament, in addition to being able to declare war and appoint ministers. In practice, the head of state is a largely ceremonial role, with powers restricted by convention. However, the monarch holds three essential rights, the right to be consulted, the right to advise and the right to warn. Also, as the position of head of state tends to be held for a longer period of time than that of Prime Minister, the monarch builds up lots of experience and wisdom which is at the disposal of the government. Thus the political head of the UK is the Prime Minister(PM), who must be supported by the House of Commons. The executive branch of the UK system is the Government (or more formally, Her Majesty’s Government). The monarch appoints (or in reality, approves) ... ...l Government This is another area that comparison to the UK bears fruit. Both countries are highly regionalised, with distinct languages and cultures differing from the main national identity. However, Britain has made great strides to offer representation to its regions, whereas France has traditionally been very highly centralised, with each of France's departments headed by a prefect appointed by the central government. The process of decentralisation in France is making progress, although very slowly. In 1982, the national government granted a wide range of administrative and fiscal powers to local elected officials. In March 1986, regional councils were directly elected for the first time. In March 2003, a constitutional revision has changed very significantly the legal framework and could lead to more decentralisation in the coming years. Bibliography Contemporary France: An Introduction to French Politics and Society ~Catherine Fieschi, et al France Since 1945 ~Robert Gildea The Globalization of World Politics ~John Baylis (Editor), Steve Smith (Editor) How Parliament Works ~Paul Silk, et al Longman Political Institutions in Europe ~ MÃ ©ny, Y et al France and Great Birtain's Political Systems Essay -- Politics Governm France and Great Birtain's Political Systems INTRODUCTION I chose these two systems, which interest me for different reasons. The British system is one that has evolved over many centuries, with both small and large adjustments along the way to keep in on course. In contrast to this, the French model has changed dramatically on several occasions, and can rarely have been described as stable. However, in 1958 Charles de Gaulle made some brave changes to the constitution, which after being approved by the French public, set the scene for the classic semi-presidential system that we see today. Despite these opposing histories, there are many similarities between the two systems, which I intend to discuss. BRITAIN The United Kingdom is a democratic constitutional monarchy, with a system of government often known as the Westminster Model. It has been used as a model of governance in many countries, and undoubtedly indirectly inspired many more. Somewhat unusually, the constitution is unwritten, consisting of conventions along with statutory law and common law, which are collectively referred to as British constitutional law. The head of state and theoretical source of executive and legislative power in the UK is the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. In theory, the British sovereign can dissolve Parliament whenever they desire. They can in theory choose any British citizen to be Prime Minister, even if they are not a member of the House of Commons or House of Lords. Theoretically, the Sovereign possesses the ability to refrain from granting Royal Assent to a Bill from Parliament, in addition to being able to declare war and appoint ministers. In practice, the head of state is a largely ceremonial role, with powers restricted by convention. However, the monarch holds three essential rights, the right to be consulted, the right to advise and the right to warn. Also, as the position of head of state tends to be held for a longer period of time than that of Prime Minister, the monarch builds up lots of experience and wisdom which is at the disposal of the government. Thus the political head of the UK is the Prime Minister(PM), who must be supported by the House of Commons. The executive branch of the UK system is the Government (or more formally, Her Majesty’s Government). The monarch appoints (or in reality, approves) ... ...l Government This is another area that comparison to the UK bears fruit. Both countries are highly regionalised, with distinct languages and cultures differing from the main national identity. However, Britain has made great strides to offer representation to its regions, whereas France has traditionally been very highly centralised, with each of France's departments headed by a prefect appointed by the central government. The process of decentralisation in France is making progress, although very slowly. In 1982, the national government granted a wide range of administrative and fiscal powers to local elected officials. In March 1986, regional councils were directly elected for the first time. In March 2003, a constitutional revision has changed very significantly the legal framework and could lead to more decentralisation in the coming years. Bibliography Contemporary France: An Introduction to French Politics and Society ~Catherine Fieschi, et al France Since 1945 ~Robert Gildea The Globalization of World Politics ~John Baylis (Editor), Steve Smith (Editor) How Parliament Works ~Paul Silk, et al Longman Political Institutions in Europe ~ MÃ ©ny, Y et al

