Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - Essay Example The author’s transformation leads to the growth of her inquisitive nature as she gets to question some of the various issues that surround her life. It is through this rebellious streak that the reader gets to appreciate the author’s transformation. This is especially because the time, in which these private changes were taking place, the region was facing tumultuous and incredibly dangerous disruptions (Satrapi, 2004). This paper will examine the novel, and help bring out aspects of the book that might make a difference in the lives of people. The author indicates in the novel that she happened to be the granddaughter of an emperor in Iran. As she tries to comprehend the extent of such novelty, she grows up trying to also understand the complexities of the life she lives. The author works on divulging information about rebellion in the lives of people around her, and the societies in which she lived. It is in the book that the reader gets to comprehend the nature of th e region, and some of the upheavals it was going through as it transitioned through the boundaries individuals created for themselves and others (Satrapi, 2004). Persepolis tries to delve into some of the issues that affect societies in modern times. It is through the book that people are made aware of their natures, and how to get about life minding others. The book tries to bring to reality the major themes that occurred in the region back then, but that may still be affecting society in present times. However, this is for the reader to conclude after completing the novel. The book sheds some light on the differences that exist between the lives that people lead on the outside, while living contradictory lives privately. The case of the author’s parents could be the perfect example. They talk of how evil the regime was, and they try to express their rebellion in their home. This is done by drinking wine and supplying their daughter with posters from famous people that were not from their world (westerners) (Satrapi, 2004). The upheaval saw changes take place that may not have necessarily been welcome in the region by people who were content with what they had, that is; safety and comfort in their beliefs and customs. Also, the different reasons behind rebellion can be found in the book as the author tries to claim that the presence of knowledge or even fear could be motivators for people to rebel. The revolution in Iran came about as a result of the difference in social class. There were tremendous gaps between the rich and the poor, which the author insinuates that she often felt ashamed of, especially when she was in her father’s Cadillac. The author tries to bring to the reader the diverse points of view that were held by different people present in her life, for instance; her grandmother, her parents, and outside society. This is done in an effort to bring forth all the sides of the story, and not just placing judgments on certain groups of people, or try to decide who might have had it better or worse. The historical perspective is the aspect that is brought out by the author (Satrapi, 2004), whose humor and alternating tone assists in bringing out the seriousness of the issue that rocked the region in the twentieth century. Violence, religious persecution, corruption, and even torture are themes which are recurring in the novel. They are themes that are seen through the eyes of a child (younger Marjane), while the humor she displays tries to create the sanity that is

Case Study Of The Virgin Group

Case Study Of The Virgin Group Virgin Group is made up of more than 200 companies, which employ nearly 50,000 people all over the world. The business has witnessed continual growth since it was started. The revenues reached a record mark of 10 billion sterling pounds in the year 2006. This reveals the magnitude and level of business in which Virgin Group is operating. The nature of leadership in existence in Virgin Group draws many features from the personality of Sir Richard Branson. The business philosophy postulated by Sir Richard Branson believes that the ultimate results of customer satisfaction and shareholders gain is the responsibility of every individual. He believes that if the staffs are kept happy then the customers are going to be happy meaning that the shareholders will be happy too (Branson 1998, pp. 14). Consequently, the management of Virgin Group does not fall in to any particular model. It has a unique management structure whose characteristics do not fit those of the existing models. The amalga mation of concepts makes it distinctive. A critical review reveals that the success witnessed by Virgin Group can be attributed to the uniqueness of its management styles. Management Theorists like F Taylor first created the concept of scientific management. This scientific concept postulates that there are six main features of management, namely; experiment, observation, selection, standardization, and training. Scientific philosophy of management expects that rewards and employee compensation should be pecked on performance and co-operation. Although some facets of this theory are outdated, some of its features are still applicable in the business structure of modern times. As a good illustration, Virgin group may be having what appears as a relaxed working environment but some features of scientific management are in the application. Such aspects of scientific management used in Virgin Group include training, selection, and payment pecked on results. Some employees are compensated because of their outstanding entrepreneurial ambition and innovative thinking. Outstanding performance in Virgin Group is not only measure by the amount of financial input an employee has brought but also creativity and ability to think outside the box. Another model of management is bureaucracy, which sees the organization