Guwahati Two or Three Heavy Rainfalls in Day Wreck Havoc Essay Example for Free

Guwahati Two or Three Heavy Rainfalls in Day Wreck Havoc Essay In Guwahati two or three heavy rainfalls in day wreck havoc in most of the areas of the city, creating water logging and traffic snarls. Common people however, have no other option but to vent their ire against the government and the authorities concerned, and are learning to live with the streets flooded for hours and spending considerable time in the traffic congestion. Commuters have a harrowing time in the artificial flood water in the Chandmari Colony area in Guwahati. Jawans of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescue children from the submerged houses, following the disaster in the Nabin Nagar area in Guwahati. Local people using rubber boats are seen helping in the rescue efforts. Several people get killed and injured in the devastating thunderstorm. Homes and agriculture are also the victims of the destructive process. The busy GNB Road at Chandmari is one of the most affected areas today, where traffic congestion start since early morning despite the fact that it is a holiday. The lanes and by-lanes in the surrounding areas are also waterlogged for several hours creating problem for the residents. â€Å"We started our day with the roads water-logged, which has become the most predictable situation after every rainfall. Water entered the campuses of many of our neighbouring houses, creating chaotic situation,† said Juri choudhry a resident of the Rajgarh area. GS Road, another arterial street of the city, was water-logged during the morning for several hours. Christian Basti and Bora Service areas were the worst hit due to artificial flood. With no effective solution in sight, people of Guwahati are now afraid of even the slightest of rainfall. The indifference of government authorities towards the biggest civic problem of the city is strongly condemnable,† a local of the Bora Service area mentioned. This monsoon season has wrecked havoc some of the by-lanes of our locality, where constant water-logging is leading to health related problems. Foul smell due to flood water and strewn garbage is also giving a horrible time to the residents of the locality,†Chandrani Das, an office Assistant and a local of Tarun Nagar mentioned. â€Å"Lack of co-ordination between various government departments and agencies is another reason behind the failure of government authorities to find a permanent solution of this problem,† she added. Water-logging lasted till evening in Rajgarh by-lane 1, Gandhibasti, RG Baruah Road and many other parts of the city. Panbazar, Athgaon, Shantipur, Ganeshguri, Bhutnath, Lakhra were also among the worst-hit areas. The main causes of artificial flood in Guwahati, are encroachment by certain people upon wetlands and hills in the city, dumping of garbage in drains, earth-cutting in the hillocks in and around the city and blocking of natural drains by people for building houses. The GDD Minister said drains on both sides of the main roads from Last Gate to Khanapara and from Chandmari to Noonmati were being constructed and added that the Hatigaon-Dispur drain and drains in other places were under construction. Sarma also said the Guwahati Water bodies (Preservation and Conservation) Act, 2008 was being implemented. Referring to the JNNURM, the GDD Minister said a survey of the drains in the city was being done and special schemes prepared. He said that the Centre had sanctioned Rs 90 crore for the State under the JNNURM. Earlier, Deka had sought to know the reasons behind artificial flood in Guwahati and the schemes, including the ones under the JNNURM, being taken by the State Government to solve the problem. The recurring phenomenon of artificial flood in the capital city is getting worse with the passage of time due to the lack of a proper scientific scheme to deal with the menace. In 1950, the natural drainage system along with the wet spaces were sufficient enough for carrying the surface run off the present catchments area of Guwahati to the outfall at Bharalumukh. As the low lying places are filled up and sewage added to run off, flood occurred. To decrease the quantity of surface run off, flowing to the natural drainage system, it is necessary to catch the run off and divert it on gravity flow. The level of Brahmaputra at Palasbari is 6 m below the level of Guwahati. The storm water coming down the hills of Meghalaya, enter Guwahati through the bridges on NH37 via Bahini and Basistha rivers near Khanapara and flowing via Bharalu river in the city exit Guwahati through the bridge on NH 37 near Jalukbari. A modern sewage treatment plant and solid disposal system is the immediate necessity of the city but let us ensure that: (i) there shall be no house in the city without a septic tank; (ii) no septic tank should be permitted without a covered soak pit; (iii) households disposing effluent from septictanks directly to roadside drains may be fined and sealed; (iv) usage of imported porous soil for the soak pit for proper soaking maybe made statutory; (v) disposal of silage (water from bathrooms, kitchens and laundry) to roadside drains maybe immediately banned. Owners must arrange soak pits for silage soaking within their own compounds; (vi) bulky household waste and solid waste must also be incinerated inside compounds only. Throwing of such wastes to roads, rivers, drains, should be severely punished by law; (vii) every citizen must keep his compound and the road and the roadside drain in front of his house clean: otherwise he should be fined in thousands of rupees daily; (viii) all hotels in Paltan Bazaar area and other places dispose the sullage into roadside drains. Hotels, apartments, commercial places disposing sullage into roadside drains should be immediately sealed; (ix) roadside drains, streams, rivers in the city should carry storm water only; (x) implementation of the above civic rules will have added benefit of mosquito control with empowered existing organizational structure of the authorities. A cleaner city will draw out its surface water: We should keep removable big plastic buckets; garbage bins with polythene carry bags inside, in large numbers in all public places, commercial place, markets, roadsides etc. ike in Singapore and keep one watchman for regular removal and replacing of the carry bags and arrange for their immediate disposal. Unemployed youths can take up this business and collect fees from the shops and residents. The State Government has entrusted the water resources, PHE and PWD departments with the task of cleaning the Bharalu, Bahini and Morabharalu rivers and the drains in Guwahati in order to check artificial fl ood in the city. Rs 370 lakhs have been allotted for cleaning the drains and three rivers.

