Jason and demarco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jason and demarco - Essay Example Although unorthodox, this brief analysis will work to examine Jason and DeMarco’s ministry as a function of how it compares to the mores of mainline Christianity and how it might differ. In order to accomplish such a task, the author has pulled together resources from Jason and DeMarco’s own website, their biography as expounded upon in a July 2004 issue of The Advocate, as well as selected works from their own discography and select music videos in the hopes of better understanding how they relate to mainstream Christianity. The clear and obvious fact of the matter is that this duo is most differentiated by the fact that they are a homosexual couple; while at the same time they are a musical group that works to promote the love of Christ throughout the communities they serve. Although Jason and DeMarco describe their spiritual mission as concentric upon witnessing to and spreading the word of God within the LGBT community, the group appeals to Christians of all sexual orientations as well. From a standpoint of their ministry, the most positive factor is that the duo has not let their homosexuality serve as a reason for not pursuing their faith. In a way, Jason and DeMarco are pioneers in this regard due to the fact that discrimination and early trials would have been enough to discourage anyone for continuing to align themselves with such a group that provided such high levels of judgment and non-acceptance as did those Christian groups that Jason and DeMarco were originally associated with (Quittner 36). However, rather than letting this be a discouragement, the duo forged ahead and sought to find an outlet in which they could both share their love for one another while at the same time pursuing their mutual passion of spreading the love of God. Similarly, a secondary positive factor relates to the fact that the message of love and acceptance that Christianity portends to all mankind is equally encapsulated in the ministry of Jason and DeMarco. Although this may seem incongruous to many Christians, the fact of the matter is that these two are furthering the very same Christ-like virtues that are intended to be spread by the church on earth according to Christ’s own teachings. Although many Christians might not accept their lifestyle (CITE), the fact remains that the duo are promoting the same type of love and acceptance that Christ himself ministered to during His time on earth. With respect to a negative aspect of their spiritual mission, the author finds it somewhat troubling that their ministry is so focused and concentric around the relationship that the two share with one another. Although this is doubtless a defining characteristic of the duo, it may not necessarily be the best vehicle with which to approach the focus of their ministry. As Christ should necessarily be the central focus of their musical ministry, it is somewhat distracting that the types of performance, music videos, and copious articles that a re written on the duo are almost entirely focused upon the fact that they are a gay couple who happens to be contemporary Christian performers. Perhaps a better model would be for the group to market and bill themselves as contemporary Christian performers who just so happen to share a homosexual lifestyle together. Although most of this press attention is not

Obesity as an emerging epidemic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Obesity as an emerging epidemic - Essay Example In this study, the authors describe the rising obesity rates and related increase in the healthcare costs, which have been highlighted in research and popular media over again. There is a need for action, and there is a considerable stigmatization of obese people, especially children. There is need for guidelines for public health managers in order to design and implement obesity prevention programmes, which can minimize stigma. This article discusses the social process involved in obesity stigmatisation, its consequences, and its manifestations in health service provision. Based on research, this study also suggests how to design nonstigmatising obesity prevention public health programmes. Management of overweight and obesity is an important public health agenda since these are associated with ill health. There is recognized gap between primary care activities and public health goals to reduce obesity and overweight. Based on systemic reviews and key literatures, the relationships between these have been explored. This study reveals that with sustained political support and investment, the primary care and public health sectors may work hand in hand to reduce obesity through both personal and social interventions, which ultimately may lead to reduction of cardiovascular events. This study examined the pub... itical support and investment, the primary care and public health sectors may work hand in hand to reduce obesity through both personal and social interventions, which ultimately may lead to reduction of cardiovascular events. 