Saturday, April 11, 2020
Canterbury Tales - Wife Of Bath Essays (425 words) -
Canterbury Tales - Wife of Bath Chaucer portrays the Wife of Bath as if she is a hypocrite, although, beneath the words, there is a great deal of wisdom involved. The approach that I take, is the view that this tale is advice for women to take. This tale teaches women that there are times one should be a feminist and times you should not. If a women would be a feminist all her life, she probably wouldn't get anywhere in her life or with any man. If a woman were not to have a feministic character anytime of her life, she would be overwhelmed by most men, of work or whatever the case may be. Early in The Wife of Bath, there is a quotation said by the wife of bath supporting the idea that she is feministic. "I don't deny that I will have my husband both my debtor and my slave; and as long as I am his wife he shall suffer in the flesh. I will have command over his body during all his life, not he." In other words, she is saying that she will have total control over herself, her husband, and their household and very specifically, "...not he". This can be interpretated that her husband will not have the same privileges as her in the sense that he is like a 'slave' and she will 'command' over him.. This quotation seems as if the Wife of Bath is leaning toward the feministic opinion. "Nevertheless, since I know your pleasure I'll satisfy your physical pleasure." This was said by the Wife of Bath and supports the non-feministic view. The reason this is considered non-feministic is because the woman is giving in to the man's desire which goes against feministic beliefs. The Wife of Bath has a choice of not giving in to the man, but she decides to let the man have pleasure for his desire not hers, because she has experienced sex before and she knows how much men enjoy it. This quotation obviously goes against feministic beliefs, leaving an unanswered contradiction about the Wife of Bath. My view on The Wife of Bath is negative. I feel that this tale is very vulgar and contains too much involvement of sex. Besides the fact of the tales vulgarness the Wife of Bath was a well told story and the message was well received. This story might seem hypocritical at first, but between the lines there is some helpful advice for many women in the world today.
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
A Comprehensive PET-CT Database for Tracking Patient Variables
A Comprehensive PET-CT Database for Tracking Patient Variables Free Online Research Papers Abstract: A relational database was developed tracking demographic and examination information for patients undergoing PET/CT studies. Methods: A worksheet was first developed to capture patient and study information which was then entered into a relational database. Reports were designed to provide administrative and clinical information. Results: Approximately 2000 patients and three years of data have been recorded in the database. Reports have been used for administrative and research purposes. Conclusion: The database provided reports used to justify staffing, expenditures, and growth. It has also provided research data as well as clinical feedback used to improve the care and management of our patients. Introduction: In July 2003, the Medical College of Georgia installed a PET/CT scanner in its Radiation Therapy Outpatient Center. The scanner is used to perform a variety of diagnostic and oncology-related procedures. In order to be able to retroactively derive research data, a means of tracking patients as well as their individual studies was needed. Although a previously existing diagnostic PET scanner was in use, only radiopharmaceutical records were kept. In the radiation therapy PET/CT environment we felt it important to record additional information obtained from the in-depth patient history and physical. Materials and Methods: A worksheet was developed which allows the technologist to record a current medical history. It was designed by the nuclear medicine physician, the on-site radio pharmacist, and the lead PET technologist. Worksheet entries directly correspond to the database fields to simplify data input for the technologist. If funding becomes available for a computer in the incubation area, the technologist will be able to enter the history directly into the database. Worksheets are filled out by the nuclear medicine technical staff but in order to reduce errors, only the certified PET technologists perform data entry. Data has been collected since the inception of the PET/CT unit in August, 2003. The database currently holds approximately 2000 patients each of whom has had from 1 to 6 PET/CT examinations. Because of the complexity of the information to be recorded, it was determined that a relational database rather than a spreadsheet would be the most effective tool. A relational database promotes accuracy and flexibility and also simplifies data input. Rather than the free text fields used in spreadsheets, extensive use was made of drop boxes and radio buttons as shown in figure 1 which provide selection from fixed, pre-established choices. Because a patient can and often does have multiple examinations, one table was established for the patient and a related table for procedures. There is also a table of examination types. Using the relational capability of the database, every procedure is