Ethical issues of Chinas one-child policy

Ethical issues of Chinas one-child policy The Chinese ideal of a family follows the Confucian belief that the family should be big and complex. The father is to have as many sons as possible so that the son can fulfill his obligations to the father and their lineage  [1]  . The family is very important for the Chinese that they even coined the term familism which is the basis of a kind of society distinctive from any other kind in the world  [2]  . This means that whatever the members of the family are doing should be only for the benefit of their family. Because of familism, a Chinese couple feels compelled to have at least one male child. The Chinese believe that having a son will benefit them in many ways and one of these is to ensure that their family line would be continued  [3]  . The family in the Confucian view stresses the significance of hierarchy. Confucius also said that in a relationship, one should command and the other should obey. It is now known that the one who commands is the man or the elder, while the one who obeys is the woman or the younger person. The Chinese family is very paternalistic in a sense that it favors the men of the family more than the women  [4]  . Unlike in the West, children in China were not as treasured by their parents. They were more of necessities for the families especially in the rural areas, so that they could help their parents with work in the fields. Sons were especially valued because of their ability to provide for their parents and to carry on their family name, something that the women can never be capable of doing  [5]  . The men are also the only ones who have direct access to Heaven and they can perform rituals for their ancestors. The one who was in charge of the rituals is called the descent-line heir or the tsung-tzu  [6]  . For the Chinese, having a daughter would not be beneficial to them in any way because daughters would eventually leave them to join her husbands family. She would worship their ancestors and serve his family. Having a son would be an assurance to a family; that the son would care for his parents and stay with them even after he gets married  [7]  . The men of the family would also inherit the property that is left to them, and there is no way that a woman would be allowed to become heir to what has been left by the ancestors. An example of this would be the opposition of Chu Hsi, one of the most influential leaders of the Learning Way Movement, in his Family Rituals that a daughter cannot inherit her parents estate even when she had no (more) brothers. A woman, without brothers, inheriting the property of her parents was a Sung practice, but Chu Hsi emphasized that the males should be the ones inheriting the properties because if it were women, then such property would be obtained inappropriately'  [8]  . Everyone knows about how China is becoming more developed and as a result, the population of China has been growing rapidly. China had to do something about the population growth because the government was not able to meet the needs of the citizens anymore. To add to that, death rates were also declining. The government had different programs to prolong a couple from having a child such as encouraging them to get married late. This policy was implemented to answer the problems of overpopulation. Couples who abided by the policy would receive incentives, while those who decide to have more than one child would have to pay the sanctions  [9]  . Chinas one child policy was launched in the year 1979 by former Premier Deng Xiao Ping  [10]  . The main purpose of this policy is to stop the rapid population growth of the country that was clearly evident during the year 1949, when the population was nearly half a billion, the same time when the Chinese Communist Party was establishing itself and thought that this concern would hinder development  [11]  . The policy was not supposed to be permanent but because it was successful, they decided to continue implementing it. It was also not applied to all places in China. Places that do not practice the policy are Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and in total only about 40% of the Chinese population practice the one-child policy  [12]  . The policy itself is not fully unreasonable since it had a practical purpose of controlling the population growth which was certainly necessary at that moment. The only time it gets out of hand is when the Chinese norm of favoring sons enters th e picture. The fact that a family has to have only one child is absurd. How can the government of China expect to control millions of families in the country? Is this even possible? In the urban areas, people found it difficult to resist this policy because of their social and economic conditions as well as the strict ruling of their leaders during that time. However, this is not the case in rural areas wherein active resistance could be seen everywhere. This is because of their childrens contribution to the typical Chinese agricultural family and for their role in preserving the family line. Because of the unfairness of this policy, a lot of people resisted in three forms: first was when the targets confronted the implementers of the policy; second was the escape from the policy by either deceiving rural cadres or colluding with sympathetic ones; third was to appear to be complying with what the state wanted but defying them at the same time. This means that the state succeeds when the couple would obey the states policy of having only one child (even if they want more), but the same couple would reveal the influence of a counter-discourse that challenges the s tates ideological claim to dominate child-bearing when they practice female infanticide. Couples would then resort to ultrasound technology, wherein a rural or urban couple can engineer the sex of their baby  [13]  . The problem of population growth can be seen mostly in rural areas since 80 per cent of Chinas population is rural and 87.2 per cent of births occur there. The government tried to reason out with the peasants regarding the change in family size but they were not successful in changing their minds. By the year 1970, incentives and penalties were introduced as part of the two-child policy campaign. These were even highlighted during 1979, when the one-child policy was finally launched  [14]  . Why the Chinese peasants preferred to have a large family is due to economic reasons. They felt that having a large family would bring more advantages for them, as compared to having only one child. The advantage would be that the family would receive an allocation of grain distributed on a per capita basis. The same goes for the allocation of land that is why people in the rural areas can expand their homes when they expand their families  [15]  . Sometimes, these children would help their parents by gathering materials related to the maintaining of the land such as water and fuel. They would also feed the animals and weed private plots. These tasks could be done even by children, thus it helps the parents prepare for the more rigorous chores. Their children are also the only large-scale investments of the peasants because sons join the work force and they eventually have to provide for their families  [16]  . The preference for sons is also evident in the rural areas because they continue their family line, whereas most of the women get married outside their village, live with their in-laws and join their labor force. This preference is also reflected in a survey conducted during the year 1981. The participants are those couples who had a second child. 