of business as one unit. The pioneers of this school of thought believed that family practices could not be delinked from the organization. Therefore, there a need to merge family goals with those of the entire organization. Organizational goals of Virgin Group cannot be dissociated with those of Sir Richard Branson. This is enough reason to conclude that the management style in the organization has some elements of bureaucracy in leadership. Max Weber first formulated this kind of management approach. The impact of the entire society is given considerable attention by the management. In this model, the organization forms an integral part of an amorphous society. Despite having some draw backs, this model has found its way in to the Virgin Groups management style. In a bid to meet the needs of the society it is serving, virgin management give priority to the impact, its strategies will have on society. This is the reason as to why Virgin Atlantic, an airline company under Virgin Group, has been on the frontline on the crusade for environmentally friendly jet fuel. Furthermore, there is an element of administrative theory in the management of Virgin Group. Propounded by Henry Fayol, administrative theory view management as a chronological process comprising of planning, organization, training, and coordination of functions. This model represents the transitional theory between the traditional and modern models. It is characterized by rigid and mechanistic tenets. Virgin Group has a little bit of these management principles. It has deviated from it by allowing liberalized management at departmental level. However, at the departmental levels, there is a need to advance the principles of management. The thoughts of employees should remain to be customized to suit these principles. The management of Virgin group with a heavy weight is contingency approach. The decision-making and plans executions are done with close reference to the problem at hand. This has seen the group attain notable milestones in streamlining its management, which eventually translates in to revenues. In this management model, the dynamics of business environments is appreciated. It recognizes the fact that different environments require different management approaches (Damanpour1996, pp 694). Concisely, it is true to argue that Virgin Groups success story of many years is a factor of many things including it optimal management model. The group has been able to amalgamate the presets of every model to suit its present needs. What is emerging vividly from this global organization is the fact that the efficacy of management is determined by its ability to move away from conventional and rigid requirements. Moving with the trends in the market has been proven beneficial in optimization of profits. From the descriptions given above, it is evident that Virgin Group leadership is a transformational. In transformational leadership the management looks beyond the compensation to employees. The model, which is in use at Virgin Group, explores the inner factors, which enhance performance of employees through motivation. On the contrary to the transactional model, which look at compensation alone, transformational leadership looks at the way of achieving high-level loyalty and commitment from the followers. The brand in the name of Virgin was founded in 1968. Since then it has grown beyond borders and become a worldwide product. Its venture into many different industries is a true reflection of the success. Sir Richard Branson is the present chairperson of the group. He is well known for his stylish but competitive leadership skills. Many analysts and scholars attribute the success of Virgin Group to the creative leadership skills of Branson. In the process of expansion, he took over several risky ventures in a more to diversify and improve his business. In most of his business plans, he focused on minute segment of a specific market and provided quality products or services. This approach allows for creation of small monopolistic markets with high profit margins. One major contributor to Bransons success story is his ability to lead people in exploring innovative and profitable ventures. Therefore, the leadership style depicted by Branson is a topic to be investigated in the following discussions. The kind of leadership philosophy advocated by Branson has been infiltrate into the entire company. Sir Richard Bransons leadership style falls in the category of transformational. He has an outstanding ability of bringing out the best out of humanity. Interpersonal and relational skills possessed by Branson are impeccable. He has close touch with the day to day activities of various companies within his group. The most common feature that has made him achieve great milestones in business development is the ability to motivate and rally fellow partners in pursuit of a business opening. If the recent acquisitions are taken as an illustration, he managed to convince fellow stakeholders in adoption of a new strategy. In his ventures, he looks for people who are outgoing and willing to start new businesses. His capacity building nature has made him an admirable leader of modern business. His focus spans beyond the orthodox perspective of employees where the management expects the workers to perform to deserve compensation. The interest of Branson surrounds asking the question as to whether a partner or employee is optimizing his or her capacity. He is interested also with people who are willing to take risks and the best in their tasks. For a long time, he has succeeded in bringing out the best out of his staff, a core character of transformational leader. There is no doubt about the fact that Bransons success since 1970s is attributed directly to his attitude towards management of a team. In his approach, the barrier existing between the employees and management is broken. In fact, many people