Palazzo Art History Essay

Context Few windows overlook the inner courtyard (â€Å"cortile†); the colonnaded walls are decorated on all sides by deep niches and blind windows, and the intervening surfaces are spattered by ‘spezzato’ (broken and blemished plaster) giving life and depth to the surfaces. Function pleasure palace, or Villa Suburbana Description terms four exterior faà §ades have flat pilasters against rusticated walls Intent pleasure palace, or Villa Suburbana Palazzo del Te or Palazzo Te is a palace in the suburbs of Mantua, Italy. It is a fine example of the mannerist style of architecture, the acknowledged masterpiece of Giulio Romano. The official name, and by far the most common name in Italian, is Palazzo Te, but this may be a relatively recent usage; Vasari calls it the â€Å"Palazzo del T† (pronounced as â€Å"Te†), and English-speaking writers, especially art historians, continue to call it the Palazzo del Te. In Italian this now suggests use for tea-drinking, which may account for the divergence in usage. HideDescription Palazzo del Te is a square building, constructed 1524-1534 for Federico II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua. He decided in 1524 to build a pleasure palace, or Villa Suburbana. The site chosen was that of the family’s stables at Isola del Te on the fringe of the marshes just outside Mantua’s city walls. The architect commissioned was Giulio Romano, a pupil of Raphael. The shell of the palazzo was erected within 18 months. It is basically a square house built around a cloistered courtyard. A formal garden complemented the house. This was enclosed by colonnaded outbuildings terminated by a semi-circular colonnade known as the ‘Esedra’. Like the Villa Farnesina in Rome, the suburban location allowed for a mixing of both Palace and Villa architecture. The four exterior faà §ades have flat pilasters against rusticated walls, the fenestration indicating that the piano nobile is on the ground floor with a secondary floor above. The East faà §ade differs from the other three by having Palladian motifs on its pilaster and an open loggia at its centre rather than an arch to the courtyard. The facades are not as symmetrical as they appear, and the spans between the columns are irregular. The centre of the North and South facades are pierced by two-storey arches without portico or pediment, simply a covered way leading to the interior courtyard. Few windows overlook the inner courtyard (â€Å"cortile†); the colonnaded walls are decorated on all sides by deep niches and blind windows, and the intervening surfaces are spattered by ‘spezzato’ (broken and blemished plaster) giving life and depth to the surfaces. Once the shell of the building was completed, for ten years a team of plasterers, carvers and fresco painters laboured, until barely a surface in any of the loggias or salons remained undecorated. Under Giulio Romano’s direction, local decorative painters such as Benedetto Pagni and Rinaldo Mantovano worked extensively on the frescos. These frescoes remain today and are the most remarkable feature of the Palazzo. The subjects range from Olympian banquets in the Sala di Psiche and stylised horses in the Sala dei Cavalli to the most unusual of all — giants and grotesques wreaking havoc, fury and ruin around the walls of the Sala dei Giganti. Mannerism’s most famous fresco: Giulio Romano’s illusionism invents a dome overhead and dissolves the room’s architecture in the Fall of the Giants. These magnificent rooms, once furnished to complement the ducal court of the Gonzaga family, saw many of the most illustrious figures of their era entertained such as the Emperor Charles V, who, when visiting in 1530, elevated his host Federico II of Gonzaga from Marquess to Duke of Mantua. One of the most evocative parts of the lost era of the palazzo is the Casino della Grotta, a small suite of intimate rooms arranged around a grotto and loggetta (covered balcony) where courtiers once bathed in the small cascade that splashed over the pebbles and shells encrusted in the floor and walls. In 1630 Mantua and the palace were sacked by invading forces, the remaining population fell victim to one of the worst plagues in history. The Palazzo was looted from top to bottom and remained an empty shell: nymphs, god, goddesses and giants remain on the walls of the empty echoing rooms. Part of the Palazzo today houses the Museo Civico del Palazzo Te, endowed by the publisher Arnoldo Mondadori. It contains a collection of Mesopotamian art.

What Is Mindfulness?

