Ermo Essay Example for Free

Ermo Essay Ermo, directed by Zhou Xiaowen in 1994, takes place in the 1980’s when China first began to actively accept the concept of globalization. â€Å"Ermo, where the title character as the strong-willed wife of an emasculated husband† (Tang 654), explores the issues of being a matriarch as well as an individual with her own interests and desires. Compared with traditional Chinese women who were relegated to taking care of the household, Ermo is drastically different because she is the one who attends to the financial needs of her family by selling twisty noodles. Although she is a poor, peasant woman whose life revolves around the responsibilities of taking care of of her family, Ermo harbors secret ambitions which she longs to someday achieve. Fueled by her ambitions, Ermo works day and night to fulfill her aims even as she attends to her loved one’s needs. Her characteristic as responsible matriarch can also be seen when she risks her health by selling large quantities of her blood in order to earn quick money. In the film, every action that Ermo takes is a result of her free will; she is not forced or coerced to do so. Everything that she does, she does for the love of her family. The female lead in the movie is willing to do anything to support her family, which is a marked characteristic of contemporary Chinese films. The role of Ermo is a strong departure from the traditional roles of women in Chinese society. Ermo’s profession is examined in two ways: Noodle seller during the day and noodle maker during the night. In the very beginning of the film, the shot shows her as a noodle-seller on the street, peddling bunches of twisty noodles that she herself made. She yells â€Å"mai mahua mian lou† (twisty noodle for sale) (Ciecko 2) constantly. This scene particularly emphasizes her profession and skills for selling twisty noodles. There are also several close-up shots of her foot while she is making noodle dough. Ermo kneads flour with her feet, and she does it expertly, never dropping any of flour. This shot makes a statement as to the technical skills her work requires and the passion and dedication with which Ermo does her job. While generally regarded as a lowly job, it is actually a very demanding job requiring sophisticated skills. The opportunity to pursue a rewarding career among Chinese women is a fairly recent development because the women in China never had the opportunity to choose their job. Ermo’s desire can be read in various ways: desire for a better life, desire for a fulfilling sexual relationship, and desire for self-determination. Ermo’s â€Å"wish for a new life with a [Blindman, the richest guy in the town] after an amorous night halfway between town and village, expresses her desire to desire and constitutes an inspired revision of reality† (Tang, 668). This satisfies both her sexual desire and desire for better life. She also desires for having the biggest TV in her town, which at first may seem materialistic, but may actually be construed for her need to achieve and be acknowledged for her accomplishments. Although she says that she needs to buy the TV for her son so that he does not have to go to their neighbor’s house to watch, it is really her own aspiration to show people who she really is. Based on strong Confucian society, Chinese women have been traditionally relegated to the sidelines, but as China begins to open itself to changes, so do Chinese women begin to evolve and come out into their own. As examined above, â€Å"the central events in Ermo reflect a new stage in the development of contemporary Chinese society† (Tang, 663). As portrayed in this modern Chinese film, women are able to attend to their family without necessarily having to sacrifice their own dreams and ambitions in the process.

