Role of Leadership in Managing Quality Research Paper

Job of Leadership in Managing Quality - Research Paper Example In addition pioneers build up a specific course for their devotees which permit them in dealing with the inward condition of the association, business, school, establishment, country and so forth. When the disciples follow direction gave by their pioneer productively they can at last accomplish their focused on objectives, points and destinations in a sorted out way. Subsequently it is unmistakably apparent that quality can without much of a stretch be kept up with great initiative on any stage or medium as it is the greatness of pioneers who can set destinations proficiently and help their adherents in actualizing those targets inside indicated time limits (tribehr.com, 2012). In Big Organization Considering the job of pioneers in huge association it is discovered that pioneers are proactive and lead their representatives through giving model. The representatives follow such cases in the wake of being motivated by the charming authority of their pioneer as opposed to having a feelin g of tyranny. A decent pioneer is one who leads in a way which is portrayed through usage and afterward driving through activities rather than essentially directing their guidelines and activities without embodying any genuine cases. Pioneers perceive and act because of the variety of the outside condition and totally comprehend the high points and low points of the changing outer condition. They are then ready to impart the correct course to their devotees for achieving quality in work. The job of administration in a major association is to understand the prerequisites of each partner, for example, customers, proprietors, providers, working staff, overall population and some other concerned partner of the business. Each partner details the huge piece of the quality administration process consequently they all consolidate to affect organization’s achievement. It is the nature of good administration to prompt moral qualities all through their association which can be accomplis hed through organization’s statement of purpose or they would themselves be able to become good examples for rousing their representatives for turning into a vital piece of value the board activity (lennoxhill.co.uk, 2011). Genuine administration can outfit their representatives with the fundamental assets and battle to satisfy their obligation with genuineness and responsibility. The whole association can be persuaded by obvious pioneers for satisfying their obligations and get everybody engaged with the procedure of value the executives. It is fundamental at this phase chiefs must motivate and perceive the commitments and endeavors made by representatives at all levels which will additionally incite a feeling of responsibility among workers and will rouse them in accomplishing more outcomes and they will willfully include more in quality administration methods. This whole procedure is reliant on the contributions from the two sides whether it is the pioneer or it is the com pany’s workforce (Ovretveit, 2005). In Educational Institution The instructive field has likewise changed extensively in a way that training organization is presently rewarded more towards the extent of instructive administration which is currently additionally extemporized and changed into instructive authority. This model is obviously clear from the service held in 2000 having the initiation of the National College for School Leadership in England. The articulation ‘instructional leadership’ is fundamentally gotten from North America and it has been supplanted in England and all around the globe by the idea of ‘learning focused leadership’. It has become a prerequisite for instructive pioneers and directors to concentrate every one of their endeavors more towards the quality administration of their instructive establishment for contending with the other driving

Reconciling old and New rules in Todays Society

The Stigma of Mental Illness in Developing Countries The Stigma of Mental Illness in Developing Countries Looking for treatment for psychological instability can be an overwhelming assignment. Indeed, even in the United States, where clinical consideration is generally simple to get, there is a shame encompassing psychological maladjustment. As far as I can tell of living in a little, affectionate network, I discovered it almost frightening to converse with my essential consideration doctor about the tension and gloom I was encountering. In my town, leaving my vehicle at the guiding focus resembled conceding that I couldnt deal with myself. The basic recognition in the network was that individuals need to suck it up and not depend on specialists or advisors to get past life. With this reasonable and pervasive disgrace against psychological instability and treatment, it took me years to at long last get the assistance that I required. This issue of shame was still at the forefront of my thoughts when I began searching for a subject for this exploration venture. I was interested about how non-Western and creating nations saw the issue and what was being done to help reduce the shame of psychological instability around the world. What is Stigma? So as to investigate emotional well-being shame in societies around the globe, we first need to see precisely what is implied by disgrace. The word reference meaning of shame is a characteristic of disfavor or disgrace; a stain or censure, as on ones notoriety (Dictionary.com). This is a decent spot to begin, however it doesn't precisely characterize the quantifiable parts of shame, which is important for analysts to have the option to consider it. Connection et al. (2004) talk about a few hypothetical points of view for belittling by and large and the disgrace of dysfunctional behavior specifically. Generally valuable for the motivations behind this paper is the structure spread out by Link and Phelen (2001) and examined and explained upon by Link et al. (2004) that proposes a few interrelated classes: naming, generalizing, isolating, passionate responses, status misfortune, and marks of shame reliance on influence structure. Naming is a characteristic way that people sort contrasts , and numerous names (shoe size, most loved nourishments) are not socially striking. Different names, for example, sexual inclination or nationality, are substantially more important. Both the determination of remarkable qualities and the making of names for them are social accomplishments that should be comprehended as fundamental segments of shame (Link et al. 2004). In the generalizing segment, the scientists recommend that the named contrasts are connected to antagonistic suspicions about the marked individual or others with comparable attributes. The following part of the shame procedure is isolating, which is the us versus them outlook. Connection et al. (2004) propose that one spot the underlying theoretical structure about disgrace is missing is in the underrepresentation of enthusiastic responses: We accept that this underrepresentation should be amended, in light of the fact that passionate reactions are basic to understanding the conduct of both stigmatizers and individua ls who are beneficiaries of vilifying responses. Status misfortune and segregation can be obvious, such as denying work to somebody with a psychological instability, however it can likewise be substantially more tricky and unavoidable. Connection et al. (2004) gives the model that significantly less subsidizing exists for schizophrenia research and offices for schizophrenia treatment are frequently situated in less attractive areas. The last part of the disgrace system is its reliance on power structures Link et al. (2004) express that this perspective is significant on the grounds that without social, social, financial and political force the idea of shame would be considerably less helpful. Since we comprehend in any event one manner by which disgrace can be characterized, we should next approach taking a gander at the manners in which shame is estimated. Connection et al.(2004) express that there is an extensive absence of investigation of psychological maladjustment disgrace in the creating scene they audited countless examined led around the world, and discovered just a couple in Asia and Africa, however the specialists clarified this may have been on the grounds that their survey was limited to English language diaries. This paper will concentrate on a couple of key examinations, yet it is sure that more investigation here is expected to get an inside and out gander at contrasts among societies and the overall shame of dysfunctional behavior. A few investigations center around the shame of everybody towards those with psychological instability, while others center around the assessments of individuals who experience the ill effects of dysfunctional behavior. One review I saw as especially fascinating and helpful is the World Mental Health Survey, in which subjects with emotional wellness issues were gotten some information about their apparent disgrace (Alonso et al. 2008). For this overview, disgrace was viewed as present if respondents announced both humiliation and saw segregation identified with disease. Among individuals with noteworthy movement impediments (i.e., in any event moderate trouble with perception, portability, self-care, or social), the apparent disgrace rate was most elevated in the Ukraine, with 32.1% of respondents detailing shame. The most reduced rate was 3.2% in Germany. The normal pace of apparent disgrace in creating nations was 22.1%, contrasted with 11.7% in created nations (Alonso et al. 2008, Table 1). The scientists finding was that apparent shame related with mental disarranges is general, yet extensively increasingly visit in creating nations; be that as it may, the ramifications of this finding were not examined, however they recommend it might hold any importance with explore social, social and wellbeing administration qualities that separate nations where patients feel less prohibited from nations in which patients are bound to report apparent disgrace (Alonso et al. 2008:312). The analysts additionally found that apparent disgrace is firmly connected with basic mental issue, especially with comorbid state of mind and tension (Alonso et al. 2008:306). The ramifications of this study are twofold: first, creating and created nations have various methods of partner shame with psychological sickness, in spite of the fact that the explanations behind this are not satisfactory. Second, individuals with dysfunctional behavior are substantially more prone to see shame ide ntifying with sickness than, for instance, individuals with interminable physical illnesses. Generally fascinating to me is the way that the insights from Alonso et al.s (2004) study shows that creating nations have almost twofold the pace of apparent shame as created nations. Investigations of Stigma in Developing Countries Lauber and Rossler (2006) directed an audit of writing that sums up aftereffects of research on the shame of psychological maladjustment in creating Asian nations. They express that this exploration is significant on the grounds that The disgrace of psychological instability and oppression mental patients are accepted to be a critical deterrent to advancement of emotional wellness care and to guaranteeing personal satisfaction of those experiencing dysfunctional behavior (Lauber and Rossler 2006: 158). They give an away from of how they characterized creating and created nations: A creating nation is a nation with a low-pay normal, a moderately lacking foundation and a poor human improvement list when contrasted with the worldwide normDevelopment involves building up a cutting edge framework (both physical and institutional), and a move away from low worth included divisions, for example, farming and characteristic asset extraction. Created nations for the most part have monetary frameworks dependent on persistent, self-continuing financial development (Lauber and Rossler 2006:160). This definition explains a portion of the general contrasts among creating and created nations. Lauber and Rosslers (2006) survey of writing found that individuals in creating nations in Asia are commonly scared of those with psychological instability. They additionally found that numerous investigations revealed respondents who felt that psychological maladjustment manifestations were an ordinary response to push; this finding recommends that familiarity with dysfunctional behavior and the requirement for clinical mediation is deficient in these societies. In any case, the consequences of these examinations are like the outcomes in Western nations (Lauber and Rossler 2006). Another finding of this examination was with respect to help-chasing practices: it is considerably more likely for those looking for help for psychological sickness to depend on relatives rather than proficient emotional wellness administrations (Lauber and Rossler 2006). I thought that it was fascinating that the analysts propose the distinctions in psychological well-being care in creating Asian nations i s expected not exclusively to an alternate social comprehension of wellbeing and medicinal services, yet additionally the trashing mentality of human services experts too (Lauber and Rossler 2006). Gureje and Lasebikan (2005) examined the utilization of treatment administrations for psychological instability in the Yoruba-talking some portion of Nigeria through eye to eye interviews with almost 5,000 grown-ups. They found that less than 1 of every 10 individuals with psychological wellness issue in the course of recent months had gotten any treatment at all, contrasted and 25% in the United States (Gureje and Lasebikan 2005). They additionally found that respondents who received treatment were considerably more liable to be treated in the general clinical area as opposed to by a psychological wellness expert; these outcomes are like those found in other creating nations just as created countries. Another critical finding was that individuals with dysfunctional behavior were extensively less inclined to utilize complimentary wellbeing suppliers than those with other non-mental clutters: This perception goes against the regular conviction that customary healers offer support for a high extent of people with mental scatters in creating African nations (Gureje and Lasebikan 2005:48). The creators recommend that a significant number of the issues with psychological wellness usage in Nigeria result from its deficient wellbeing administration faculty and offices, budgetary requirement, just as poor information on and negative disposition to menta

Pendulums and Extremes

Pendulums and Extremes Montana is a state steeped in extremes. Earlier this year, as April gave way to May and snow dusted my eyebrows, I still needed my puffer coat to stay warm. Less than two months later, however, as we waved goodbye to June, the city was erumpent with temps brushing against triple digits. These extremes are merely bookends, though, markers by which we observe the spectrum. And these extremes dont last. Soon, summer will set in, and well be back to 72 º and sunny, spending long summer afternoons by Flathead Lake. In many ways, Im the same way. My life has been peppered with similar (almost ironic) extremes: Director of 150 retail stores becomes a minimalist and rejects consumerism. Six-figure executive walks away from his career and earns less than he did as a teen. Entertainment-addicted jerk jettisons his television and home Internet. Et cetera. But of course the flip-side benefits are just as extreme, too: Depressive man  discovers  lasting happiness. Rejected writer becomes bestselling novelist. Fatso loses 80 pounds and gets in the best shape of his life. Et cetera. Sometimes we have to move from one extreme to another in an effort to course correct. Sometimes we must embrace, at least temporarily, the discomfort of the other side of the spectrum. Sometimes we must hit both walls before we find the middle. Eventually, once the pendulum has traversed both extremes, we discover what works for us, and we end up somewhere completely different from where we startedâ€"somewhere in between both extremes. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.