Like Water for Chocolate Essay

Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Squalevella Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub (Trd); ISBN: 0553472550 Copyright 1994 CHAPTER ONE. JANUARY. Chrutnuw Ro/ INGREDIENTS 1 can of arOin 1/2 choriw aaye oreyano 1 can of chitej rrano 10 haro ro PREPARATION: Take care to chop the onion fine. To keep from crying when you chop it (which is so annoying!), I suggest you place a little bit on your head. The trouble with crying over an onion is that once the chopping gets you started and the tears begin to well up, the next thing you know you just can’t stop. I don’t know whether that’s ever happened to you, but I have to confess it’s happened to me, many times. Mama used to say it was because I was especially sensitive to onions, like my great-aunt, Tita. Tita was so sensitive to onions, any time they were being chopped, they say she would just cry and cry, when she was still in my greatgrandmother’s belly her sobs were so loud that even Nancha, the cook, who was halfdeaf, could hear them easily. Once her wailing got so violent that it brought on an early labor. And before my greatgrandmother could let out a word or even a whimper, Tita made her entrance into this world, prematurely, right there on the kitchen table amid the smells of simmering noodle soup, thyme, bay leaves, and cilantro, steamed milk, garlic, and, of course, onion. Tita had no need for the usual slap on the bottom, because she was already crying as she emerged, maybe that was because she knew then that it would be her lot in life to be denied marriage. The way Nancha told it, Tita was literally washed into this world on a great tide of tears that spilled over the e dge of the table and flooded across the kitchen floor. That afternoon, when the uproar had subsided and the water had been dried up by the sun, Nancha swept up the residue the tears had left on the red stone floor. There was enough salt to fill a ten-pound sack-it was used for cooking and lasted a long time. Thanks to her unusual birth, Tita felt a deep love for the kitchen, where she spent most of her life from the day she was born. When she was only two days old, Tita’s father, my great-grandfather, died of a heart attack and Mama Elena’s milk dried up from the shock. Since there was no such thing as powdered milk in those days, and they couldn’t find a wet nurse anywhere, they were in a panic to satisfy the infant’s hunger. Nancha, who knew everything about cooking-and much more that doesn’t enter the picture until later offered to take chargeof feeding Tita. She felt she had the best chance of `educating the innocent child’s stomach,† even though she had never mauled or had children. Though she didn’t know how to read or write, when it came to cooking she knew everything there was to know. Mama Elena accepted her offer gratefully, she had enough to do between her mourning and the enormous responsibility of running the ranch and it was the ranch that would provide her children the food and education they deserved-without having to worry about feeding a newborn baby on top of everything else. From that day on, Tita’s domain was the kitchen, where she grew vigorous and healthy on a diet of teas and thin corn gruels. This explains the sixth sense Tita developed about everything concerning food. Her eating habits, for example, were attuned to the kitchen routine: in the morning, when she could smell that the beans were ready, at midday, when she sensed the water was ready for plucking the chickens, and in the afternoon, when the dinner bread was baking, Tita knew it was time for her to be fed. Sometimes she would cry for no reason at all, like when Nancha chopped onions, but since they both knew the cause of those tears, they didn’t pay them much mind. They made them a source of entertainment, so that during her childhood Tita didn’t distinguish between tears of laughter and tears of sorrow. For her laughing was a form of crying. Likewise for Tita the joy of living was wrapped up in the delights of food. It wasn’t easy for a person whose knowledge of life was based onthe kitchen to comprehend the outside world. That world was an endless expanse that began at the door between the kitchen and the rest of the house, whereas everything on the kitchen side of that door, on through the door leading to the patio and the kitchen and herb gardens was completely hers-it was Tita’s realm. Her sisters were just the opposite: to them, Tita’s world seemed full of unknown dangers, and they were terrified of it. They felt that playing in the kitchen was foolish and dangerous. But once, Tita managed to convince them to join her in watching the dazzling display made by dancing water drops dribbled on a red hot griddle. While Tita was singing and waving her wet hands in time, showering drops of water down on the griddle so they would â€Å"dance,† Rosaura was cowering