working with him approaches business issues with a philosophy of achieving through innovative thinking and not adhering to the preset rules. Because of the ideologies propagated by Branson, all participants in the organization share similar values. He formulated his own style of leadership, priding himself on integrating the employees in to his style and seeking their thoughts on ways of improving value to customers. Employees are expected to internalize these values and respond in accordance to them. Integration of corporate values in leadership strategies means that there is little interference by external forces (Werdigier 2007, pp. 4). Nevertheless, Sir Bransons approach does not mean that the employees are entirely dependent on the chairpersons thoughts. They are equally accountable of their actions like fellow employees under transactional leadership. In order to motivate his employees, Branson and his management team, especially human resources management department have systems of enhancing commitment of employees through bonuses, stock options and profit sharing, and internal promotion wherever possible. Apart from Sir Bransons input in the success of the Virgin Group, there is a contribution of organizational culture in the company. Organizational culture existing in Virgin Group in fairly complex. The Group serves more than 100 companies operating separately in the industries which are not entirely related. The common feature within ever company in the group is the glamorous Virgin Brand. The brand remains unchanged in all companies operating in different businesses. This is a similarity, which puts a heavy responsibility on each department or division to positively represent the brand. The image reveals an overall image of quality and innovation inherent in the group. Through the creation of an exclusive brand, the company has been able to consolidate and maintain desirable loyalty levels among the customers. The diverse business portfolio evident in Virgin Group businesses is helpful in building and maintaining loyalty in various industries. This is the main reason as to why the company has witnessed high levels of success. The managers in the company employ the concept of creativity to encourage employees to enhance their contribution to the group in whatever level of hierarchy. They discourage the scenario where employees sit back to execute instructions. Employees have the capacity of producing cutting-edge products, which the whole company will be able to deliver to the market. They can also formulate ways of improving efficiency in the company. This is an outstanding feature of Virgin Group. Every individual has a say when it comes to products development. The management style in application at Virgin Group encourages members of staff to be competitive. This will eventually build a desire in the hearts of employees to see the company succeed so that they can be recognized as contrib utors to new and innovative business model. There is no clear cut between management and leadership within Virgin Group. Transformational leadership emanates from executives and top managers in the company. There are harmonized goals set by Sir Richard Branson and fellow company executives. Various companies within the group will work towards achieving those goals. These ambitious goals range from utilization of new technology, expansion in international markets, joint venture with other existing companies and loyalty among customers. Goals formulated at this level of management are communicated to every employee in the company. This is a beneficial strategy, which gives every employee a task to accomplish in fostering the groups mission. The senior management implores the employees to output their skills in such a way that they are going to complement the company (Virgin Group n.d.). The notion behind this effort is to advance the philosophy that the entire benefits of the group will eventually lead to individual gains for ev ery person involved. The contribution to the group will ultimately result in rewards for managers, employees, shareholders, executives, and customers alike. One desirable feature of Virgin Group is its organizational structure. Through its structure the company has succeeded in overcoming the challenges related to expansion. An expansive organization like Virgin Group must explore ways of handling the massive information within the company. Through its flat organizational chart, Virgin Group Limited has been able to handle it expansive business portfolio with much ease. The reduction of horizontal chain of command means that interdepartmental communication is enhanced. As the level of hierarchy moves down, the lower levels of management tend to concentrate more keenly on the management of the company. Although leadership is always encouraged among the managers, it requires some levels of strict management to make sure that the task has been accomplished. Different divisions within the company have different management function. At Virgin Group, managers have several goals of wide scope. Because of the fact that different divisions of the company are specialized in their operations, well-trained and qualified mangers are required to manage it effectively. In most cases, managers employed by the company have a firm background in their sector of specialization. They must also prove that they are capable by showing a successful record of accomplishment. It is the sole responsibility of managers within Virgin Group to ensure that day-to-day operations needed to keep the division running are executed effectively. Organization is a vital ingredient in the success of Virgin companies. Since the group in an amorphous company comprising of several companies, organization is very critical in putting together the processes (Human Resources Magazine, 2003). To start with, the company has many goals to be achieved like expanding the global