Persuasive Essay On Animal Testing - 748 Words

Animal Testing, what is it? On dictionary.com the definition for animal testing is, â€Å"noun; The use of non-human animals in research and development projects, esp. for purposes of determining the safety of substances such as foods or drugs† So what does that tell us? That Animal testing is okay, and a good thing for scientific research, right? Well in some cases, using lab rats is for a good cause, to test things out and see what’s cures what, but companies such as Loreal, L’Orà ©al, Maybelline, Windex, off, dawn, Està ©e Lauder, St. Ives, Olay, glade, soft soap, any plenty more use animal testing for horrid things. They go as far as caging animals and use them for multiple tests in a row, it’s just cruel. People everyday fund these companies†¦show more content†¦Currently there are plenty other sources that we can get to test whether you can put this on human skin we can consume this or you can use this and you know your face wont blow up P eople who say their animal friendly and vegan use products from L’Orà ©al and Maybelline in Windex all over their house and they have them its not right and it should be stopped. We keep on finding these horrible products and it does nothing we keep on finding these horrible products and it does nothing but good. Who can look some tiny helpless animal in the face and inject some sort of make up or chemicals in them and watch them suffer? I understand completely that science is necessary and testing is necessary but this is 2017 we can use other things besides animals to test out our products. So, you may argue, â€Å"Well what about it being necessary for tests, and what about benefits to humans it brings?† Well to begin, the FDA (food and drug administration) it’s not required to test most product on anyone or anything. Plus, most of the tests that they do on animals are different. According to the HIS (humane society international), â€Å"data shows that animal studies fail to predict real human outcomes in 50 to 99.7 percent of cases. This is mainly because other species seldom naturally suffer from the same diseases as found in humans.† (HIS.org). As far as alternatives go, â€Å"Currently over 30 alternative tests have been developed. The concern over whatShow MoreRelatedPersuasive essay against animal testing764 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Persuasive Essay against Animal Testing Abraham Lincoln once said, â€Å"I am in favour of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being.†Ã‚  I couldn’t agree more with this statement as I do not believe that animal testing is right and I am totally against it. One of the main reasons I am against animal testing is the fact that the animals don’t have a choice and are being forced to be tested, which can lead to them getting seriously ill or dying as a cause of theRead MoreAnimal Testing Persuasive Essay1402 Words   |  6 Pagesangers me more, than people working in companies, factories, laboratories, and even in the comfort of their home to use innocent animals to test human products. They continue to test out these products on animals, even after it has been proven that in almost all cases, animal testing has no benefit on us as buyers or consumers. I have found that laboratories are using many animals that are considered as pets to families, such as mice and rats, rabbits, and even guinea pigs. They are forcefully using themRead MorePersuasive Essay On Animal Testing1080 Words   |  5 Pageshappens to the thousands of animals that aren’t in the rescue centers? Do you ever wonder what happens to those animals bought and never to be seen again? Two words, Animal Testing. This awful way of testing hundreds of companies products on these poor, innocent animals. Half to almost all of those animals get killed by these confused researchers looking for a way to make a profit. We need to find an alternative for these cruel researchers. We need to free those animals, they deserve to have a normalRead MoreAnimal Testing Persuasive Essay706 Words   |  3 PagesThroughout history,  animal experimentation  has played an important role in leading to new discoveries and human benefits. However, what many people tend to forget are the millions of animals that are tortured or killed during the process of these painful, deadly experiments. Many people seem to misunderstand animal nature and the laboratory procedures and techniques that are executed on the animals. The procedures are cruel, unreliable, and harmful. Luckily there are more humane alternatives thatRead MorePersuasive Essay On Animal Testing1155 Wo rds   |  5 PagesAnimal Testing Animal experiments happen all over the world, but are they necessary? Animals are tested for medical research as well as for cosmetics. Some say that these experiments are not painful, so they are justified. Where others believe that all these experiments are inhumane and nothing can justify torturing and killing innocent animals. Although many believe that animal testing is the best way to improve human health by finding new treatments and tests for the safety of the productsRead MorePersuasive Essay On Animal Testing962 Words   |  4 PagesFor many years, animal testing has been very widely accepted in the world for the purpose of testing products such as makeup, new medicine and medical procedures, as well as determining whether or not some foods are safe for human consumption. It’s a growing problem in the world that has led to the suffering of animals for thousands of years in order to benefit humans. In order to fix this, these tests need more strict regulations to be implemented in order to save animal lives and find lessRead MorePersuasive Essay On Animal Testing802 Words   |  4 PagesEvery year over 26 million Animals are used for scientific and commercial testing. They use these animals to develop medical treatments and to determine the safety for human use. Animals are put through intense torture, pain and death just to see if the product is safe for humans. Even pregnant animals get tested on and most of the time the baby animals die in the stomach. Testing on these innocent animals is cruel and inhuman. There is really not a similarity on animals and humans, half of the productsRead MoreAnimal Testing Persuasive Essay1694 Words   |  7 Pages About 19,500,000 animals in total are killed in scientific research every year. This means that about twenty percent of the animals tested on each year die, which may not seem like a large percentage; however, if it is taken into account that this happens to the same species in an endless cy cle, the numbers can begin to build. Although, through this process of testing, many lifesaving medicines have been created for all types of animals including humans. So, the issue the world is experiencing rightRead MorePersuasive Essay On Animal Testing1521 Words   |  7 Pagesmillion animals are killed each year in the name of animal testing. Now as some might say that sacrifice is needed for the common good, it is safe to say that animal testing may be taking it over the top to get such test results for the common good. Animal testing has been a common practice for many years to get results and side effects for food, drugs, pesticides, beauty products, and just about everything one uses in an average day. But now, in the modern world where ethics and animals rightsRead MoreAnimal Testing Persuasive Essay769 Words   |  4 Pagesis bad, your opinion is wrong, and the animals should die for science. Hold on, give me a sec,* clears throat* angry mob, put the torches and the pitc hforks down, its a joke. Clickbait and controversy aside, back in the space race animal testing was completely necessary. Many people disagree with this topic, and thats ok. Now that the angry mob has settled down a bit, let me tell you why animal testing was necessary during the space race. â€Å"Was the testing even necessary? Is winning the space race

The Importance of Communication and Teamwork Among the...