4. Goodman, E., Slap, GB., and Huang, B., (2003). The Public Health Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Adolescent Depression and Obesity. Am J Public Health; 93: 1844 - 1850. This study examined the public health impact of socioeconomic status gradient on adolescent obesity through calculation of population attributable risks for household income and parental education on a nationally representative sample of adolescents in terms of obesity to reveal that the population attributable risks for income and education were large. Across each gender and ethnic groups, the socioeconomic status is associated with an increased incidence of obesity disease burden within the total population. 5. Gordon, FK., Ferguson, EL., Toafa, V., Henry, T., Goulding, A., Grant, AM., and Guthrie, BE., (2003). High Levels of Childhood Obesity Observed among 3- to 7-Year-Old New Zealand Pacific Children Is a Public Health Concern. J. Nutr.; 133: 3456 - 3460. In this cross-sectional community based survey study, the attained growth and body composition of 3 to 7-year-old Pacific children were assessed to examine nondietary factors associated with the percentage of body fat. The factors examined were parent reported status of physical activities in these children. However, it was found that these young children have extremely high levels of obesity and truncal fat which could have major public health implications with advancement of age. 6. Reilly, JJ., (2006). Obesity in childhood and adolescence: evidence based clinical and public health perspectives. Postgrad. Med. J.;

Looking for Alaska Essay Example for Free

Looking for Alaska Essay John Green’s 2006 novel Looking for Alaska personally affected me as I could relate to one of the main characters Miles (Pudge). The theme of belonging was also very relevant as this novel touches on the concern of Miles fitting into his new school and finding out how everything works at Culver Creek Preparatory. I directly can relate to Miles in this sense as I am still new and am trying to figure out how my new school works and also finding a friendship group that I am comfortable in. This novel is great because it raises questions about individuals understanding of true friendship, love, loyalty and having a sense of belonging. It shows the importance of truly living life to the fullest rather that just watching it fly by. The conflicts within the characters themselves lead readers inward to examine how much everyone needs a sense knowing where we belong. Pudge buys the cigarettes to show that he can be a part of his new friendship group’s crowd. A certain amount of peer pressure was probably involved, with Pudge worried about ‘fitting in’ and making friends. â€Å"The Colonel talked me into paying five dollars for a pack of Marlboro Lights I had no intention of ever smoking. † I think that by Miles giving into this peer pressure he would hope that it would make him feel more normal and apart of that what his friends were partaking in. The use of first person narrative point of view allowed me to experience things as Miles does. It gave me a deeper understanding of how he is affected by people, events and his own reactions and feelings as the novel progresses. This is no more clearly seen than in the event of Alaska dying, I was limited to Miles’ own feelings and emotions surrounding her death. The idea of guilt and loss becomes apparent as we see him struggle to deal with her death and the role he played in it, with him trying to figure out where he belongs. He experiences a loss of innocence as he is forced to re-evaluate his philosophy on life and find his own place in the world. Alaska’s death aids in Miles’ coming-of-age journey. â€Å"I felt the total loss of her, still reeling from the idea that she was not only gone from this world, but from them all† This can be very relatable for other audiences who might have suffered a great loss like Miles’. Looking for Alaska depicts many messages about one’s vital need to belong, some of which I can personally relate to. As well as other aspects of the novel that other audiences can personally relate to.

The Indus Water Treaty

The Indus Water Treaty 13. The Indus flows through the north-west of India and Pakistan. It arises within Tibet from a holy lake called Mansarovar, the mouth of the lion. After rising in Tibet, the Indus runs north-west between the Karakoram and the Himalayas. In Kashmir, the river crosses the Line of Control (LoC) and enters Baltistan. The principal tributaries of the Indus in the west are Kabul and Khurram rivers, while its five main tributaries in the East are the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers. INDUS BASIN RIVERS 14. The British laid the foundation of the Indus Basin River System in the late 19th Century. The system did exist prior to the British annexation of the area but in a rudimentary form. The irrigation network constructed during the British rule, especially after 1885, was based on perennial canals which led off from river-spanning weirs and head works. Vast areas which had remained inaccessible under the traditional irrigation system were brought under cultivation by this canal system. In the Punjab, two major systems of irrigation were developedBari Doab and the Sutlej Valley Project. 