Electric Vehicles And Their Effect On Society

Electric Vehicles And Their Effect On Society With the depletion of the earths ozone layer and the shortage of our oil supply becoming an issue, we have had to look at alternative fueled vehicles that will not harm the environment, but will still provide us with a reliable source of transportation. Compared to gasoline powered vehicles, electric vehicles are considered to be 97 percent cleaner, producing absolutely no tailpipe emissions that can place particulate matter into the air. Particulate matter can increase asthma conditions, as well as irritate respiratory systems. Because Electric Vehicles produce no emissions, there are no requirements for Electric Vehicle owners to ever take in their vehicle to an Emissions Testing Facility for an emissions inspection. Another factor that makes these vehicles so clean is that since they dont use half of the parts that a gasoline powered vehicle does (including gasoline and oil), they are not at risk of shedding any worn out radiator hoses, fuel filters, etc, to be dumped in our over crowded landfills, and leaking contaminated oil into our water supply, killing plant and animal life. Exceptionally quiet, Electric Vehicles produce no noise pollution. In fact they are so quiet that manufacturers are thinking that Electric Vehicles may one day require some kind of noise device on them to alert pedestrians that they are within the area. In a gasoline powered vehicle, the then engine must be kept running even when the vehicle is idle. When an Electric Vehicle is idle, the electric motor is not running and the vehicle is not using any energy. On hot days, a few hundred gas-powered cars sitting on the freeway produce an unimaginable amount of pollution. Electric Vehicles can run during hot days, cold days, at night, and can accelerate or remain idle and not produce any pollution. Many people claim that Electric Vehicles merely relocate the source of pollution to the power plants. Even though Electric Vehicles produce no tailpipe emissions, they still need electricity to be recharged, which means they need power plants to produce the electricity. These people fail to realize, however, that many modern power plants (especially in states like California) are clean, meaning they produce no pollution. Examples of clean power plants include nuclear reactors, windmills, hydroelectric plants and solar panels. Also, it is much easier to deal with isolated pollution sources such as power plants than it is to deal with millions of automobiles, each a source of pollution. As more and more power plants become clean and as more people realize what Electric Vehicles can do for the environment, Electric Vehicle use will increase, and our environment will become much nicer. Electric cars have been thought of as one answer to our dependence on fossil fuel burning vehicles. Their main appeal is that they produce no air pollution at the point of use so provide a way of shifting emissions to less polluted areas. Unfortunately also out of sight are the environmental consequences of manufacturing and recycling the lead- acid batteries electric vehicles require to run on. A recent drew attention to the problem of lead batteries in electric cars: Smelting and recycling the lead for these batteries will result in substantial releases of lead to the environment. The researchers compared the power, efficiency and environmental effects of electric cars with gas powered vehicles. Not only are electric cars comparatively slower and far more restricted in the distance they can travel but release more lead into the environment as well. The study showed that an electric car with batteries made from newly mined lead releases 60 times more lead than that of a car using le aded gas. Although the lead discharged in lead smelting and reprocessing is generally less available to humans in the U.S. than that dispersed by leaded gasoline cars driving where people are still using leaded gasoline. Even when precautions are taken there are still significant hazards. Lead processing facilities release lead into the air and waterways, and lead in solid waste leaches slowly into the environment. Clearly electric cars, despite their good for the environment image create far more of a problem than leaded gas cars and unleaded gas cars. In addition if a large number of electric cars are produced, the demand for lead for batteries will surge, requiring more lead to be mined. Manufacture needs to be halted until an alternative safer power source is found. These rules out current alternatives such as nickel-cadmium and nickel metal hydride batteries which are also highly toxic and far more expensive. Researchers speculate that lithium-polymer technologies may eventuall y be used. Should cities with a population in excess on 5 million such as LA, New York or Mexico city, which suffer from the adverse effects of smog, implement an electric car society, or a car tax by 2009 or would these measures be too costly