42.61 per cent of the 1000 participants had one son and 57.39 per cent had a daughter. When they were asked why they had another child, 50.5 per cent said that they wanted a boy and only 11.4 per cent said that they wanted a girl. This clearly indicates that majority of the respondents prefer a son over a daughter  [17]  . Because they had to, the people from the rural areas used different methods to postpone the creation of children. Some relied on the low cost methods of contraception such as IUD and the second method is sterilization. However, those with only one child have a hard time using this method because they would consider having a second child in replacement of the first one just in case the first one dies or becomes disabled. They do not take pills that much because it is more expensive and supply could be a problem for them. In some rural areas, particularly in Sichuan, vasectomy was used. Both men and women had more complaints regarding the side-effects of this method because the men claimed to be losing their strength. However, this method became very effective because Sichuan was most successful in reducing its birth rate. There was also induced abortion, which was originally just a back up method and was not really meant to be an independent option for contraception  [18]  . Despite the resistance, people still follow because there would be incentives and penalties enforced just to make sure that no one will go against the policy. Among the many incentives are a nutrition allowance, a full adult grain ration and free medical, educational and kindergarten facilities for the child. An example of the penalties on the other hand is the deduction of the couples income by 20 per cent from the time the second pregnancy is discovered but this 20 per cent will be returned to them if they had the child aborted. There are times when a couple is allowed to have a second child. Among these are if the first child suffers from a disability that would hinder him from working or if both are overseas Chinese who have just returned from another country  [19]  . The policy was more successful in the urban areas than in the rural areas. This could be due to the aim of the government that 95 per cent of the married couples in the cities and 90 per cent in the countryside will have only one child so that by the end of the century, China could limit their population to about 1.2 billion  [20]  . As early as 1955, family planning was being enforced in the urban areas of China  [21]  . Chen Da, a pioneering demographer, emphasized that people who received education overseas would more likely have less children because they have a background on birth control  [22]  . The people from the urban areas were more open and accepting of the one-child policy because for one, there were efforts to raise the status of the women by letting them enter into the labor force. Child bearing and rearing are not the only things that a woman is bound to do with all the work that she has  [23]  . The Chinese from urban areas also see children as more of an economic liability because it requires a lot of effort, attention and resources (like money) to raise them but these children contribute little to the lives of their parents  [24]  . Different families have various practices or methods to get rid of a daughter. One of these is female infanticide or the intentional killing of baby girls  [25]  . The couple will resort to female infanticide to try their luck again hoping that they would get a boy the second time around (or kill the girl when the mother gets pregnant with a boy)  [26]  just so they could comply with the policy that was being implemented  [27]  . There are also hospitals in China that have contraceptive technical guidance institutes. These institutes have lower level workers who are trained in the four operations which are tubectomy, vasectomy, insertion and removal of the IUD, and induced abortion  [28]  . IUD and sterilization are widely used in China; in fact, as many as 50 per cent of the Chinese rely on IUDs and sterilization is the second most widely used form of contraceptive method  [29]  . Partly because of these methods, it became possible for China to control its people. Again, the motive of preventing overpopulation is not a bad thing. In fact, it would be helpful to the government so that it could rule the country better. However, is this inhumane policy the only option that they had? Is it really success that they are achieving? Would they call this successful when they know that there are innocent babies killed along the way? The Chinese may have controlled the growth of their population but they are also encountering problems as they go along with their one-child policy. This policy has prevented around 4oo million births, according to Chinese officials  [30]  . Because there are fewer children that are born, there is an expanding population of the elderly. This is a problem because there would be less number of young laborers in the future when the elderly die  [31]  . Another problem is the ratio of men and women because men have been outnumbering women already by about 60 million. This imbalance between men and women would make it difficult for the former to look for wives; therefore they can result to human trafficking of women and children  [32]  . The policy is even crueler because of the inequality between men and women. The government has been addressing this issue saying that men and women must be equal at all costs and that this equality has to be promoted through media. People who commit infanticide, those who neglect or abandon their children or any act that would harm people especially female babies must be punished  [33]  . If the government really means this, then they could already stop with the payment of fines for having more than one child and just have a law against female infanticide, or better yet just abolish the policy. Unfortunately, the Chinese will still be continuing this policy in the coming decades to control the population growth in their country  [34]  . According to the official and minister of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, Zhang Weiqing, China will not make any changes for about another decade because it has been effective in controlling their population growth. Since Chinas population is growing by 17 million per year (according to China Daily as of 2008), abandoning the policy would have major fluctuations in population growth. Officials said that the one-child policy was the only choice that was available and realistic at the time of the construction of the policy, but they are now considering amendments to it, but abolishing it would cause many problems  [35]  . The Philippines is also experiencing an event that is quite similar to the policy that China has implemented on its country for a long time. There may be many people in the Philippines, but they are still able to live their lives normally because the resources are sustaining them. There would be no poor people if only there was equal distribution of resources to all the Filipino people. The church also claims that poverty is not because of overpopulation but is due to the irresponsible and corrupt government that the country has  [36]  , but what exactly is overpopulation? As defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary, overpopulation is the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life, or a population crash  [37]  . The option that the lawmakers are considering is the Reproductive