The Importance of Communication and Teamwork Among the Flight and Cabin Crew TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 4 INTRODUCTION 5 Background 5 Purpose/Audience 5 Sources 5 Limitaions 5 Scope 5 COLLECTED DATA 5 Importance of Communication Among the Crew 5 Main Cause of Aircraft Accidents 6 Duties of the Crew Members 7 Expectations of the Crew 7 The Crew is a Team 8 Intimidatin in the Cockpit 8 Cabin Crew is a part of the Team 9 Trusting the Crews Judgment 9 Crew Resource Management (CRM) 9 Outline of CRM Training 10 LOFT Training 10 Organizing Resources and Priorities 11 CONCLUSION 11 Summary of Findings 11 Interpretation of Findings 11 REFERENCES 13 ABSTRACT The majority of aircraft accidents are caused by human error, and an accident or†¦show more content†¦Accidents can be prevented when these two factors are considered. COLLECTED DATA Importance of Communication amoung the Crew nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;People communicate to each other every day. From a kids talking to their parents about their report card, to doctors working in an operating room. In order for us to understand one another we must be clear in what we say. For instance, if a doctor tells a nurse to pull a certain plug on a machine, hed better be clear on what he says or the nurse might end up harming a patient. Likewise, the cabin and flight crew must work together. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In a typical cockpit the flight crew is very busy, and they need to be well organized to handle the many tasks they perform. They need to communicate properly and clearly for safe operations, if they dont their actions could result in a tragedy. Main Cause of Aircraft Accidents nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mechanical problems and technical malfunctions do contribute to aircraft accidents, but human error is the main cause, accounting for 65% of the accidents (FAA News, 1996). See the pie chart in figure 1. This figure is quit high, and if it were possible to reduce human error the accident rate would drop significantly. Accidents that occur because of human error are not a direct result of just one error but of a chain of errors. The human error chain results when one bad decision leads to another which leads to the accident.Show MoreRelatedWe Must Go Wrong Will Going Wrong2822 Words   |  12 Pagesof caution and preparation that exists within the cabin. Information gathered from flight data recorders (FDRs) and cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) revealed new insights on aircraft accidents. The result of several accidents was not produced from a failure of aircraft handling skills or lack of technical knowledge on the part of the crew, nor was it a consequence of technical malfunction of the aircraft or its systems; rather the inability of crews to respond appropriately to high risk situations ultimatelyRead MoreCase Study3976 Words   |  16 Pageswe can, to do whatever we can to please the customer. And how do we do it? Sometimes, people just wonder, ‘How do you guys manage to do it with limited time and resources on a flight?’ yet we manage to do it somehow. Call us magicians.† Lim Suet Kwee, Senior Rank Trainer, Singapore Airlines Training School, and Senior Flight Stewardess SIA’s new business class has the widest seats in the A cookbook based on recipes from SIA’s International industry. Culinary Panel. HR AND COST-EFFECTIVE SERVICERead MoreCase Study3986 Words   |  16 Pageswe can, to do whatever we can to please the customer. And how do we do it? Sometimes, people just wonder, ‘How do you guys manage to do it with limited time and resources on a flight?’ yet we manage to do it somehow. Call us magicians.† Lim Suet Kwee, Senior Rank Trainer, Singapore Airlines Training School, and Senior Flight Stewardess SIA’s new business class has the widest seats in the A cookbook based on recipes from SIA’s International industry. Culinary Panel. HR AND COST-EFFECTIVE SERVICERead MoreCrisis Management Tenerife7570 Words   |  31 PagesManagement Tenerife Planes Crash Case Study Table of Contents Contents Page Abstract History Key Discussion Question 1 – 9 Conclusion and Recommendation References 1 3 5 21 23 Abstract The Tenerife Disaster is a well known event among the aviation industry for being the worst air accident in human history. A Dutch KLM 747 and an American Pan Am 747 crashed into each other at a Spanish airport in the Canary Islands resulted in 583 death and a extensive media coverage on the DutchRead MoreOrganizational Behavior of Malaysia Airline2352 Words   |  10 Pagesimportant among others. Every single customer of the airline company would expect the flight to be taken off and reached the destination on time. Hence, the punctuality of the flight pilot and crews plays an important role in the airlines. It could be difficult to imagine how the airline company could serve well if the pilot and crews were not punctual for all the flights. Besides that, the pilot or captain plays an important role on ensuring the safety of all the passengers and crews on the planeRead MoreManagement Control Systems at Air India4294 Words   |  18 Pages2 Norms set for the discharge of functions 13 4.3 Scrutiny of policies and activities 13 4.4 The budget allocated to each agency 13 4.5 Reward 13 4.6 Wage disparity 15 4.7 Over Time 15 5. Communication and Coordination 16 5.1 Internal communication system 16 5.2 External communication system 17 6. Conclusion amp; Recommendations 18 1. Introduction Air India, a national carrier is characterized with an urge to excel and enthusiasm started its operations on October 15, 1932Read MoreEasyjet and Ryan Air2145 Words   |  9 Pagesbeing offered by RyanAir are cheap fare flights that are most likely the same with Easyjet, offering economic flights to frequent passengers. The core discussion can center on these two airlines leadership and culture adhering points as to how each airlines adopt to their leadership styles and what specific culture norm does they utilize in such business. Knowing also if there are issues and challenges from within the process of leadership and culture among Easyjet and RyanAir. Thus, there must beRead MoreSouthwest Airlines: Case Study2102 Words   |  9 Pagesboth domestic and overseas by being the largest and most profitable airline company to achieve both short and long-haul carriers efficiently and with low cost. Also to be an airline carrier that has the most productive workforce to guarantee the be st flight possible for each and every passenger. (source:samples-help.org.uk) Values are people’s deep â€Å"sacred† convictions about how they must behave themselves – values are behavior guidelines. The SWA set of values are not wishful thinking – on the contraryRead MoreHrm in Aviation10615 Words   |  43 Pagesexcellence. It is now well-documented that accidents and poor service quality are primarily rooted in socio-technical human factors, not technology per se. Sub-optimization, or poor quality in regards to management, decision-making, teamwork, employee motivation, or communication can translate into loss of customers, loss of market share, loss of organization assets, and above all, loss of life. In such a safety-sensitive, customer service-centric environment, the traditional product-centered industrialRead MoreBest article11361 Words   |  46 Pagesbe as much a test of strategy as a contest between two airlines. United and other big carriers like USAir and Continental have decided that they can lower their costs by creating a so-called airline-within-an-airline that offers low fares, few flights, and frequent service. The new operations are unabashedly modeled after Southwest, the pioneer of this strategy and keeper of the healthiest balance sheet in the industry.2 The reasons for this competition were easy to understand. Over 45 percent

Feral Hogs Free Essays

Feral hogs have recently become a problem in middle Tennessee. Although these animals are not native to this area, it is believed that the hogs were brought in illegally for sport hunting. Although this move was ill advised, the wild hogs were trapped and brought into North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. We will write a custom essay sample on Feral Hogs or any similar topic only for you Order Now If not controlled, the overpopulation of these animals will continue to cause extensive damage for residents. Wild hogs have continued to overpopulate areas and in an effort to find new land and areas of food sources, have continued to move west. These hogs are becoming a nuisance as far west as Wilson County in Tennessee. Feral hogs are hunted for sport in east Tennessee, as they have been for many years. With the illegal transportation to Tennessee, and migration east, the animals have become a nuisance quickly. A female pig can reproduce twice a year with a litter of up to eight piglets each time. This can add up quickly since there are not many predators of wild hogs. Pigs are highly adaptable to most areas and can tolerate a wide range of climates. Wild hogs also eat mostly plants but will also eat insects, worms, bird eggs, small birds, and reptiles. Feral hogs reproduce rapidly, increasing their population dramatically and very quickly. The hogs not only cause damage to farms, they can also transmit diseases to livestock. Jason Garrett of the Overton County Cattleman’s Association says, â€Å"This is a serious threat to all of agriculture† (Garrett). If the wild hog population is not controlled, these animals can take a toll on farmland and also on revenues from crop and livestock production. Wild hogs can be an extreme nuisance to farmers. A total of $1. 5 billion lost annually because of wild hog damage plus the potential crippling effects that disease transmission could have on the livestock industry. They can damage cropland in various ways: eating crops, trampling crops, rooting in the farmland and damaging the plants roots. â€Å"They just tear up everything that they come to, and make trails across all the fields†¦ And just wander out in the corn stalks and maul down what they don’t eat†¦ just mow them down. said Overton County farmer, Freddie Paul (Paul). While making these trails, they also create ruts that can damage farm equipment and endanger the operator of the equipment. This can be not only dangerous but also costly to repair. The way the economy is presently, most farmers cannot afford to deal with costly or unexpected repairs. Wild hogs will also prey on livestock. This is another hit on a farmer’s checkbook. Cattle are the main i ncome for most livestock farmers in middle Tennessee. The diseases spread by theses hogs pose a serious threat to farmers income as well. As of July 31, 2011, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) put an end to sport hunting of wild hogs and placed into effect some new hunting regulations to assist in population control of wild hogs. The TWRA has removed wild hogs from big game status and place them in a nuisance category. This implementation technically takes the sport out of wild hog hunting and turns it into eradication efforts. This will allow landowners to use more methods to trap and kill the hogs, methods such as using rifles during daylight hours and live traps with bait. Landowners are also allowed to shoot hogs at night, using bait all year, with no weapon restrictions. During an interview with TWRA Officer, Pete Geesling, he explained some of the new changes: Landowners, family members legally allowed to hunt the property without a license and up to 10 designees may assist in the control effort provided by the methods exemption. No more than 10 individuals may be used as designees annually. The exemption will allow shooting at night with the aid of artificial light, shooting over bait during big game season, or any other methods, approved by TWRA. Dogs may be used as part of the experimental management program in Overton, Fentress, Cumberland and Pickett counties, but no dogs may be used during November or December (Geesling). The TWRA has previously and continues to adjust hunting regulations to aid in eradication efforts. However, research has shown that until these eradication hunts become more evenly spread across the affected area, they may only multiply the problem. Overpopulation will exacerbate in regions, causing more damage, and the efforts to find new food sources will lead these hogs to new areas. The citizens and farmers of Tennessee, along with TWRA, must work to spread awareness to areas that are beginning to see this problem and try to eliminate it early. The heavily affected areas must continue an eradication effort until the wild hog population is reduced drastically, allowing farmers to reclaim their land. Works Cited â€Å"Controlling Wild Hogs. † Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Web. April 02, 2012. ;http://tn. gov/twra/feralhog. html;. Garrett, Jason. Personal Interview. 1 April 2012. Geesling, Pete. Personal Interview. 1 April 2012. Paul, Freddie. Person Interview. 31 March 2012. How to cite Feral Hogs, Essay examples

Personal Statement Climate Change Essay Example

Personal Statement Climate Change Essay The main reason of my fascination for climate change issues is that this challenge has brought to surface the impacts and consequences of what I consider the worst face of ignorance:greed; and it raised the importance of collaboration. Nowadays, while there is still uncertainty about the best way to address global warming, there is no doubt that all parties -governments, businessmen, scientists- now understand that they must work together to discover WAP of managing what we are facing, and as a result interesting terms for collaboration have appeared such as common but differentiated reasonableness. For almost two years, I have enjoyed the Implementation of energy climate projects and learned that achieving sustainable development In our rapidly changing world Is, for Mexican competitiveness, more Important than ever. This Is why decision makers need to realize that it is required to do more forward-planning than having a Walt and see approach. Another lesson learned with this professional experience is that there are too many variables to take into account in a decision process so it is necessary to learn the proper skills to obtain the ability to recognize all the significant elements and know how to manage them. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Statement Climate Change specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Statement Climate Change specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Statement Climate Change specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Thus, a combination of this lessons with personal interests lead me to find a course of study with an intersection of modeling, science and business with a crucial application at energy climate field. As a result, I selected Master courses related with systems dynamics methodology, some courses with a more direct relationship than others; but all of them will help me to learn how to give order to collaboration and add strategic focus to any given situation. I will gain knowledge to design systems, how to manage risk and uncertainty and most important: identify key elements and read the interactions between them. I am excited to obtain this type of knowledge because I am aware that unsystematic approaches can lead to errors of judgment, lack of appreciation and high costly ineffective solutions. Therefore, with a postgraduate degree In this topic I will be able to apply systems analysis in climate change decisions. I know that the good Ideas and experts for findings solutions to global warming Ill all around us but the work In this field remain unconnected. Thus, In my return my best contribution to this challenge will e connect these efforts strategically In order to create new opportunities for collaborative actions leading to a positive and effective change on key Issues. Personal Statement Climate Change By Carmen that they must work together to discover ways of managing what we are facing, and differentiated responsibilities. For almost two years, I have enjoyed the implementation of energy climate projects and learned that achieving sustainable development in our rapidly changing world is, for Mexican competitiveness, more important than ever. This is why decision makers deed to realize that it is required to do more forward-planning than having a Wait Therefore, with a postgraduate degree in this topic I will be able to apply systems analysis in climate change decisions. I know that the good ideas and experts for findings solutions to global warming lie all around us but the work in this field remain unconnected. Thus, in my return my best contribution to this challenge will be connect these efforts strategically in order to create new opportunities for collaborative actions leading to a positive and effective change on key issues.

