Metafiction and JM Coetzees Foe Essay -- Foe

Metafiction and JM Coetzee's Foe    Is writing not a fine thing, Friday? Are you not filled with joy to know that you will live forever, after a manner? (Susan Barton, Foe, 58) Of the many literary conventions used to describe JM Coetzee's Foe, one of the more commonly written about is metafiction. Since about 1970, the term metafiction has been used widely to discuss works of post-modern fiction and has been the source of heated debate on whether its employ marks the death or the rebirth of the novel. A dominant theme in post-modern fiction, the term "metafiction" has been defined by literary critics in multiple ways. John Barth offers perhaps the most simplified definition: metafiction is "a novel that imitates a novel rather than the real world." Patricia Waugh extends our understanding to add that it is "fictional writing which self-consciously and systematically draws attention to itself as an artifact to pose questions about the relationship between fiction and reality." According to these definitions, metafiction concerns itself not with the creation of a new narra...

Economics †production possibilities curves Essay

â€Å"Explain how production possibilities curves can be used to demonstrate the problem of unemployment, the effects of technological change and the benefits of economic growth.†A production possibility frontier (also known as production possibility curve) represents all the possible combinations of the production of two types of goods and services that the economy can produce at any given time through graphical means. It is used to clearly demonstrate the problem of unemployment, the effects of technological change and the benefits of economic growth of a modified view of an economy. A typical production possibility frontier is based on four simplifying assumptions:1.The economy only produces two types of goods and services2.The state of technology remains unchanged3.The quantity of resources remains unchanged4.All resources are fully employedUsing the given assumptions, a production possibility frontier may be constructed. Fig 1.1 shows all the maximum possible combination of the production of wheat and cars in an economy when all resources are employed. Society must make decisions on which combination is most desirable, and thus, involving an opportunity cost. This is shown at point C on the line where in order to obtain 40 units of clothing, 50 units of food must be given up. The line AB shows the ideal spot in which an economy should lie as it signifies that all resources are efficiently employed, however in reality, this is often not the case and the problem of unemployment arises. Unemployment in an economy can be clearly identified in a production possibility frontier as the position of the economy would be shifted into the area within the curve. This is demonstrated in Fig 1.1 by X. Economy X is illustrated as producing 100 units of wheat and 40 units of cars, significantly reduced from the potential production of 150 units of wheat or 80 units of cars. This inefficient use of resources negatively impacts on the economy as the potential profit of the whole economy is reduced and resources are wasted. The production possibility frontier is able to clearly visualise the relationship between the production of two goods and services and indicate the state of an economy and its allocation of resources thus demonstrate the problem of unemployment and how it affects the economy’s profit and future implications. A change in the production possibility frontier may occur with technological improvements. This would often shift the curve in an outward direction, signifying the economy being able to develop a high quantity of goods or services with the same number of resource. In many cases, the technological advancement may only benefit to one of the goods or services. For example, the discovery of a genetic code to harvest wheat faster will benefit the production of wheat however, having no effect on the production of cars. This is shown in Fig 1.2 by the line DB where the line is shifted outwards from point A to point D and gradually declining to point B. In this case, 250 units of wheat may be produced as opposed to the original 200 units, providing a gain in production, and thus, the economy’s profits. On the other hand, if the technological advancement benefit both of the goods or services equally, it will cause the curve to shift outwards parallel to the original. An example may be new machinery developed that aids in the production of cars and wheat. This is demonstrated in Fig 1.3 where line AB shifts outwards to line DE. However, this parallel movement of the curve usually occurs with the discovery of new resources. Economic growth refers to an economy’s capacity to produce more goods and services. Factors of economic growth includes: technological improvement; discovery of new resources; increase