presence and building of customer loyalty. The top executive are responsible for determining these goals and making them available to the entire company. The same executive must ensure that these goals are achievable for them to be received well by employees. However, caution should be exercised to ensure that the employees are not underutilized. Challenging goals are important for employees to feel that they are engaged in meaningful tasks. Organization of these goals within the division will ensure that specific targets are made. Every division has separate and specialized goals aimed at increasing market share and improvement of product and services. As the hierarchy advances to the junior staffs, goals become more precise and short lived. The targets set at implementation levels are easily achievable because they are very specific. These specific goals are formulated by division managers with close reference to those of the entire group. This system of information transfer enables the company to remain on track on the journey to meeting the targets set by executives. Virgin is a living evidence for the fact that this kind of organization is a major prerequisite for business success. Breaking down of general goals in to actionable points is a desirable feature revealed in Virgins organization. A healthy and workable organizational structure witnessed in Virgin Groups businesses is attained with many varying strategies. Transformational leadership is one of these strategies that have seen the company attain great heights of success. This strategy enables people of diverse backgrounds and ability to share a common goal. Through working together, a team can combine its members efforts and work towards achieving a common goal. Transformational leadership gives everyone an equal chance to output his or her ability without reservations. A critical review of Virgin Group business reveals that its versatile and innovative workforce is due to the transformational leadership in place. This is in contrast with transactional leadership in which employees are compensated according to performance. The draw back with this kind of leadership is that it breeds greedy employees whose goal will be to amass rewards as much as possible (Gill 2006, pp. 63). Conclusion In conclusion, there are many things to be learned from leadership and management of Virgin Group Limited. The company has cut itself a niche in various industries. It has also proven that all things are possible with dedication and commitment. Through the able leadership of its Chairman, Sir Richard Branson, the management team has come up with a unique formula of managing large-scale businesses like Virgin Group. To a large extend, the success of Virgin Group is directly attributable to the input of Sir Branson. He has succeeded in opening a new chapter of management, which deviates from conventional methods (Robert 2000, pp.4). His liberal and all accommodating approach is desirable. There is a formidable blend between management and leadership. A critical review of these two elements reveals that there is no clears cut between the two: a feature that has worked well for the company.

Genetically Engineered Organisms Essay -- seeds, monsanto, food

Genetically Engineered Organisms Without vigorous experimentation or public consent genetically modified foods have been introduced into our daily kitchens without much notice from the general public. Widespread use of genetically modified (GM) seeds began in 1996 and since then has spread to cover 167 million acres around the world; two-thirds of that quantity being in America (Figure 1). Figure 1 Monsanto is the main developer of these seeds and controls over 90% of the American market, alerting a possible crisis in the democratic system. (Cummins and lilliston, 2004). Alarmingly, some of the largest biotechnological companies have also introduced toxic pesticides into our environments, including but not limiting to: Agent Orange, DDT, and PCB’s, causing much worry worldwide. This report will cover the basics of genetic engineering, genetically engineered seeds, possible effects on human health and affects on the environment. The four most common genetically engineered (GE) crops grown on a commercial scale are soybeans, corn, cotton and canola. Among these, two main traits have been added: herbicide resistance (75 percent of all GE crops), pesticide resistance (17 percent) or both (8 percent), (Genetically Engineered Food, Page xiv). The first steps in genetically modifying organisms is identifying the trait you want the plant to have, and finding another organism that has it. Then, the gene can be inserted into the plant using a 22-caliber charge that fires a metal particle coated with DNA, called a â€Å"gene gun†. Another method of inserting the desired gene includes heating the seed and placing it under stress causing it to be susceptible to a bug called Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This bacterium tricks the organism into b... ...wever possibly inaccurate, allow us to speculate on new technologies which could help feed the growing population of humans on earth. Works Cited Wolfenbarger, Laressa L., and Paul R. Phifer. "The ecological risks and benefits of genetically engineered plants." Science 290.5499 (2000): 2088-2093. Jesse, Laura C. Hansen, and John J. Obrycki. "Field deposition of Bt transgenic corn pollen: lethal effects on the monarch butterfly." Oecologia 125.2 (2000): 241-248. Anal Bioanal Chem. Oct 2008; 392(3): 333–340. Seralini GE, Cellier D, Spiroux de Vendomois J. New analysis of a rat feeding study with a genetically modified maize reveals signs of hepatorenal toxicity. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2007;52:596–602. The Ecological Risks and Benefits of Genetically Engineered Plants L. L. Wolfenbarger, et al. Science 290, 2088 (2000); DOI: 10.1126/science.290.5499.2088

Living in 1900 or 1750?