to execute and burdensome for the average citizen. The creation of an electric car city would be a grueling task indeed. For it follows that the car in many countries is ubiquitous. A cultural symbol that is deeply embedded in the worlds psyche from the day it was created. To some it seems as though it is an impossible task, that we replace so many cars or that we limit the number of cars in the populated areas Although many argue that it is the car that contributes to the blight on this earth, spewing its pollutants into the air, and that a society without them would be a better one. The nature of todays world and in todays modern cities demands that we have a form of fast transportation. We would not function at all without it and walking, while it woul d make us all healthier, would consume too much of our time. I feel that if carefully planned and thought out, we neednt get rid of one without having to lose the benefit of the other. It is felt by many that the cause of urban pollution is as a result of too many cars. The poor design of many cities with regard to transportation has caused urban congestion. Consider of course the fact that many cars right now in cities are running but not moving. For example, in New York City, trying to find a parking space is both a cause and symptom of poor urban design. Clearly when there is not enough space in the city to house all of our cars, when parking space is considered a rare commodity then we have a problem. But in other cases such as Mexico City or Los Angeles the problem of poor urban design is even worse. Clearly when these cities were built the planners did not foresee the large number of gasoline chugging vehicles that would clog them. In addition there are various health problems that are suffered by urban dwellers as a result of the pollution. Asthma is a prime example, as it is the fastest growing childhood disease in urban areas, and most likely the result of the billions of particulates spewed into the atmosphere. Electric vehicles have more than technical hurdles to overcome: Some experts fear that the vehicles environmental impact is no lighter than that of gas-powered vehicles. And the biggest concerns center on the vehicles all-important batteries. Now researchers have published the first in-depth environmental analysis of electric cars using lithium-ion batteries, and have found that they beat their gas-fueled counterparts. When experts consider batteries environmental footprint, they worry about a range of issues, including the impacts of mining the necessary metals, the chemical manufacturing process, and whether the batteries end up in landfills or get recycled. According to the researchers analysis, about 15% of an electric vehicles total environmental burden comes from manufacturing, maintaining, and disposing of the lithium-ion battery. Most of those costs, about 50%, stem from mining and manufacturing the copper and aluminum used in the battery and its connecting cables. Extracting the necessary lithium produces only 2.3% of the batterys total environmental footprint. Still, the largest contributor to electric vehicles total environmental burden comes from recharging the battery. These operational costs were three times greater than the battery alone, but they fluctuated when the researchers looked at other electricity sources besides the typical European power mixture that includes nuclear power, hydropower, and fossil fuels. When the vehicles charged up on electricity from coal-fired plants alone, their total environmental impact increased by 13%, but it dropped by 40% when the electricity came solely from hydropower. Overall, when the researchers compared battery-powered vehicles to their gas-fueled counterparts, they calculated that a car with an internal combustion engine would need a fuel economy of about 60 to 80 mpg to achieve a lower environmental impact than a battery-powered electric vehicle that recharged using Unites States power sources. Overall, Electric Vehicles are stating to change the way people think about à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Going Greenà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ . With the advancement of battery technology and alternative fuels, these vehicles are producing fewer emissions and going further than ever before. We need to start relying on these technologies to start reducing our carbon footprint. As the years continue to pass, these vehicles are going to start changing the way we live, and operate in society. Bagatelle-Black, Forbes. EV WORLD: Electric Vehicles and the Environment. 27 Nov. 2007. Web. 04 May 2011. . Electric Vehicle. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 04 May 2011. . Gustafson, Sven. How Would Electric Cars Affect Our Environment? Michigan Local News. 14 Feb. 2008. Web. 04 May 2011. . Zemanta. The Negative Impact of Electric Cars on the Environment. News and Reviews on Electric Cars, Hybrids, Plug-in Electric Vehicles 9 Mar. 2010. Web. 04 May 2011. .