in population, thus increase in labour. This may be clearly presented with the production possibility frontier by comparing the curves of a past or present economy to a present or future economy. This may be seen in Fig 1.4 where the curve is stretched outwards and the potential production rate is increased. For example point C on the line AB producing 150 units of wheat and 40 units of cars will be shifted to point F, producing 200 units of wheat and 50 units of cars. Economic growth indicates a benefit to our society as more wants and needs will be satisfied in the society, thus improving the standard of living of individuals in the economy. This implicates that the economy will be able to  support a larger population and provide better facilities or environment. A production possibility frontier may be described as one of the essential tools in economics. It allows the viewer to graphically identify the relationships of two different types of goods or services, compare the past/present/future status of an economy and identify the position of the economy in relations to the curve. It demonstrates the problem of unemployment, the effects of technological changes and the benefits of economic growth. bibliography: tim dixon economics textbook

Qué es el programa de Comunidades Seguras

Quà © es el programa de Comunidades Seguras Comunidades Seguras es un programa del gobierno federal de colaboracià ³n con autoridades locales y estatales para identificar inmigrantes para proceder a su remocià ³n inmediata de los Estados Unidos o al inicio de un procedimiento de deportacià ³n. Las razones por las que el migrante puede verse en ese problema pueden ser variadas, desde estar en el paà ­s como indocumentado a haber cometido violaciones migratorias o delitos o  faltas penales. En este artà ­culo se explica cà ³mo funciona este programa, por quà © tiene fieros defensores y crà ­ticos, cul es la relacià ³n de Comunidades Seguras con las ciudades santuario y quà © se puede hacer. Cmo funciona el programa Comunidades Seguras El funcionamiento es realmente sencillo. En Estados Unidos cuando una persona es arrestada o detenida se le toman las huellas digitales, conocidas en algunos paà ­ses como dactilares. A continuacià ³n esa informacià ³n se le envà ­a al FBI. El FBI las compara contra varias bases de datos, por ejemplo, IAFIS, donde estn fichadas personas con pasado delictivo. Adems, las compara con bases de datos de otras agencias como IDENT, del Departamento de Seguridad Interna (DHS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) en la que se guarda toda la informacià ³n disponible sobre inmigrantes, sobre criminales y sobre personas consideradas terroristas o sospechosas de serlo. Asimismo, tambià ©n se comparan esas huellas dactilares con la base de datos  de los oficiales de migracià ³n, como por ejemplo US-VISIT, con las que controlan los  pasos fronterizos terrestres, puertos y aeropuertos. Si el resultado es que la persona es inmigrante y tiene rà ©cord criminal o una orden de deportacià ³n pendiente o se sospecha que est en el paà ­s ilegalmente entonces se considera que se produce un  ¨hit ¨. Aclarar que se puede creer que una persona est como indocumentada tanto porque no aparece rà ©cord de su ingreso legal y se cree que es extranjera o porque es evidente que ingresà ³ legalmente pero no ha salido a tiempo.   Si se produce ese  ¨hit ¨, es decir, una coincidencia de interà ©s para Inmigracià ³n, entonces el FBI lo notifica tanto a la autoridad que tiene a la persona arrestada o detenida como al Centro de Apoyo para el Cumplimiento de la Ley (LESC, por sus siglas en inglà ©s), que es un departamento dentro de ICE. A partir de ahà ­, ICE analiza la situacià ³n y decide, segà ºn lo que considere prioritario, quà © hacer. Puede decidir emitir un detainer, tambià ©n conocido como hold. Esto quiere decir que se solicita que se retenga al detenido por 48 horas ms a partir del dà ­a que deba ser liberado, con el objetivo de darle tiempo al ICE de hacerse cargo. En ese plazo de 48 horas no se incluyen sbados, domingos ni feriados. Adems, en la actualidad los detainer van acompaà ±ados de una orden (warrant, por su nombre en inglà ©s), que pueden ser de dos clases: para remocià ³n/deportacià ³n o para arresto. A partir de ahà ­, si la autoridad que recibe el detainer decide cumplirlo, entregar al detenido a las autoridades migratorias, que segà ºn el caso, procedern a su deportacià ³n inmediata o iniciarn  un procedimiento judicial de deportacià ³n. Argumentos a favor y en contra de Comunidades Seguras Los defensores de este programa consideran que es una gran herramienta para deportar a migrantes, particularmente los que tienen un historial como  criminales violentos.   