15. In the 19th century, the British constructed most of what is today the worlds largest contiguous irrigation system in the Indus Basin. However, the boundaries between the two states drawn in 1947 paid no attention to hydrology. Eighty per cent of the irrigated area was in Pakistan, but after Partition a large portion of the headwaters for the rivers which serviced most of this immense area were in Indian-held Kashmir. 16. Seeing that India and Pakistan were unable to resolve this issue, the World Bank offered its help. After 10 years of intense negotiation, in 1960 the IWT was signed by then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Pakistani President Ayub Khan and the World Bank. 17. Originally designed as one scheme  [4]  , however, with the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, including the province of Punjab, the Indus system was also divided; while the head works fell to India, the canals ran through Pakistan. With a view to attaining the most complete and satisfactory utilization of the waters of the Indus basin and recognizing the need for fixing and delimiting the rights and obligations of each country in relation to the other , both states, as part of the Indus Waters Treaty agreed to following provisions of the treaty:- Essential Provisions  [5]  of the Treaty 18. There are four essential elements to the treaty (Articles of treaty attached as appendices). The first relates to the division of the waters. The waters of the three western rivers (the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab) were allocated to Pakistan, and the waters of the three eastern rivers (the Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej) were allocated to India. 19. The second was a financing plan to assist Pakistan in building the vast replacement works (Tarbela Dam on the Indus and Mangla on the Jhelum in Pakistan-held Kashmir and the massive link canals) which were needed to store and transport water from rivers in the west to the irrigated areas of Pakistan. India contributed about 20% of the almost $1 billion (in 1960 dollars) required. 20. The third element relates to use of the hydroelectric potential of Pakistans rivers before they reach Pakistan. This was a major bone of contention in the negotiations. India had a legitimate desire to harness the hydroelectric potential of Pakistans rivers before the rivers reached the Line of Control. Pakistan was well aware that the 10 backbone of its economy was irrigated agriculture that was built around the natural flows of the rivers, and thus worried that its security would be seriously compromised if India built dams which could alter the timing of water coming to Pakistan, especially from the Jhelum and the Chenab. The compromise reached in the IWT was that India could use the hydro potential on the rivers, but that there would be restrictions on the manipulable storage that India could construct on these rivers, thus eliminating the possibility of the dams being operated in a way that would adversely affect Pakistan. 21. The fourth element of the treaty is the dispute resolution mechanism, which sets up rules whereby first recourse is for the Indian and Pakistani IWT commissioners to resolve potential problems. If this fails then there are provisions for external arbitration, either through a neutral expert appointed by the World Bank, or through an international court of arbitration. Treaty as Success Story 22. The treaty is widely described as the only institutional mechanism that has worked between India and Pakistan over the past 50 years. In part this is because of the intelligent design of the treaty, but it is also true that it worked because for decades India did very little to develop the hydropower resources on the Jhelum and the Chenab in Indian-held Kashmir. 11 Effects of the Treaty 23. Positive Aspects for Pakistan. The treaty assured  [6]  Pakistan, permanent water supply for its canal system. The principal benefits were:- (a) It helped Pakistan gain independence from India for ensuring its supplies by binding India to a formal international treaty. (b) The treaty helped regulate the flows of the Indus and its tributaries. About 80 percent of the total water is produced during the monsoon period July to September. Storage projects undertaken due to the treaty ensure water availability during winters and enhanced canal diversions. (c) It helped to revolutionize the agricultural sector. 24. Negative Aspects for Pakistan. The negative outcome for Pakistan was the loss of eastern rivers and with this, land surrounding these rivers largely irrigated by traditional methods was adversely affected. However, this loss was compensated by the construction of storage reservoirs, canals and diversions. The other drawback was the rise in inter-provincial discord, especially in recent years, due to reduced flow in the Indus. 12 25. Positive Aspects for India. The major benefits that accrued from the treaty to India were :- (a) The treaty enabled India to harness the eastern rivers to its benefit. It helped in diverting waters to arid areas like Rajasthan and develop irrigation facilities. (b) India could also build run-of-the-river hydroelectric plants on the western rivers and flood control storage facilities, though no storage facilities have been built so far. 26. Negative Aspects for India. The losses to India were :- (a) Ceding western rivers to Pakistan hampered growth of Jammu Kashmir, as water resources in the state could not be harnessed. (b) Increased differences amongst basin states as they began contending higher allocation of water. (c) Absence of an exit clause in the treaty shut Indias options, though Article XII of the treaty provides for a modification of the treaty. 