Between the years 1750 and 1900, there were many important changes to agriculture, transport and education. These were generally for the better yet perhaps didn't affect everyone to the same degree. Looking at each we will see if everyone's life was changed for the better. Looking firstly at transport, it can be seen that by 1900 transport had improved greatly, instead of everyone walking and riding bikes people could go on a steam boat or train. The railways were excellent as it meant that fresh food like fish could be delivered and people could go to the seaside whereas before people who didn't live near the sea couldn't get food such as fish as there was no way for fish to travel. Also people from the country could never go to the seaside or go out on day trips as the only transport that they had was themselves or bikes , but in 1900 they could go nearly anywhere on the steam train. Most people's lives were changed for the better but it wasn't cheap to ride the train so it didn't help poor people at all. Secondly, when we look at education in 1900, it has also improved. In 1750 very few children went to school and those children who did were from very rich families. Hardly any children could read or write except those who were rich enough to go to school, whereas in 1900 nearly everyone could read and write because school was compulsory for all five to twelve year old children, both boys and girls. By 1900 there were ten universities in England, five in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Ireland. Nearly everyone's lives changed for the better, as most people could read and write so they could get decent jobs. Thirdly, while we look at agriculture we can see that it has dramatically changed. Agriculture in 1750 was based on the British Empire. The cattle and livestock were from the places in the British Empire and so were all the crops. But in 1900 the British Empire had developed rapidly so there were many new and exotic crops for Britain to eat. It changed peoples live for the better as they had a more balanced diet with lots of new fruits and all other crops. Also working conditions changed a lot during these years. In 1750 there were very little industries which were known as cottage industries as they worked in small workshops next to there homes. Whereas in 1900 there were loads of huge factories instead of small workshops. In 1750 there was hardly any pollution if any but in 1900 the air was full of pollution because of the factories. The factories in 1900 were illuminated and had safe guards on most dangerous machines. I think in some aspects it had changed for the better but in others it hadn't. It had changed for the better because it was safer and the factories produced loads of goods but there were lots of pollution. Medicine in 1750 was appalling, nobody knew anything. There were know vaccinations or anything, but in 1900 anaesthetics and antiseptics were developed so now, most patients didn't die of shock. Also Louis Pasteur had discovered that germs cause disease, this led to vaccines being developed for diphtheria and other diseases. Also sewers were installed and the water supplies were a lot better, this cut back the amount of germs around. This changed everyone's lives for better as the vaccinations were available for all. I would rather live in 1900 as the way of life is a lot better. Louis Pasteur had discovered that germs caused disease which helped develop vaccinations. I would like to live in 1900 as school is compulsory so nearly everyone can read and write.