buy custom Health Insurance essay

buy custom Health Insurance essay Health insurance is a term used to explain a program which assists in paying medical expenses. The term is common in the United States. It can be through social insurance or privately purchased insurance. There is a high concentration in the United States health insurance market. The top health insurance companies have formed over 400 mergers since mid of health insurance cover that is non-medical is disability income insurance. There is also supplemental coverage and long term care insurance programs that are non-medical. The health care in the United States depends heavily on health insurance. The two common insurance programs are not-to-profit and private health insurances that are available for individuals in the US. Many people do not have health insurance covers. This means that they are unable to have timely medical care. There is a 40 % higher risk of dying in comparison with those that have insurance covers. In the United States, a research carried out in 2004 showed that 45000 deaths were due to lack of health insurance cover. There is a debate in the United States over the possible remedies and causes of low level of insurance membership. The issue is analyzed together with the repercussions it has on the United States healthcare system. When one has an insurance cover, the health insurance company helps to settle the hospital bill. This means that one will not incur a heavy burden of paying the finances. When one has a health insurance cover, he or she is much more likely to visit the docto r for medical attention. There have been critics for and against health insurance in the United States. There are some reasons that can make an insurance company unable to pay medical bills. The insurance companies offering insurance cover aim at making a lot of profits. According to study done in the year 2011, by the pro-health reform group indicated an increase in profits. The nations largest health insurance companies reported more than 56% increase in profits in 2009 over the previous year. These companies include united health, WellPoint, Aetna, Humana and Cigna. They cover most of the Americans who have health insurance. The health insurance companies face a lot of critics for offering traditional insurance. This involves pooling of risks. This is because many Americans who buy the premiums do face the risks they insure themselves against. It is for this reason that health insurers can be considered to be low-risk money managers. They do gain a lot from long-term healthcare accounts. Other people argu e that insurance companies in the United States charge high administrative costs (Harry andKristina 57). The private insurance companies have a large share in the economy. They have employed more than 470000 people in the year 2004. These costs are making them unable to give complete cover on people of the United States. This has led to the high rate of death cases especially among people who require funds to have a surgery. The insurance industry has attracted weak insurer who are unable to work efficiently with hospital systems. The insurance company has attracted companies who have adopted shadow pricing. As a consequence, the companies are unable to pay for medical bills in hospitals. Many people continue to die every day when these companies fail to cater for their health expenses. In conclusion, I have a strong opinion that the health insurance companies should support people in paying medical bills. Many people are dying as illustrated. This is due to lack of finances to cater for their treatment. Those people who are undergoing surgeries should be supported by the health insurance companies regardless of whether they have paid or not. The federal government should intervene in this matter. This will help to reduce exploitation of people by the insurance industry. A lot of money go to the insurance companies from both individuals and the government. Most of these companies aim at increasing their profits. They do not get concerned with the health status of people in the United States. However, the whole industry has not failed entirely. Thus, needs a lot of improvements in the industry. I have an opinion that a law should be passed to have an extensive control of the insurance industry. Buy custom Health Insurance essay

Mein Kampf the Book Written by Adolf Hitler

Mein Kampf the Book Written by Adolf Hitler By 1925, 35-year-old Adolf Hitler was already a war veteran, leader of a political party, orchestrator of a failed coup, and a prisoner in a German prison. In July 1925, he also became a published book author with the release of the first volume of his work,  Mein Kampf (My Struggle). The book, whose first volume was largely written during his eight-month imprisonment for his leadership in the failed coup, is a rambling discourse on Hitler’s ideology and goals for the future German state.  The second volume was published in December 1926 (however, the books themselves were printed with a 1927 publication date). The text initially suffered from slow sales but, like its author would soon become a fixture in German society. Hitler’s Early Years in the Nazi Party At the end of World War I, Hitler, like so many other German veterans, found himself unemployed. So when he was offered a position to work as an informant for the newly established Weimar government, he seized the opportunity. Hitlers duties were simple; he was to attend the meetings of newly formed political organizations and report upon their activities to government officials who were monitoring these parties. One of the parties, the German Workers’ Party (DAP), captivated Hitler so much during his attendance that the following spring he left his government position and decided to dedicate himself to the DAP. That same year (1920), the party changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), or Nazi Party. Hitler quickly gained renown as a powerful speaker. Within the party’s early years, Hitler is credited with helping the party greatly increase membership through his powerful speeches against the government and the Treaty of Versailles.  Hitler is also credited with helping to design the main tenets of the party’s platform. In July 1921, a shake-up occurred within the party and Hitler found himself in the position to replace party co-founder Anton Drexler as the chairperson of the Nazi Party. Hitler's Failed Coup: The Beer Hall Putsch In the fall of 1923, Hitler decided it was time to seize upon the public’s discontent with the Weimar government and organize a putsch (coup) against both the Bavarian state government and the German federal government. With assistance from the SA, SA leader Ernst Roehm, Herman Gà ¶ring, and famous World War I General Erich von Ludendorff, Hitler and Nazi Party members stormed a Munich beer hall where members of the local Bavarian government were gathered for an event. Hitler and his men quickly brought the event to a standstill by setting up machine guns at the entrances and falsely announcing that the Nazis had seized both the Bavarian state government and the German federal government. After a short period of perceived success, several missteps led to the putsch quickly falling apart. After being shot at in the street by the German military, Hitler fled and hid for two days in the attic of a party supporter. He was then caught, arrested, and placed in Landsberg prison to await his trial for his role in the attempted Beer Hall Putsch. On Trial for Treason In March 1924, Hitler and the other leaders of the putsch were put on trial for high treason. Hitler, himself, faced possible deportation from Germany (due to his status as a non-citizen) or a life sentence in prison. He took advantage of the media coverage of the trial to paint himself as an ardent supporter of the German people and the German state, wearing his Iron Cross for Bravery in WWI and speaking out against the â€Å"injustices† perpetrated by the Weimar government and their collusion with the Treaty of Versailles. Instead of projecting himself as a man guilty of treason, Hitler came across during his 24-day trial as an individual who had the best interests of Germany in mind. He was sentenced to five years in Landsberg prison but would serve only eight months. The others on trial received lesser sentences and some were released without any penalty. The Writing of Mein Kampf Life in Landsberg prison was far from difficult for Hitler. He was permitted to walk freely throughout the grounds, wear his own clothing, and entertain visitors as he chose. He was also permitted to mingle with other prisoners, including his personal secretary, Rudolf Hess, who was imprisoned for his own part in the failed putsch. During their time together in Landsberg, Hess served as Hitler’s personal typist while Hitler dictated some of the work that would become known as the  first volume of Mein Kampf. Hitler decided to write Mein Kampf for a two-fold purpose: to share his ideology with his followers and also to help recoup some of the legal expenses from his trial. Interestingly, Hitler originally proposed the title, Four-and-a-Half Years of Struggle Against Lies, Stupidity, and Cowardice; it was his publisher who shortened it to My Struggle or Mein Kampf. Volume 1 The first volume of Mein Kampf, subtitled â€Å"Eine Abrechnung† or â€Å"A Reckoning,† was written mostly during Hitler’s stay in Landsberg and ultimately consisted of 12 chapters when it was published in July 1925. This first volume covered Hitler’s childhood through the initial development of the Nazi Party. Although many of the book’s readers thought it would be autobiographical in nature, the text itself only uses Hitler’s life events as a springboard for long-winded diatribes against those he viewed as inferior, particularly the Jewish people. Hitler also frequently wrote against the political scourges of Communism, which he purported was directly linked to the Jews, whom he believed were attempting to take over the world. Hitler also wrote that the present German government and its democracy was failing the German people and that his plan to remove the German parliament and instate the Nazi Party as the leadership would save Germany from future ruin. Volume 2 Volume two of Mein Kampf, subtitled â€Å"Die Nationalsozialistische Bewegung,† or â€Å"The National Socialist Movement,† consisted of 15 chapters and was published in December 1926. This volume was intended to cover how the Nazi Party was founded; however, it was more of a rambling discourse of Hitler’s political ideology. In this second volume, Hitler laid out his goals for future German success. Crucial to the success of Germany, Hitler believed, was gaining more â€Å"living space†. He wrote that this gain should be made by first spreading the German empire to the East, into the land of the inferior Slavic peoples who should be enslaved and their natural resources confiscated for the better, more racially pure, German people. Hitler also discussed the methods he would employ to gain the support of the German populace, including a massive propaganda campaign and the rebuilding of the German military. Reception for Mein Kampf The initial reception for Mein Kampf was not particularly impressive; the book sold roughly 10,000 copies in its first year. Most of the book’s initial purchasers were either Nazi Party faithful or members of the general public who were wrongly anticipating a scandalous autobiography. By the time Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, approximately 250,000 copies of the book’s two volumes had been sold. Hitler’s ascension to the chancellorship breathed new life into sales of Mein Kampf. For the first time, in 1933, sales of the full edition eclipsed the one million mark. Several special editions were also created and distributed to the German people. For instance, it became customary for every newlywed couple in Germany to receive a special newlywed’s edition of the work. By 1939, 5.2 million copies had been sold. At the outset of World War II, additional copies were distributed to each soldier. Copies of the work were also customary gifts for other life milestones such as graduations and births of children. By the war’s end in 1945, the number of copies sold rose to 10 million. However, despite its popularity on the printing presses, most Germans would later admit that they had not read the 700-page, two-volume text to any great extent. Mein Kampf Today With Hitler’s suicide and the conclusion of World War II, the property rights of Mein Kampf went to the Bavarian state government (since Munich was Hitler’s last official address before the Nazi seizure of power). Leaders in the Allied-occupied portion of Germany, which contained Bavaria, worked with Bavarian authorities to institute a ban on the publication of Mein Kampf within Germany. Upheld by the reunified German government, that ban  continued until 2015. In 2015, the copyright on Mein Kampf expired and the work became part of the public domain, thus negating the ban. In an effort to prevent the book from further becoming a tool of neo-Nazi hatred, the Bavarian state government has begun a campaign to publish annotated editions in several languages with hopes that these educational editions will become more popular than editions published for other, less noble, purposes. Mein Kampf still remains one of the most widely published and known books in the world. This work of racial hatred was a blueprint for the plans of one of the most destructive governments in world history. Once a fixture in German society, there is hope that today it can serve as a learning tool to prevent such tragedies in future generations.

Business statistics-----Summarizing Data Statistics Project

Business -----Summarizing Data - Statistics Project Example Given this trend income is likely to increase and people now can afford more luxury items. The major increase was in people earning above $40000 and decline in the income below that range. This shows that this income is becoming a base-line income with time. During the same period there has been increase in Asian ethnicity in the USA and decrease in other ethnicities. So, in developing country those snacks the taste of Asian community should be under great consideration and as they have increased by about 60% in 2000 when comparing with 1990s. Similarly there has been a trend that people are moving towards buying their own house than living in rented house. This shows increase in Living Standard and Disposable income which mean that people will be able to afford the snacks if they are good. As far as employment statistics are concerned there has been an increase in absolute number of people employed but percentage wise unemployment has risen which is not a good indicator. Those in work, Most of them drive themselves to work alone. This shows the increase in living standard as people are not using motor cycles to work and very few of them taking public transport to work. Most of the people take around 20-34 minutes to reach their work.