13 Resolution of Salal Dam Controversy C:UsersAdminPicturesSALAL DAM.bmp 27. After the signing of Indus Waters Treaty, the first dispute India and Pakistan were engaged in was over the construction of the Salal Dam by India on the Chenab River. Under the terms of the Treaty, India submitted its plan to the Permanent Indus Commission for Pakistans approval in 1968. A run of- the-river  [7]  hydroelectric project, Salal was deemed crucial for the agricultural needs of the Indian Punjab and economic progress of the country. In 1974 Pakistan officially objected to the design of Salal project arguing that it did not confirm to the criteria for design of such hydroelectric projects laid down under the Treaty. 28. During the course of the negotiations, several options were discussed for reaching to a final settlement including resort to the arbitration procedure provided in the Treaty. Finally, India agreed to make some changes in the design of the dam including reducing 14 the height of the dam and to the permanent closure of the diversion canal after the hydel plant had been commissioned. 29. The resolution of this dispute was hailed in both countries and is still quoted as a case of successful diplomacy over water sharing between Pakistan and India due to the concessions made under the Salal Agreement signed in April 1978. Challenges to the Treaty Although the Indus Rivers support the worlds largest irrigation system, the unused waters of the rivers, which now go to waste into the Arabian Sea, have an equally large useful potential. These could reclaim from the desert an area equal to that already developed. Another 26 million acres could be turned into smiling fields of wheat and rice and cotton food for hungry and work for the unemployed [Shivananda, 1961: 4-5, emphasis added] 30. Over the last decade this situation has changed dramatically. India has initiated a major programme of hydropower development across its Himalayan region. As part of this strategy, and in part to try to address the grievances of the Kashmiri people, India has constructed and is constructing and planning a large number of large hydropower projects on the headwaters of Pakistans rivers (the Indus and especially the Jhelum and Chenab) in Indian-held Kashmir. 15 31. Almost all the disputes over water that have arisen between India and Pakistan are about dam projects constructed or being constructed by one of the two parties. The negotiations over these issues involve divergent concerns and interests, based on their interpretations of the Indus Water Treaty. Under this unprecedented pressure, the IWT is creaking. The Indian perspective is that Pakistan uses the treaty to put an unending set of obstacles in Indias path. The Pakistani perspective is that New Delhi operates with impunity, and that the cumulative upstream water storage being created by India constitutes an existential threat to Pakistans security. The major disputes have been over the following projects:- Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project 32. The second challenge to the treaty came regarding the construction of the Wullar Barrage, as it is called by Paksitan, or Tulbul Navigation Project as termed by India. The dispute arose in 1984 when India began to build the barrage and navigational project at the mouth of the Wullar Lake on the River Jhelum. In 1986, Pakistan referred the case to the Indus Commission, and in 1987 work was halted on the project by India. The main point of dispute is that Pakistan views the project as a storage work while India claims that it is a navigational project. 16 33. These divergent positions are further urged in the light of specific provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty. For Pakistan, the project violates Article I (11) that prohibits both parties from undertaking any man-made obstruction that may cause a change in the volume of water. Article III (4) prohibits India from storing any water on the western rivers. Further, sub-para 8 (h) entitles India to construct incidental storage work on the western rivers only after the design has been scrutinized and approved by Pakistan. Its storage capacity should not exceed 10,000 acre feet of water. Pakistan argues that the existing water level in the Wullar Lake is enough for small boats to navigate between Baramula and Srinagar, so there is no need to store additional water. It further argues that the dams storage capacity was 32 times more than the 10,000 maf capacity provided under the Indus Waters Treaty. 34. India, on the contrary, contends that despite the broad principles governing the Treaty, India has been allowed, under certain conditions, to construct a barrage in the light of Article 3 (4) conditions, which are enlisted in Annexure D and E of the Treaty. India views the project as an attempt to make the Jhelum navigable, not a reservoir. 