linked to a specific patient and exam type, both of which are selected from drop boxes. Tables were also developed for referring physicians and exam indications. Because information is linked rather than entered as free text, accuracy is improved and consistency is ensured. Current departmental research interests focus on several patient populations including pediatric lymphoma, cervical and gynecological cancer, and patients requiring treatment planning. Specific database fields were selected to allow future correlations of disease and risk factors. In addition, fields were provided related to patient demographics in order to provide regional coverage documentation for the Certificate of Need. As shown in figure 2, pre administrative reports include monthly procedure counts (figure 3), Veteranââ¬â¢s Administration patient volume, patient demographics for the Certificate of Need, and patient referral volume by physician (figure 4). For research purposes, study data in reports can be filtered by examination indications, type of exam, or patient sex, race, age, or risk factors. Results: The database is useful in providing financial reports. These reports are used to correlate contract billing and to monitor coding accuracy. Reports are also useful in looking at volumes in order to monitor productivity and develop future budgets. Database reports organize research data on patients and their studies including demographics, history, and risk factors. The tools associated with a relational database provide statistics useful in the publication of case studies, preparation of lectures, and tracking of research data. Discussion: The database was designed and structured to provide flexibility in the use and presentation of information. One of the advantages of a properly designed database is that the presentation of information can be readily customized. Those entering information into the database as well as the individuals who will be using the results and reports should be involved in the design process. After obtaining all potentially useful information in the proper format, reports can be customized to fit the needs of administrators and researchers. The approach used in the development and use of this database is adaptable to other types of institutions. The focus should be predicting the information required by the specific users as well as simplifying data entry. Well-designed database structure and screens can save time and reduce or eliminate many input errors, thus enhancing productivity and accuracy. Once accurate information is collected in a well-designed format, it is relatively simple for someone proficient with databases to produce customized reports. This is especially important because users often have changing needs and interests over time. Below are examples of reports which administrators and clinicians at our institution have found useful: Veteran Patient Volume The reimbursement department uses this data to track billing cycles. Physician Referral Base This information is useful in focusing marketing efforts by identifying areas for development. Pediatric Lymphomas Following pediatric patients over a period of years will help determine improved clinical pathways for disease management. Gynecological Cancers The gynecological clinic is one of our largest referral bases. This information will be used to differentiate needs for customized scanning such as ââ¬Å"dual pointâ⬠scanning post surgery. Patient Logs and Volumes Reports provide monthly and yearly patient volume data in both textual and graphical format. Accurate volume information allows us to project staffing needs and schedule system maintenance. The printout also provides a hardcopy back-up of invaluable data. Radiation Treatment Planning By tracking the protocol used for each patient, outcomes are improved by retrospectively analyzing clinical patient management. Conclusion: This database has provided hospital administration with accurate and timely reports to justify staffing, expenditures, and growth. It has provided our physicians with a plethora of research data and has provided our technologists with a method of correlative thinking in the care and management of our patients. As volume increases, the need for accurate, easily accessible information becomes more important. The database is being continually modified and new reports are being developed to enhance management and research functions. Use of a PET/CT tracking database should prove helpful to other facilities to exploit the potential of this technology. References: 1. Gardner WD. Breast Cancer Database Provides Faster Access To Patient Records. InformationWeek Web site. 2005. Available at: informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=NBXENMVY3EP5AQSNDBGCKHSCJUMEKJVN?articleID=174400322. Accessed April 28, 2007. 2. Johnson S, Paul T, Khenia A. Generic Database Design for Patient Management Information. American Medical Informatics Association Web site. Available at: amia.org/pubs/symposia/D004062.PDF. Accessed April 28, 2007. 3. Friedman C, Hripcsak G, Johnson SB, Cimino JJ, Clayton PD. A Generalized Relational Scheme for an Integrated Clinical Patient Database. Proceedings of the Fourteenth Annual Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care. Washington, D.C. 1990. 4. Essin DJ, Lincoln TL. Implementing a Low-cost Computer-based Patient Record: A controlled vocabulary reduces database design complexity. In: Gardner R, ed. Nineteenth Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care. Philadelphia: Hanley and Belfus, 1995:431-5. Research Papers on A Comprehensive PET-CT Database for Tracking Patient VariablesArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Project Managment Office SystemRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanResearch Process Part OneThe Fifth HorsemanInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThree Concepts of PsychodynamicOpen Architechture a white paper