in the corner stunned by the display. Gertrudis, on the other hand, found this game enticing, and she threw herself into it with the enthusiasm she always showed where rhythm, movement, or music were involved. Then Rosaura had tried to join them-but since she barely moistened her hands and then shook them gingerly, her efforts didn’t have the desired effect. So Tita tried to move her hands closer to the griddle. Rosaura resisted, and they struggled for control until Tita became annoyed and let go, so that momentum carried Rosaura’s hands onto it. Tita got a terrible spanking for that, and she was forbidden to play with her sisters in her own world. Nancha became her playmate then. Together they made up all sorts of games and activities having to do with cooking. Like the day they saw a man in the village plaza twisting long thin balloons into animal shapes, and they decided to do it with sausages. They didn’t just make real animals, they also made up some of their own, creatures with the neck of a swan, the legs of a dog, the tail of a horse, and on and on. Then there was trouble, however, when the animals had to be taken apart to fry the sausage. Tita refused to do it. The only time she was willing to take them apart was when the sausage was intended for the Christmas rolls she loved so much. Then she not only allowed her animals to be dismantled, she watched them fry with glee. The sausage for the rolls must be fried over very low heat, so that it cooks thoroughly without getting too brown. When done, remove from the heat and add the sardines, which have been deboned ahead of time. Any black spots on the skin should also have been scraped off with a k nife. Combine the onions, chopped chiles, and the ground oregano with the sardines. Let the mixture stand before filling the rolls. Tita enjoyed this step enormously, while the filling was resting, it was very pleasant to savor its aroma, for smells have the power to evoke the past, bringing back sounds and even other smells that have no match in the present. Tita liked to take a deep breath and let the characteristic smoke and smell transport her through the recesses of her memory. It was useless to try to recall the first time she had smelled one of those rolls-she couldn’t, possibly because it had been before she was born. It might have been the unusual combination of sardines and sausages that had called to her and made her decide to trade the peace of ethereal existence in Mama Elena’s belly for life as her daughter, in order to enter the De la Garza family and share their delicious meals and wonderful sausage. On Mama Elena’s ranch, sausage making was a real ritual. The day before, they started peeling garlic, cleaning chiles, and grinding spices. All the women in the family had to participate: Mama Elena, her daughters, Gertrudis, Rosaura, and Tita, Nancha, the cook. And Chencha, the maid. They gathered around the diningroom table in the afternoon, and between the talking and the joking the time flew by until it started to get dark. Then Mama Elena would say: â€Å"That’s it for today.† For a good listener, it is said, a single word will suffice, so when they heard that, they all sprang into action. First they had to clear the table, then they had to assign tasks: one collected the chickens, another drew water for breakfast from the well, a third was in charge of wood for the stove. There would be no ironing, no embroidery, no sewing that day. When it was all finished, they went to their bedrooms to read, say their prayers, and go to sleep. One afternoon, before Mama Elena told them they could leave the table, Tita, who was then fifteen, announced in a trembling voice that Pedro Muzquiz would like to come and speak with her. After an endless silence during which Tita’s soul shrank, Mama Elena asked: â€Å"And why should this gentleman want to come talk to me?† Tita’s answer could barely be heard: â€Å"I don’t know.† Mama Elena threw her a look that seemed to Tita to contain all the years of repression that had flowed over the family, and said: â€Å"If he intends to ask for your hand, tell him not to bother. He’ll be wasting his time and mine too. You know perfectly well that being the youngest daughter means you have to take care of me until the day I die.† With that Mama Elena got slowly to her feet, put her glasses in her apron, and said in a tone of final command: . II â€Å"That’s it for today.† Tita knew that discussion was not one of the forms of communication permitted in Mama Elena’s household, but even so, for the first time in her life, she intended to protest her mother’s ruling. â€Å"But in my opinion â€Å"You don’t have an opinion, and that’s all I want to hear about it. For generations, not a single person in my family has ever questioned this tradition, and no daughter of mine is going to be the one to start.