Pop Music Magazine Comparison

The magazines that are being compared are two different styles of magazines. One is a pop band magazine and the other is rock. The people in these magazines stereotype the word â€Å"HAMMER† it shows the long hair and shouting into the microphone. The other magazine stereotypes nice clothes and nice hair. The people who read this magazine are emulators they look up to these people and will go at and wear what they wear. They act how they act. The aim of the magazine is to persuade the readers to go out and buy their CDs. The large hammer font connotes heavy metal and banging. They use hooks to try and get the buyers attention like ‘free CD' or ‘free posters'. The use of language is completely different, one says ‘SCREW THE CRITICS' and the other is ‘BLUE ARE BACK' This shows one that is abusive and the other is more formal. There is a close up on blue then there is a long shot of Gareth Gates. The Brat Awards. The institution is â€Å"The Brat Awards†. Presenters where Rob Carpenter and Ashley Curtis, Rob Carpenter represented himself as a typical presenter. He was slick and cool he kept the show moving he was very confident. The audience where famous people they were drunk. Rage against the vending machine too cool to come up and collect their award. The genre was rock. If I was too improve the award ceremony I would have a different location. Pop Band Comparison. The ‘Big Brovas' are attracting a teenage audience. They connote ‘gangsters', ‘ghettos' and ‘rude boys'. They are doing this to attract a certain type audience e.g. ‘townies'. The institution of ‘Big Brovas' is Top Of The Pops. They represent themselves as rude boys when they are probably not at all like in real life. Compared to the ‘Darkness' they are a lot in my opinion because the ‘Darkness' uses high-pitched voices. The tight trousers they wear connote this. ‘Big Brovas' convent swaying and bopping up and down. The ‘Darkness' convent jumping up and down and a lot of movement. The ‘Darkness† institution is Top Of The Pops. Their audience would be older than teenagers. They represent themselves as scruffy people e.g. ripped vests long hair and tight trousers. Pop Music The name of the act is ‘Girls Aloud'. They are a group of young women who came from the institution of pop stars. The name of the song is life got cold. They use white clothes and white make-up to connotes the word cold. They are a pop band whose audience is mainly young girls. They represent themselves as very nicely dressed attractive women. The name of the act is ‘Good Charlotte'. The song name is ‘The Anthem'. The audience is gothic people, he attracts an audience with a rebellious look. The institution is Top Of The Pops. The genre is punk and rock. The act is ‘Lemar'. The song is ‘dance'. Lemar is a male pop singer. His image is clean cut and nicely dressed. The audience varies. The institution is pop stars. Radio Advert. Client's Name: Woolworth Writer: Steven Briesner Duration: Unknown Music Bed: Whistling from Ed, Edd n Eddy SFX: Door Slamming SFX: Footsteps Male Voice: Perfect boys you've just recorded your first number one. Now lets show the people out there this brilliant song. Music: Loud Whistling MVO: That's Brilliant. MVO2: Your Right and it's available now at Woolworth's. MVO3: At the great price of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.49 MVO4: Woolworth's we're worth it. Popular Music This magazine aims to entertain people as David Bowie is a singer from the older generation older people who look at this may laugh from fond memories of their youth the magazine does this well with the main feature of David Bowie. The genre of this magazine is heavy metal/rock this was the fashion when David Bowie was a popular singer. This magazine would be for people with special interests in this sort of music. The font and style of writing tells the audience what sort of genre this is has a black background and a man with white make-up on which signals a genre of the gothic nature. It hooks are things that are on in today's magazine like ‘Brand new collectors record section' I don't think they use hooks very well in this magazine because it isn't really anything good in the offer. the only main colours used is black and white, the white make-up connotes the gothic genre. The main feature is a close-up (c.u) of David Bowie. He is stereotyping the typical grunger who is always in a depressive state. The ideology of the magazine is they believe in sucide and stuff many famous gothic stars have been known to go into a depressive state and commit suicide.