Sometimes I think the translation of the word â€Å"mindfulness† is incorrect in two ways. Right Mindfulness is a step of the Eightfold Path and is the centerpoint of Buddhist practice. First, it's not a good translation because â€Å"mindfulness† is kind of an insipid word. â€Å"Be mindful† — what does that mean? It doesn't have the kind of inspiring quality of spaciousness, courage, or living fully.Perhaps if you pronounced it differently and said, mindfulness, that would be a better understanding of the word and its power. But a more fundamental difficulty in even talking about mindfulness, whatever that means for us, is that the mind and the heart are the same word in Sanskrit or Pali. So perhaps a better word would be â€Å"heartfulness† — live in a heartful way. Forget about this mind stuff all together. You could do without a lot of it, if you haven't noticed.The Buddha very often said that mindfulness was the heart or the essence of his practice — to be heedful or aware — that was the road to liberation and to the deathless, to freedom from even birth and death; that is, freedom from being caught in the cyclic nature of things, stepping outside the cycle of things. What does â€Å"mindfulness† mean to us sitting here as a group. We sat for an hour this evening or a little bit less, but for those of you who have attended regularly, we've been sitting here for a year doing something supposedly related to paying attention and being mindful.What does it mean? What are the qualities of it, what are we doing here? We sit, we pay attention to the breath, or our body sensations, or the sounds, or the people walking by, or the various thoughts and images in our mind. To be mindful first means simply to come into the present — to listen with our senses, with our heart, with our physical body, with our ears, with our eyes, to what is actually here in the present; the body, the heart and the min d. It's that thing I've spoken of many times before, the sign from the casino in Las Vegas, â€Å"You must be present to win. In Las Vegas, in therapy, in meditation, it's all the same thing. In order to awaken or to use our life in a skillful way, the first task is to get here, to start to live in the present moment, which means not living so much in our fantasies, in the future, not living so much in the past, in our images and memories, and reliving things that are gone already. The first is learning to be present, which itself is a very wonderful thing, because†here† and â€Å"now† and â€Å"in the present† re the only places that we can appreciate life to begin with. Otherwise, it's kind of second-hand, what happened a few years ago — that's a nice memory — or what we fantasize about. Where can you really appreciate this life we're given? Only in the present. Also, there is something else which interests a lot of people and can only be f ound in the present, and that is love. If you want to love a person or you want to be loved — some of you perhaps know anyway, right? — where does love take place? Or â€Å"when† is a better question.Again, it's a nice memory, â€Å"Gee, I was in love once or twice† — or more in some of your cases. It was very nice. It evokes a nice thing to remember it. Or it's in the future, â€Å"Oh, if only I could meet that right wonderful person,† or â€Å"this person that I live with,† or â€Å"this family,† or whatever, â€Å"if they would change so they would become right, then I could fall in love all over again with them or be happy with them. † The only place that you can really love a person or be loved is in the present. No other possibility for it. All the rest is fantasy.Also in the present comes the possibility of touching our intuition, of creativity, of clarity; all kinds of things. So the first aspect of awareness is simply learning in some way to live more fully here in our present reality. If you learn nothing else from meditation practice than that, you get your money's worth — especially since there's no charge. Secondly, mindfulness or heartfulness mean seeing clearly. It means non-grasping, non-greed, non-hatred, it means not pushing away, and it means not going to sleep, but seeing what is present for us.Bare attention, remembering, being in the present, without trying to change it somehow, which is a hard thing to learn because we're generally planning on what we're going to make this something into next. But then what happens? We end up doing that all the time and missing all the somethings that are here, always waiting for the next one. Mindfulness is really a way of learning to see what is here in a very clear way. People talk about learning mystical things in meditation or spiritual life. There is nothing more mystical, or startling, or bizarre, or amazing, than what is right in front of us.In my days I've done a lot of strange things. I've been to a lot of different countries on this planet, and observed saddhus on beds of nails in India, and strange animals in other parts of the world, and in my early days I took a number of the various kinds of psychedelics and drugs one could take, and have had all kinds of realms and weird experiences, and all kinds of things in meditation. I have never encountered a realm as peculiar, or bizarre, or as interesting as this one. Someone said: The mystery of life is not a problem to solve, or something that you find somewhere else, but it's a reality to experience here.We went to the zoo with the baby on Sunday. If you landed on some weird planet, and then you saw pygmy hippopotamuses or 300 pound ostriches and really wrinkled elephants — Did you ever look at elephant skin? Just amazing! — or the kind of snakes that are there, or sloths hanging upside down, you would say you had come by your spaceship to a really peculiar planet. And yet we forget that. We start to take it all for granted. It all becomes very ordinary, and it's not. If you attend a birth, it's an amazing thing to see a baby being born out of a human body.How does that happen? How does it get in there? I know you know how it gets in there. But I mean, how does it really get in there? Like the ship in the bottle. An incredible thing happens in there, the baby coming out of a woman. And we take it for granted. So to pay attention means to somehow have a newer or a fresher vision, to see clearly. It means to stop our judging and our planning and just see what's here, which is part of what we do in meditation; to stop and not judge a single thing; let it be exactly how it is.Let God take over for a little while and run the show rather than our minds, which get very tired, and very full, and very busy anyway, and need a rest. Someone said: The classic question is: If you pay attention and you don't judge, then how do you live in the world? What part of attention or awareness is that? That's called sampajanna. Sati is mindfulness, sampajanna means clear or right comprehension. It means not only do you pay attention to what's here, but then when you act in your life you also look at the context, at the suitability or the intention of it; what is present.When you act, you first have to see what's here, and then some intuition, or inspiration, or thought arises, â€Å"I'll do this or do that. † It's to pay attention to where your heart is, what motivates you, what the intention and the purpose of your action is, so that you pay attention but you also note the context. The way Joseph, my colleague and friend, answers the question when people say, â€Å"When you just pay attention and note ‘lifting, moving, placing' in the walking, or the in and out of the breathing, how can you live? He said, â€Å"Well, I was doing my lifting, moving, placing one day on a road in India near the Burmese t emple where I lived, just moving my feet and paying attention, and all of a sudden I heard ‘clang, clang' of the bells, and I recognized it. I knew what those bells were. I looked up and sure enough the elephant that lived in town was coming down the road right towards me. I noted ‘hearing, hearing' and ‘seeing, seeing'; then I noticed the intention to move out of the way arise, and then I walked out of the way. † So there are two parts.The first is seeing what is here, living in the reality of the present, and then responding to it wisely, being aware of the situation that we're in. At times this year I've talked in this class about another aspect of awareness which I think is really important to remember in our lives, and that is the very interesting question of why we don't pay attention; why do we go to sleep, why do we drive on automatic pilot, why do we eat three meals a day, two-thirds or three-quarters or ninety percent of it on automatic pilot? Why d o we live so much not here?It's a pretty interesting question, maybe even more interesting than saying, â€Å"One should pay attention or live in the present. † How come we don't? There's a story: When Krushchev pronounced his famous denunciation of Stalin, someone in the Russian Congress Hall was reported to have said, â€Å"And where were you, Comrade Krushchev, when all these innocent people were being slaughtered? † Krushchev paused, looked around the hall, and said, â€Å"Will the man who said that kindly stand up? Tension mounted in the hall. No one moved. Finally Krushchev said, â€Å"Well, whoever you are, you have your answer now.I was in exactly the same position then that you are in now. † Why is it that we don't pay attention? One reason is fear, that if we actually come into the present, there are certain things we have to deal with that we haven't had to in our lives. For some people it's boredom. We're really afraid of being bored. For some it's loneliness. For some it's grieving, something in their hearts that's not finished. So it's better to distract yourself, see a lot of movies, talk to people, keep yourself busy, stay on the phone, and keep yourself working, so you don't have to feel certain things. Another reason we don't stay awake is habit.You could be very peaceful, not have any grieving to do, and be comfortable being alone, and so forth, but it's like there's this huge flywheel inside. And there you are. It's a quiet day, you're just sitting down in the park, and all of a sudden out of nowhere you start thinking about what you'll do next week or next year, making plans, and playing back memories, because there's this powerful habit of thinking. It takes training to kind of release the clutch and let it slow down. That's part of what meditation is about. Also, pain is another reason, because if you live in the reality of the present moment, what do you experience?Up and down, light and dark, night and day, and pl easure and