Smoke Signals Film Analysis

Smoke Signals Film Analysis Rising From the Ashes: A Tale of the Boys of Fire The movie Smoke Signals (Directed by Chris Eyre) tells the story of two boys, Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-the-Fire, and their quest to get Arnold Josephs (Victors father) ashes from Phoenix, Arizona. But its really a story about life, death, and rebirth; life in the birth of the boys and their coming of age, death in the collection of Arnolds ashes, and the rebirths they both undergo along the journey. Thomas makes the statement that he and Victor are born of fire and ash; they are both born of fire and ash, and reborn throughout the movie through both fire and ash. Thomas being thrown from the burning house gives the allusion that he was born from flames. The baby Thomas being flung from the flames is a direct allusion to the phoenix myth, he was reborn when he flew from the flames. The fact that Victors father caused the fire in the first place and then saved Thomas also shows a rebirth of Arnold, because he saved Thomas out of guilt for starting the fire that killed Thomas parents in the first place. Arnold catching Thomas is the only reason the child survives, giving Arnold a get out of jail free card for starting the fire; only Arnold cant let it go and spends the rest of his life beating himself (as well as his wife and child) up about starting that fire all those years ago. Thomas tells stories about Arnold and everyone else on the reservation throughout the movie which are not necessarily true, but he believes every word of them. These stories almost always revert back to Arnold, the man who saved his life as an infant. Thomas idolizes Arnold as his savior, having gone through his initial rebirth with him as his savior. Thomas final rebirth comes when Victor gives him part of Arnolds ashes. Victor has finally realized that Thomas love for his father is a connection they share for the same reason; Arnold saved them both from the fire. Victor is reborn when he collects his fathers ashes from Phoenix (the name being an obvious allegorical reference to the tale of the phoenix), Arizona. Victor cant afford the trip to collect his father, so Thomas convinces Victor to let him come along in exchange for paying both of their ways to Phoenix. Throughout the trip, Thomas recollects stories of Arnold, all of which cast him as the hero and not as the villain Victor sees him as, however, each time Thomas tells one of his stories, Victor becomes angry and tells him to just shut up. Victor wants to hold onto the idea of his father as the bad guy, the one who beat him and his mother up and ran off when he was only a child, instead of the man who ran back into the burning building to save him (which he learns from his fathers neighbor while at the trailer park collecting Arnolds ashes and possessions). Once Victor is finally convinced to go into his fathers trailer to check for belongings that he may want, he begins the ritual of letting go, cutting his hair to signify the loss of a loved one. Another rebirth Victor goes through during the collection of his fathers ashes is when he is running for help after the wreck and collapses just as he reaches it. He has just run all night in boots, which were nt intended to be running shoes, and is nearly dead from exhaustion when he finally makes it to safety; but throughout his run he remembers the past and the things he has been told (the truth) about his father and the man he truly was. As he hits the ground he looks up in his feverish and nearly dead state to see his father standing over him, extending a hand to save him again (only this time it isnt his father saving him, its a construction worker he fell to the ground in front of). When Victor comes to in the hospital, he is a changed man. He has been reborn into a calmer, happier person, even allowing Thomas to tell his stories the whole way back home to the reservation without once correcting him or telling him to shut up. In the final scenes of the movie, Victor is spreading his fathers ashes in the river (Thomas had just given him the analogy of his father rising up as a salmon by his ashes being released in this way) and as he scatters the ashes, he screams; Victor is finally letting go of all the pent up emotions. All of his hurt feelings, anger, and resentment are released in the battle cry he issues as he spreads his fathers ashes. He has been once again reborn from his fathers ashes, just as a phoenix would. This final rebirth through ash is also given over to fire because as Victor is spreading Arnolds ashes, Arnolds neighbor from the trailer park, the one who found him, sets fire to his trailer in order to cleanse and release Arnolds spirit. This movie is a coming of age tale about to young men who share the common bond of a savior, though neither finds out until the end. Throughout the movie, the phoenix story is heavily referenced, from the burning building and the boys being saved from it in the beginning, to Arnolds trailer being burned down, to the final scene when Victor is spreading Arnolds ashes in the river. These boys have to take this journey to discover not only who Arnold was, but who they are. Thomas is born of fire, being reborn in the first fire that Arnold not only accidentally started, but then saved him from. Victor is born of ash, the ashes of his father, which caused the journey in the first place which allowed him to learn who his father really was and what he had done for him. The boys left with the relationship one shares with an annoying kid sibling, but they return friends who share the common bond of Arnold and what he did to save them both. Works Cited Smoke Signals. Dir. Chris Eyre. Perf. Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard. Mirmax, 1998. Film.