Health Bill that promotes information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible  [38]  . The difference of this from Chinas one-child policy is the variation of the Filipino and Chinese mentality; that the former does not favor any gender because Southeast Asian countries tolerate both genders. The cause is the same-which is to control population growth, but the motive is different because while China intends to just control their population, the Philippines aims to eliminate poverty by controlling the population growth. The cause may be reasonable but some parts of the bill are disadvantageous to the lives of the Filipinos, especially the Filipino women. Some institutions are supporting the RH Bill like the National Council of Churches in the Philippines or NCCP, saying that the Reproductive Health Bill does not necessarily promote anything illegal such as abortion  [39]  . However in the bill, it is said that women with post-abortion concerns will not be treated differently  [40]  . Does this mean that the government will still tolerate abortion even if they mentioned in the bill that abortion is illegal? Is what the NCCP saying about the bill not promoting abortion true? Another is the mandatory sex education for elementary students  [41]  . Some parents have a difficult time explaining to their children about how they came to life or even talk about sex with them. Usually parents would wait for the right time to educate them about these things so that the child would understand better. If the law requires mandatory sex education, then these children will be more curious and try to experiment things and be exposed at a very young age. Just like Chinas one-child policy, the RH Bill may have a good purpose but its execution and some of the policies in it are not beneficial. The bill promotes responsible parenthood  [42]  but does this responsibility involve the choice between having the baby and having the baby aborted? If there is the belief that the Philippines is overpopulated, then why not use this to our advantage? Why not use the money for creating jobs instead of spending so much on contraceptives (or letting the corrupt officials keep the money) that will not bring any benefit to a persons life? Our religion is also different from the Chinese. Filipinos do not see their children as economic liabilities because Filipinos are more emotionally attached to their children. The punishments in case of non-compliance stated in this bill will also have a great impact in the lives of the Filipinos who are compelled to comply with the provisions  [43]  . Filipinos must be alarmed that there is so much poor people because the population is rapidly increasing that is why they are assuming that the country is becoming overpopulated and we need to solve this problem. However, the Philippines does not need the RH Bill because the country is not overpopulated. There is the assumption that poverty and overpopulation are connected, and by controlling the population, poverty will be reduced. According to Simon Kuznets, a Noble Prize Winner and author of Population and Capital Growth, there is no clear connection between overpopulation and economic development  [44]  . Places such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are overpopulated but still flourish. The population density of Taiwan is 1,460 per square mile but CIAs World Factbook 1999 stated that Taiwans per capita gross domestic product is $16,500  [45]   What the Filipinos need is a better and more capable government instead of implementing an unnecessary law. As for China, they are also starting to question their own policy  [46]  and because they are already having doubts, then it is best that they reconsider executing it for another decade. By doing this, China would cease to harm innocent human beings and prevent the Philippines from following the footsteps of China in putting something unethical into practice.

The Raga System Essay -- essays research papers

Music is an expression of inner feelings through tones (swar) and rhythm (taal). These swars and taals are combined so that they are pleasing to the ear. Music is sound created from the ideas and emotions of man. When these ideas are expressed through the voice in a rhythmic and appealing sound, music is born. Music in its true form controls human activity and is thus the source of attaining pleasure and salvation. At the base of Indian Classical music lies an appreciation for, and an emphasis on creating sound with aesthetic appeal. This is achieved through Raga or melody. In Brihaddeshi, Matang defines raga as â€Å"that attractive combination of notes which pleases the mind†. That this sound be attractive and pleasing is of extreme importance. Because music is so closely linked to human emotion, it is important that it is written and performed so as to truly interpret and convey the emotion and beauty of the melody. To ensure that this is done successfully, there are some guidelines for Indian Classical musicians to follow to ensure an effective interpretation and display of their art. The system of raga in Hindusthani Classical music is both complex and sophisticated, using particular elements within strict guidelines to attain a pleasing and beautiful sound. In addition to the aesthetic aspect, a raga is also distinctive in form. These two aspects are inextricably bound together and are used in a complementary manner. In Hindusthani Classical music, ragas have been classified according to their form under ten thaats. The ten thaats under which all ragas are classified have derived from the twelve notes used in Hindusthani Classical music. A thaat is the ascending scale from which a raga is created. The ten thaats are: Kalyan, Bilawal, Khamaj, Bhairav, Poorvi, Maarva, Kafi, Asawari, Bhairavi and Todi. A thaat is named after the most prominent raga created from it. Ragas are also classified by the number of notes used in their ascent and descent. Two ragas written from the same thaat will comprise the same notes, however, the possibilities of development are limitless. Thus, each raga is a unique expression of an artist’s mind. In creating a raga, a musician must adhere to several guidelines, and must have an understanding of the es sential elements or lakshans which comprise a raga. These are: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A raga must possess at least five... .... Use of taans shows the singer’s talent and creative power. When presented in its truest form, music has the power to affect human emotion. Hindusthani classical music is rooted in this belief. Some believe that music is an interesting part of natural philosophy that explains the causes and properties of sound. Music is believed to be present in every living and non-living thing. It is manifest through the art of raga. Raga or melody is, above all, an aesthetically pleasing sound. To create it, a musician must follow several guidelines and adhere to a strict framework vis-à  -vis form. A musician must also have as his or her aim, to incite a particular emotion in the listener’s mind. In interpreting a raga, a singer must understand these emotions and try to bring them out using the voice. He or she must also practice singing the unique note combinations for many hours. The system is complex, and it takes much practice and deliberation to successfully render a raga – sometimes many years. Once both musician and singer follow the rules laid down in the earlier texts, a raga can be truly beautiful and as Indian classical musicians believe, capable of attaining pleasure and salvation.