pain. And if you don't like pain which a lot of people don't — understandably — then what you have to do is manufacture some fantasy, to live in a lot of thought and busy-ness so you don't feel it. However, you rob yourself of something very, very important when you do it, which is that you rob your life of living, of heartfulness, of fullness, of vitality, of your existence. To live in the present means that you have to face your boredom and your loneliness when they come. They're not there all the time, and they're not so bad actually when you come to terms with them.They're a little scary but they're not so terrible. And you have to face the fact that there is this habit of greed, and hatred, and fantasy, sort of a machine that spins out thoughts out the habit of it. So you have to be willing to be aware of pain as well as pleasure. But if you are, the rewards are fantastic, because then you can really experience being with anot her person, walking down t he beach, taking a walk in the park, walking outside and seeing the stars. It's really very interesting to start to pay attention to when we go on automatic pilot.If you were to look at something in your meditation, rather than trying to be aware, try to be mindful of when it is that you go to sleep, what it is that's hard for you to be aware of. That is something that is quite interesting to learn about. Use it as a signal. â€Å"I haven't been very mindful today. I wonder what's going on? I haven't been very mindful this week. I wonder why? What's happening? Oh, I'm sad. It's hard to be sad, so I have to keep myself busy,† or â€Å"This thing is coming up that's difficult to deal with, so I think a lot and plan, rather than just notice that it's really hard. We learn somehow to find the center in the moment rather than toppling forward or into the past. If you let yourself do that, then everything stops. And one of the most wonderful things about awareness or heartfulness or mindfulness is that it allows us to come to rest, because there's really only one place to rest, which is in the present. We're householders, we're not monks and nuns. And the question often asked is: In order to be mindful does it mean we have to talk slowly and sit many hours a day and go into an ashram or some monastery?How can we bring mindfulness, heartfulness, wisdom here into our lives? How do you do that? Well, of course, as I said in the past few weeks, sometimes you do have to look at your life and see if you want to slow it down a little bit, if it's crazy, if it's real busy. Because our culture is a little bit mad in that way, you might need to take a look and see, â€Å"Gee, is it time to stop doing a few things, to make a little more space, to slow down? † Fundamentally, â€Å"mindfulness† means to learn to be aware where we are. If not here, where else? If not now, when?Mindfulness is the opposite of â€Å"if only,† it's the opposite of hope, i t's the opposite of expectation. It has in it a certain kind of contentment, not that one might not choose to change the world, but a kind of acceptance that this is really what we get, these sights, these sounds, these smells, these tastes, these perceptions. This is it! Then in another moment, there will be another â€Å"it. † It's not something else. â€Å"I know that this is all it is, but this is it. † When one accepts it, then one can come to rest. Mindfulness in a way is the opposite of grasping, or attachment, or identification.And it can go very, very deep when we allow ourselves, because what we start to see — if we slow down a little bit and pay attention — is how it is a kind of conditioned phenomenon, like a machine, the mind spins this stuff out in a very orderly way by habit — thoughts, fantasies and memories. The world works in certain conditioned patterns, and that's it's nature, and it's all impermanent and quite ungraspable. Wher e is yesterday? What happened to your weekend? Where is it? What happened to 1984, your 20's, or whatever it was — maybe you're 20 now. For some of you, your 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's, where did they go?They all disappeared, gone. Isn't that an amazing thing? It's a very profound thing to start to be aware of life coming out of nothing and disappearing into nothing. A day appears for awhile, and then it's gone. It can't be grasped, it's like a bird flying. You cannot hold time and fundamentally you can't hold yourself. So the spirit of mindfulness is learning to live in an awake way. As the Buddha said, â€Å"I'm not a man, I'm not a God. I'm none of these things. I'm awake. † How can I convey the spirit of this? There are songs from the monks and nuns who lived after the Buddha died that are in these poems.If you readTherigatha, the songs of the sisters, there are many enlightenments that take place while they're walking through the forest. One nun is in the forest ta lking about how happy she is that she doesn't have to do housework anymore and she drops a cup or something like that on the ground, maybe it breaks, and all of a sudden she's enlightened. She says, â€Å"Oh, that's how it is. † Things arise for a while and then they pass away. If you can accept that and see that — each day, each moment, with each person, to experience what's there — and then leave it and go to the next, you can live in a deeply free way.So it really has the spirit of aliveness to it. In the monastery it was beautiful. We had all these rules, 227 major precepts and then some hundreds of minor precepts, and then they told you how to fold your robe, which side of the bowl you should put down, and how you should clean it properly. Even how to pee. There is a particular way monks are supposed to pee. You're supposed to squat down, you can't stand up, and you can't pee into water where there are obvious living things or on plants because you might ha rm them, and things like that. At first when I read this, I said, â€Å"Well, what's the difference if I squat down?Nobody is looking, first of all. These rules are dumb. † But after awhile of living them, in this beautiful forest monastery, where there wasn't anything else to do besides meditating and following the rules, which would drive you crazy initially, what you began to see is that somehow they brought you to see that everything was precious, that everything was worth caring for; that it mattered where you peed, that you could pee on the ground and not on a bush, and not harm it; or that it mattered how you took care of your bowl, which was one of your very few possessions.It was a gift from people who said, â€Å"We want to support you because we think that monasteries and what you're doing is valuable in the world and reminds all of us of something precious. So we'll give you a bowl. † You take care with your bowl, you take care with your robe, you take care with your car, you take care with your house, you take care with your clothes, because to be aware in some way means to remember the preciousness of life and to begin to take care with the earth and all the creatures and things on it.It's to be aware of ourselves and our bodies, of our actions, to be aware politically, to be aware economically, to be aware socially as well. Imagine if you were told that you have some disease, let's say AIDS because there's a lot of it that's happening, and it's both scary to people and very immediate and present, and real important to look at. Someone said, â€Å"Well, at best you have four years, maybe you have a year to go. † How would you start to live that year? Things would change for you, I assure you.Your life would become a lot more alive and precious for you. Or imagine that you've been in prison for a long time, as people are in many, many countries of the world. Amnesty International said that 55 countries have political prisoners who are imprisoned and often tortured because of religious views. The majority of the large countries on the earth imprison people for what they think. It's really painful. And then you were let out after a long time in prison, how would it be just to walk down the street in San Anselmo? What would the trees be like?Just the experience of being free, watching the cars, being able to go into a confectionery store and order any kind of sweet that you wanted, or just seeing the sky and feeling the air and being able to decide whether you're going to go down the block to the right or to the left. It's that spirit of heartfulness, of mindfulness that it comes to. It's not so much that you're supposed to be tedious about it at all, but it's somehow much more the spirit of an appreciation of life and of seeing it in a clear way. I remember when I was seven years old I spent a whole summer in bed.I had this kind of infection and I couldn't leave the house. And then when it ended and I fina lly could go out, I was given something like a dollar, which seemed like a lot of money at that time, and I went and I bought a ball and some bubble stuff, and I went to this big park near my house. It was like being let out of prison for a kid being in the house for a whole summer. I was so happy. To this day I remember the sun was shining, I could blow my bubbles and turn cartwheels and throw my ball and do anything I felt like. It was so wonderful. In some ways, that's part of the spirit of bringing awareness to our life.It also means, as I said, that we have to be willing to face that which is difficult, to open to what Zorba called â€Å"the whole catastrophe,† and to appreciate it in some way. It's really quite a trip. So first it means to take care with the earth, to learn that awareness means to receive, to see the preciousness of things. Secondly, then it allows our world to teach us, to let it teach you very simple truths which are the most important. For example, o ne monk went to his master after a long time of training and begged the teacher to give him enlightenment.The master led him over to a bamboo grove. He said, â€Å"See that bamboo there, how tall it is? See that one over there, see how short it is? † And the monk was enlightened. Things will teach us when we see them afresh, when we see them anew. We see them for a minute, we see the ungraspability of anything, of our own bodies — they change — of our thoughts, of our feelings, not to speak of the people and the things around us. — changing, ungraspable. And that they do. Sometimes they're big and sometimes they're small. That's the way that things are.It teaches us the preciousness of life. When we pay attention we can learn. We can learn from our families. We can learn when our hearts are closed and when they're open. We can learn what it