Critical analysis of an Artifact of popular culture Essay

Critical analysis of an Artifact of popular culture - Essay Example viewed, following with examination of two artifacts taken from it as well as identification of the audience for which it was intended; finally, the function of the meanings will be explored. The movie Nightcrawler presents a story which shows that some professionals are willing to sacrifice their ethical principles in order to keep the job. This largely contradicts with the conventional perception that â€Å"practical results often count more that do self improvement, ethics, or other principles† (Brummett 195). Speaking of the context of the movie, it would not be an exaggeration to point out that it largely employs different themes from the modern world when numerous people gained access to various electronic devices and the public is no longer interested in the news unless something extremely horrible is shown. Thus, the influence of technology should be viewed through the prism that it â€Å"is never composed of merely the electronic of mechanical but is also made up of the social uses of electronic or mechanical† (Brummett 295). In other words, the context for this text might be read as reactive since the plot of the movie is conditioned by the events that have already taken place and shaped the current state of affairs. There are several artifacts that should be analyzed in great detail. On the one hand, there is the camera which is constantly shown in the hands of the main character. Indeed, for the majority of people it is not able to convey any extraordinary message; however, in the context of the movie, as well as the kind of events that it becomes associated with, the ordinary camera becomes and important artifact. The next object on which the story also focuses is the radio that the main character bought. It is quite obvious that the acquisition of the two above mentioned objects was able to mark his â€Å"career† as a nightcrawler. While the camera and the radio are not usually associated together, they become and important tools that drive the

Technique Of Montage In Cinema Media Essay

Technique Of Montage In Cinema Media Essay I have selected two films to help me to illustrate the significance of the technique of montage in cinema. They are David Wark Griffiths Birth of a Nation and Sergei Eisensteins Battleship Potemkin. I will be using the points of view of an ordinary audience as well as a cultural military historian to examine the impact of montage on our reading of the film cited. What is Montage? Montage in general parlance is a method of organising and editing the visuals ‘scenes whose emotional impact and visual design are achieved through the editing together of many brief shots†¦..montage may expand or contract time and space. In other words, it is an editing technique that combines or separates frames to construct narrative, sense of continuity and discontinuity and juxtapositions. Classic Examples Bollywood cinema showing a montage sequence where two brothers jump off a train and suddenly they are seven years older Montage of the mall-dwellers relaxing and having a fun time in the mall. Threshold of change In 1920s, montage was ahead of its time. Eisensteins prescience strikes us from the vantage point of the present, when we are at the cusp of a changeover from analogue modes of perception and representation to the the dispersed sensibility of the dital technology. The modern television screen typifies this shift as a site where montage and collage conflate all at once. The viewer is expected to, and does, multi-task, taking in several elements and actions simultaneously the talking heads, the intervening visuals, the text scrolls, the flash news, the sensex bar in a corner, the advertisement pop-ups and so on. Unilinear attentiveness and experience of the media are being replaced by a non-linear grasp of the clutter. True, the average mainstream star-strapped cinema, with its iconising impulse, yet uses this digital possibility very superficially. But already with digital surround sound in cinema theatres, the sound track is an experience of severalness. What montage might do to de construct the conventional rectangular screen we are riveted to and similarly unbundled and disperse our viewing experience is a fascinating thought. ‘Battleship Potemkin- An Analysis How sound image juxtapositions express meaning Eisenstein (1898-1948), a graduate of Russia State Film School, has been renowned as an advocate of Soviet theories of film montage. His montage theory is also ideological in some ways like Griffiths but his is more revolutionary in terms of aesthetics and political circumstances (dialectical montage punctuated by Marxism), and his theory aims chiefly at the audience psyche. He argues that film has its greatest impact not by the smooth unrolling of images, but by their juxtaposition ‘montage is an idea that arises from the collision of independent shots shots even opposing to one another. His central concept is the collision of elements, in other words, shots should not be seen as linked, but rather as conflicting with one another. Eisenstein considers montage as a creative film element that is significant in creating: Dramatic Form Metric Montage Rhythm in the Narrative Rhythmic Montage Metaphor and Analogy- Overtonal Montage Dynamic in building up the films meaning Intellectual Montage The fourth point is the most important because no matter they are ideological or anti-ideological tools, films are made to help the audience to produce new perceptions, emotions and cognitions in the mind and to visualise the invisible conflict between the film elements. Battleship Potemkin is a class-conscious revolutionary propaganda, ordered up by the Russian revolutionary leadership for the 20th anniversary of the Potemkin uprising in 1905. The reason was because Lenin believed this film could encourage his people to support and join the proletariat in overthrowing old order. Despite of its multifarious responsibilities, the film has created an impact as montage being the forms most important film grammar. I will now move on to dialectical montage. Eisenstein suggests that we should achieve conflicts in film by using point, counterpoint and fusion. The following are examples of dialectical montage in Battleship Potemkin: How montage stimulates meaning for the viewer Cutting between the Battleships surgeon and the maggot-infested meat that the sailors are meant to eat to suggest a contradiction and absurdity of the order (to eat the rotten meat). Cutting between ghostly figures hanging and clenched fists, furthered by an inter-title ‘Down with the tyrants! to legitimise peoples anger. Cutting between the fearful faces of the unarmed citizens and the faceless militia in uniform to give a reason for the people against the ruthless czarist state. The numerous cuts in the Odessa steps sequence build the individual moments of terror into an unbearable emotional climax. This is a perfect example to demonstrate Eisensteins montage theory in relation to the forming of intellectual concepts and associations. How Sound Image juxtapositions produce meaning Firstly, he uses images of still objects to line up with images of the massacre to create a metaphorical juxtaposition: through the dynamic editing of three lion statues, he implies the awakening of anger and rebellion. The juxtaposition of these two different subjects of images (one of human, the other of symbolic image or prop) is a valuable propaganda device because it encourages viewers to deduce for themselves that the symbol describes the character. Secondly, in a fragmentary way, he shows the attacking militia by a line of marching boots advancing down the steps, this is to emphasise the militias impersonal and oppressive nature. He further contrasts it with the powerlessness of the revolutionary citizens-victims by showing a legless man who escapes with difficulty from the cold bullets. And as the troops march ahead, a military boot crushes a childs hand. There is also an old woman who is seen with eyeglasses in her first appearance then in the second shot of her, one of the glasses has been pierced by a bullet which signifies her death. Thirdly, there are shots of a mother with a baby carriage. As the mother is shot by the militia and begins to fall, there are cuts to her carriage perched dangerously close to the edge of a step. Interspersed with these individual scenes of cruelty are shots of the fleeing crowd and the approaching line of militia occasionally firing into the crowd. The fear generated by this montage is reinforced as the mother collapses and sends the carriage hurtling out of control down the steps. Eisenstein uses a lot of close-ups of the citizens like the old woman whose glasses are pierced through by bullet, the legless man, the small boy whose hand is trampled, and his terrified mother to increase the emotional impact of the sequence. The average length of each shot in this sequence is about two seconds, giving the audience barely a chance to breathe amongst the chaos. In the above examples we see that montage involves a dialectical process that creates a new third meaning from combining the mea nings of two sets of adjacent shots. Although the real 1905 revolution was repressed by the Czarist regime, Eisenstein does not depict the sailors final downfall, opting instead for an ambiguous, deliberately mythologised ending. The Story of the Montage In the film, the story goes like this: news of the uprising on Potemkin reaches the Russian squadron, which speeds towards Odessa to put it down. The Potemkin and a destroyer, also commanded by revolutionaries, steam out to meet them. Again Eisenstein uses montage to cut between the approaching squadron, the brave Potemkin, and details of the onboard preparation, he creates a tension for the precarious situation. At the very last moment, the men of the Potemkin signal their comrades in the squadron to join them, after a few good minutes of suspension, the Potemkin eventually steams among the oncoming ships without a shot being fired at it the sailors of the rival Russian fleets do not open fire on the Potemkin, responding humanely to her pleas to join them instead. Amid much cheering from sailors on all ships, the inter-title ‘Brothers! appears. The very specific dialectic approach to film form, which Eisenstein is engaged with, surrounds the idea of art always being conflict; its social mission is to make manifest the contradictions of being. Eisenstein acknowledges that montage is the most suitable for the expression of ideological statements; the films last sequence I have just gone through in the previous paragraph has demonstrated the brotherhood of man and the solidarity of the working-class. As a reinforcement of the ideology of revolution, Eisensteins ending for the film is directed towards the unwritten future, rather than the recreation of the past. ‘Birth of a Nation An Analysis Birth of a Nation is one of the complex subjects in American film history. Apart from the controversial representation of the black race and the ambitious depiction of American history during the period of Civil War and Reconstruction, the cinematic language developed by Griffith is influential within the film-making sphere. This language is comprehensive and allows effective communication with the audience. One of the essential skills in the language system is the technique of montage. In addition to exploring the potential of flashbacks, eyeline matches and camera distances, his earliest pictures also showed that individual shots were cinematic phrases that could be edited together into meaningful sequence without a concrete dramatic logic to link them. For instance, by using rapid cutting, the scene in which Lynch attempts to forced marriage to Elsie intersects with three other sequences: first, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) speeding to rescue the victim (Elsie); second, the KKK clearin g the rest of the unruly blacks out of town; third, the KKK approaching to rescue the trapped Cameron family. 4. In the above series of shots, audience are watching Elsie under increasingly dangerous moral and sexual threat, ‘at the same location in time, audience sees the glorious KKK troops riding to rescue, the tension grows until it gets to a point ‘when the two (sequences of shots) are finally brought together which is the victory of the KKK over Lynch and the other blacks. The symbolic arrangement of shots does not only create a rhythm for the narrative, it also generates a tense juxtaposition that carries the audiences emotion to ‘the next higher power. By using montage, Griffith has established the KKK as the heroes of the drama in all these different scenarios, the KKK make every effort to fight for the interest of the whites. It may not be very impressive for audience in todays cultural and intellectual environment, however for the American audience in 1915, the experience was different; this scene literally involved them with its convincing images and ideological message. As a matter of fact, many of those who had watched Birth of a Nation were so motivated that they gathered to join the rejuvenated KKK. This film is a facsimile, but it is a powerful one that is perceived by many people as true, Carter puts it this way: ‘The picture projects one of the most persistent cultural illusions; it presents vividly and dramatically the ways in which a whole people have reacted to their history With the awareness of a cultural historian, we should take a step back from these scenes and appreciate the careful direction and choreography of the mass and individual movements. We can also look into Griffiths proficient use of montage which like what I have pointed out, functions ideologically in Birth of a Nation. Conclusion As I have said, in silent cinema where visual images are the major elements, montage is particularly important. In both Birth of a Nation and Battleship Potemkin, images cutting back and forth, amid the repetitive and rhythmic score composed by keyboard, percussion, half-heard cries, speech and choral, create a rapid rhythm, aggressive and dangerous atmosphere. On a higher level, montage is used to provoke the audiences emotional recognition and go further to stimulate their intellectual reflexivity and perception. Montage is creative and abstract, a cinematic abstraction of reality that is able to explicitly shape events for maximum effect of agitation. Montage can open up new non-narrative avenues in film-making. It still has considerable impact on the cinema, both in an aesthetic or cult manner, like the Wong Kar-wais and Quentin Tarantinos films, and in a political or ideological sense, like Oliver Stones JFK and R Zemeckiss Forrest Gump. Nevertheless, montage is no longer the only channel through which images can be played around, when film-making nowadays is often partially or largely aided by digital technology, the space for the potential of visuals to expand is indeed unlimited. NOTES ON EDITING Editing is one of the most important parts of modern television lest modern television would cease to exist. Creation of Topic/Story The story is the skeleton of the edit and helps organise the edit into chapters and topics much as in writing. Rhythm and Pacing Rhythm and pacing are very important within edits because if we are editing a news story then it must be very fast with shots not lasting more than around 3 seconds. If we take the feature film and look at its basic structure then we may be able to edit the project down to around 25 minutes to fit within television schedules. The pacing will be much faster and more information will be given. If it is edited properly then the viewer should have the same feeling seeing a half hour version as for a 1hr 36 minutes version. When watching an action film such as Die Another Day we expect the cutting to be very fast, many shots to show various angles and to extend the action as far as possible to amaze the audience and in parts to contribute a little humour. In contrast if we were to watch Pride and Prejudice we would see far longer shots with a lower variety of shot sizes and elements. Although the definition of montage is editing, the term montage refers to many aspects of cinema. It is often used to suggest artistic editing, or to suggest rapid, stimulating editing. However, montage theory influences a range of filmmaking including imagery, pace and timing of editing and spectator response. The film which demonstrates preeminently the various uses of montage is The Battleship Potemkin . Conversely, montage is often a diverse and personal form of expression and there are many good examples, such as Un Chein Andalou (1929; Luis Bunuel Salvador Dali) and Citizen Kane (Orson Welles; 1941). The theory of montage arises from the work of Lev Kuleshov, who established the a + b = c definition of montage. He discovered that a picture followed by another picture produces a thought; this phenomenon is often called the Kuleshov effect. Kuleshov conducted a series of experiments, which included showing a picture of a silent, open mouth followed by a bird flying through the sky, which made people think that the mouth was singing. When he showed people the open mouth followed by a picture of food, people thought the mouth was hungry. It was from those experiments that our concept of montage developed. The imagery of the Kuleshov effect is shown below in the montage triangle. The a + b = c definition is useful because the letters can be substituted for other things. For instance, during the Kuleshov effect the spectator is effectively shown two noun-pictures, a picture of an open mouth followed by a flying bird. The spectator thought the mouth was singing, which is a verb. When Kuleshov showed the open mouth followed by a plate of bread, people thought the mouth was hungry, which is an adjective. The Kuleshov effect allows us to show pictures of nouns in such a way that people can think of words from different parts of speech, such as a verb or an adjective. It is this type of communication, achieved by montage, which gives cinema so much artistic and intellectual value.