Sin embargo, un estudio de Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse de la Universidad de Syracuse argumenta que en la actualidad no hay datos pà ºblicos de cuntos detainers se emiten y que no est nada claro cuntos son causa de deportacià ³n. Es ms, aseguran que solamente un porcentaje mà ­nimo de las deportaciones tienen su origen en un detainer emitido dentro del marco de Comunidades Seguras. Entre los argumentos en contra de Comunidades Seguras se citan, entre otros, que rompe la confianza entre la policà ­a y la comunidad y hace que muchos delitos no se reporten. Adems, se afirma que da lugar a la deportacià ³n elevada de inmigrantes con rà ©cord criminal limpio, cuyo à ºnico problema es que estn en el paà ­s como indocumentados. Finalmente, tambià ©n se aduce que Comunidades Seguras es un gasto excesivo para las municipalidades. Lo cierto es que este programa ha tenido un historial conflictivo. Fue creado en el aà ±o 2008 por el presidente George W. Bush en el condado de Harris en Texas y de ahà ­ se extendià ³ progresivamente por todo el paà ­s, incluidos sus territorios como por ejemplo Puerto Rico, bajo el mandato de Obama. Bajo ese presidente se establecieron prioridades en su aplicacià ³n y, finalmente, se suspendià ³ su aplicacià ³n. Sin embargo, la llegada de Donald Trump a la Casa Blanca supuso su activacià ³n mediante orden ejecutiva del 25 de enero de 2017. En la actualidad sigue siendo un programa muy criticado, que causa miedo entre la comunidad migrante y que ha dado lugar a oposicià ³n de municipios e incluso estados en la forma de lo que se conoce como ciudades santuario. Qu son las ciudades santuario y cmo se relacionan con el programa Comunidades Seguras Uno de los temas migratorios ms controvertidos y debatidos en los Estados Unidos es el de las ciudades santuario, a las que sus crà ­ticos acusan de no cumplir con las leyes migratorias.   Para entender este asunto lo primero es saber de quà © realmente se est hablando. Hay que partir de que no hay una definicià ³n legal de lo que es una ciudad santuario, pero puede entenderse como tal a aquella  jurisdiccià ³n -estado, condado o ciudad, que limita su colaboracià ³n con las autoridades federales en materia de inmigracià ³n. Ese là ­mite puede estar declarado pà ºblicamente o puede ser algo que simplemente ocurre, es decir, es un asunto informal. En cuanto a las formas que puede tomar la falta de colaboracià ³n, à ©stas pueden ser muy variadas. Por ejemplo, la prohibicià ³n de que un funcionario pà ºblico municipal pregunte sobre el estatus migratorio de una persona. Otro ejemplo comà ºn es el de no compartir informacià ³n sobre datos en los que conste la situacià ³n de indocumentado de un migrante como es el caso de la Ciudad de Nueva York que no comparte lo que sabe sobre los solicitantes del I.D. de la ciudad. Pero quiz el ejemplo ms conocido y el que levanta ms crà ­ticas y que est directamente relacionado con el programa de Comunidades Seguras  es el de no cumplir con las peticiones de deteiners que emite el ICE solicitando a otra jurisdiccià ³n que retenga, por un plazo de 48 horas, a un migrante que tiene arrestado o detenido por otro asunto no relacionado con temas migratorios. Algunas ciudades santuario incumplen los deteiners siempre mientras que otras los ejecutan cuando el objeto del deteiner es un inmigrante con un delito en su rà ©cord.   En la actualidad, segà ºn el Inmigrant Legal Resource Center, hay ms de 300 jurisdicciones que en algà ºn grado pueden ser consideradas como ciudades santuario y han sido amenazadas con la retirada de fondos federales, en particular de subvenciones del Departamento de Justicia. Sin embargo, no es seguro de que se pueda aplicar este castigo y en la fecha en la que se escribe este artà ­culo est inmerso en una batalla legal de la que se desconoce cà ³mo puede finalizar. Qu se puede hacer Lo cierto es que estamos viviendo una à ©poca que causa gran ansiedad entre la comunidad migrante. Los residentes permanentes deberà ­an considerar convertirse en ciudadanos mediante naturalizacià ³n y evitar cualquier tipo de problemas que pueden dar lugar a su deportacià ³n. Los extranjeros con visa deben conocer los tà ©rminos de la misma y evitar violaciones migratorias. Y en cuanto a los migrantes indocumentados deben informarse sobre si existe alguna posibilidad real para arreglar su situacià ³n, deben conocer sus derechos si son parados por la autoridad y no mostrar ninguna documentacià ³n que pueda dar lugar a revelar que estatus, como por ejemplo la matrà ­cula consular. Finalmente, es siempre aconsejable que tengan a mano el telà ©fono de un abogado migratorio u organizacià ³n de apoyo a inmigrantes de confianza para comunicarse en el caso de problemas. Estar informados es siempre la mejor arma para estar preparados, defender los derechos que se tienen y evitar ser và ­ctimas de fraude por parte de personas inescrupulosas que toman ventaja de la situacià ³n de miedo en la que muchos migrantes viven en la actualidad. Este artà ­culo es informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal para ningà ºn caso en particular.