means to be attached, what it means to let go and be freer. We can learn about all the forces in the mind. We can le arn about doubt and fear and anger, through awareness. We can learn about love and kindness through attention. It's really universal. We can learn to play tennis in a better way. To train ourselves to be aware is the gift of the Buddha.He said: Here, I'll give you a gift that can make life come alive for you, that can bring both happiness and freedom. And it's a very simple thing. Learn to train yourself to live more in the present. Do what it takes to do that in your life. How can we do it? Here we are, householders, right; not like we have all day to sit and walk in some monastery. Some hints perhaps. First of all, as I've said in previous evenings, one of the most beautiful expressions of awareness comes from Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh where he says: See if you can learn to wash the dishes in order to wash the dishes.Usually we wash the dishes in order to get the dishes clean, right, and then we can get on and do something else, right, or talk to someone. Did you ever do anything like that, where you just did it in order to do it? Maybe we let ourselves do that on vacation. You go hiking in the Sierras, and if you're not too driven — â€Å"Can I get to this camp site by this hour,† or something — and you let go of that a little bit, you just walk along the mountains in order to be walking, everything becomes what it is. It's beautiful. That's the first hint, to start to take some things in our lives and do them for their own sake.Does that make sense to you? Another way is to listen with your heart a little bit more, to try to pay attention to what it's like when you're with people, and see if you can let your words come out of your heart, to say really what you feel inside, what you care about, and to listen with your heart rather than your mind. That's a very good way to wake up; especially the people you live with — your kids, your spouse, family, and things like that. People say, â€Å"How can you be mindful at work? I'm a w riter,† or â€Å"I'm a mathematician. † These are some of the questions I get at retreats. How do you do math mindfully? You have to think and ruminate. † Or, how do you write mindfully, or watch a movie? The best I have been able to come to in that is that when you write, just write; when you watch a movie, just watch the movie; when you read, just read. Not writing and also thinking how people will view it when you're done writing, and planning, and seeing how many more minutes you have to write, and so forth. Just be present for the writing. It doesn't mean to think or be in some special mode. Just do what you do. Not so complicated. When you do math, do math.Of course, sometimes it gets a little more complicated than that, and at retreats I've often told the story of Zen master Soen-Sa-Nim who generally teaches his great Zen teachings, â€Å"When you walk, just walk; when you're hungry, eat; when you're sitting, just sit. † So there he was at the breakf ast table eating breakfast and reading the paper. Students who saw this were very upset. â€Å"You know, you're the Zen master. You tell us, ‘When you eat, just eat,' and here you are eating and reading. How do you explain this? † He said, â€Å"Very simple. When you eat and read, just eat and read. The spirit of it is not so complicated. It's not to make something really false or different about it. It's more the quality of being a bit more where you are. I think that comes from Yoda in Star Wars. Another thing is to remember the power of the act of coming into the present. I told the story a few weeks ago of Robert Aitken-roshi who wanted to go to Japan to study Zen during the Korean War. It was considered a war zone and people weren't allowed. When he went to the consul or the ambassador who was a very learned and dignified Japanese man, he was told, â€Å"I'm sorry, we just can't have visitors; it's war time.The American government doesn't want it and the Japanese government is following that. † The ambassador offered tea. It was very nice. He said, â€Å"Why do you want to do that? I mean, there's this war we have to stop. † He took his cup of tea and he picked it up and he drank it very carefully and silently, and then he looked at the ambassador and said, â€Å"Taking a cup of tea I stopped the war. † With that the ambassador was wise and he understood that, and he arranged a visa for him to go to Japan to study. What we do, if we do it with our full heart and our full being, is a way of bringing the planet back into balance.All you have to do is look at the news or read Time or Newsweek; it's crazy. And it's crazy because it's all mind and thought and going in circles and it's not connected with the heart and the earth. Taking a walk you stop the war, taking a cup of tea, sitting a little bit every day, you stop the nuclear arms race because you let yourself get quiet and feel the earth and the air, and then your acti ons and your vibrations and the effect you have on other people, and maybe even the concerns that you act out politically, all come from that connection with yourself and with the earth around you.I have a good friend who is lawyer from Harvard Law School, a very fine lawyer. He sits through lots of meetings. He said he has really learned to work with his breath. Communication is kind of redundant. You could probably tune in on every tenth sentence and get most of the meaning of things. He is really in love. He says, â€Å"I love my breath. It's much better than what goes on in the meetings. † So you can use your meditation in grocery stores standing in line waiting for checkout, or traffic jams. Wonderful times to meditate. I remember sitting at my teacher's cottage.He sort of sat in a little chair, and people would sit around and he would receive visitors. I was sitting there and waiting for him. It was a really hot day. Usually they had iced coffee on a very hot day in the tropics. Iced coffee is first so good because it's so cool and delicious; and the Thai coffee is half sugar. And secondly, since you don't eat except one meal in the morning, to have a big glass of dark iced coffee filled with sugar is like about three or four hours of caffeine and sugar stimulation before it wears off. It's great sitting. It was a great drug for sitting, there's no question about it.I was kind of in the doldrums. â€Å"I've swept my cottage, now I'll go over and I'll sit and I'll wait. † And on hot days like this, if the teacher sees a lot of people sitting around, he says, â€Å"Okay, you can bring some iced coffee for these poor starving monks,† or whatever. So we sat. I kept thinking about how I was going to go back and meditate. I'd get to my cottage and then after I had it, for two or three hours I would be very alert and awake, and I'm kind of sitting there sweaty and hot and a little bit depressed and just waiting and waiting and waiting. He m ust have known it, and I'm waiting and waiting.Hours go by and other people come by and I'm waiting and waiting. I think, â€Å"God, when am I going to get this wonderful coffee so that it will perk me up and I can really meditate? † Waiting, waiting. It never came. Finally, it became real clear after a lot of hours of waiting; waiting to meditate. I was sitting there doing nothing. When are we going to meditate? â€Å"I'll do it when I get to the sitting, then I'll meditate,† or â€Å"I'll do it tomorrow. † Somehow it's to remember that it's here in the present we're talking about. In some way, mindfulness means coming back to our real home, coming to rest in the present.It is our real home. And our real home is not connected with grasping, our feelings, our bodies, our thoughts, our images, or all the things that are changing — but it's the ease that we can find in being with up and down, light and dark, and all of this duality which is changing. With a n open heart, with heartfulness, with mindfulness, being with it as it is, then receiving it and deciding, if we will, what things to choose to respond to in a wise or compassionate way. This is Don Juan to Carlos Casteneda: For me the world is incredible because it is mysterious, awesome, stupendous, unfathomable.My interest has been to convince you that you must learn to make every act count in this marvelous world, in this marvelous time, I've tried to convince you. You must realize that you are going to be here for only a short while. In fact, too short for witnessing all the marvels of it. I wanted to convince you that you must learn to make every act count. The spirit of awareness or mindfulness really means coming into our life, into the physical senses, into the feelings, into the movement of mind, and into the heart, and living each day from our heart. What do we care about?Taking a concern and a care for the preciousness of the earth. In the end what one discovers is that mindfulness and love are the same thing. To be aware, without grasping or resisting or trying to change — to receive what's here — is to love it; that they're not really separate, that the heart and the mind come together. Or as one of my teachers said: The mind creates the abyss and the heart crosses it. The mind creates distinctions, and coming into the present, into the heart, resolves all of that. The talk in a way is a reminder. Let me ask you a few questions as a way of ending.First of all, what keeps you, what keeps each of us from really paying attention in our lives, from living more fully? Just think about it as I ask. What fear or difficulty in your life keeps you from living here in the present? What illusion or misunderstanding in your life keeps you from living here in the present? What would you have to do to make your life really support living mindfully? What would you have to change to make a real support for this mindfulness or this heartfulness? Wha t would you have to change in your life to allow yourself to love more fully? And the last question is to ask in your heart should you make those changes.See what it said. Generally, it has a good answer. Even mindfulness, however, cannot be grasped. There are days when you're going to be more mindful and days when you're less mindful. And it too, like all things, comes and goes. What you can do is nourish and find ways. That's what we do together here. We sit together, sometimes we have discussions and questions, sometimes I talk to myself out loud and you get to participate, sort of listen to it. It is a way to remind ourselves that there's something really precious. Spiritual life is pretty simple. It's not easy but it's pretty simple.