Standard Oil 1911 :: essays research papers

Standard Oil Case of 1911 Out of the cases decided by the Supreme Court I feel the most influential dealt with the issue of Civil Rights. Two cases in particular that dealt with the post Civil War use of the Thirteenth Amendment were Jones v. Mayer, 1968 and Runyan v. McCrary, 1976. Although the Thirteenth Amendment was added to the constitution in 1865 it was not fully put to use until one hundred years later. That is why I feel that the judgements made by the Supreme Court in these two cases was necessary and showed the way our government can evolve to fit the times. The thirteenth stated that slavery would no longer be allowed in the U.S. unless used as punishment for a convicted crime. After the Civil War many civil rights laws were passed based on the Thirteenth Amendment but were later repealed. Congress drew the conclusion that racial discrimination did not place blacks in servitude. For years after it was believed that Congress did not have the power under the amendment to deal with racial discri mination. In the Jones v. Mayer case of 1968 helped to bring back the power of a lost Thirteenth civil rights law. The law stated that all citizens of The United States had the right to purchase, sell, or rent any territory that could be enjoyed by white citizens. Jones had sued Mayer because he refused to sell him a home because he was black. The Court decided for Jones saying the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery and gives to Congress to abolish the "badges of slavery." In the 1976 Runyan v. McCrary case, two black students had been refused admittance into two private schools in Virginia. The Court applied another 1866 law that stated all citizens of The United States had the right to make and enforce contracts as do white citizens. Since the schools went against their publicly advertised admissions contract the Court decided for the students. These two cases are very influential because they used the Thirteenth Amendment to give Congress the right to do away with any rem aining "Badges of Slavery." Two cases that were not justly decided were Plessy v. Ferguson and Michael M. v. Superior Court. In Plessy v. Ferguson the Supreme Court decided that having separated but equal facilities was constitutional and did not inflict a "badge of slavery." However this gave people the right to segregation and discrimination which is unconstitutional.

HR roles and responsibilities Essay -- essays research papers

In today’s competitive business market, it is very important to remember how effective planning and development play an important role in the overall success of the organization. The ability to plan and execute an effective strategy is only as good as the people that are placed in the positions to make these decisions. It is crucial to have an aggressive team that will be both competitive and motivated to carry out the objectives set forth. Not only is it important to understand how these individuals will effect the organization but also the importance of obtaining effective hiring practices. Real Estate human resources vary from agency to agency, but for larger companies, still has a strong presence in the company. Human resource management is truly the backbone for all organizations as it relates to the overall picture. Additionally, human resource management effects an organization through methods such as effective human resource planning, equal opportunity employment and affirmative action, the recruitment and selection process of staff and the manager’s ability to manage a safe and healthy work environment. The real estate industry provides many aspect of management related to strategic initiatives that directly affect the organization. In looking at the management in a real estate environment, there are many decisions that need to be made and how these decisions effect the organization and the staff is a crucial part of the success of the overall operation. Human resource management plays an important role in the development of accurate policies and procedures, staffing and management of personnel and individual job fulfillment and career planning. Let us not forget the basics of human resource management and how it relates to daily operations in a real estate environment. On a daily basis managers must understand that they are the representatives of human resources and how they react to staff members in certain situations directly effects the operation of the agency. Human resources development is a major function that consists not only of training and development but also of individu al career planning and development activities, organization development, and performance appraisals, an activity that emphasizes training and development needs (Mondy, et al, 2005a). Managers must understand that training and development of staff and management is cruci... ...to age, sex, race, religion, functional specialty, religion, sexual orientation, geographic origin, and lifestyle, tenure with the organization, or position and any other perceived difference. (Mondy, Noe, 2005d). As discussed, it is important not only for the manager to understand the importance of the human resource management process, but also the way that all aspects of the management an operation effect success. Human resources management certainly applied to daily operations and is very difficult to overlook when realizing the constant need to understand and determine solutions for your organization (Mondy, et al, 2005e).These practices are levels of awareness that every manager and employee must be aware of in a real estate company. Next time a staff member has a question about human resource planning, equal opportunity employment and affirmative action, the recruitment and process of staff or the manager’s ability to manage a safe and healthy work environment human resources one must remember how important an human resource manager is to the company. References Mondy, R., et al. (2005). Human resource management (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc.