Coyote Blue Chapter 6~7

CHAPTER 6 A Malady of Medicine Santa Barbara â€Å"Look, Sam,† Aaron said. â€Å"I can see that you're not thrilled about the buy-out. So be it. I understand that you've put a lot into this agency. I can give you forty cents on the dollar, but you'll have to take a note. I'm a little cash poor since Katie made me put that trophy room on the house.† Sam looked down from the deer head. â€Å"Aaron, I didn't hire an Indian to attack Jim Cable. I still had half of the deal wrapped up with Cochran, which would have put me in the door at any time in the future to close Cable. I wouldn't have jeopardized that.† Aaron took two hand mirrors out of his desk drawer and began to juxtapose them to get a glimpse of the back of his head. Sam was used to this – it was Aaron's hourly balding check. â€Å"Cochran's secretary saw the Indian get out of your car,† Aaron said matter-of-factly. Then, looking back to the mirrors, he said, â€Å"I've been mixing Minoxidil with a little Retin A and that stuff the Man from U.N.C.L.E. sells on TV. Do you think it's working?† Sam thought of the feather on the car seat. He was sure he'd locked the car; there was no way the Indian could get in without setting off the alarm. â€Å"I don't care what anyone saw, I didn't hire the fucking Indian to attack Cable and I can't believe you bought their story without asking me.† The anger felt good. It cleared his head a little. Aaron put the mirrors down on the desk and smiled. â€Å"I didn't buy it, Sam. But if it was true you can't blame me for taking a shot at your shares.† â€Å"You greedy little fuck.† â€Å"Sam.† Aaron lowered his voice and took his  «fatherly » tone. â€Å"Samuel.† A little wink. â€Å"Sammy, hasn't my greed always been in your best interest? I'm just trying to keep you sharp, son. Would you have had any respect for me if I hadn't tried to make the best of a bad situation? That's the first thing I taught you.† â€Å"I don't know any Indian. It didn't happen, Aaron.† â€Å"If you say it didn't, it didn't. You've always been straight with me. I don't even remember the time you cut all the cords off those smoke alarms we were selling because that lady wanted cordless models.† â€Å"You told me to do that! I was only seventeen years old.† â€Å"Right, well, how was I to know she smoked in bed?† â€Å"Look, Aaron, I'll find out what happened at Motion Marine and take care of it first thing in the morning. If they call back while I'm out, try not to sign a confession for me, okay? I've had an incredibly shitty day and I've got to meet someone on upper State Street in a few minutes, so if that's all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You really like the new head?† Normally Sam would have lied, but with so many questions filling his head his highly developed lying center seemed to have shut down. â€Å"It sucks, Aaron. It sucks and I think you should sue the Man from U.N.C.L.E.† He walked out as Aaron was snatching up his hand mirrors. Gabriella was just hanging up the phone when Sam walked in. â€Å"That was the security director from your condominium association, Mr. Hunter. He'd like to talk to you right away. The association is holding an emergency meeting tonight to discuss what they are going to do about your dog.† â€Å"I don't have a dog.† â€Å"He was very upset. I have his number, but he insisted upon seeing you in person before the† – she checked her notepad – â€Å"‘lynch mob gets hold of you. â€Å" â€Å"Call him back and tell him that I don't have a dog. Dogs aren't allowed in the complex.† â€Å"He mentioned that, sir. That seems to be the problem. He said that your dog was on your back patio howling and refused to let anyone get near it and if you didn't get up there he would have to call the police.† All Sam could think was Not today. He said, â€Å"All right, call them and tell them I'm on my way. And call the garage down the street and have them come up and fix the flat tire on that orange Datsun out front. Have them bill it to my card.† â€Å"You have a three o'clock appointment with Mrs. Wittingham.† â€Å"Cancel it.† Sam started out of the office. â€Å"Mr. Hunter, this is a death claim. Mr. Wittingham passed away last week and she wants you to help fill out the papers.† â€Å"Gabriella, let me clue you in on something: once the client is dead we can afford to be a little lax on the service. The chance of repeat business is, well, unlikely. So reschedule the appointment or handle it yourself.† â€Å"But sir, I've never done a death claim before.† â€Å"It's easy: feel for a pulse; if there isn't one, give them the money.† â€Å"I am not amused, Mr. Hunter. I try to maintain a businesslike manner around here and you continually undermine me.† â€Å"Handle it, Gabriella. Call the garage. I have to go.† It was only five minutes from Sam's office to his condo in the Cliffs, a three-hundred-unit complex on Santa Barbara's mesa. From Sam's back deck he could look across the city to the Santa Lucia Mountains and from his bedroom window he could see the ocean. Sam had once rented the apartment, but when the Cliffs went condo ten years before he optioned to buy it. Since then the value of his apartment had increased six hundred percent. The complex offered three swimming pools, saunas, a weight room, and tennis courts. It was restricted to adults without children or dogs, but cats were allowed. When Sam first moved in, the Cliffs had a reputation as a swinging singles complex, a party mecca. Now, after the rise in real estate prices and the death of the middle class, most of the residents were retirees or wealthy professional couples, and the cooperative agreement they all signed set strict limitations on noise and numbers of visitors. A team of security guards patrolled the complex in go lf carts twenty-four hours a day under the supervision of a hard-nosed ex-burglar named Josh Spagnola. Sam parked the Mercedes by Spagnola's office in the back of the Cliffs' clubhouse, which, with its terra-cotta courtyards, stucco arches, and wrought-iron gates, looked more like the casa grande of a Spanish hacienda than a meeting place for condo dwellers. The door to the office was open and Sam walked in to find Spagnola shouting into the phone. Sam had never heard the wiry security chief shout. This was a bad sign. â€Å"No, I can't just shoot the damn dog! The owner is on the way, but I'm not going into his townhouse and shooting his dog, rules or no rules.† Sam noticed that even in anger Spagnola remembered to use the word townhouse to refer to the apartment. No one wanted to pay a half-million dollars for an apartment; a townhouse was another thing. People were touchy about how one referred to their homes. When Sam was selling to people who lived in trailers he always referred to them as mobile estates. The term added a certain structural integrity; you never heard on the news of a tornado touching down and ripping the shit out of a park full of mobile estates. â€Å"I am listening, Dr. Epstein,† Spagnola continued. â€Å"But you don't seem to understand my position on you missing your nap. I don't give a desiccated damn. I don't give a reconstituted damn. I don't give a creamed damn on toast. I don't give a damn. I'm not entering Mr. Hunter's home until he arrives.† Spagnola looked up and gestured for Sam to sit. Then he grinned, mimed a mimic of the caller he was listening to, looked bored, feigned falling asleep, gestured the international sign language for being jerked off, then said, â€Å"Is that so, Doctor? Well, as far as I know I have no superiors since the Crucifixion, so give it your best shot.† He slammed down the phone. Sam said, â€Å"Got something on Dr. Epstein?† Spagnola smiled. â€Å"He's porking the Cliffs' highly ethical Monday-Wednesday-Friday masseuse.† â€Å"Everybody's porking her.† â€Å"No, everybody's porking the Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday masseuse. Monday-Wednesday-Friday is very exclusive.† â€Å"And highly ethical.† â€Å"Says so in the brochure.† Spagnola grinned, then casually picked up a legal pad from his desk and looked it over. â€Å"Samuel, my friend, your puppy has kept me on the phone with charming folks like Epstein all day. Shall I read you the log?† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about, Josh. I don't have a dog.† â€Å"Then you will want to notify security about the large canine that is currently on your back deck disturbing Dr. Epstein's nap.† â€Å"I'm not kidding, Josh. If there's a dog on my deck I don't know anything about it.† Sam suddenly remembered that he'd left the sliding door to the deck open. â€Å"Christ!† â€Å"Yes, the door is open. I've told you about that before, it's an invitation to burglars.† â€Å"That deck is twenty feet off the ground. How did a dog get up there? How did it get in my apartment without setting off the alarm?† â€Å"I was wondering that same thing. If it isn't your dog, how did it get up there? It looks bad. The other association members are having an emergency meeting tonight to discuss the problem.† â€Å"There isn't a problem. Let's just go get the damn dog and take it to the pound.† â€Å"Yes, let's. I'll read the log to you while we walk over.† Spagnola rose, picked up the legal pad, and led Sam out the door, then paused, locked the office, and set the alarm. â€Å"Can't trust anyone,† he said. They walked brick paths shaded with arbors of pink and red bougainvillea while Spagnola read. â€Å"Nine A.M.: Mrs. Feldstein calls to report that a wolf has just urinated on her wisterias. I ignored that one. Nine oh-five: Mrs. Feldstein reports that the wolf is forcibly having sex with her Persian cat. I went on that call myself, just to see it. Nine ten: Mrs. Feldstein reports that the wolf ate the Persian after having his way with it. There was some blood and fur on her walk when I got there, but no wolf.† â€Å"Is this thing a wolf?† Sam asked. â€Å"I don't think so. I've only seen it from below your deck. It has the right coloring for a coyote, but it's too damn big. Naw, it can't be a wolf. You sure you didn't bring home some babe last night who forgot to tell you that she had a furry friend in the car?† â€Å"Please, Josh.† â€Å"Okay. Ten fourteen: Mrs. Narada reports that her cat has been attacked by a large dog. Now I send all the boys out looking, but they don't find anything until eleven. Then one of them calls in that a big dog has just bitten holes in the tires on his golf cart and run off. Eleven thirty: Dr. Epstein makes his first lost-nap call: dog howling. Eleven thirty-five: Mrs. Norcross is putting the kids out on the deck for some burgers when a big dog jumps over the rail, eats the burgers, growls at the kids, runs off. First mention of lawsuit.† â€Å"Kids? We've got her right there,† Sam said. â€Å"Kids aren't allowed.