Alternative Medicine Essay

Alternative medicine describes practices used in place of conventional medical treatments. People increasingly prefer alternative to conventional medicine. The reasons for this are pretty simple – it is safe and it works! And USA is not an exception. It is estimated, by none other than the Harvard Medical School, that one out of every two persons in the United States between the ages of 35 and 49 years used at least one alternative therapy in 1997. Alternative medicine actually encompasses a very large array of different systems and therapies ranging from ayurvedic medicine to vitamin therapy. Ayurvedic medicine is a very comprehensive system that places equal emphasis on body, mind, and spirit and uses a highly personalized approach to return an individual to a state where he or she is again in harmony with their environment. Ayurvedic medicine uses diet, exercise, yoga, meditation, massage, herbs, and medication and, despite its long lineage, is as applicable today as it was 5000 years ago. Traditional Chinese medicine combines the use of medicinal herbs, acupuncture, and the use of therapeutic exercises such as Qi Gong. It has proven to be effective in the treatment of many chronic diseases including cancer, allergies, heart disease and AIDS. Homeopathy is a low-cost, non-toxic health care system now used by hundreds of millions of people around the world. Chiropracty primarily involves the adjustment of spine and joints to alleviate pain and improve general health.   Naturopathic medicine also strongly believes in the body’s inherent ability to heal itself. Vitamin therapy or orthomolecular medicine uses vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to return a diseased body to wellness. Biofeedback, body work, massage therapy, reflexology, hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, and various other forms of energy medicine round out the vast spectrum of alternative medicine modalities. More then 50 % of Americans use some kind of alternative medicine. Actually, it may happen so, that in future alternative medicine will totally displace allopathic medical remedies. But nowadays almost 40% of people still visit their doctors. References Benedetti, F., Maggi, G., ; Lopiano, L. (2003). Open Versus Hidden Medical Treatments: The Patient’s Knowledge About a Therapy Affects the Therapy Outcome. Prevention ; Treatment, 6, 1, 23-27.

Problems In The Gym Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Problems In The Gym - Essay Example The windows are always opened with some trees planted outside to increase circulation of fresh air in the hall. The equipments are adjustable in order to accommodate a variety of users thus creating comfort when using without straining. Ramage and Bean suggest that everything with merits never lacks some demerits, there are some negative attributes associated with this gym (34). These are some of the things that create discomfort in durations that I am working out in the gym. However, the things can be tolerated, in order to concentrate with their routine activities. On the other hand, some of these problems are difficult to deal with and avoid. One of these things is the fact that sometimes the gym can be intimidating when one is surrounded by unfamiliar people starring. This brings a feeling of discomfort, and it can result to distressing feelings especially when a person is new in the place. The other discomfort arises when one is surrounded by sweaty people who are deeply involve d in their working out routine. Sometimes the place becomes humid causing difficulties in breathing properly especially when one is lifting a heavyweight. The other problem is related with fear of hurting yourself with the heavyweights through accidents. This also created a lot of discomfort when lifting heavy weight. One of the ideas that have contributed to my positive perception towards the gym is the fact that the place looks organized. This is a point that can be support by the idea that if a place looks attractive to the eyes then a person is motivated to be related with that thing or place. That is the reason for the feeling of comfort whenever am in the gym; therefore, the feeling of doing something that contributes to my well-being also contributes to my happiness (The American Council on Exercise, 1). The other point is related to the comfort felt when handling various equipments in the gym. Given that some of the equipments in the gym carry a lot of weight, one may end up hurting their palms if there is no gripping pad fitted on the equipments, or if they are worn out without being replaced. Therefore, I find the place particularly impressive see that the gym equipments are maintained well to facilitate the comfort in using the equipments. The other points related to the fresh are circulating in the hall due to the opened windows. There are of the gyms that have been fitted with equipment beyond their carrying capacity, and this makes the place to have reduced air circulation. Therefore, this is impressive to find that the gym is organized in a way that the air is circulating well for everyone. In order to discuss the way I deal with the challenges in the gym, there is a need to focus on the problem is related to a feeling of intimidation, when a person is staring. I find the behavior of starring being rude though people do it in one way or the other. When a person is staring they are obviously thinking something about how a person looks or what one is doing. This makes people think that they are not using the equipment in the right way, or maybe a person is doing something wrong. This problem is eventually dealt with as one continues to use the equipments and gains the confidence in what they are doing.

Envirnmental impact analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Envirnmental impact analysis - Essay Example The Nestle South project intends to develop mixed use facilities including residential properties, offices, retail, cafe, community centre, highway infrastructure and other ancillary works with approval subject to Section 106 Agreement (Peter 2009). Background The site was first developed in 1890 for the manufacture of cocoa and confectionary. In 2006 Nestle Rowntree expressed intention to upgrade and improve the northern part leaving the southern part for future development. The redevelopment is part of a capital investment project facilitating upgrading works and safeguarding the employment of 1800 employees. In response to the expression of interest to develop the site, the Council produced and adopted a Development Brief highlighting the Council’s vision, aspirations, objectives and requirements (Templeton and Taubenfeld 1987). The Council’s vision for the site is to create an inclusive new live/work community and cultural hub well integrated with surrounding areas. The development would accommodate a mix of uses and follow best practices, maintaining public space, high standards of design and sustainability. A high quality urban design recognising the distinctive urban character of the city and providing attractive and safe cycle/pedestrian routes through and around the area will create a sense of place while embracing low car use principles (Templeton and Taubenfeld 1987). The site referred to as Nestle South, here, is the southern side of the nestle factory site. The site area is approximately 7.41 ha, which is around 40% of the overall factory area. All buildings in the site have been demolished except those in the Conservation Area which has been retained for redevelopment as part of the application. To the east of the site is the Joseph Rowntree Memorial Library, the west consists of a block of buildings including; Almond Block Extension and the Hambleton Terrace, to the north is the remaining Nestle factory site. Beyond the nestle facto ry buildings are sports pitches and Bootham Stray. To the east are Nuffield Hospital, Joseph Rowntree Theatre and Haxby Road (Dinc?er 2010). In the southern part is Sustrans Cycle path connecting Clifton with Heworth and Heworth Without. The path is an important off road link in the city and can be used by pedestrians. A number of terraced streets including Hambleton Terrace separate the site from the City Centre just over 1 km south. To the west is the residential area of Clifton connected by Wigginton Road. There is green landscaping to the west, east and southern boundaries of the site. All trees in the area are exempt from the tree preservation orders (Dinc?er 2010; Jones 2012). PROPOSAL This application seeks to convert the Cream Block and Cream Block Extension, Almond Block Extension and the Joseph Rowntree Memorial Library, as well as the progression of the remainder of the site into a development project. The project intends to construct 8 live work units; 46 two bedroom fla ts and 28 student flats. The commercial part will include Retail 974 sq m and Office 4116 sq m, the Joseph Rowntree Memorial Library as per the proposal is to be converted into a cafe. The remainder of the site will accommodate around 200 residential properties and commercial properties consisting of 5884 sq m of an office block and 1335 sq m creche, community centre and gym (Jones 2012). Two vehicular access points are

The Singapore's Economic Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Singapore's Economic Model - Essay Example Upon receipt of independence from Malaysia, another main task of the government was to show foreign investors that at the moment new-independent state is a safe place to invest and storage their capital. The government not only introduced changes to the laws of their country but also showed a willingness to destroy corruption and worker unrest. Thus, it guarantees complete safety of the property of investors that are attracted spiritual prosperity of capitalism.Further, a small country that can offer only the hard-working people, has developed a plan to win the confidence of international partners. While Singapore cannot take a certain place in the international market such as Hong Kong, which relied on the support of the Bank of England. To avoid the risk of devaluation and inflation, the government carefully defines the priorities of implementation of each economic plan. It has conducted a number of economic disciplines, thanks to which in 1997 (during the crisis) Singapore can sta nd out as an island of stability in a sea of inequality.The Singapore government stubbornly fought against corruption, from which the country suffered from the acquisition of independence. While it could be said that corruption was practically part of the lifestyle of Asian people and they openly took bribes and various fees. To prevent corruption, the government has chosen a way to simplify the various procedures for decision-making and create new simple laws and rules that had no ambiguity.