† Tita lowered her head, and the realization of her fate struck her as forcibly as her tears struck the table. From then on they knew, she and the table, that they could never have even the slightest voice in the unknown forces that fated Tita to bow before her mother’s absurd decision, and the table to continue to receive the bitter tears that she had first shed on the day of her birth. Still Tita did not submit. anxieties sprang to her mind. Doubts and the next week she didn’t speak a single word to her. What passed for communication between them resumed when Mama Elena, who was inspecting the clothes each of the women had been sewing, discovered that Tita’s creation, which was the most perfect, had not been basted before it was sewed. â€Å"Congratulations,† she said, â€Å"your stitches are perfect -but you didn’t haste it, did you?† â€Å"No,† answered Tita, astonished that the sentence of silence had been revoked. `Then go and rip it out. Baste it and sew it again and then come and show it to me. And remember that the lazy man and the stingy man end up walking their road twice.† â€Å"But that’s if a person makes a mistake, and you yourself said a moment ago that my sewing was . â€Å"Are you starting up with your rebelliousness again? It’s enough that you have the audacity to break the rules in your sewing.† â€Å"I’m sorry, Mami. I won’t ever do it again.† With that Tita succeeded in calming Mama Elena’s anger. For once she had been very careful, she had called her â€Å"Mami† in the correct tone of voice. Mama Elena felt that the word Mama had a disrespectful sound to it, and so, from the time they were little, she had ordered her daughters to use the word Mami when speaking to her. The only one who resisted, the only one who said the word without the proper deference was Tita, which had earned her plenty of slaps. But how perfectly she had said it this time! Mama Elena took comfort in the hope For one thing, she wanted to know who started this family tradition. It would be nice if she could let that genius know about one little flaw in this perfect plan for taking care of women in their old age. If Tita couldn’t marry and have children, who would take care of her when she got old? Was there a solution in a case like that? Or are daughters who stay home and take care of their mothers not expected to survive too long after the parent’s death? And what about women who marry and can’t have children, who will take care of them? And besides, she’d like to know what kind of studies had established that the youngest daughter and not the eldest is best suited to care for their mother. Had the opinion of the daughter affected by the plan ever been taken into account? If she couldn’t marry, was she at least allowed to experience love? Or not even that? Tita knew perfectly well that all these questions would have to be buried forever in the archive of questions that have no answers. In the De la Garza family, one obeyedimmediately. Ignoring Tita completely, a very angry Mama Elena left the kitchen, and for that she had finally managed to subdue her youngest daughter. Unfortunately her hope was short-lived, for the very next day Pedro Muzquiz appeared at the house, his esteemed father at his side, to ask for Tita’s hand in marriage. His arrival caused a huge uproar, as his visit was completely unexpected. Several days earlier Tita had sent Pedro a message via Nancha’s brother asking him to abandon his suit. The brother swore he had delivered the message to Pedro, and yet, there they were, in the house. Mama Elena received them in the living room, she was extremely polite and explained why it was impossible for Tita to marry. â€Å"But if you really want Pedro to get married, allow me to suggest my daughter Rosaura, who’s just two years older than Tita. She is one hundred percent available, and ready for marriage At that Chencha almost dropped right onto Mama Elena the tray containing coffee and cookies, which she had carried into the living room to offer don Pascual and his son. Excusing herself, she rushed back to the kitchen, where Tita, Rosaura, and Gertrudis were waiting for her to fill them in on every detail about what was going on in the living room. She burst headlong into the room, and they all immediately stopped what they were doing, so as not to miss a word she said. They were together in the kitchen making Christmas Rolls. As the name implies, these rolls are usually prepared around Christmas, but today they were being prepared in honor of Tita’s birthday. She would soon be sixteen years old, and she wanted to celebrate with one of her favorite dishes. â€Å"Isn’t that something? Your ma talks about being ready for marriage like she was dishing up a plate of enchiladas! And the worse thing is, they’re completely different! You can’t just switch tacos and enchiladas like that!