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Debt Financing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Debt Financing - Essay Example The debt finance concept and its relevance will be explained in detail to understand its importance and develop the knowledge. Along with this, the cost of agency will be focused with the conflicts that rise during the structuring of debt finance. Subsequently, the benefits of debt financing over the agency conflicts will be discussed to know its relevance in financing in recent times. There are several arguments related to the firmsââ¬â¢ debt financing that reflects whether the capital market is imperfect or not. There are other factors within the firms such as managers try to avoid high debt ratios to safeguard their interests in the firm (Myers, 1976). Every firm needs to borrow money for the business in short or long run and there are options such as equity, debt and others. It is important for the firms to decide the structure of finance that provides benefit. Conceptual Relevance Debt Financing Debt financing is one of the strategies which the firms employ for borrowing from the investors or lenders with a contract that the repayment will be made within a stipulated time period with certain interest (Reference for Business, 2011). The firms borrow money for raising funds for working capital or for the motive of capital expenditure through the financial instrument such as selling bonds, notes bills and others to institutional and individual investors and lenders. The institutional and individual investors and lenders become the creditors of the firms and promise that the amount and interest on the debt will be paid by the firms within the specified future date (Investopedia, 2011). The payment of debts and dividend are different. The interest and the principal amount/payments upon the debts are firmââ¬â¢s obligations, whereas the dividend payments are not obligations for the firms. The shareholders of the firms are not entitled legally for the dividends but the bondholders, bill holders and other financial debt instrument holders are entitled legally for the principal and interest amount from the firms (Lecture 3). According to the trade-off model the firms should issue debts as long as the marginal benefit is greater than the marginal cost. In the general financing structuring of the firms the high-tax rate firms should apply more debt than low-tax rate firms (Graham, 2008). Relationship among bankruptcy costs, agency costs and taxes is illustrated below: Source: (Pearson Education, 2004). Through the debt financing, the principal and interest that are paid are treated as expenses and thus get deducted from the business income taxes in certain cases. This allows reducing the cost through the debt financing option. Cost of Agency The agency cost is an increase of cost of debt. This happens when there are conflicts between the management and shareholders. Due to the increase in the agency-cost problems, the bondholders and other financial debt instrument holders impose certain restrictions on the firms through bond indentures. T he investors and lenders of the debt financing are aware of the fact that management is controlling their money and there are high probabilities of ââ¬Ëprincipal-agentââ¬â¢ problems in the firms. Due to these two reasons the debt holders put certain restrictions or financial constrains upon the use of their money (Investopedia, 20
Thursday, February 6, 2020
An Individuals Right to Refuse Medical Care Case Study
An Individuals Right to Refuse Medical Care - Case Study Example The historical perspective is, to be brief, the fact that Terri Schiavo had a head injury which significantly impaired her. An autopsy later revealed that her brain had no significant cognitive functioning, with no chance of recovery. Overall, ââ¬Å"there is no easy fix that will make end-of-life decision making simple and conflict-free.â⬠1 Legislation was put through allowing for feeding-tube removal. An individual has the right to refuse medical care, but usually, they will have to sign a form saying that they have been informed of their necessity for medical careââ¬âand are consciously making the decision not to receive medical care by outrightly refusing it. This has various potential outcomes, one of which is if appropriate medical treatment is not received, what will happen then? The moral and ethical issues present include the following: whether someone can or cannot insert a feeding tube without the patientââ¬â¢s consent; whether someone can or cannot insert an I V without the patientââ¬â¢s consent; and whether or not someone can or cannot hydrate a patient without the patientââ¬â¢s consent. Governor Jeb Bush passed ââ¬Å"Terriââ¬â¢s Law,â⬠stating that Terriââ¬â¢s feeding tube could be removedââ¬âa legislative move. My ethical position on the issue is that Terriââ¬â¢s feeding tube and hydration should not have been discontinued. In fact, I protested these end-of-life procedures when the Schiavo case was happening, in order to garner attention to how upset I felt that her rights were being violated.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Dreams as Narrative Pullers Essay Example for Free