Animals for drug testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Animals for drug testing - Essay Example The anti-animal testing campaigners argue the exact opposite, not only insisting that the use of animals for drug testing is completely inadequate for drug-safety testing but that safer alternatives exist. While conceding to the fact that the use of lab animals for drug and medical research may have been at the core of some medical advances, the fact is that the use of animals for drug testing is unethical, costly and unsafe, in addition to which, ethical, less expensive and safer alternatives are available. The proponents of animal testing maintain that without the use of live specimens, the medical and pharmaceutical communities would not have been able to acquire the anatomical knowledge of the human body, they currently possess. There is no doubt that this claim is partially valid. As Joan Dunayer, a medical researcher notes, the similarities between the human and the ape anatomy have allowed medical researcher, through vivisection, to explore the ape anatomy and through that, acquire an expanded understanding of the human one. Certainly, one cannot ignore the fact that the dissections carried out on human corpses have been the primary contributors to the mapping of the human body but, the fact remains that the observation and examination of a live human specimen is, or was up until a certain time, impossible. The use of apes provided the medical research community with the ability to conduction vivisections on live specimens and, in so doing, acquire a significant, and invaluable, u nderstanding of the human body at work.... Similarly, the medical and pharmaceutical communities claim that without the use of lab animals they would not have been able to develop much of the chemical and drug cures now being routinely used to save millions of human lives. As Jones argues, live animals are used in the research lab setting in order to determine whether or not the introduction of a certain chemical compound into the body reacts with specific viruses, bacteria and disease, resulting in their elimination. Secondly they are further used to test whether the cure, or the chemical compound which has been determined to successfully eliminate a particular disease, virus or bacteria, has any side effects, both long term and short-term, harmful or benign (Jones). In other words, animal testing is essential for both the development of effective drug cure and their later testing for safety before production and licensing for human use. While the pro-animal testing argument appears strong, the fact remains that the practice is inhuman and incontrovertibly unethical. Alan M. Goldberg and Thomas Hartung, both science researchers, note that over the past four decades "hundreds of millions of animals" were sacrificed in the name of medical and chemical research. The unethical aspect of the stated is better clarified when the method of their death, invariably involving prolonged and senseless torture and suffering, is considered (Goldberg and Hartung). Irrespective of its best intentions, animal testing is fundamentally based on the deliberate infliction of pain, suffering, disease and death on countless of millions of animals. Despite the undeniably unethical character of animal testing, proponents have claimed it

Nursing Administration Philosophy Statement Essay

Nursing Administration Philosophy Statement - Essay Example I uphold the philosophy of acting in line with the highest standards of ethics, efficiency, accountability, effectiveness, and openness in pursuit of the highest standards of nursing care and leadership. The paper documents my philosophy of nursing administration, which outlines proactive leadership as an essential tool to carry out change in nursing management. Philosophy of Nursing Administration Introduction In order to elaborate on philosophy of nursing, I consider that one must settle on what philosophy means to them; philosophy represents an attitude toward life and reality that envelops people’ beliefs. This definition awards one the freedom to utilize own beliefs. Caring can be considered to form the backbone of nursing, whereby without caring, nurses cannot connect with patients, and consequently, trust cannot form between nurses and patients. Philosophy outlines vision what a nursing manager views the nursing services and what he or she believed it should be. Backgro und During my childhood, my fascination with the discipline of nursing was all about white uniforms and caps; however, this notion on nursing practice has changed over the years out of the realization that a nurse is not merely an individual in a uniform, but rather a person charged with making a difference in patients’ life through caring and compassion. As a leader in women and children case management, I recognize that nurses should be recognized for their expertise and compassion in availing care to patients and communities (Carter et al., 2010). I concur that there is no other profession that avails the opportunity to implement the philosophy of caring for others into action while simultaneously availing personal and professional gratification that can be attained when one applies knowledge to enhance patient care. I practiced in an obstetric unit for three years as a labor and delivery nurse charged with the duty of caring for women during pregnancies and childbirth, wh ereby I had to assess both the mother and baby and come up with an individualized plan of care. In my practice as an obstetric nurse, I won an award recognizing my efforts developing collaborative networks with physicians. Presently, I am a case manager at the local health department charged with the duty of highlighting the clients’ needs and instituting plans to meet clients’ needs effectively and efficiently. Nurses have been at the front position of case management as it connects to moving patients via the hospital efficiently. Conflicts may arise between nurse case managers and other providers within the community. This necessitates that professional become educated on issues regarding case management programs, dealing with interdisciplinary teams, legal issues, and respecting patient’s wishes and rights (Weberg, 2010). The goal relates to ensuring that all localities have access to the care and services available to all citizens of the community. As a case manager, I encounter challenges in creating and securing sustainable funding for the programs and creating sufficient infrastructure support. Discussion (Body) Evidently, nursing leaders play a critical role in shaping the nursing profession to be highly responsive to the changing healthcare system. The state of the contemporary economic environment can be regarded as chaotic given that the external environment has

UK Corporate Governance Code Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

UK Corporate Governance Code - Essay Example As a result, the board of directors of a company, which is the ultimate decision making authority of a company, has been forced to become more accountable to the shareholders. However, the present Combined Code on Corporate Governance has been more of a reaction to worldwide business scandals rather than being a pro-active measure that ensures business legitimacy (Porter, 2009). Notwithstanding this fact, there has been a considerable amount of progress made in the direction of ensuring accountability and transparency, especially in Britain. It started with the formation of the Corporate Governance Code in the early 1990s. Hence, in the below sections we study the Code and the legislative framework in its present form and determine its effectiveness in the face of modern scandals and financial debacles. UK Corporate Governance Code Since the 1970s, there has been an increased amount of focus on corporate governance. This may largely be attributed to the development of big multi-natio nal companies; however, the process is still in motion. As a consequence, some of the board of directors of listed companies, who form the most powerful body in the company, of the US and UK are required to be non-executive. The CEO is no longer the sole head of the company and shares responsibilities with the non-executive directors. The idea of creating an independent atmosphere where all perspectives can be included has been extended through a number of measures as a "force for good" in the economy. The "comply or explain" principle which is one of the main features of the Code has its roots in the Cadbury Committee or the Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance report of 1992. Originally setup to come up with recommendations for financial auditing and other financial matters due to the scandals involving the Polly Peck and Robert Maxwell companies, the Cadbury Committee headed by Sir Adrian Cadbury made four important recommendations. These were with respect t o the board of directors, non - executive directors, executive directors and reporting and control mechanisms. However, these were not mandatory and the companies were free to follow their own course since it was determined that a legalistic approach would result in compliance only to a minimum basic level that negated the main aims of the Code. It was also felt that a "one size fits all" formula must not be adopted and that companies must be allowed the option to choose their own course that satisfies their unique requirements. Subsequently there was the Greenbury Report of 1998 that dealt with the remuneration of directors issue (Barker, 2008). The Code underwent a significant review in 1998 when Sir Ronnie Hampel was charged with the duty of validating the effectiveness of the existent Code. It was recommended that there was no need for radical or revolutionary changes, instead the principles needed to be extended to detailed measures for the listed companies to implement. This w as called the Combined Code on Corporate Governance which contained two levels of prescriptive practices, one of which was a set of detailed provisions and the other was a set of open - ended principles. The companies were similarly required to present a two level declaration of the compliance of the above measures in their annual report. The Code underwent another review in 2003 following the Higgs and Smith report which added another layer of compliance norms to the existing Code. It was made up of high – level main principles, mid –