Abortion - Pro-choice Philosophy and Abstinence :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Pro-choice Philosophy and Abstinence We recognize no single, universal, objective moral truth that determines our moral decisions. On the contrary, we must consider a broad range of values whenever we seek to make wise, ethical, and compassionate choices. We respect a woman's moral capacity to make decisions regarding her health and welfare, including reproductive decisions. A woman's choices reflect how she weighs her various life circumstances: her important relationships, her economic, social, and emotional resources and obligations, her health, her religious or philosophical beliefs, and the well-being of others for whom she has responsibility. We live out our destinies in a world of vast and profound complexity, where claims upon our compassion and our judgment compete and often conflict. A woman respects the preciousness of human life by acknowledging and honoring the intricate tapestry of her relationships and commitments; indeed, we believe that the complexity of human life can be a source of moral wisdom and courage. The woman's ability to choose is rooted in her individual conscience, not in her adherence to ancient religious superstitious beliefs. In preparation for hearings on the renewal of the federal abstinence-only education provision, the National Coalition Against Censorship and 35 endorsing organizations, including the National Education Association, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, launched the "Campaign Against Abstinence-Only Education." In a joint statement released yesterday, the groups said that they are deeply concerned about publicly funded sexuality education programs that restrict students' access to information and limit learning to one approved message about human sexuality. Students should be allowed to make up their own minds about whether to remain virgin, whether to engage in sexual promiscuity, whether to follow parental advice or not, and countless other issues related to human sexuality. The statement also said that a provision in federal law mandating abstinence-only education in schools is censorship of sexual information because it does not give students access to condoms, to contraceptive pills and devices,and it "silences speech about sexual orientation," as well as limiting the students' free expression of their sexual rights in other ways. Abortion - Pro-choice Philosophy and Abstinence :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics Pro-choice Philosophy and Abstinence We recognize no single, universal, objective moral truth that determines our moral decisions. On the contrary, we must consider a broad range of values whenever we seek to make wise, ethical, and compassionate choices. We respect a woman's moral capacity to make decisions regarding her health and welfare, including reproductive decisions. A woman's choices reflect how she weighs her various life circumstances: her important relationships, her economic, social, and emotional resources and obligations, her health, her religious or philosophical beliefs, and the well-being of others for whom she has responsibility. We live out our destinies in a world of vast and profound complexity, where claims upon our compassion and our judgment compete and often conflict. A woman respects the preciousness of human life by acknowledging and honoring the intricate tapestry of her relationships and commitments; indeed, we believe that the complexity of human life can be a source of moral wisdom and courage. The woman's ability to choose is rooted in her individual conscience, not in her adherence to ancient religious superstitious beliefs. In preparation for hearings on the renewal of the federal abstinence-only education provision, the National Coalition Against Censorship and 35 endorsing organizations, including the National Education Association, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, launched the "Campaign Against Abstinence-Only Education." In a joint statement released yesterday, the groups said that they are deeply concerned about publicly funded sexuality education programs that restrict students' access to information and limit learning to one approved message about human sexuality. Students should be allowed to make up their own minds about whether to remain virgin, whether to engage in sexual promiscuity, whether to follow parental advice or not, and countless other issues related to human sexuality. The statement also said that a provision in federal law mandating abstinence-only education in schools is censorship of sexual information because it does not give students access to condoms, to contraceptive pills and devices,and it "silences speech about sexual orientation," as well as limiting the students' free expression of their sexual rights in other ways.

Streetcar Named Desire Essay: Themes in A Streetcar Named Desire

Themes in A Streetcar Named Desire    A Streetcar Named Desire is a pessimistic work that is the â€Å"culmination of a view of life in which evil, or at least undiminished insensitivity, conquers throughout no matter what the protagonistic forces do†(Szeliski 69).   In other words, sensitive individuals all meet a similar fate-crushed under the heels of those who lack sensitivity. This play is about Blanche DuBois; therefore, the main themes of the drama concern her directly. In Blanche is seen the tragedy of an individual caught between two worlds-the past world of the Southern gentlewoman and the present world of crudeness and decay-unwilling to let go of the past and unable, because of her character, to come to any sort of terms with the present (Falk 94). The final result is her destruction. This process began long before her clash with Stanley Kowalski. It started with the death of her young husband, a weak and perverted boy who committed suicide when she taunted him with her disgust at the discovery of his perversion. In retrospect, she knows that he was the only man she had ever loved, and from this early catastrophe evolved her promiscuity. She is lonely and frightened, and she attempts to fight this condition with sex. Desire fills the emptiness when there is no love and desire blocks the inexorable movement of death, which has already wasted and deca yed Blanche's ancestral home Belle Reve. For Blanche, Belle Reve was the remaining symbol of a life and tradition that she knows in her heart have vanished, yet to which she clings with a desperate tenacity. In doing so, she is â€Å"both an individual and a representative of her society, an emblem of a lost tradition† (Krutch 39). She is dated. Her speech, manners and habi... ... Adler, Thomas.   A Streetcar Named Desire: The Moth and the Lantern.   New York: Twayne, 1990. Baym, Nina et al, eds.   The Norton Anthology of   American Literature.   New York: W.W. Norton & Co. 1995. Falk, Signi.   Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Streetcar Named Desire.   â€Å"The Southern Gentlewoman†.   Ed. Jordan Y. Miller.   New Jersey:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prentice-Hall, 1971. Krutch, Joseph Wood.   Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Streetcar Named Desire. â€Å"Review of Streetcar Named Desire†.   Ed. Jordan Y.   Miller.   New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1971. Szeliski, John T. von.   Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Streetcar Named Desire. â€Å"Tennessee Williams and the Tragedy of Sensitivity†.   Ed.   Jordan Y. Miller.   New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1971. Williams, Tennessee.   The Theater of Tennessee Williams.  Ã‚   â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire†.   New York: Laughlin, 1971.