Dreams as Narrative Pullers Essay Eminent film makers have used many of the unreciprocated phenomenaââ¬â¢s of human life as a device to construct their quality narratives. Buddhaded Dasguptaââ¬â¢s use of dreams (rather than dreaming sequences) as a device to pull off his narratives need a special mention , for its holding power of the central premises and establishing lucid presentations, also making the distinction between manifestations and reality. An analysis of his placement of dreams to the central characters also gives us a picture of how effectively he uses it as a metaphor of emerging culture and human conditions as a whole. The present article is an exploration of how the diverse characters of Dasguptaââ¬â¢s films- ââ¬ËMondo Meyer Upakhyanââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËKalpurushââ¬â¢ are loaded with pivotal dreams that force them to jump out of their existential problems, thereby acting as able narrative pullers. ( Sudheer S Salam, Lecturer, Dept. of Mass Communication and Journalism , University of kerala) See more: how to start a narrative essay There are hundreds of studies on dreams and their purposes to mankind. While some researchers suggest that dreams serve no real purpose, many others believe that it is essential to dream for a proper mental, emotional and physical well being. Freud was fond of repeating that dreams provide a royal road to the unconscious activities of the mind. In his masterpiece, The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud makes consistent use of the metaphor of a journey. Sigmund Freudââ¬â¢s theory of dreams suggested that dreams were a representation of unconscious desires, thoughts and motivations. According to Freudââ¬â¢s psychoanalytic view of personality, people are driven by aggressive and sexual instincts that are repressed from conscious awareness. While these thoughts are not consciously expressed, they find their way into our awareness via dreams. (Freud,2000) While this theory suggests that dreams are the result of internally generated signals, Hobson(1999) does not believe that dreams are meaningless. Instead, he suggests that dreaming is â⬠¦our most creative conscious state, one in which the chaotic, spontaneous recombination of cognitive elements produces novel configurations of information: new ideas. While many or even most of these ideas may be nonsensical, if even a few of its fanciful products are truly useful, our dream time will not have been wastedâ⬠Ernest Hoffman, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Newton Wellesley Hospital in Boston, Mass., suggests that a possible (though certainly not proven) function of a dream is to be weaving new material into the memory system in a way that both reduces emotional arousal and is adaptive in helping us cope with further trauma or stressful events.(Hartman, 2006) Though the discourse over the actuality of dreams is yet to find proper resolve, they are made use of and interpreted in multitude of ways in various art forms propagated by humans. Filmmakers use dreams as essential helping points in their narration of their plot. Narrative is such a way of comprehending space, time, and causality. Since in film there are at least two important frames of reference for understanding space, time, and causality, narrative in film is the principle by which data is converted from the frame of the screen into a diegesis a world that frames a particular story, or sequence of action, in that world; equally, it is the principle by which data is converted from story onto screen (Branigan, 1992) Dreams often can be used to mislead the audience by making them believe that some events are actually taking place but in reality are only dreams. The films often illustrates in dramatic fashion that our dream environments (composed of, say, buildings, natural scenes, or fantastical landscapes) are all creations of our brain, somehow. Some of these creations are as enchanting as a science fiction film by Lucas or as dramatic as a tragedy by Coppola. In our dream world, we do not consider such landscapes and other creations to be self-generated, though of course both the dream setting and the image of ourselves within the setting are fabricated by the same brain. Other components of the dream world, such as decisions, preferences, and action selection can be construed as self-generated. Aspects of these self-generated processes resemble those of waking life: Deciding which alley to run down when escaping a foe is a similar deliberation in a dream or in waking life. (Morsella, 2010) By expressing a life problem metaphorically, the dream impels the individual toward his goal (often an unsocial goal) with increased emotional power. For illustration, the writer interprets dreams of falling, flying, paralysis, examinations, and other common dreams. The dreamer, self-deceived, does not recognize the purpose of his own metaphor. When he does, dreams have no further danger for him. The more courageously and realistically one meets the problems of