The representation of women in magazines through the decades till Essay

The representation of women in magazines through the decades till today - Essay Example Many of the texts based on the portrayal of women have discussed that women in the media have been routinely subject to symbolic annihilation. The media stereotyped women roles. Social scientists like Tuchman et al were of the opinion that media like advertisement, films, news and all other media content focus on the traditional domestic roles of women and treat women as objects of sexual pleasure. Margaret Gallagher in a study funded by the UNESCO had explained the reason why women have remained concerned about the image of women in the media. In this context it may be said that, â€Å"The†¦..media are potentially powerful agents of socialization and social change- presenting models, conferring status, suggesting appropriate behaviors, encouraging stereotypes† (Byerly and Ross, 2006, p. 17). Thus one can understand why the media portrayal of women have become subjects of concern for the feminists and has continued till the present day of post modernism. Rather it can be said that these issues have contributed to both the academic and popular feminist struggles. In fact feminists believe that media has more power in the present age and as a result has more influence on the image of women (Byerly and Ross, 2006, pp. 17-18; Chambers, Steiner, & Fleming 2004). The first wave of feminism centered on traditional movements for civil rights. With the publication of The Feminine Mystique Betty Friedan broke the traditional role of women and the cherished role of the timid housewife, which was the dream, and envy of the American young women (Kemp & Squires, 1998, p.3). The 50s brought about a discontent in this image of women amongst the women themselves. There was a rising dissatisfaction, which was inexplicable by the women. The stay-at-home role of women has been criticized under the influence of the second wave of feminism during the 70s and 80s (Bradley, 2007, p.1). At this time of publication the world of media comprised of essentially three categories – television, radio and morning newspapers, which launched women’s pages, engaged in homemaking and care giving. Other forms of media include Time, a weekly news magazine, Life, a weekly issued picture magazine and other magazines like Ladies’ Home Journal and Good Housekeeping, which essentially made the women their target audience (Poindexter and Meraz, 2008, p.3). The names themselves suggest the traditional concepts of gender roles. With time however, the concepts of ‘gender gap’ (related to differences in educational performance and pay between men and women) and ‘gender-bending’ have been explored by journalists to analyze the relationships between men and women (Bradley, 2007, p.2). The paper analyses the representation of women in magazines with respect to the way it affects their social identity When the First World War began in 1914, women witnessed a fall in the stereotyped traditional differences between the economic enviro nment and private sentiments. Men found an escape route from the social financial and sexual duties subjugated within the feminine household and found solace in more typically masculine areas of work like navy and army. The spaces assigned to women during this time were mainly domestic or home based. The war somehow curtailed the women’s movements for suffrage and other campaigns though these formed the backdrop for the activities of women during this wartime. The article â€Å"

Project Study 01 - Personal Objective Strategy Con't Statement

Project Study 01 - Objective Strategy Con't - Personal Statement Example Other weighty considerations in a dreaming well plan include ones specific synergies with their target organisation and their critical success and risk factors, whose analysis Gentle (108) argues is of utmost importance. Besides personal analysis, my dreaming well plan accommodates my primary target firm Nestle, where I realise particular interest in environmental sustainability (Nestle Sustainability Review 1-5) which bodes well with my strengths; hence strong specific synergies. All of these factors for the establishment of dreaming well plan do not have to be taken into consideration as prioritising can help to settle down on the strategic options for a dreaming well plan based on the most effective factors. Simerson (89) argues that it is absolutely necessary to gather and analyse everything about your dream, from personal stock taking to the opportunities available externally. Based on this, my career strategy plan can include research tasks into my career goals, SWOT, UPPs, specific synergies, critical success factors and personal risk factors. Research tasks into my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats will help me know my career potential. Basing research on my UPPs will help me realise my selling points, while establishing my specific synergy will provide me with insight into how I fit into my preferred career. Research tasks focused on my critical success factors and risk factors can help determine where to position myself and what to avoid in my career path. The stakeholders in the first SO (focussing on my career goal, undertaking a SWOT analysis and considering my UPPs) are personal belief in the selected SO and the targeted client, hence I give it a score of 2. It also gets a 2 in terms of systems since it only involves motivations and achievement. Financially, it gets a 3 in terms of its low costs, income and ROI. (Total score=7). Focusing