† Chencha kept up this kind of running commentary as she told the others-in her own way, of course-about the scene she had just witnessed. Tita knew Chencha sometimes exaggerated and distorted things, so she held her aching heart in check. She would not accept what she had just heard. Feigning calm, she continued cutting the rolls for her sisters and Nancha to fill. It is best to use homemade rolls. Hard rolls can easily be obtained from a bakery, but they should be small, the larger ones are unsuited for this recipe. After filling the rolls, bake for ten minutes and serve hot. For best results, leave the rolls out overnight, wrapped in a cloth, so that the grease from the sausage soaks into the bread. When Tita was finishing wrapping the next day’s rolls, Mama Elena came into the kitchen and informed them that she had agreed to Pedro’s marriage-to Rosaura. Hearing Chencha’s story confirmed, Tita felt her body fill with a wintry chill: in one sharp, quick blast she was so cold and dry her cheeks burned and turned red, red as the apples beside her. That overpowering chill a lasted a long time, and she could find no respite, not even when Nancha told her what she had overheard as she escorted don Pascual Muzquiz and his son to the ranch’s gate. Nancha followed them, walking as quietly as she could in order to hear the conversation between father and son. Don Pascual and Pedro were walking slowly, speaking in low, controlled, angry voices. †Why did you do that, Pedro? It will look ridiculous, your agreeing to marry Rosaura. What happened to the eternal love you swore to Tita? Aren’t you going to keep that vow?† â€Å"Of course I’ll keep it. When you’re told there’s no way you can marry the woman you love and your only hope of being near her is to marry her sister, wouldn’t you do the same?† Nancha didn’t manage to hear the answer, Pulque, the ranch dog, wentrunning by, barking at a rabbit he mistook for a cat. â€Å"So you intend to marry without love?† â€Å"No, Papa, I am going to marry with a great love for Tita that willnever die.† Their voices grew less and less audible, drowned out by the crackling of dried leaves beneath their feet. How strange that Nancha, who was quite hard of hearing by that time, should have claimed to have heard this conversation. Still, Tita thanked Nancha for telling her-but that did not alter the icy feelings she began to have for Pedro. It is said that the deaf can’t hear but can understand. Perhaps Nancha only heard what everyone else was afraid to say. Tita could not get to sleep that night, she could not find the words for what she was feeling. How unfortunate that black holes in space had not yet been discovered, for then she might have understood the black hole in the center of her chest, infinite coldness flowing through it. Whenever she closed her eyes she saw scenes from last Christmas, the first time Pedro and his family had been invited to dinner1 the scenesgrew more and more vivid, and the cold within her grew sharper. Despite the time that had passed since that evening, she remembered it perfectly: the sounds, the smells, the way her new dress had grazed the freshly waxed floor, the look Pedro gave her . . . That look! She had been walking to the table carrying a tray of egg-yolk candies when she first felt his hot gaze burning her skin. She turned her head, and her eyes met Pedro’s. It was then she understood how dough feels when it is plunged into boiling oil. The heat that invaded her body was so real she was afraid she would start to bubble-her face, her stomach, her heart, her breasts-like batter, and unable to endure his gaze she lowered her eyes and hastily crossed the room, to where Gertrudis was pedaling the player piano, playing a waltz called the Eyes of Youth.† She set her tray on a little table in the middle of the room, picked up a glass of Noyo liquor that was in front of her, hardly aware of what she was doing, and sat down next to Paquita Lobo, the De Ia Carzas’ neighbor. But even that distance between herself and Pedro was not enough1 she felt her blood pulsing, searing her veins. A deep flush suffused her face and no matter how she tried she could not find a place for her eyes to rest. Paquita saw that something was bothering her, and with a look of great concern, she asked: â€Å"That liquor is pretty strong, isn’t it?† â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"You look a little woozy, Tita. Are you feeling all right?† â€Å"Yes, thank you.† â€Å"You’re old enough to have a little drink on a special occasion, but tell me, you little devil, did your mama say it was okay? I can see you’re excited-you’re shaking and I’m sorry but I must say you’d better not have any more. Yo u wouldn’t want to make a fool of yourself.† That was the last straw! To have Paquita Lobo think she was drunk. She couldn’t allow the tiniest suspicion to remain in Paquita’s mind or she might tell her mother. Tita’s fear of her mother was enough to make her forget Pedro for a moment, and she applied herself to convincing Paquita, any way she could, that she was thinking clearly, that her mind was alert. She chatted with her, she gossiped, she made small talk. She even told her the recipe for this Noyo liquor which was supposed to have had such an effect on her. The liquor is made by soaking four ounces of peaches and a half pound of apricots in water for twenty-four hours to loosen the skin1 next, they are peeled, crushed, and steeped in hot water for fifteen days. Then the liquor is distilled. After two and a half pounds of sugar have been completely dissolved in the water, four ounces of orange-flower water are added, and the mixture is stirred and strained. And so there would be no lingering doubts about her mental and physical well-being, she reminded Paquita, as if it were just an aside, that the water containers held 2.016 liters, no more and no less. So when Mama Elena came over to ask Paquita if she was being properly entertained, she replied enthusiastically. â€Å"Oh yes, perfectly! You have such wonderful daughters. Such fascinating conversation!