life, the less one dreams, but absence of dreams may also be due to lack of imagination (Alder, 1936) Many film makers around the world has used dreams as a device to pull on the narratives and built on it. Budhadeb DasGupta, one of the most renowned filmmaker of India is one who presents dreams as a narrative device to hold the movie and to ââ¬Ëpullââ¬â¢ the narrative through a chain of events. His two recent surrealistic films ââ¬ËMondo Meyer Upakyanââ¬â¢ (Life at the Throw of a Dice) and ââ¬ËKaalpurushââ¬â¢(Memories in the mist) which also won the highest accolades of India, the National awards for best films, rightly exemplify how this technique can be wisely used by the filmmakers of caliber, extraordinary. In all of his films, the poetic notion of dream has a prominence, rarely if ever to be found in the political or social film. Every character are planted with a definite dream, much varied from their immediate materialistic circumstances, one which is quite difficult to attain, the struggle for which propel the entire plot to a more phantasmagoric finale. The moon landing to flare up child dreams ââ¬Ë Mondo meyer Upakhyanââ¬â¢(2002) tells about the fourteen year old Latiââ¬â¢s pursuit for liberation from a type of life that has been programmed for her by her mother Rajani, the mistress of unfashionable brothel. Rajani on the other hand is not wicked or ruthless as you expect of her. She is but is trying to give her daughter a better living status than that of any usual whore residing in the brothel. She locates a wealthy middle-aged man named Natabar Paladhi, who finds it the most lovable hobby to watch pornographic films in his own theatre. Paladhi is also hoping to take the adolescent Lati as his mistress, along with her mother in a house that has been built especially for her. The girl is but disgusted at the options of a life offered to her where she is remain as a plaything of a man who is more than four times her age. She is more focused on her own ambition of pursuing her education than to approve such an agreement. However, Rajani has already taken Lati out of her school as a first step in preparing her for the new career. But Lati tries to keep in contact with her learning exercises with the help of her young friend Shibu and the teacher Nagen whom she greatly admires. Her desperate attempts to learn, finally forces her to renounce a life of prostitution and to run away to Calcutta with her teacher who has been promoted to a school there. The most interesting aspect of the movie is its narrative technique where Latiââ¬â¢s story is narrated parallel to the manââ¬â¢s attempt to land on moon and finally her liberation from the village and the brothel is interestingly placed on the same day as the manââ¬â¢s first moon landing. In two of the subplots of the movie are three young prostitutes who are also seeking to break free from a profession that binds them in thraldom, and an infirm elderly couple who are forced to be on Ganeshââ¬â¢s Jeep (driver of Paladhi), travelling around hidden in its dickie to find a hospital. It is more than a poetic connotation to say that for Latiââ¬â¢s dreaming of being in Calcutta for pursuing her education from a distant, isolated village is more like what had been the dream of being in moon to Neil Armstrong and the entire mankind. It even seems further away and harder to get into Calcutta than the moon landing itself. Also depicted are the other moons to be reached for by the other characters on screen, such as the promotion in Calcutta to which the country School master is headed. Interestingly, in the entire film, the school teacher of Lati is shown always in a bicycle travelling across frames, but never is he shown teaching in some school. The three young prostitutes is the movie realize of their ââ¬Ë moonsââ¬â¢ only in the finale of the narratives- the desire of ultimate freedom from exploitation where there is reciprocal love and wholesome satisfaction. The entire characters in the movie, except Lati and Rejani does not seem to have solid ideas of how to reach their moons (dreams) and the journey to itââ¬â¢s fulfilment is likely to be as subjected to probabilities and chances, as the elderly couple finally settle down in excitement and fulfilment with the play of ludo rather than looking for proper medication. They were traveling far and wide hiding in the jeep in the dreams of locating a distant hospital, the possibility of which is mentioned intermittently but never ever shown. But it seems that the entire travelling for days, the rarest of the things that may have happened in their life, has transformed them from ailing seniors at decrepitude to young minds who could even enjoy the childish games. Whether they are ultimately successful or not is of no interest; what matters is that they from their adverse conditions are human enough to dream and courageous enough to realize their fulfilment and their dreams in a Ludo board. The sphere of acquisitiveness and venality that is Rajaniââ¬â¢s moon depends entirely on others for its attainment. It can be reached only if circumstance out of her dreams can change, but Latiââ¬â¢s journey to her moon is clearly determined. (Hood,2005) Perhaps Nadaber Paladi enriched in his world of fantasy and drowsiness is altogether unaware of his definite moon and so is comfortable, remaining in his cinema hall repeatedly dosing in front of the