† â€Å"Her grandkids are visiting from Michigan. She filed the proper papers.† Spagnola took a deep breath and started into the log again. â€Å"Eleven forty-one: large dog craps in Dr. Yamata's Aston Martin. Twelve oh-three: dog eats two, count 'em, two of Mrs. Wittingham's Siamese cats. She just lost her husband last week; this sort of put her over the edge. We had to call Dr. Yamata in off the putting green to give her a sedative. The personal-injury lawyer in the unit next to hers was home for lunch and he came over to help. He was talking class action then, and we didn't even know who owned the dog yet.† â€Å"You still don't.† Spagnola ignored Sam. â€Å"From twelve thirty to one we had mass sightings and frequent urinations – I won't bore you with details – then one of my guys spotted the dog and followed it to your building, where it disappeared for a minute and reappeared on your deck.† â€Å"Disappeared? Josh, aren't you screening these guards for drug use?† â€Å"I think he meant that he lost sight of it. Anyway, it's been on your deck for a couple of hours and all the residents are convinced that it's your dog. They want to boot you out of the complex.† â€Å"They can't do that. I own the place.† â€Å"Technically, Sam, they can. You own shares in the whole complex, and in the event of a two-thirds vote by the residents they can force you to sell your shares for what you paid for them. It's in the agreement you signed. I looked it up.† They were about a hundred yards from Sam's building and Sam could now hear the howling. â€Å"That apartment's worth five times what I paid for it.† â€Å"It is on the open market, but not to the other residents. Don't worry about it, Sam. It's not your dog, right?† â€Å"Right.† Outside Sam's front door thirty of his neighbors were waiting, talking in heated tones, and glancing around. â€Å"There he is!† one shouted, pointing toward Sam and Spagnola. For a moment Sam was grateful that Spagnola was at his side, and at Spagnola's side was a.38 special. The ex-burglar leaned to Sam and whispered, â€Å"Don't say anything. Not a word. This could get ugly – I see at least two lawyers in that bunch.† Spagnola raised his hands and walked toward the crowd. â€Å"Folks, I know you're angry, but we need Mr. Hunter alive if we're going to deal with the problem.† â€Å"Thanks,† Sam said under his breath. â€Å"No charge,† Spagnola said. â€Å"It never occurred to them to kill you. Now they'll be embarrassed and go home. Lynchings are so politically incorrect, you know.† Spagnola stopped and waited. Sam stayed beside him. As if the security chief had choreographed it, the people in front of Sam's door began to look around, avoiding eye contact with one another, then shuffled off, heads down, in different directions. â€Å"You're amazing,† Sam said to Spagnola. â€Å"Nope, it's just that for a lot of years my living depended on the predictability of the professional class. Now it depends on the predictability of the criminal class. Same skills, less risk. You want me to go in first?† â€Å"You have the gun.† â€Å"Okay, you wait here.† Spagnola unlocked the door and palmed it open slowly. When the door was open just enough for him to pass, the thin security guard snaked through the opening and closed the door behind him. Sam noticed that the howling had stopped. He put his ear to the door and listened, forgetting for a moment that he had installed a soundproof fire door. A few minutes passed before the latch clicked and Spagnola poked his head out. â€Å"Well?† Sam said. â€Å"How attached are you to that leather sofa?† â€Å"It's insured,† Sam said. â€Å"Why, did he tear it up? Is he in there?† â€Å"He's in here, but I was wondering if you had some sort of – well – sentimental attachment to the sofa.† â€Å"No. Why? What's going on?† Spagnola threw the door open and stepped out of the way. Sam looked through the foyer into the sunken living room, where a large tan dog had his teeth dug into the arm of the leather sofa and was humping away on it like a furry jackhammer. â€Å"Josh, shoot that animal.† â€Å"Sam, I know how you feel. You go through life thinking that you're the only one, then you walk in on something like this – it's a blow to the ego.† â€Å"Just shoot the damn dog, Josh.† â€Å"Can't do it. California law clearly states that a firearm may only be discharged in city limits in cases of imminent physical danger. Doesn't say a word about protecting the honor of someone's couch.† Sam ran down the steps into the living room, but as he approached the dog turned and growled at him. The dog laid its ears back against its head, narrowed its golden eyes, and, still growling, began to back Sam into the corner of the living room. â€Å"Josh! Does this qualify as imminent physical danger? Please say yes.† â€Å"Getting there,† Spagnola said, very calmly, as he drew his weapon. â€Å"Don't let him see you're afraid, Sam. Dogs can sense fear.† â€Å"This isn't a dog, this is a coyote. This is a wild animal, Josh.† Sam was flattened against the fifty-two-inch screen of his television and was still pushing so that the television was tilting back, ready to fall. He could smell a foul, musky odor coming off the animal. â€Å"Shoot it, please. Now, please.† â€Å"Quiet, Sam. I'm aiming. You can't shoot them in the head. They need that to see if it's rabid. Coyotes aren't normally aggressive. I saw it on PBS.† â€Å"This one didn't see the program, Josh. Shoot him.† â€Å"It might take two shots to drop him. If he leaps, cover your throat until I get the second one into him.† Spagnola fired and the TV shattered behind Sam. The coyote stood its ground unaffected. Sam backpedaled over the destroyed television as Spagnola fired again, taking out a vase on the mantel. The coyote looked at Spagnola quizzically. The third shot shattered the sliding glass door, the fourth and fifth punctured a stereo speaker, and the sixth ricocheted off the fireplace and out over the city. When Spagnola's revolver clicked on an empty chamber he turned and bolted out the front door. Sam climbed off the broken television and braced for the coyote's attack. His ears rang with residual gunfire but he could hear laughing from across the room. The coyote was gone, but sitting on his couch, dressed in black buckskins trimmed with red feathers, was the Indian, his head thrown back in laughter. â€Å"Hey!† Sam shouted. â€Å"What are you doing?† In an instant the Indian leapt up and ran through the shattered glass door onto the deck. He looked over his shoulder and grinned at Sam before vaulting over the railing and dropping out of sight. Sam ran to the deck and looked over the rail. The Indian was gone, but he could hear his cackling laugh echoing down the canyon into town. Sam stumbled back from the rail and into the house, where he sat down on the couch and cradled his head in his hands. There had to be an explanation. Someone was screwing with his life. He riffled through his past as far as he would allow himself, looking for enemies he might have made. They were there – competing salesmen, angry customers, angrier women – dotting his life like dandelions on a lawn, but none would have gone to such elaborate measures to cause him trouble. In an honest assessment of himself he realized that he had never really been passionate enough about anything to really make that big a difference to anyone, good or bad. Since he'd run from the reservation he couldn't afford the high profile of passionate behavior. Still, there had to be an answer somewhere. Sam thought about prayer, then faith, then remembered something that lay tucked away in the back of his sock drawer. He ran up the stairs to his bedroom and threw open the drawer. He removed a small buckskin bundle and untied the thong that held it together. Objects he had not seen in twenty years – teeth, claws, fur, and sweet grass braids – spilled out on the dresser. Among them lay a red feather that he had never seen before. Sam looked at the coyote medicine and began to tremble. Coyote Makes the World A long time ago there was water everywhere. Old Man Coyote looked around and said, â€Å"Hey, we need some land.† It was his gift from the Great Spirit that he could command all of the animals, which were called the Without Fires Clan, so he called four ducks to help him find land. He ordered each of the ducks to dive under the water and find some mud. The first three returned with nothing, but the fourth duck, because four is the sacred number and that is the way things go in these stories, returned with some mud from the bottom. â€Å"Swell,† said Old Man Coyote. â€Å"Now I will make some land.† He made the mountains and the rivers, the prairies and the deserts, the plants and the animals. Then he said, â€Å"Guess I'll make some people now, so there will be someone to tell stories about me.† From the mud he made some tall and beautiful people. Old Man Coyote liked them very much. â€Å"I will call them Absarokee, which means ‘Children of the Large-Beaked Bird. Someday some dumb white guys will come here and get the translation all wrong and call them Crow.† â€Å"What are they going to eat?† one of the ducks asked. â€Å"They have no feathers or fur. What will they cover themselves with?† asked a second duck. â€Å"Yes,† said a third duck. â€Å"They're pretty, but they won't be able to stay out in the weather.† Old Man Coyote thought for a while about how much he disliked ducks, then he took some more mud and made a strange-looking animal with a thick coat and horns. â€Å"Here,† he said. â€Å"They can get everything they need from this animal. I'll call it a buffalo.† The fourth duck had been standing by watching all this and smoking a cigarette. â€Å"It's a big animal. Your people won't be able to catch it,† he said, blowing a long stream of blue smoke in Old Man Coyote's face. â€Å"Okay, so here's another animal that they can ride so they can catch the buffalo.† â€Å"And how will they catch that one?† asked the fourth. â€Å"Look, duck, do I have to work out everything? I made the world and these people and I've given them everything they need, so just back off.† â€Å"But if they have everything they need, what will they do? Just sit around telling stories about you?† â€Å"That would be good.† â€Å"Boring,† said the duck. â€Å"I'll make them a bunch of enemies. They'll be hopelessly outnumbered and have to fight all the time and do all kinds of war rituals. How's that?† â€Å"They'll get wiped out.† â€Å"No, I'll stay with them. The Children of the Large-Beaked Bird will be my favorites, although some of their enemies can tell stories about me too.† â€Å"But what if the buffalo animals all get killed?† â€Å"Won't happen. There's too many of them.† â€Å"But what if they do?