† Mama Elena sent Tita to the kitchen to get something for the guests. Pedro â€Å"happened† to be walking by at that moment and he offered his help. Tita rushed off to the kitchen without a word. His presence made her extremely uncomfortable. He followed her in, and she quickly sent him off with one of the trays of delicious snacks that had been waiting on the kitchen table. She would never forget the moment their hands accidentally touched as they both slowly bent down to pick up the same tray. That was when Pedro confessed his love. â€Å"Sen on to Tita, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to be alone with you to tell you that I am deeply in love with you. I know this declaration is presumptuous, and that it’s quite sudden, but it’s so hard to get near you that I decided to tell you tonight. All I ask is that you tell me whether I can hope to win your love.† â€Å"I don’t know what to say . give me time to think.† â€Å"No, no, I can’t! I need an answer now: you don’t have to think about love, you either feel it or you don’t. I am a man of few words, but my word is my pledge. I swear that my love for you will last forever. What about you? Do you feel the same way about me?† â€Å"Yes!† Yes, a thousand times. From that night on she would love him forever. And now she had to give him up. It wasn’t decent to desire your sister’s future husband. She had to try to put him out of her mind somehow, so she could get to sleep. She started to eat the Christmas Roll Nancha had left out on her bureau, along with a glass of milk, this remedy had proven effective many times. Nancha, with all her experience, knew that for Tita there was no pain that wouldn’t disappear if she ate a delicious Christmas Roll. But this time it didn’t work. She felt no relief from the hollow sensation in her stomach. Just the opposite, a wave of nausea flowed over her. She realized that the hollow sensation was not hunger but an icy feeling of grief. She had to get rid of that terrible sensation of cold. First she put on a wool robe and a heavy cloak. The cold still gripped her. Then she put on felt slippers and another two shawls. No good. Finally she went to her sewing box and pulled out the bedspread she had started the day Pedro first spoke of marriage. A bedspread like that, a crocheted one, takes about a year to complete. Exactly the length of time Pedro and Tita had planned to wait before getting married. She decided to use the yarn, not to let it go to waste, and so she worked on the bedspread and wept furiously, weeping and working until dawn, and threw it over herself. It didn’t help at all. Not that night, nor many others, for as long as she lived, could she free herself from that cold. TO BE CONTINUED Next month’s recipe, Chabeta weooina Cake. CHAPTER TWO. FEBRUARY. Chabefa Wany Cake INGREDIENTS. 175 aranw refinco granetlate0 uyar 300 yram cake flour, fteo’ three tim& 17eay arateo peel of one lime PREPARATION: Place five egg yolks, four whole eggs, and the sugar in a large bowl. Beat until the mixture thickens and then add two more whole eggs repeat, adding the remaining eggs tw o at a time until all the eggs have been added. To make the cake for Pedro and Rosaura’s wedding, Tita and Nancha had to multiply this recipe by ten, since they were preparing a cake not for eighteen people but for 180. Therefore, they needed 170 eggs,which meant they had to arrange to have that number of good eggs on thesame day. To get that number of eggs together, they preserved all the eggs laid by the best hens for several weeks. This preserving technique had been employed on the ranch since time immemorial to ensure a supply of this nourishing and indispensable food throughout the winter. The best time to preserve eggs is August or September. The eggs must be very fresh. Nancha preferred to use only eggs laid the same day. The eggs are placed in a cask containing crumbled sheep fodder, allowed to cool, and then covered completely. This will keep the eggs fresh for months. If you want them to keep for more than a year, place the eggs in an earthenware crock and cover them with a ten-percent lime solution. Cover tightly to keep the air out and store in the wine cellar. Tita and Nancha had chosen to use the first method because they didn’t need to keep the eggs fresh for that many months. They had placed the cask containing the preserved eggs between them under the kitchen table and were taking the eggs out of it as they put the cake together. When she had beaten barely a hundred eggs, the phenomenal energy required for the task began to have a bad effect on Tita’s mood. To reach the goal of 170 seemed unimaginable. Tita beat the mixture while Nancha broke the eggs and added them to it. A fit of trembling shook Tita’s body and she broke out in goose bumps when each new egg was broken. The egg whites reminded her of the testicles of the chickens they had castrated the month before. Roosters that are castrated and then fattened up are called capons. The family had decided to serve capons at Pedro and Rosaura’s wedding because they would impress everyone with the quality of the dinner, as much for the amount of work required in their preparation as for the extraordinary flavor of the birds themselves. As soon as the date of the wedding was set for the twelfth of January, they ordered two hundred roosters to be bought for castrating and fattening up. This task fell to Tita and Nancha. Nancha because of her experience and Tita as punishment for feigning a headache to avoid her sister Rosaura’s engagement. â€Å"I won’t stand for disobedience,† Mama Elena told her, â€Å"nor am going to allow you to ruin your sister’s wedding, with your acting like a victim. You’re in charge of all the preparations starting now, and don’t ever let me catch you with a single tear or even a long face, do you hear?†