pornographic loop, which doesnââ¬â¢t in fact bore him even after repeated views, and in him the filmmaker suggests the possibilities of a subtle moon(dream) which goes satisfied with his repeated vision of the same stuff. Nevertheless, the capriciousness of the world in which Dasgupta has placed this young girl, Lati, is hardly minimized by the execution of her intention, for the most prominent determinant in this film is chance. Film advances the idea that maybe life does progress by chance as though it is determined by the throw of a dice. The importance of chance as a determinant in the life is determined in a number of ways, across all the characters in the movie. Mystic memories around an American dream Kalpurushââ¬â¢ is all about the life of Sumanto, a selfless and generous government servant, who eventually wins over the grim circumstances of his life. Belittled professionally and betrayed in his marriage and treated as a figure of ridicule by almost all he meets in life, Sumanto but make adjustments to life suprisingly different from the regular ones.(Mehta,2008) The movie opens in a tram at night with Sumanto and Ashwini seated on different chairs. And when the tram comes to a stop, Sumanto gets down followed by Ashwini down the deserted lanes of this para city. Ashwini begins to narrate the story where we understands that Sumanto is his son and that he has yet to tell him a lot. An element of suspense creeps in as the audience is left in doubt whether Ashwini is real or apparitional. The narrative, almost immediately, jump-cuts to a rugged village where Ashwini is seen talking to his wife Putul, under a leafless tree that has gathered the twilight grey. Ashwini tells her about his meeting with their son and asks about how she is keeping these days. Ashwiniââ¬â¢s conversation with Putul gives us a feeling of dejavu: they seem to have met after a separation of a few days, or a few days, or may be a few months. The suspense deepens as the narrative leaps back to Sumantoââ¬â¢s routine life of a plain and honest Govt. employee married to a school teacher, Supriya -a visibly irritable lady without any respect for Sumanto, who she believes, epitomizes failure. She converses with her lover over the land phone, evenwhile Sumanto is in the vicinity. It is, however, not made clear whether she is aware of Sumantoââ¬â¢s presence or she underestimates him so much that she does not care whether he is in-the-know or ignorant of her extra-marital liaison. If honesty defines Sumantoââ¬â¢s basic nature, a loveless world around forces him into worshipping human bonds. He appears naà ¯ve and open up to his father Ashwini about how his eyes were up tears as he sees someone wiping the tears off the cheeks of someone else. Very submissive and docile, he almost makes a fool of himself as he admiringly gazes at a couple making love in the public park, and even surprises the television news reader whom he mets on street by asking him immature questions about the business of news reporting. Even when Supriya almost blandly tells him that he is not the father of his children, he hardly reacts and never let this information dwindle his love for the two kids. We are often made to think that Sumanto has already known about this information, which has no effect on his equation with them. Sumanto appear irritable and upright while he upset the hierarchy by not penning a favorable inspection report to support one of the business men. Making his unconventionality, a mode of rebellion, he with a greedy and cruel world around is shown with a penchant for connecting with love. This aspect of his character recalls the network of electric cables with which the film open, this network metaphorically signifies the importance of human bonding. The sequential convergence of two separate historically and personally relevant time periods of Sumanto and Ashwini also helps Dasgupta to reveal Sumantoââ¬â¢s and Ashwiniââ¬â¢s behavioral pattern of anonymous affairs, emotional isolation, and inner chaos, paralleling their self-destructive behavior with the national crisis of identity, and cultural disconnection. There are two dreams that act as the primary determinants of the narrative routes of ââ¬ËKalpurushââ¬â¢. The first is Supriyaââ¬â¢s obsession with ââ¬Å"Americaââ¬â¢ ââ¬âa land to which her longing is so much intense that she hardly recognizes the routine bests available around her, including Sumanto or her kids. From the opening reels Supriya is obsessed with her impending two-month sojourn in the United States at her brotherââ¬â¢s. And towards the end, Supriya is shown to have reached her dream winning a prize to be in her dreamland.