† â€Å"Then I guess the people are fucked. I'm tired and dirty and cold from standing in all that water. I'm going to invent the sweat bath and warm up.† So Old Man Coyote built a sweat lodge out of willow branches and buffalo skins. He heated the rocks in a fire and put them in a pit in the middle of the sweat lodge, then he and the ducks crawled inside and closed the door, making it completely dark inside. â€Å"Hey, put out that cigarette!† Old Man Coyote said to the fourth duck. The duck threw the cigarette on the hot rocks and smoke filled the lodge. â€Å"That smells pretty good,† Old Man Coyote said. â€Å"Let's throw some other stuff on the fire and see how it goes.† He threw on some cedar needles and they smelled pretty good too, then he threw on some sweet grass and some sage. â€Å"This stuff will be part of the sweat ceremony, too. And some water – we need some water so it will really get hot and miserable in here.† â€Å"And we can get truly purified and clean?† asked the third duck. â€Å"Right,† said Old Man Coyote. â€Å"First I'll pour four dippers of water on the rocks for the four directions.† â€Å"And the four ducks.† â€Å"Right,† said Old Man Coyote. â€Å"Now I'll pour on seven dippers for the seven stars of the Big Dipper. Then ten more because ten is a nice even number.† He handed each of the ducks a willow switch to beat their backs with. â€Å"Here, wail on yourself with these.† â€Å"What for?† asked the second duck. â€Å"Tenderize†¦ er†¦ I mean†¦ it brings up the sweat and purifies you.† Then, when the ducks were beating their backs with the willow branches, Old Man Coyote said, â€Å"Okay, now I'm going to pour a whole bunch of dippers on the rocks. I'm not even going to count, but we are going to be really hot and really clean and pure.† Then he poured and poured until it was so hot in the lodge that he could not stand it and he slipped out the door, leaving the ducks inside. Later, after he had plunged into the river to cool off, he ate a big meal and laid down to rest. â€Å"That was plumb swell,† he said to himself. â€Å"I think I'll give the sweat to my new people. It can be their church and sacrament and they can think of me whenever they go in. It is my gift to them. I guess no one really needs to know about the ducks.† Then Old Man Coyote picked up a willow twig and picked a bit of duck meat from between his teeth. â€Å"The sage gives them a nice flavor, though.† CHAPTER 7 The Children of the Large-Beaked Bird Crow Country – 1967 Samson Hunts Alone sat on a bench by the sweat lodge behind his grandma's house, watching as Pokey carried the hot rocks with a pitchfork from the fire to the pit in the sweat lodge. Samson was supposed to be paying attention to the ritual that Pokey was performing and preparing himself to pray to the Great Spirit to bring him good medicine on his fast, but more than anything he wanted to be inside with the little kids and the women watching ;Bonanza; on television. Grandma had cooked up a big batch of fry bread for the meal after the sweat and Samson's stomach growled when he thought about it. Pokey, straining under a pitchfork full of red-hot rocks, said, â€Å"Can't nobody cross my path between the fire and the sweat during the first four trips.† Uncle Harlan, who was sitting next to Samson, let out a sarcastic snicker. Pokey looked up at him, his brow lowered in reproach. â€Å"The boys have to learn, Harlan,† Pokey said. Harlan nodded. On the other side of Samson sat his two older cousins, Harry and Festus, thirteen and fourteen, who had been through the sweat for purification and prayer for their success on the basketball court at Hardin Junior High School. They had come the fifteen miles down to Crow Agency with Harlan, their father, to participate in Samson's sweat. Uncle Harlan didn't believe in the old ways. He often said that he didn't want his boys to grow up with their heads full of ideas that didn't work in the modern world. Still, because of the obligations he felt to his family he often drove down for sweats, participated in ritual gift giving, and never missed the Sun Dance in June. He lived in Hardin, north of the reservation, where he rebuilt truck engines during the day and drank hard in the bars at night. He fought often and lost seldom. When he was drinking with Uncle Pokey, the two of them lying on the bed of Pokey's pickup staring into the limitless stars of Montana's big sky, passing a bottle of Dickel Sour Mash between them, Harlan would talk of his time in Vietnam, of the two brothers he lost there, and of the warrior blood that was part of the Hunts Alone family. Pokey would answer Harlan's painful pride with parables and mystical references until Harlan could stand it no longer. â€Å"Damn it, Pokey, can your medicine fix a Cummins diesel? Can it fill out a tax form? Can it get you a job? Fuck medicine. Fuck fasting. Fuck the Sun Dance. If I thought I could do it, I'd take Joan and the kids and go a thousand miles from here.† â€Å"You'd be back,† Pokey would say. Then the two of them would lie there drinking in silence for long minutes before one of them would bring up basketball, hunting, or truck engines – some topic safe and far away from Harlan's anger. Some of those nights Samson would crawl out of his cot, sneak past the six cousins that slept in his room and out into the yard, where he would lie by the wheel of the old truck and listen to the two men talk. Harlan was the only adult Samson knew who would talk about the dead, so the boy would lie there with his face against the cold grass hoping to hear something about his father or his mother, but mostly he heard about his two uncles, dead in the jungles, or his grandfather, who died piece by piece in a white hospital of diabetes. His father had died too young to leave many stories or a strong ghost. Not that Harlan would admit to believing in ghosts. â€Å"If I'm haunted,† he would tell Pokey, â€Å"it's not by my unrevenged brothers, it's by you and your back-assward ways.† After time and hangovers passed, Samson would ask Pokey about Harlan and always get the same answer. â€Å"Poor Harlan, he is out of balance. I should dance for him at the Sun Dance.† It was no answer. Samson remained confused. Samson watched as Harlan rose from the bench and undressed for the sweat. He was tall and lean, his skin deep red-brown in the firelight, his eyes and hair black as an obsidian arrowhead: pure Crow brave. But as Samson undressed he wondered why his uncle seemed so unhappy with his heritage. He treated his Crow blood like a curse, while Pokey seemed to see it as a blessing. They were half brothers, sharing the same mother, belonging to her clan, growing up in the same house; why were they so different? Why did neither one seem to be able to live comfortably in his own skin? Naked, they all entered the low dome of the sweat lodge and sat in a circle around its perimeter. Pokey placed a bucket of water by the fire pit, then he pulled down the door flap. He added sweet grass and cedar to the hot rocks and fragrant smoke filled the lodge as he sang a prayer song. His prayers were in English, which Samson knew embarrassed him some. Pokey, like Grandma, had gone to a boarding school run by the BIA where Indians were forbidden to speak or learn their own language or religion. In this way the BIA hoped that the Native American culture would disappear into the larger white culture, assimilated. Harlan, on the other hand, was ten years younger than Pokey and, like Samson, had been taught Crow in school as part of the BIA's move to preserve Indian culture. Pokey poured four dippers of water onto the rocks and Samson lowered his face to avoid the steam. As Pokey sang, Samson let his mind wander to the Ponderosa. He would like to live on that big ranch in that big house and have his own room and two guns like Little Joe Cartwright. Until Grandma had taken all their per capita money a year ago and bought the big black-and-white television at the Kmart in Billings, Samson thought that everyone lived in a small house with twenty cousins and five or six aunts and uncles and their grandma. Everyone on the reservation seemed to. Before the television arrived Samson did not know he was poor. Now he spent every evening piled in the front room with his family watching people he did not know do things he did not understand in places he could not fathom, while the commercials told him that he should be just like those people. None of those people ever took a sweat. Pokey had poured the seven dippers and the sweat lodge was so hot that Samson's mind went white. He lay down on the floor to breathe some cooler air. Someone lifted his head and asked him if he was okay. He answered yes and passed out. -=*=- Water was being splashed on his face. Samson came to and realized that he was being held in Harlan's strong arms. â€Å"We did a naming ceremony for you, Samson,† Harlan said. â€Å"From now on you shall be called Squats Behind the Bush. And you owe each of us a carton of cigarettes and a new Ford truck.† Samson saw that Harlan was grinning at him and he smiled back. â€Å"If I don't take the name, do I have to give you the gifts?† Harlan laughed and set the boy on his feet by a fifty-five-gallon drum where Harry and Festus were pouring dippers of water over their heads. After they were dried off and redressed Pokey moved the rocks out of the pit and replaced them with hot ones from the fire so the women could take their sweat. Pokey finished and led them into the house, which was surprisingly quiet. The little kids were in bed and the women filed out to the sweat silently as soon as the men entered. The cheap Formica table was set with five plastic bowls around a big pot of venison-and-cabbage stew and a basket of fry bread. Harlan poured them all coffee from a big black urn on the counter while Pokey dished up the stew. Samson attacked a piece of fry bread and was tearing away at its stretchy, donutlike crust when Harlan sat down next to him and said, â€Å"So, Squats Behind the Bush, what are you gonna do tomorrow if you see Old Man Coyote in your vision like your Uncle Pokey did?† Festus and Harry giggled. Samson answered the sarcasm in earnest. â€Å"Pokey's the only one with Coyote medicine. Pretty Eagle said so.† â€Å"Good thing, too,† Harlan said. â€Å"Some of us have to live in the real world.† â€Å"Harlan!† Pokey shouted. â€Å"Let it go.† â€Å"It's gone,† Harlan said. â€Å"It's as gone as can be, Pokey.† They finished their meal in silence, Samson wondering what Harlan meant by â€Å"It's gone.† Later, as he fell asleep listening to the soft breathing of his cousins, he imagined himself living on the Ponderosa; sleeping in his own room, herding cattle on his own black horse, carrying two shiny six-guns, practicing his fast-draw, and always staying on the lookout for Indians.