35. Controlling water for navigation is permissible under the Treaty. More than a dozen rounds of talks have been held to date over the construction of this barrage but it remains the oldest and longest lasting water dispute between India and Pakistan. 17 The Baglihar Dam Issue http://wikimapia.org/p/00/00/52/34/74_big.jpg 36. The differing views of Islamabad and New Delhi first came to a head after India started constructing the 450 megawatt (MW) Baglihar project in 1999 on the Chenab River. Pakistan believed that the Indian design violated the IWT because the dam included gated spillways which meant that the manipulable storage was larger than that allowed under the IWT. The Indian view was that if they were unable to operate the reservoir more flexibly, it would rapidly fill with silt, as had happened in the earlier Salal project. The Indian and Pakistani IWT commissioners were unable to resolve the difference, with Pakistan asking the World Bank to appoint a neutral expert in 2005. 37. The essence of the neutral experts verdict, delivered in 2007, was that: the IWT had a provision for updating the implementation of the treaty as new knowledge accumulated; what has emerged as global good practice for silt management would be 18 impossible with the rigidities of the treaty; and therefore India should be allowed to draw water out of the dam at lower levels than those specified in the treaty. 38. To understand this interpretation a brief technical digression is needed. Water stored behind a dam is divided between live storage, which the operator of the dam can manage through both gated spillways and power intakes, and lower-level dead storage, which the operator cannot manage as he does not have outlets in the dam low enough to release this water. 39. The neutral expert, applying considerable semantic subtlety, essentially argued that live storage was not the same as manipulable storage. He argued that only storage that could be used for the operational purpose of generating power constituted live storage. So if India was creating more manipulable storage on the grounds that this was necessary for silt management, then, in the judgment of the neutral expert, this was not live storage and should be allowed. This finding would only make sense if Pakistans concern in the treaty was to define exactly where the power outlets could be in the Indian dams (which it never was and is not). But it makes no sense if Pakistans concern was Indias capacity to manipulate flows into Pakistan (which it always was and still is). 40. For Pakistan the (non-appealable) Baglihar verdict was a huge blow because it reinterpreted the IWT to remove the fundamental physical protection (limits in manipulable storage) which Pakistan had against the creation of an Indian ability to seriously manipulate the timing of flows of water into Pakistan. 19 41. From the Pakistan perspective, salt was rubbed into this raw wound when India did not (in Pakistans view) comply with the IWT-specified process for filling Baglihar. The Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project 42. Present flashpoint of Kishenganga Hydroelectric project in Indian-held Kashmir is unique. In India the westward-flowing Jhelum River has two main tributaries. The northern tributary, which flows at a substantially higher elevation  [8]  in the foothills of the Himalayas, is the Neelum River. The southern tributary, which flows at a much lower elevation, is the Jhelum itself. The two tributaries join just after they reach Pakistan. This odd configuration offers a unique opportunity build a barrage across the Neelum, build a tunnel down to the Jhelum, put a power station at the bottom and generate substantial amounts of power. There are two obvious sites where this can be done one upstream in India and one downstream in Pakistan. ALT.jpg (36381 bytes) 20 43. The engineers who drew up the IWT were well aware of these possibilities and stipulated that India could build its project only if there is no existing use which will be affected in Pakistan. India is now building the eastern scheme (the 330 MW Kishenganga project) while Pakistan is building the western scheme (the 1,000 MW Neelum-Jhelum project). The immediate stakes and investments are large approximately $350 million in India and $1,000 million in Pakistan. Disillusioned with the neutral expert process after Baglihar, in May 2010 Pakistan declared this to be a dispute to be taken to a Court of Arbitration. 44. The Neelum-Jhelum case is unique because it is the one case in the Indus Basin where there is an intrinsic conflict between India and Pakistan. In all of the other cases upstream storage of water in India could, if normal relations pertained, easily be translated into benefits for downstream Pakistan. These benefits would include the more reliable timing of flows, storage of water during floods and perhaps even energy sharing. 45. The situation is further complicated by the fact that India has a series of hydropower projects being planned, designed and constructed on the headwaters of Pakistans three rivers which will create something like 40 days of live storage on the Chenab alone. From the Pakistani perspective this ability to hold and release water constitutes a serious threat to water security in Pakistan. 