Clothes Make a Man

It is said that we can judge a man’s character from his dress; But it’s not always so. Dress can only help us to a certain extent in knowing the broad facts of a man’s character. A man who wears a costly dress is necessarily a man of lavish habits. On the other hand, a man who wears tattered clothes is not necessarily a man of miserly habits. He may be do so only due to his financial limitations. Yet it is true that in some cases dressserves as a useful index to the character of a man. Some common examples, from which we can get some idea of a man’s character from his dress, are given below. We daily come across such persons as put on clothes of loud colours. We find them dressed in gaudy colours. They wear bushshirts printed withThe faces factors and actresses. So, is the case with their shoes. Shoes withdifferent designs on them are liked by them. We can easily know thecharacter of such people by looking at the way in which they dress. Suchpeople, if we carefully observe them, are very fond of show and ostentation. They lack the maturity of taste. They do not have sober habits. We can know this by their dress. Many people even if they are given costly and decent clothes, will maketheir appearance shabby and ineffective. They will put on the shirt or thecoat, but will not button it up. The laces of their shoes will remain untied. If they use the tie they will not put the knot properly. They never botherwhether their clothes are pressed or not. As these people are with theirclothes, so they are with their habits. They behave carelessly in other matters also. They are slovenly in their dress, living, reading and other ways also. So in this way, dress reflects their character. Besides this, we find people wearing very simple dress. A white ‘kurta’,‘dhoti’, and a white cap on the head and simple ‘chappals’ are all that they dress themselves in. But their clothes are always very neat and clean. Though they do not waste much of their valuable time in dressing, yet they do not use their dress carelessly. Such people show that they are thefollowers of the principle, â€Å"Simple living and high thinking†. They do notbelieve in ostentation. Mostly such people are intellectual. Broadly speaking, the dress of a man helps us to know his character. But atthe same time it may also be added that the dress should not be regarded as the sole index to the character of a man. Many saints and Sadhuscompletely neglect their dress. But it does not mean that they are very low either in their mental or emotional standard. On the contrary, they raise themselves so high from the level of such worldly considerations that dress becomes quite meaningless to them. In the present age, Mahatma Gandhiused to wear only a loin cloth. But he was the man before whom the entire world bowed its head. So in judging the character of a man dress can kelp us only to a certain extent. It can never be the sole guide. We should alsotake other factors into consideration in judging a man.

Northern Renaissance Paper

In the middle of the fourteenth century a cultural transformation took place, this transformation was initiated by Italy and was called Renaissance. It separated the Middle Ages from the New Modern Age and is where Humanism and Reformation blossomed. Portraiture became a huge part of the Renaissance Era and artists became intrigued in trying new and unique styles. During most of the fourteenth century, only royalty had portraits made because they required status and wealth. A portrait is typically defined as a representation of a specific individual.A portrait does not merely record someone’s features, but something about whom he or she is, offering a sense of a real person’s presence. Royal Portraiture is especially unique because it has to show the status and wealth of the ruler and appeal to many. The traditions of portraiture extend back to ancient Greece and Rome, but change every century to new styles by being tweaked slightly every so often. New artists are alway s testing out new ways to spice up an old style of art and were willing to try slightly new and tweaked styles of painting.Portraits of Rulers became popular to assert their majesty in places from which they were absent. Many rulers ruled more than one area of land and had a broad area of land that they looked after and could not be everywhere at once. Most rulers would travel around their land constantly, but there was always still an absence when they were not around. Portraits became a way of allowing these rulers to show that they are present even if they are not physically there. Many churches would have paintings or sculptures so that even when the rulers were not around, the community could see an image of their ruler.In addition to recording appearance, portraits had social and practical functions as well. Portraiture was a way for the royals to show their lavishness, which in turn showed their dignity as a ruler. Royals had a way of wanting to flaunt their status and were a ble to do this through portraiture. The Portrait of John the Good by Girard d’Orleans, was important because it showed the significance of having a portrait made. This was the first profile in Northern Renaissance Art and signified a rebirth beginning. The side profile for a portrait was typical of Antique coins and medals.This new style of portrait painting emphasized the empirical. John the Good resembles Jesus in his portrait and has a â€Å"God-Like† feature. Hans Holbein did a considerable amount of Travelling throughout Europe. He was primarily a court painter, and was employed by Henry VIII and did many portraits for him. He paid special attention to portraying likeness, which was very important for royalty. His work is rich in detail. Part of why portraiture was so appealing to royals was because it could do more than show what a person looked like. It could show how a person looks powerful and unapproachable which is shown in Henry VII.It could also show vulne rability or a way to be relatable to the viewer. Showing that a ruler was scholarly along with worldly was important and in Ghent’s Duke Federigo of Urbino and his son Guidobaldo the importance is shown. Federigo the scholar, is reading from a manuscript displaying his worldly success. His military prowess is evident with his armor showing. Frontal portraiture was more common and traditional among artists for portraits. One example of this is Jean Fouquet’s portrait Charles VII. This portrait is interesting because the bust of Charles is abnormally large compared to