Egypt&Mexican Pyramids Essays - Architectural Styles, Egyptology

Egypt&Mexican Pyramids Essays - Architectural Styles, Egyptology Egypt&Mexican Pyramids Mysteries of the Ancient World For many centuries people have been fascinated by ancient cultures and treasures. During the last two centuries the science of archeology and modern inventions allowed people to get inside of the Egyptian and Mayan pyramids and discover the treasures of Egyptian pharaohs and Mayan rulers. Most of what we know about Egypt we owe to the pyramids. Thanks to Egyptian belief in the afterlife we can now find out about the civilization that existed nearly five thousand years ago. Egyptian culture is not the only culture that left us its heritage in pyramids. In America we find pyramids build by civilizations of Olmec and Maya about 7th century CE. These pyramids had different purposes and usage then the ones in Egypt but they stand as memorials to ancient civilizations as well. Egyptian people believed in life after death. One of the way pharaohs prepared themselves for the afterlife journey was by building a pyramid and putting there all their belongings and riches. Egyptian people believed that pharaoh is the closest person to the God and treated him accordingly. That is the reason for Egyptian tombs being full with the golden jewelry, precious stones and art objects. Most of the time art objects were not considered a treasury but they played their particular role in religious rituals. Jars were holding food and drinks for pharaohs journey, so he would not get hungry and would have food and drinks to offer to the Gods. The figurative sculptures were suppose to accompany Ka ( spiritual entity) in its lonely stay or serve as a twin for the mummy. If something happens to the mummy the ka could use the sculpture of the pharaoh for the revelation. As well as for Egyptians religion was an everyday concern for many of the Maya, whether the dynastic ruler, the zealous priest, or the humble believer. Maya has an extensive religion structure which we can not know in details. Chac and Itzamna are the most famous gods of Mayan culture. Hunahpu and Xbalanque are among the most interesting mythical characters. One of the most crucial gods was Tlaloc, who was worshiped in various guises by the culture of Teotihuacan, the Toltec of Tula, and later Aztecs. The Maya received the cult of Tlaloc during the 4th century more or less. The Cauac Monster, also known as the Witz monster, is a dominant supernatural concept in Maya religion, as are caves, cenotes, and other holy places (Maya Civilization pars. 6). The Maya built shrines, temples, and pyramids in honor of their gods, as well as to their kings, who ruled by all-encompassing concept of Divine power. Most of Mayan pyramids are temples to the gods, not the burial tombs as in Egypt. Even though Maya sometimes buried there their rulers they always put the temple on the top of the pyramid. Egyptians had temples near the pyramid or right next to it for the ceremonial services, but it never was placed on top of the structure. Also buildings in both cultures have a lot in common in their visual characteristics they are different structures. Egyptian pyramids originally had smooth equal sides meeting on the top in the perfect apex. Mayan pyramids look like one huge stairway towards the sky. It reminds of earliest Egyptian structures-mastabas, where one layer of stones was put onto another creating the effect of pyramid. Also The Tikal Temple on Great Plaza was originally plastered white. Then the roof comb was painted with reds, blues, and other colors to accent the different areas of sculptural decoration. These roof combs were like giant billboards, with immense portrayals of the enthroned king, larger then life size (Cities pars.3). Egyptians never colored their religious structures. As well as in Egyptian pyramids, the stone used to construct Mayan pyramids is local limestone, obtained from nearby quarries. The ancient Maya had no stone tools but limestone is soft enough that the Maya could utilize cher t tools to work the stone in to neat rectangular building blocks. Egyptian pyramids served as huge tombs and they were constructed in such a way so they would stand for thousand years. Egyptians did not know when the spirit would

angola crisis essays

angola crisis essays In past centuries, Angola was among the areas most-devastated by the slave trade. In recent decades, it has been afflicted with wars. However, in both eras, much of the violence was driven by powerful external forces. This is because Angola, with an abundance of oil and other resources, could develop into a very prosperous country if led and controlled by the right power. In 1975 Angola was released from colonialism by Portugal. This pivotal event in history sparked the beginning of a massive conflict between many of the key players in world power. These key players included the United States, Cuba, China, and the Soviet Union. After reading three separate accounts of the crisis in Angola (U.S. Senate hearings led by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, a personal memoir by 1975 Assistant Secretary of State Nathaniel Davis, and a biography entitled In Search of Enemies: A CIA Story by John Stockwell), I have come to several conclusions. Although these three men all held important positions in the U.S. government, multiple contradictions exist in their chronologies of events. Of the discrepancies I found, all of them put Stockwell in opposition with Kissinger and Davis. I believe this is due to his position in the Central Intelligence Agency, where the greater availability of information was his advantage. Moreover, since all three accounts agree that the U.S. involvement was essentially a covert operation led by the CIA, I feel the account written by Stockwell was the most valid of the three. When looking at the differences in chronologies, it is necessary to start from the beginning of the conflict. The first difference I found dealt with CIA involvement in Angola. Stockwell, an experienced, senior CIA case officer (Stockwell, 31), marked early July 1974 as the start of CIA support. In July 1974 the CIA began funding Roberto without 40 committee approval, small amounts at first, but enough for ...