Biography of Zhu Di, Chinas Yongle Emperor

Biography of Zhu Di, China's Yongle Emperor Zhu Di (May 2, 1360–August 12, 1424), also known as the Yongle Emperor, was the third ruler of Chinas Ming Dynasty. He embarked on a series of ambitious projects, including the lengthening and widening of the Grand Canal, which carried grain and other goods from southern China to Beijing. Zhu Di also built the Forbidden City and led a number of attacks against the Mongols, who threatened the Mings northwestern flank. Fast Facts: Zhu Di Known For: Zhu Di was the third emperor of Chinas Ming dynasty.Also Known As: Yongle EmperorBorn: May 2, 1360 in Nanjing, ChinaParents: Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress MaDied: August 12, 1424 in Yumuchuan, ChinaSpouse: Empress XuChildren: Nine Early Life Zhu Di was born on May 2, 1360, to the future founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, and an unknown mother. Although official records claim the boys mother was the future Empress Ma, rumors persist that his true biological mother was a Korean or Mongolian consort of Zhu Yuanzhang. From an early age, according to Ming sources, Zhu Di proved more capable and courageous than his older brother Zhu Biao. However, according to Confucian principles, the eldest son was expected to succeed to the throne. Any deviation from this rule could spark a civil war. As a teenager, Zhu Di became Prince of Yan, with his capital at Beijing. With his military prowess and aggressive nature, Zhu Di was well-suited to holding northern China against raids by the Mongols. At 16, he married the 14-year-old daughter of General Xu Da, who commanded the northern defense forces. In 1392, Crown Prince Zhu Biao died suddenly of an illness. His father had to choose a new successor: either the Crown Princes teenaged son, Zhu Yunwen, or the 32-year-old Zhu Di. Keeping with tradition, the dying Zhu Biao chose Zhu Yunwen, who was next in line for succession. Path to the Throne The first Ming emperor died in 1398. His grandson, Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen, became the Jianwen Emperor. The new emperor carried out his grandfathers orders that none of the other princes should bring their legions to observe his burial, for fear of civil war. Bit by bit, the Jianwen Emperor stripped his uncles of their lands, power, and armies. Zhu Bo, the prince of Xiang, was forced to commit suicide. Zhu Di, however, feigned mental illness as he plotted a revolt against his nephew. In July 1399, he killed two of the Jianwen Emperors officers, the first blow in his uprising. That fall, the Jianwen Emperor sent a force of 500,000 against Beijing armies. Zhu Di and his army were out on patrol elsewhere, so the women of the city fended off the imperial army by throwing crockery at them until their soldiers returned and routed Jianwens forces. By 1402, Zhu Di had made his way south to Nanjing, defeating the emperors army at every turn. On July 13, 1402, as he entered the city, the imperial palace went up in flames. Three bodies- identified as those of the Jianwen Emperor, the empress, and their oldest son- were found among the charred wreckage. Nonetheless, rumors persisted that Zhu Yunwen had survived. At the age of 42, Zhu Di took the throne under the name Yongle, meaning perpetual happiness. He immediately set about executing anyone who opposed him, along with their friends, neighbors, and relatives- a tactic invented by Qin Shi Huangdi. He also ordered the construction of a large ocean-going fleet. Some believe that the ships were intended to search for Zhu Yunwen, whom some believed had escaped to Annam, northern Vietnam, or some other foreign land. Treasure Fleet Between 1403 and 1407, the Yongle Emperors workmen built well over 1,600 oceangoing junks of various sizes. The largest were called treasure ships, and the Armada was known as the Treasure Fleet. In 1405, the first of seven voyages of the Treasure Fleet left for Calicut, India, under the direction of the Yongle Emperors old friend, the eunuch Admiral Zheng He. The Yongle Emperor would oversee six voyages through 1422, and his grandson would launch a seventh in 1433. The Treasure Fleet sailed as far as the east coast of