21 IWT: Internal Regional Problems 46. Besides these dam projects, there are several internal and regional issues that strain the Indus Waters Treaty. The most important is the view of the people in Jammu and Kashmir who see the Treaty as exploiting  [9]  their rights by both India and Pakistan. People of the northern areas in Pakistan are also opposed to dam projects in Pakistan like the Mangla dam. 47. Secondly, hostile anti-Pakistan segments in India view the Indus Water Treaty as giving undue concessions to Pakistan, which Prime Minister Nehru signed to purchase peace. Since it did not bring peace to Kashmir, they want to revisit the concessions given to Pakistan under the Treaty. 48. Third, Pakistan also has serious problems regarding the sharing of Indus waters among its four provinces. This is evident with entrenched controversy being present in the country on every planned dam. The shortage of water has deep political, economic and social effects. For example, farmers in Sindh point their fingers at Punjabi landlords, and accuse them of stealing their share of the Induss water. 49. Finally, there are environmental and ecological changes which call for consideration. Because of climate change, the Himalayan glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. For water resources, this means an increase in water initially due to 22 flooding. Within the next 50 years, however, experts believe there will be a 30 to 40 percent  [10]  drop in glacial melt because the glaciers will have receded. A strategy to create more storage capacity for water is the only option available, but one has to remember that glacial melt is not only water but also silt that will reduce the capacity of the reservoirs. This aspect has not been considered at the political level or at least has not gained prominence. 50. Essentially the following two features have shaped Pakistan-India water politics: (a) The underlying concern of both states is the political aspects that water entails. This aspect is believed to be the catalyst  [11]  behind the hydro politics in which both countries are engaged. Thus, the discussion on water issues has always been there in almost every dialogue between India and Pakistan, and now it figures in the high level talks that reflects the dominance of water issues. (b) Most of the time, Pakistan being the lower riparian follows up on these issues on sharing of waters more vigorously. It has objected to almost all the projects planned by India on the western rivers calling them a violation of the 23 Indus Water Treaty. Nonetheless, India does not accept this view and takes defensive positions.

Indian Camp and Soldiers Home Young Women as Objects Essay -- essays p

Indian Camp and Soldiers Home Young Women as Objects In Ernest Hemingway's short stories "Indian Camp" and "Soldier's Home," young women are treated as objects whose purpose is either reproduction or pleasure. They do not and cannot participate to a significant degree in the masculine sphere of experience, and when they have served their purpose, they are set aside. They do not have a voice in the narrative, and they represent complications in life that must be overcome in one way or another. While this portrayal of young women is hardly unique to Hemingway, the author uses it as a device to probe the male psyche more deeply. *Paragraph Break*"Indian Camp" opens with an all-male convoy of rowboats heading across the lake, with young Nick, his doctor father and his Uncle George off to see an "Indian lady [who is] very sick." As they disembark on the other side and follow a young Indian bearing a lantern to the camp where childbirth is taking place, the men's guiding interest is not in the mother-to-be as a person, but in her physiology as a case study. When they find her screaming in bed, Nick's father dehumanizes her by saying: "[Her] screams are not important. I don't hear them because they are not important." *Paragraph Break*Bitten by the young woman during labor pangs, Uncle George reacts instinctively: "Damn squaw bitch!" She is not seen as a co-participant with the men overseeing the birth. Instead, she is merely an object they are operating on, a "bitch" soon to whelp her pup, so to speak. The "studied control of the father and doctor as rational man" (DeFalco 30), a carefully constructed pose, stands in contrast to the young woman's inarticulate helplessness in childbirth. The likening of the docto... ...on to leave behind his hometown with its plethora of beauties underscores his view of young women as inconsequential objects of pleasure. *Paragraph Break*Both "Indian Camp" and "Soldier's Home" place young women in a secondary, objectified role. Hemingway takes this approach to focus attention on the psyches of his male protagonists, self-obsessed in their youth or war-weariness. It may not endear the author to feminist readers, but it does make for some powerful short fiction. Bibliography: 1.DeFalco, Joseph. The Hero in Hemingway's Short Stories. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1963. 2.Flora, Joseph M. Ernest Hemingway: A Study of the Short Fiction. G.K. Hall & Co., 1989. 3.Westbrook, Max. "Grace under Pressure: Hemingway and the Summer of 1920." Ernest Hemingway: The Writer in Context. Ed. James Nagel. University of Wisconsin Press, 1984.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Essay -- TV Television Show Essays