Kafka’s 1922

Kafka’s 1922 A Hunger Artist parabola of the condition of the artist is a story about a world-famous artist renowned for his long periods of fasting, who puts his art on display in an unspecified place and time. The main character, the hunger artist, finds himself dissatisfied even at the peak of his artistic career, frustrated by his audience’s inability to appreciate his work as a true art form, and his manager’s preoccupation with the commercial aspects of his performance.Although initially very popular with audiences everywhere, we are informed from the beginning that with the passing of time, audiences become disenchanted with the hunger artist’s circus act, resulting in a significant decrease in its popularity of. The main character, the hunger artist, is the typical protagonist of Kafka’s work: misunderstood, alienated, and victimized. In fact, this kind of character has its roots in Kafka’s real life persona. Similarly to his characte r living in a cage, Kafka always lived in small crowded housing, dealing with feelings of confinement and isolation. Also, Kafka felt unappreciated by society, which resulted in very low self-esteem and a distorted vision of self-value. This is why he requested that his unpublished work be burned upon his death.Although the story is told from the point of view of the main character, â€Å"the hunger artists†, the â€Å"record hunger artist of all time†, the narrator’s voice is abstract and does not belong to the character himself. The hunger artist’s profession was to travel the world sharing his gift with the public through performances which consisted of extended periods of time of fasting, which would last up to 40 days. This was considered a form of entertaining, which would gather large crowds of enthusiastic viewers, stunned children, skeptics irrespective of where the show took place. This is how the world-famous performer, the hunger artist, becom es a world-known figure in mass entertainment.Despite his great success, the hunger artist never feels truly appreciated or understood by his audience, who look upon his art as merely a form of entertainment.   This is why he becomes haunted by feelings of isolation and alienation; he fails to obtain recognition from his audience, and at the same time, is appreciated for all the wrong reasons. People focus their attention on his frightening physical aspect, or on making sure that he does not cheat, and feed himself during the night or when they are not paying attention. His performance is neither recognized nor appreciated as an art form, thus the artist can never be fulfilled.Nevertheless, it is crucial to notice that this state is a sine-qua-non condition of the hunger artist’s artistic demonstration. His choice to perform in a cage is relevant to understanding his feelings: isolation is, to great extent, self-imposed. The cage is the barrier the hunger artist needs to se parate himself from his audience, i.e. the masses. It is a tool of individualization, a process that every artist seeks during his lifetime, in order for his work to stand out. Kafka’s choice of the cage is not accidental; on the contrary, it is highly relevant for the entire body of his work. The â€Å"cage† of the hunger artist has two functions, i.e. a refuge from the outside world, and a barrier separating the artist from the rest of humanity, represented by his audience.To the hunger artist, no sacrifice is too big, not even having to spend most of his life inside a small cage, covered with straws. His frustration is enhanced by the public’s mistrust and suspicion, especially by the attempts of some to provide him with the opportunity to sneak food inside his cage as means of proving their own theories. The hunger artist does not even consider this option because he is faithful to his art. The suspicion of the audience symbolizes the historical mistrust of people in the purity of art, which requires a deeper understanding that the general public does not always possess.Nonetheless, the artist is dependent upon the public’s reaction, in the sense that their lack of understanding of his art is actually the element which perpetuates it. The hunger artist enters a vicious circle because of his continuous need for validation from his audience. The pain and suffering caused by the absence of this validation is precisely what generated more pain, and less understanding from his public, which in turn, give rise to more profound suffering from the artist.Days passed, and the crowds stop gathering to