Africa, projecting Chinese power throughout the Indian Ocean and gathering tribute from far and wide. The Yongle Emperor hoped these exploits would rehabilitate his reputation after the bloody and anti-Confucian chaos by which he gained the throne. Foreign and Domestic Policies Even as Zheng He set out on his first voyage in 1405, Ming China dodged a huge bullet from the west. The great conqueror Timur had been detaining or executing Ming envoys for years and decided it was time to conquer China in the winter of 1404-1405. Fortunately for the Yongle Emperor and the Chinese, Timur became ill and died in what is now Kazakhstan. The Chinese seem to have been oblivious to the threat. In 1406, the northern Vietnamese killed a Chinese ambassador and a visiting Vietnamese prince. The Yongle Emperor sent an army half a million strong to avenge the insult, conquering the country in 1407. However, Vietnam revolted in 1418 under the leadership of Le Loi, who founded the Le Dynasty, and by 1424 China had lost control of nearly all Vietnamese territory. The Yongle Emperor considered it a priority to erase all traces of Mongolian cultural influence from China, following his fathers defeat of the ethnically-Mongol Yuan Dynasty. He did reach out to the Buddhists of Tibet, however, offering them titles and riches. Transport was a perpetual issue early on in the Yongle era. Grain and other goods from southern China had to be shipped along the coast or else portaged from boat to boat up the narrow Grand Canal. The Yongle Emperor had the Grand Canal deepened, widened, and extended up to Beijing- a massive financial undertaking. After the controversial palace fire in Nanjing that killed the Jianwen Emperor, and a later assassination attempt there against the Yongle Emperor, the third Ming ruler decided to permanently move his capital north to Beijing. He built a massive palace compound there, called the Forbidden City, which was completed in 1420. Decline In 1421, the Yongle Emporers favorite senior wife died in the spring. Two concubines and a eunuch were caught having sex, setting off a horrific purge of palace staff that ended with the Yongle Emperor executing hundreds or even thousands of his eunuchs, concubines, and other servants. Days later, a horse that had once belonged to Timur threw the emperor, whose hand was crushed in the accident. Worst of all, on May 9, 1421, three bolts of lightning struck the main buildings of the palace, setting the newly completed Forbidden City on fire. Contritely, the Yongle Emperor remitted grain taxes for the year and promised to halt all expensive foreign adventures, including the Treasure Fleet voyages. His experiment with moderation did not last long, however. In late 1421, after the Tatar ruler Arughtai declined to pay tribute to China, the Yongle Emperor flew into a rage, requisitioning over a million bushels of grain, 340,000 pack animals, and 235,000 porters from three southern provinces to supply his army during its attack on Arughtai. The emperors ministers opposed this rash attack and six of them ended up imprisoned or dead by their own hands as a result. Over the next three summers, the Yongle Emperor launched annual attacks against Arughtai and his allies, but never managed to find the Tatar forces. Death On August 12, 1424, the 64-year-old Yongle Emperor died on the march back to Beijing after another fruitless search for the Tatars. His followers fashioned a coffin and carried him to the capital in secret. The Yongle Emperor was buried in a mounded tomb in the Tianshou Mountains, about 20 miles from Beijing. Legacy Despite his own experience and misgivings, the Yongle Emperor appointed his quiet, bookish eldest son Zhu Gaozhi as his successor. As the Hongxi Emperor, Zhu Gaozhi would lift tax burdens on peasants, outlaw foreign adventures, and promote Confucian scholars to positions of power. The Hongxi Emperor survived his father for less than a year; his own eldest son, who became the Xuande Emperor in 1425, would combine his fathers love of learning with his grandfathers martial spirit. Sources Mote, Frederick W.  Imperial China 900-1800. Harvard University Press, 2003.Roberts, J. A. G.  The Complete History of China. Sutton, 2003.