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Mentors feature prominently in the Gothic genre. From Dr Van Helsing in Bram Stoker's Dracula, who leads the young heroes into their quest to annihilate the Count, to Rupert Giles, the Watcher in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, older and more experienced adults have provided essential guidance for the younger protagonists of the genre. The differences in media of expression and the subsequent adaptations from novel to television series has not affected the presence of this character, more than a hundred years after the publication of Dracula in 1897. What also unites the novel and the series is their fin-de-sià ¨cle resonance. According to Elaine Showalter, sexually and socially subversive themes feature strongly in periods of cultural insecurity. In addition to the century that separates Buffy from the Count, there has been a plethora of vampire movies and books of various merits. As a result, the late-twentieth-century average spectator knows the basic facts of vampirism. Therefore, the creators of Buffy the Vampire Slayer need to challenge their audience through another aspect of the series. Turning to their advantage what might have been a serious hindrance, they adopt a self-reflexive ironic perspective on the genre. This tenuous but innovative tension between borrowing from the tenets of the Gothic and moving away from them is especially appreciable when one evaluates the Watcher, Giles. Giles embodies both the principles of continuity and daring innovation that characterise the series and contribute to its appeal. The similarities between Dr Van Helsing in Dracula and Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer create a sense of thematic and structural continuity through different media. They share a sim... ...Unofficial Critical Companion to Buffy and Angel. Ed. Roz Kaveney. London: Tauris, 2001, 98-119. 8. Wall, Brian and Michael Zryd. "Vampire dialectics. Knowledge, institutions and labour." Reading the Vampire Slayer. An unofficial critical companion to Buffy and Angel. Ed. Roz Kaveney. London: Tauris, 2001, 53-77. 9. Jung, C. G. The Phenomenology of the Spirit in Fairy Tales. 1912. Trans. R. F. C. Hull. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1967. 10. Heilbronn, Lisa M. "Natural Man, Unnatural Science: Rejection of Science in Recent Science Fiction and Fantasy Film". Contours of the Fantastic. Ed. Michele K. Langford. New York: Greenwood, 1990, 113-9, 115. 11. Auerbach, Nina. Our Vampires, Ourselves. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1995, 5. 12. Tudor, Andrew. Monsters and Mad Scientists. A Cultural History of the Horror Movie. 1989. Oxford: Blackwell, 1991, 114.

Meiji restoration Essay

Military: In 1872 the Japanese military started to use conscription. This is same as drafting in the U.S.A. All conscripts had to serve a three year period in military service, after which they were put to reserves for four years. This system was introduced by Yamagata Aritomo, and the next year this same man set up the Japanese Imperial army. He favored and used the army style of Germany, and the naval style of the British. Some years later the Samurai system was abolished totally†¦ Some Samurai were so upset, that they started a revolt. Economic: The Bakufu was ended on 1868. In 1871 the Daimyo’s were also dismissed, their land redistributed into smaller parts†¦ Unlike the samurai, the Daimyo received a large pension to compensate the loss of their land. In 1872 there was a land redistribution program. This was to become a more solid method than the previous system which relied totally on the price of rice†¦ A straight 3% tax was levied on the land. The government also started to sell industries which used to make Military hardware to the private buyers†¦These people later grew to become the Zaibatsu, which could be described as big industrial empires controlled by one family. Political: Feudalism in Japan was completely abolished during Meiji rule. Like most of Japan, also the parliament was altered heavily. Japanese government sent Ito Hirobumi to study the European parliament systems, and he especially favored the one of Britain. So the Japanese parliament, Diet, is based on the British parliament. It consists of Prime minister, upper and lower house. Hirobumi himself became the first prime minister and the upper house was made of the former nobility and the Daimyo’s. The lower house was chosen by the people. Also a privy council was set up to protect and review  the constitution, its sessions were lead by the Emperor Meiji himself†¦ Social:In 1872 it was ordered that all children, boys and girls both, were to attend primary school for six years. After this the girls would go home and learn more about life from their mothers, when some of the more successful boys on the other hand were allowed to go and study in a high school and then to university†¦Extremely high standards were expected, as students also had to learn a foreign language.