Do Animals Have Language Essay

†Language is the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way†(1) Language is humanity’s way of communicating with each other, there are over 6,500 different languages spoken around the world. Every language is communicated by two or more people. Every person can have a combination of languages. It all depends on what that person chooses to do. Some individuals believe that there is no communication without language. But many like myself, beg to differ. As I believe there are numerous ways to communicate, whether it is by speech, symbols or sound. A few might argue that speech and sound are the same thing, to me they are completely different. Yes we need to make sounds that represent the letter that make up the word, but in some languages the sounds are the words. For example the Xhosa language; spoken by approximately 7.9 million people of the South African population, it is a tonal language. I believe that animals communicate using the same technique. I see that certain animals have a specific sound for their specie. For example a dog’s bark, a cat’s meow, and the whale’s songs. They are all a series of sounds, to each other they are understood. Upon being put in the right sequence they convey the message to the other members of that specie. It is a language they use, that we cannot comprehend. The languages present here in Earth are very detailed and elaborate, because humans have a very complex life, they need a lot of words to make sense of it. Animals live very simple lives, needing to communicate when in danger, or directing others. That is why their languages are probably much more simpler than ours. Other animals communicate through dance, and movements. I consider this a language of its own, as these dances create symbols, and symbols are a language. This is still considered using language as a method of communication. So yes, I do believe animals have a language, through sounds. Although those language are most likely very simple, they are their way of communicating with each other. (1):http://www.google.com.sa/search?hl=en&safe=active&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=596&q=language&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&ei=TbpMUMmDL4fvsgbWsYC4BA&ved=0CB0QkQ4

How does Arthur miller show Abigails character in The Crucible Essay

Throughout act one Abigail is the only character that is omnipresent. At first she seems to be an innocent child however it soon changes. As the play goes on we learn that Abigail is manipulative and cunning to get her own way. In addition she does this to persuade her uncle that she is innocent, and she has nothing to do with Betty or witch craft. Therefore the audience are confused and don’t know how to respond to her. Abigail behaves differently with different characters, with John Proctor she is more open and every emotional also he is her weakness; he makes her feel loved but not the way Abigail thinks or wants. â€Å"You loved me John proctor and whatever sin it is, you love me yet.† The words â€Å"Love, sin† are oxymoron’s as well it shows that Abigail is bewildered, utterly puzzled and her emotions are taking over her. However with Betty she is powerful, strong and contently controlling. She is extremely manipulative to get her own way. On the other hand she clearly display her desperation to be with John proctor and shows how she can face vulnerability. This shows she can expose her true self and does not seem as strong and powerful by this the audience realise that she is not the leading power as it seems to the other girls, however she has a different side to her. Furthermore, this damages the opinion of the audience in the later play as she accuses people including John proctors wife, Elizabeth Proctor. Arthur miller uses short sentences to show Abigail’s innocence. Short sentences in the crucible are dramatic. This quotation has dramatic affects â€Å"I’m a good girl I’m a proper girl†. This quotation also has a repetition of the word â€Å"girl† which also shows Abigail’s innocence. Abigail is presented as a very manipulative character. â€Å"Smack’s her across the face.† This quotation sows Abigail’s extreme violence. Arthur miller also shows Abigail as a deferential girl. â€Å"I will uncle† Lastly she is shown as a strong powerful young women â€Å"I saw Indians smash my dear parents heads on the pillow next to mine† The word â€Å"I saw† represents that she’s not afraid however she could be lying because no one could be that strong to watch their parents be killed. However do not eternally believe this statement as she is already lying in the play about the previous night. Moreover she uses these statements to scare the other girls. Arthur miller relates to his messages and ideas about America through Abigail in a few different ways. Firstly by the themes like religion â€Å"You loved me John proctor, and whatever sin it is you love me yet†. The word she has repeated â€Å"love† shows that she is pleading and asking in desperation for John proctor’s company. This shows the audience that she may need him as she is lonely. However it’s not just Abigail that he shows his message through. It’s also Hale who stands for Senator McCarthy. In conclusion Arthur miller shows Abigail’s character as a desperate and emotional. She is also a manipulative person.