(Mehta, 2008) The second dream is a fallen one, about Kusumpur, the imaginative land which Ashwini looks for all his life. Nobody knows the geographical location of this land, suggested as an impossible knowledge. Placing diametrically opposite to Supriyaââ¬â¢s realization of her America, the Kusumpur(s) of the mind, appear as a Utopian destination which means different things to different people. As in Das Guptaââ¬â¢s earlier movie Uttara, where a group of illiterate, underfed, haggard old men embarks on a journey by foot to America, the land where nobody starves, here Kusumpur is Ashwiniââ¬â¢s America, the land of overabundance, prosperity and nourishment. This highly politicized representation of America as the dreamland, the land of wish-fulfilment, projected so in every popular discourse of an average Indian has etched upon the collective unconscious of the masses, especially of the Third World. Therefore, Supriya, a mundane school teacher almost goes berserk as the invitation of his brother to spend a couple of months in the States. She urges Sumanto to buy her every possible Bengali book available on America. The titles available, to Sumantoââ¬â¢s astonishment, are countless, and underscore the authorsââ¬â¢ sycophantic reverence for the country. While Supriya revels in the golden opportunity of flying to this dreamland, which also becomes her Kusumpur, the regional television channel airs news about Americaââ¬â¢s imperialistic designs almost unemotionally. Only once, does the newsreader lose control and intersperse the news with unspeakable abuses, giving expression to his anger directed to ââ¬Å"butcherngâ⬠America. However, all this happens is Sumantoââ¬â¢s imagination/dream, the newsreaderââ¬â¢s outrage actually a projection of his feeling. The ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢ as hero Simple, concrete and pictorial images of the poet turned filmmaker in DasGupta, is affected with an economy of language. The presentation of image and idea bears meticulous attention to an appropriate relationship with form; and the piece has a clear integrity which accommodates the emotions as much as the intellect. (Hood, 2005) His Naxalite sympathizing and hope for a class ââ¬âless equi focal world has created a notion of ââ¬Ëdistanceââ¬â¢ in his films, with its ramifications of detachment, alienation and remoteness governed by a poetic perspective. This might be the reason for the formulation of a distanced ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢ that is often the ultimate destination and hoped for in all his movies. Moving close to the setup of neo-sociopolitical and moral binaries America/ the rest of the world, city/country, cinema/other forms of popular art, dishonesty/honesty, so on and so forth, DasGuptaââ¬â¢s films offer a lot of codes that stands apart for its placement of oppo sites. (Hood,2005) In ââ¬ËMondo Meyer Upakhyanââ¬â¢, Calcutta with its immaculate freedom, wisdom and knowledge is set as a binary to the isolated brothel housing Lati and Rajani, with hardly any freedom or space for learning. And ultimately, the schoolmaster Nagen is destined to join the ââ¬Ëotherââ¬â¢ with the ever aspiring strong willed Lati, who seems like wrongly placed in the opposite part of the esteemed elements. Even as Neil Armstrong finally clinches his long chased moon, his one of the binary here is the jeep and its driver Ganesh who transverse through isolated unending landscapes, seeking to look for what is not to be found (this case, a hospital).The three young prostitutes, who long for an escape from their life of deceit and humiliation in the brothel is looking for an other possibility of a life without men.(Mehta, 2008) Honest and idealistic, with his root firm on a craggy village with its share of mythological ballads and myths, the protagonist of Kalpurush seldom shows any inclination to America, which his wife finds as the best of the worldââ¬â¢s that she can accomplish. Thatââ¬â¢s enough reason to look upon him as the ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢ . Another similar reference is of an ideal ââ¬ËKusumpurââ¬â¢ a place long ago and far away, which beckons us when lifeââ¬â¢s complexities beckons us to return to natureââ¬â¢s solidities, the perfect other space than the coupleââ¬â¢s, contrasting life . But by Ashwiniââ¬â¢s mention about this place that cannot be travelled, DasGupta also cites that life is not that full and perfect, even in the most idealistic ââ¬ËKusumpur ââ¬Ëor in ââ¬ËAmericaââ¬â¢. Dasgupta also travels an ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢ in a typical Bengali folk art ââ¬ËJatraââ¬â¢ with its share of heavy emotions, glittering costumes, and loud make-up, which for ms the central to the narrative of ââ¬ËKalpurush , even while dealing through the most dazzling and powerful of the modern media ââ¬â cinema. In both these movies the maverick filmmaker seems to have shown his affinity to deficient and entirely unattainable conundrums of our romantic social structures, that is the family. At the risk of generalization, it may be said that DasGuptaââ¬â¢ attempts to establish counter-hegemony of the ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢ of complete, well served families with the placement of incomplete fundamental social group in its settings through his films. In fact, DasGupta seems to be looking on for very prosaic conceptualization of ââ¬Ëconcept of lackââ¬â¢. This ââ¬Ëlackââ¬â¢ is their in Mondo Meyer Upakhyan, as Lati is presented with a mother, but not a father. And Shibu, the child of washerman is presented with a father, but not a mother. Natabar Paladhi makes mention of his wife and family, but is never shown one. There is no reference to the family life of Ganesh or Nakul or Nagen. The old couple is rejected by their larger family and is left now in the mindset of venturing children. Similar is the fate of the inmates of the brothel, whose ââ¬Ëlackââ¬â¢ is infuriated with every one night stands. In ââ¬ËKaalpurushââ¬â¢, Sumanto is not dissatisfied or regretful with his fate of being alone with adopted children, after his wife walks out of his life. Supriya