watch the fasting-artist. The admiration for his work is diminishing up to the point where it ceases completely, leaving the cage looking empty, and the circus overseers wondering what happened. One day, they approach the cage and start poking the straw only to discover the artist barely alive. This is the point where the perspective of the narration is broadened thanks to the dialogue between the artist and the circus overseer. The latter asks the hunger artist if he is still fasting. The artist asks the overseer to come closer and answers that his only option is to fast, that he has no other choice; that he would have eaten like his audience, and the rest of the people if he had found any food to his liking.These are the final words of the hunger artist. He dies and is buried by the circus. His cage is removed, and a young panther is placed in it, to the delight of the public. The public forgets all about the hunger artist and immediately embraces a new circus act. The act of consuming the performance of the hunger artist is characteristic to any audience: once the entertainment is over, the audience moves on the next act on display.The panther is a symbol of the lust for life. It also carries a reversed connotation than the hunger artist, in the sense that unlike the latter whose act consists of putting his sufferin g on display, the panther is admired due to its ability to inflict pain and suffering.His inability to fit in society gives birth to his art. Surprisingly, is it not his desire to be different that leads him to such an art form, but the other way around. Although the story is absurd, the sequence of events makes it believable, and serves a higher purpose: it aims to show that the motif of the hunger is, in fact, the artist’s lifelong feeling of isolation and dissatisfaction. Along with these feelings, the hunger artist also needs to maintain a feeling of superiority in relation to the masses that come to watch his performance. The best example is his willingness to feed the butchers who come to guard him during the night and to make sure he does not eat anything. He takes great pleasure in watching them gorge themselves on a large meal that he pays for, while he silently fasts.The butchers are, in fact, a double symbol: the gluttonous butchers can represent the capitalist soc iety, but also a reference to the Jewish prohibition of eating pork and their stringent method of handling and preparing meat. From his point of view, the butchers are representatives of the weak masses that lack in will and determination, whereas he represents the artist endowed with concentration and the ability to control himself. This feeling of superiority ensures that his art is not criticized by his audience since they cannot understand it. Nevertheless, this is also the reason for his eternal dissatisfaction, as his desire is to be validated as an artist, not merely an entertainer, but also to remain misunderstood so he can maintain his superiority and be exempted from criticism.This could perhaps explain why the artist, even at the peak of his success, is still â€Å"troubled in spirit†. A very important theme in the Hunger Artist is the religious one, linking Kafka’s parabola to the Biblical theme of Christ’s sufferings. The first indication of the par allel is the length of the hunger artist’s performance; we are told, from the very beginning that his impresario’s limitation of the artist’s public fasts is of 40 days, the same length of time that, according to the Bible, Jesus fasted. In fact, Jesus Christ is the portrait of suffering that the artist aspires to. Still, there is a major difference between the former and the latter: whereas Jesus Christ suffered for the sake of humanity, the hunger artist’s suffering is because of humanity. Unlike Christ, his death is useless to posterity, thus easily forgotten.The hunger artist's art form is, metaphorically speaking, his own suffering. Confined to the small space offered by the cage in which he performs, the hunger artist has complete control over his pain, which determines him to push himself more and more, reaching the very edge of human limits in his constant search for his greatest masterpiece. This endeavor will eventually bring the end of his life . Kafka uses the character of the hunger artist as an exponent of the alienated â€Å"starving artist† of the Romantics who put forward a new kind of hero in literature, more precisely the hero who escapes harsh capitalist society’s realities and focuses his energies solely on his art, usually from a dirty small room, i.e. the cage in the case of Kafka’s The Hunger Artist.In relation to the metaphor of starvation as artistic suffering, which in turn, leads to creation, the hunger artist’s performance is a display of his feeling of alienation with regards to society. He cannot adapt to the exterior world; this is why he does not eat, because he cannot find anything suitable for him. Consequently, he fasts turning his act into a more involuntary than voluntary occupation: indeed, fasting is the only thing he can do considering his circumstances, and not a decision to inflict suffering upon himself.Kafka, Franz. The Hunger Artist.   Retrieved: Apr. 30, 200 7