his face.His bust is actually life-size, but the rest of his body seems as though it isn’t proportional. Charles seems stern and sad, which is not typically what a royal portrait looks like. Royalty typically want to give off the impression that they are powerful, tough and wealthy but Charles show a sad and vulnerable side, yet still showing sternness with his bust pushed out and large. Royalty art showed a lot of realism. Many rulers were not afraid to show themselves just the way they were. The art was extravagant and showed the rulers status, but kept them very real.In Jean Malouel’s Portrait of Philip the Bold, there is a sense of descriptive realism. The portrait is not beautiful, it shows warts and all, but at the same time it shows the exquisite detail of the fur and of the jewels, which was so important for rulers to show in order to show their status and wealth Hans Holbein the Younger did a variety of portraits for Henry VIII. All are beautiful and extravagant portraits. Henry VIII has beautiful vivid colors and the hat and cloaks show status and wealth. The attention to detail and realism of the painting is common in royalty art.The portrait is close and has little room for anything but Henry VIII. He is the center of attention and is the only thing to look at in the portrait. The broadness of his chest and the size of his forearms are a show of power and str ength. Henry VIII is the only thing to look at it. He is confronting you and making it so that he is the only thing to look at, there is no way to ignore him. This occurs again in other portraits in the past and the future. Another Hans Holbein portrait shows Edward VI as a Child in the same bright rich clothing that his father Henry VIII is wearing in his portraits.Edward takes up a majority of the image and this portrait most likely had a great significance to Henry VIII. The bottom of the portrait has writing saying how great Edward will be when he grows up. This portrait was most likely a gift to Henry VIII that he cherished. It shows the wealth and status of his young boy whom he loved and waited with great anticipation to watch him grow. The significance of the degree of the face looking at the viewer changed frequently. There were times that the side profile gave the idea that Royals were â€Å"Holy† or spiritual.At times, the full frontal portrait gave the look of pow er and sternness, something rulers wanted to portray. There was also the forty-five degree angle portrait. This angle is a worldly and thoughtful portrait. It gives off the impression that the ruler in the portrait is in thought and is not looking directly at someone else, nor are they looking directly at the viewer. An example of the forty-five degree angle portrait is Bernard van Orley’s Portrait of Charles. This, along with Jean Perreal’s Portrait of Louis XII are examples of this portraiture.Both rulers are neither looking at someone else, nor the viewer which is the introduction to a new style of portraiture. The few tapestries in the exhibit show the royals in their lives. Attention to detail in these tapestries is exquisite. Vivid deep colors in these exhibits show the status of the royals, a commonality between all royal Art. The deep gold colors are a way of showing wealth. All of the colors in the exhibits are so deep and vivid, with attention to the shading in the background and the outline in some of the different portraits. The attention to detail in every royal renaissance art is beautiful.Realism and Humanism in the portraits is very clear with how realistic the rulers look. The details down to the hair, fur, and jewels are extremely fine, never leaving even a single detail out to ensure that it has the quality of looking at someone in person. Overall, Royalty in Northern Renaissance Art is broad and unique. Some rulers wanted to be depicted as strong, powerful and unapproachable. Others wanted to be seen as spiritual and almost â€Å"God-like†. Some rulers only have portraits done of their upper body, some of only their face, and some rulers had their entire bodies painted into their portraits.All of these rulers and their artists felt that the way they were painted would be how they were depicted by the world and chose the style accordingly. 1. Girard d’Orleans Portrait of John the Good Before 1356, Musee du Louvre, Paris. John the Good had a court painter, Girard d’Orleans who accompanied him during his travels and time in England. This artist painted the King’s portrait on a canvas type panel. This painting is a clear indication of a new type of painting at the time, the profile portrait. The importance of this portrait is the outlining of John the Good’s face.It is questioned whether or not it was intended to give the king a magical or spiritual essence. John the Good’s portrait looks like it could be a portrait of Jesus. It is also argued that it is just the first example in a long line of portraits that had a state function. 2. Jean de Liege Charles V, 1375-80. Musee de Louvre, Paris. 3. Nicolas Bataille King Arthur, Tapestry Series of the Nine Worthies 1385. The metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 4. Jean Malouel Portrait of Philip the Bold, 1400. Musee National du Chateau de Versailles. . Dieric Bouts Justice of Emperor Otto III 1470-75. Koninklijke Musea v oor Schone Kunsten van Belgie, Brussels. After Dieric Bouts was appointed city painter in 1468, he received two important commissions. One of those was the Justice of Emperor Otto III. Bouts’ advisor ordered this rather gruesome example of justice. Take note how many of the bystanders in the painting appear to be portraits. These small portraits within a painting show the beginning of group portraiture that was then followed by Netherlandish painters for two centuries.Bouts combined a rigid and mechanical regimentation of single portraits placed to the side of the narrative scene. Members of Bouts’ workshop finished this panel after he died. 6. Joos Van Ghent Duke Federigo of Urbino and his Son Guidobaldo 1475. Galleria della Marche, Urbino. Duke Federigo aspired to be understood as well as a powerful leader. In this portrait, the duke of Urbino is clothed in armor and his ducal mantle. Federigo’s son is at his side, which shows that Federigo is advancing him as his rightful successor. This portrait displays Federigo’s military prowess, his political authority and his humanist learning.Although most portraits are frontal to imply hierarchical power, this portrait however is not frontal because when he was young he lost an eye and nose. To conceal this disfigurement, Duke Federigo was always show in his left profile. 