is more than happy to lead a life with avarice and materialism, even lonely, but in America. Putul and Ashwiniââ¬â¢s women friend working with Jatra is also shown isolated and trauma- filled for their existance. Dr.Ashwini continues with his work after being left out of his wife and is attempted to be killed by his son, but in his later spiritual talks ,express his nostalgia for a life that he put an end to without knowing its value. And this remains the only point where Dasgupta constructs the values of form of their relationship more than the relationship itself. However, such an observation is also subject to debate. In the ultimate analysis, what one sees in a Dasgupta movies are welcome minimalism and ordinary individuals with mostly unattainable dreams, shorn of weird dramatization, so regular in Indian cinem a. References Adler, A.(1936) On the interpretation of dreams. Int. J. Indiv. Psychol., 2, 3-16. Branigan, Edward (1992): Narrative Comprehension and the Fiction Film. London: Routledge Ezequiel Morsella (2010), On the Film Inception: Observations about Dreams and in Dreams , Published on July 29, 2010 Freud,S.(1900) The Interpretation of Dreams, Hartman, E. (2006). Why do we dream? Scientific American. Hobson, J. A. (1999). Consciousness. New York: Scientific American Library. Hood, John.W, (2005) The Films of Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Delhi: Orient Longman. Mehta,Anita(2008), On Times that pass and men who live in them, Osian Cinemaya, Vol.1,No 3. Monaco, James(2007) How to read a film: the world of movies, media and multimedia, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Monday, January 20, 2020
The Color Purple :: essays research papers
In the book The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, Tashi is convinced that she doesn't want to go to America because no one will like her. Tashi has her doubts but Adam convinces her to come. I am not here to analyze the motives of the character's decision to go/not go to America, rather I will evaluate the historical factuality of her fears of going to the US Her fears are very realistic for any African woman coming to the states. She would have the same experience looking at modern magazines knowing how the public portrayal of woman is.In the 1930's most white people were very racist against Black people. People feared those that were different. They feared the tribal customs of Africans such as scarification marks, and saw them as savages. Tashi's fear is that "...because of the scarification marks on her cheeks Americans would look down on her as a savage and shun her." Tashi's fear is perfectly valid for any African coming to America in the 1930's because some people woul d shun her. In the '30's Black women made themselves look whiter because black skinned black people were not popular. Dark people tried to look naked, therefore Tashi feared that "Adam will be distracted by one of these naked looking women and desert [her]." With a bunch of naked women running around, any man would be distracted. She fears that he will leave her for a "more attractive" woman, but that is dependent on whether Adam really loves her. Any woman would have fears like that before marriage.Because of the Glitzy Glamour in today's magazines that solicit anorexic, pale women, she would have the same doubts and fears about coming the US. Her fears would be even more enhanced because most women in the '30's are unattractive compared to today's women. Modern magazines and old magazines are similar because both show women that are prettier that the standard women.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Challenges and Best Practices in Corporate Governance
Former Finance Secretary Jesus Estanislao once compared good corporate governance as keeping oneââ¬â¢s house in order. Most people want well-run households, one that keeps a lid on expenses while keeping things neat and clean and takes care of the various needs of family members. In the business setting, a clean house is more attractive to prospective investors. Good corporate governance promotes transparency, accountability and responsibility. Corporate governance is not just about ethical conduct or being transparent and fair to stakeholders, it is also a means to improve a companyââ¬â¢s performance, competitiveness and sustainability. In the Philippines, compliance with corporate governance codes is still relatively low. It is probably an offshoot of the way most Asian economies do business, which is largely personal and based on connectionsââ¬âwhether by family, affinity or friends. In addition, the adoption of good corporate governance practices is a function of a firmââ¬â¢s financial performance. In Singapore for example, a relatively developed economy, a recent report showed a widening gap between companies with strong and weak corporate governance policies. But it is when crisis occurs when the defects in corporate governance are seen. Learning curves for the adoption of scorecards and best practices for corporate governance are a tad high, and maybe difficult for several companies to implement. Dr. Estanislao once said that his advocacy for companies in the Philippines to adopt good corporate governance standards is a slow burn. But someone has to do it, and progress must start as soon as possible so it can also blossom faster.
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