Contemporary Retail Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Contemporary Retail Marketing - Research Paper Example The market will be segmented based on varied demographic factors and occupation of people residing in Whitechapel London, UK. In addition, the target customers will be the young group of people including both businesspersons and employed people. The rationale behind targeting these customers is that the services of corporate banking such as providing loans and financial services are highly demanded by this people group. Moreover, these sorts of target customers in the region prevail in a higher proportion as compared to others, which in turn will create better profitability position for the company in future.It is quite indispensable for Lloyds bank to adopt a sound strategy in order to attain the above-discussed objectives. This strategy will mainly include identifying the requirements as well as the demands of corporate banking services amid the young people residing at Whitechapel. Moreover, the strategy will also entail include appraising the services that are provided by the com petitors of the bank to the customers. In addition, the offerings of the company will be positioned in the target markets through making advertisements in newspaper and media. It is worth mentioning that the aspect of marketing mix will be organized through creating an effective distribution channel for the product or services that will be available to the customers in any situation. In relation to price, discounts may be provided on loans and new terms of payment will be introduced (Sharma, 2009, p. 122).

Logistics and operation managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Logistics and operation managment - Essay Example Scheduling can be defined as the process of controlling, arranging and optimizing the workload in the manufacturing or production process. It is used for allocating the machinery and plant resources, planning production processes, planning human resources and purchasing material. Inventory management, capacity planning and scheduling is of great significance, as it can be associated with the financial benefits of the organizations. The imbalance between these supply chain operations may lead to an unnecessarily increased work in process, deteriorated delivery performance and frustrated staff in the sales and manufacturing departments. However, for most of the organizations excess capacity can certainly be unnecessary and costly. The inability to properly handle these processes can also be considered as a barrier in achieving maximum organization performance. In addition to this inventory management, capacity planning and scheduling are all considered to be significant factors in the choice of technology of the organization. These processes help in determining that how much capacity must be needed by the firm, the schedule and all the processes related to inventory management that are required for manufacturing a great product or begin the production of an en tire new product (R.Arnold, 2010). The imbalance between inventory management, capacity planning and scheduling may result in under or over stocking of items. Under-stocking of items may result in lost sales, missed deliveries, production bottlenecks, dissatisfied customers and it also unnecessarily ties up the funds of the organization that could have been more productive if used elsewhere. Overstocking may have fewer drawbacks attached to it; however the cost of excessive overstocking may be quiet staggering in the cases when the inventory holding cost is high, as the matter may easily get out of the hands of the

Research Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Argument - Essay Example Admittedly the various crimes for which execution was the verdict have been brought down in recent times. Also the methods of execution (quartering, boiling, and impaling to name a few) have been made less barbaric in the recent years. However whether death penalty should be allowed a place in our law at all is a much debated point. Two thirds of the countries around the world have completely abolished capital punishment for any crime. Many countries have even abolished it as late as 2008: Uzbekistan for one did so on 1st January 2008. The European Union is also firm in its stand against death penalty. Currently though 60 countries retain the use of the same for certain crimes like premeditated murder while others retain death penalty but have not executed anyone within a span of 10 years (â€Å"Death penalty: Abolitionist and Retentionist countries†). The United States has been under fire from various fronts regarding the large number of executions since 1976, the year during which death penalty was reinstated in the country. The support in the nation against death penalty is steadily on the rise. Yet there is a strong belief among quite a large population that the only punishment fit for a person who has taken the life of another is death itself and no less. A legal scholar, writes, â€Å"Abolitionists appear to value the life of a convicted murderer or, at least, his non-execution, more highly than they value the lives of the innocent victims who might be spared by deterring prospective murderers.† (van den Haag). In certain cases like that of Timothy McVeigh, where the convict shows no remorse for his heinous crimes it seems like death penalty is the only fitting verdict that can be pronounced. Timothy McVeigh was sentenced to death and executed on 11 April 2006 for the attack on a federal building in Oklahoma. He was responsible for the death of 168 individuals, including 19