7. Jean Fouquet Portrait of Charles VII After 1451. Musee du Louvre, Paris. In the Portrait of Charles VII, the bust on Charles appears to be life-size. His heavy doublet is dark claret with fur trim. Fur and fancy clothing is a way of showing your social class, only the wealthy and essentially only the royals can afford the furs and typically show them off in portraits.Charles is tawny and ruddy in complexion and with a sad expression on his face, not exactly what you would expect a royal to show in a portrait. It is generally assumed that the portrait commemorates the Treaty of Arras as a victory of the monarchy. 8. Mo nument to Philippe Pot 1480. Musee du Louvre, Paris. This monument is a part of the tradition of Burgundian funeral art. Philippe Pot was a Lord of Burgundy. The detail of the tomb is a way of showing the status of the Lord. The realism of the ceremonial spectable is vividly presented to the viewers with the hooded figures, life size, and marching in solemn procession.These figures whose heads are hidden and are inclined in prayer show the mourning of their Lord. The mourners can only be identified by the coat of arms on their habits. The traditions of the past are being reshaped for another age in French art. 9. Jean Perreal, Portrait of Louis XII 1512-1514. Royal Collections, Windsor Castle. 10. Albrecht Durer Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony 1496. Gemaldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. 11. Lucas Cranach the Elder Duke Henry the Pious of Saxony 1514. Gemaldegalerie, Staatliche Kunstmuseam, Dresden.Duke Henry stands proudly in this portrait with arms akimbo and his leg tur ned out awkwardly. His wealth and status shows with what he is wearing. He is in a stunning costume with a bright red suit and stockings under a dark green cloak, both garments are slashed to reveal the rich gold lining. The Duke is giving the viewer a stern state as he grasps his long sword showing his symbol of power and rank. It is interesting that this is a full body portrait. You will notice that is resembles the Arnolfini Wedding. This panel goes along with the Duchess Catherine of Saxony. 12.Lucas Cranach the Elder Duchess Catherine of Saxony 1514. Gemaldegalerie, Staatliche Kunstmuseam, Dresden. 13. Hans Burgkmair Emperor Maximilian on Horseback 1508. Clarence Buckingham Collection, Art Institute, Chicago. Burgkmair had a ready patron in the Emperor because Emperor Maximilian sought to have his likeness and politics circulated in visual form throughout the Holy Roman Empire. This print of Maximilian was the first major print experiment in colored printmaking. Maximilian was willing to experiment because of is urge to get his name and likeness out to everyone that he could.This ceremonial picture shows a strong profile image of the mounted emperor on an ideal horse underneath a well-understood triumphal arch, redolent of both the military success and the Roman imperial rank claimed by the commander. 14. Hans Holbein the Younger Henry VIII 1539-40. Galleria Nazionale, Rome. 15. Hans Holbein the Younger Henry VIII, His Father Henry VII, and Their Wives 1537. National Portrait Gallery, London. 16. Hans Holbein the Younger Edward VI as a Child 1538. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C. Edward VI was Henry’s prized son.Holbein executed at least two portraits of him for Henry while Henry watched Edward grow with great anticipation. In this portrait Edward is only about two years old but looks healthy and resembles his fat-faced father. This was most likely a present for Henry. The inscription on the portrait most likely greatly pleased Henry. It says that if Edward imitates Henry he can be the heir of the throne. It says that you only equal the acts of your parent and that if you surpass your father, then you have surpassed all the kings of the world and then none will ever surpass you. 17. Lucas Horenbout Henry VIII 1525-36.Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. This portrait is unique because it is showing Henry VIII in a three-quarter pose and beardless, which was not typical for Henry VIII. It is also just a shoulder-length portrait against a plain blue background, there is no special shading or dark background to show status. Its diminutive size and polished technique on a vellum support soon became hallmarks of this pictorial genre. This type of genre was quickly adopted by Holbein and also took deep root in England, home to generations of specialist miniature painters well into the nineteenth century. 18. Bernard van Orley Portrait of Charles V 1516.Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. 19. 18th century copy. John the Good and Clem ent VI or Urban, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. 20. Parisian miniaturist of the late 14th century. The Banquet of Charles IV of France in Paris, from Les Grandes Chroniques de France. 1375-79. Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. 21. Antonis Mor. Fernando Alvarez de Toledo. 1549. Hispanic Society of America, New York. This portrait is a splendid example of Antonis Mor’s achievements in aristocratic portraiture. Mor created his own type of court portraiture, which became widely imitated in the second half of the half-century.Mor painted with unflinching objectivity, but the noblemen that he painted like Fernando are more than very important people. These portraits were not meant for our eyes but instead for the eyes of Fernando’s peers at court. This portrait is a statement of high status as cultivated products. Mor’s portraits display a singular superiority among men, but they still remain distinct individuals and don’t become idealized types. 22. Antonis Mor. Portrait of Mary Tudor. 1554. The Prado, Madrid. 23. Rogier van der Weyden. Isabel of Portugal. Mid 1400s. J. Paul Getty Museum. 24. Antonis Mor. Catherine of Austria. 1552.Prado, Madrid. 25. Jean Bondol. Portrait of Louis II, Duke of Anjou. 1412-15. Cabinet des Estampes, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Charles M. Rosenberg, The Court Cities of Northern Italy. New York, NY. 2010. 334-337. [ 2 ]. Richard Vaughan, Philip the Bold. Longman, London and New York. 1962. 188-208. [ 3 ]. Alison Weir, Henry VIII: The king and his Court. New York, NY. 2001. 260-264 [ 4 ]. Greg Walker, The Private Life of Henry VIII. London and New York. 2003. 11-26. [ 5 ]. John Oliver Hand and Martha Wolff, Early Netherlandish Painting. Washington D. C. 1986. 216-218