Bone Cancer Essay Example for Free

Bone Cancer Essay Bone cancer is a disease that occurs on or inside a bone. Usually, bone cancer involves a tumor filled with abnormal cells that will occasionally appear on the exterior of the bone. Similar to other types of cancer, bone cancer can be life threatening. Doctors are not completely sure what causes cancer, but they continue the search to find an answer. There are five different types of bone cancer that can affect people from ages 10-60 years old. Bone cancer can occur in any bone in the body from the legs to the head. Unfortunately, symptoms of bone cancer are not always obvious. Most of the time, pain is the most apparent symptom. When recognizing symptoms at an early stage, doctors can complete testing and supply treatment to the patient. Treatment for bone cancer usually begins with surgery followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Because of the need to kill all of the abnormal cells that are growing on or inside the bone, treatment for bone cancer can be very powerful. In most cases, treatment is very successful. Before starting cancer treatment, many patients rely on statistics for a survival rate, but statistics are simply averages. Each patient has a different circumstance with his/her disease. There are 206 bones in the human body. Each bone serves several purposes. The bones of the body act as the structure that helps to support and protect many internal organs. The bones also serve as a muscle attachment that connects to the muscle to help during movement. But, most importantly, the bones of the body produce and store cells in the bone marrow. Cells make up the body tissue. However, some cells can become abnormal. Given that healthy cells make up body tissue, unhealthy cells grow and destroy body tissue and can often spread to other parts of the body. This abnormal growth of cells is called cancer. There are more than 100 types of cancer known to man, and 5 out of 100 are bone cancer. The most common type of bone cancer is Osteosarcoma, which commonly affects people from ages 10-25 years old. Osteosarcoma develops in new tissue usually in the arms, legs, or around the knee joint. Chondrosarcoma is another type of bone cancer. It usually develops in the cartilage of the pelvis, upper part of legs and arms, and the shoulder. Chondrosarcoma affects people from ages 50-60 years old. Ewing’s Sarcoma is a bone cancer that is known to begin in immature nerve tissue in the bone marrow. It attacks the pelvis, femur, and tibia. Ewing’s Sarcoma usually affects people from 10-20 years old. The last two types of bone cancer are Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma and Fibrosarcoma. Both of these types of bone cancer are very rare and usually develop in the arms and legs or around the knee joint. Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma and Fibrosarcoma are known to affect middle aged people. Bone cancer can sometimes be hard to detect. Symptoms of bone cancer can develop very slowly if at all. Often, one will develop swelling or tenderness in the affected area. Sometimes, a slightly visible lump may be felt through the skin. Bone cancer can also interfere with body movements like walking or hiking. Broken bones can also result from bone cancer. In one case, a victim of bone cancer recently started seeing symptoms of bone cancer. She developed a strong pain in her knee joint that enabled her to walk. The victim experienced a large amount of swelling around the joint. When she consulted a physician, the patient found that she had a fracture and a cancerous tumor in her knee. Even though the above symptoms can also lead to other injuries or diseases besides bone cancer, it is strongly recommended that one should consult a physician if in doubt. When diagnosing bone cancer, a doctor must first complete some tests. According to a summary of tests and procedures by Medicine Net on line, a doctor will first ask about a patient’s personal and family medical history in order to find out if there is any history of cancer in the family. Next, the doctor will order blood tests and x-rays. The exact size, shape, and location of a bone tumor can be seen through an x-ray. Then, a CAT scan (Computed Axial Tomography) will be completed to show whether the cancer has begun to spread to other parts of the body. A CAT scan will give detailed pictures of the cross section of the body. There are also similar tests like an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and an Angiogram (x-ray of the arteries), but a biopsy is the ultimate test that will make sure that cancer is present in the body. After the victim was told that she had bone cancer, she experienced a biopsy in Seattle, Washington. The Medicine Net on line explained that during a biopsy, doctors test a sample of the bone tumor and determine through a microscope whether or not the tumor is cancerous. The many different tests of bone cancer are very critical to the outcome of the disease. The tests are used for staging the bone cancer. For example, if a patient of bone cancer had a CAT scan, and it showed that the bone cancer was not spreading, the doctors could stage the patient’s cancer as controlled. There are three types of treatment for bone cancer: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The treatment preference depends upon the type, location, size, and extent of tumor along with a patient’s needs. Sometimes, a combination of the three treatments is used on a patient. Because cancer can recur in the original affected area, surgeons often remove the tumor, tissue, and some healthy bone surrounding the tumor. In some cases, especially in children, a metal device will be implanted in place of the bone that was removed by a surgeon. This metal device functions to save a limb and lengthen as the child grows. Another type of treatment is chemotherapy. The National Cancer Institute, which covers both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, states that chemotherapy uses several drugs such as Cyclophosphamide, Vinblastine, and vincristine to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is a very intense treatment that can be given by mouth or by injection into a muscle or blood vessel. Chemotherapy is so powerful that there has to be a treatment period followed by a recovery period, which is usually when one has fully recovered from the intense drugs used in chemotherapy. Recovery periods can vary with each person. The last treatment for bone cancer is radiotherapy. This type of treatment uses high-energy rays to damage cancer cells and stop them from growing. Radiotherapy can sometimes be used in place of surgery to remove the bone cancer. Another use for radiotherapy is to kill cancer cells remaining in the affected area after treatment. All treatments for bone cancer are very strong. The treatments are so strong that they kill not only cancer cells but also some healthy cells. The five bone cancers are a very small proportion of the 100 or more cancers known to man. However, the National Cancer Institute is developing and sponsoring clinical trials on bone cancer patients in many hospitals and cancer centers. The National Cancer Institute is trying to find new effective treatments and methods for bone cancer. The future for bone cancer patients is very promising. Doctors and scientists are hoping to discover the cure for cancer in the next ten years.

Differences Between Unitary Government And Federal Government Politics Essay

Differences Between Unitary Government And Federal Government Politics Essay In a unitary government, the power is held by one central authority but in a federal government, the power is divided between national government or federal government and local governments or states government. Federal government has multiple hierarchy levels, with both the central authority and the states (or provinces) both being sovereign. Furthermore, the central or national rules override the state rules. It also has balance between them for example the United State. It is shared between  national  and  local  levels. In a federal form of government, the term federal is also used to refer to the national level of government. However, for unitary government there is no hierarchy of sovereign powers. It is a state which has no authority to make their own laws and the government can only order the states to do anything. For example is Japan. Japan is a federal government which has a huge percentage of power. The advantages and disadvantages of Unitary Government Advantages The advantages of unitary government are it is single and decisive legislative. It has a simple management of an economy and the government is smaller.  It is uniformity of policies, laws, enforcement and administration of laws, government and others. Its also less duplication of services and a fewer conflicts between national and local government will occur. Disadvantages The disadvantages of using this type of system are it has slow government response. For example, there is no state National Guard that could be dispatched in emergency, troops would have to be mobilized from national authority. It is also easily looses track of local issues. Other than that, it is incredibly disruptive form of government where everyone is forced to compete with everyone else for priority. Since it is trying to take the place of federal and state governments, the unitary governments typical get distended and bogged down. Finally, it has huge system of government that is even larger than what this country has. The Advantages and the disadvantages of Federalism Advantages Every province has political, social and economic problems unusual to the region itself. Provincial government representatives live in close immediacy to the people and are most of the times from the same group of people so that they are in a better situation to understand these problems and offer distinctive solutions for them. For example, traffic jam in Oahu, Hawaii is a problem that can be best solved by the local government, keeping general factors in mind, rather than by somebody living in New York. Federalism offers depiction to different populations. Citizens of a range of provinces may have different aspirations, ethnicity and follow different cultures. The central government can sometimes fail to notice these differences and assume policies which cater to the majority. This is where the regional government steps in. While formulating policies, local needs, tastes and opinions are given due consideration by the state governments. Rights of the minorities are protected too. For example, in states like Arizona where there is a large Hispanic population and therefore, a large number of schools provide bilingual education. State governments have the freedom to adopt policies which may not be followed nationally or by any other state. For example, same sex marriages are not recognized by the federal government of USA but they are given legal status within the states of Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and Massachusetts. Division of work between the central and the regional governments leads to optimum exploitation of resources. The central government can concentrate more on global affairs and defense of the country while the provincial government can provide to the local needs.   Federalism has room for improvement and testing. Two local governments can have two different approaches to bring reforms in any area of public area, be it taxes or education. The comparison of the results of these policies can give a clear suggestion of which policy is better and thus, can be adopted in the upcoming. Disadvantages Sharing of power between the Center and the states includes both advantages and disadvantages of federation. Sometimes there can be overlap of work and a following misunderstanding regarding who is responsible for what. For example, when typhoon Katrina hit Greater New Orleans, USA, in 2005, there was interruption in the salvage work as there was confusion between the state governments and the federal government on who is responsible for which disaster management work. This resulted in the loss of many lives. The federal system of government is very expensive as more people are chosen to office, both at the state and the center, than necessary. Thus, it is often said that only wealthy countries can afford it. Too many chosen representatives with overlapping roles may also lead to corruption. Other than that, it leads to unnecessary rivalry between different regions. There can be a rising by a regional government against the national government too. Both scenarios pose a threat to the countries reliability.   It is also promotes regional inequalities. Natural resources, industries, employment opportunities differ from region to region. Hence earnings and wealth are unevenly circulated Rich states offer more opportunities and benefits to its citizens than poor states can. Thus, the gap between rich and poor states widens.   It also can make the state governments selfish and concerned only about their own regions progress. They can formulate policies which might be harmful to other regions. For example, pollution from a province which is promoting industrialization in a big way can affect another region which depends exclusively on agriculture and cause crop damage. Finally, it does not eliminate poverty. Even in New York, there are poor neighborhoods like Harlem with a majority of black population. The reason for this may be that during policy framing, it is the intellectuals and not the masses who are invited by the local government.

Supply Chain Management Case Study: Walmart

Supply Chain Management Case Study: Walmart 1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this work is to understand the Supply Chain Management What are the essences of SCM ? In order to complete the aim of this work the objectives are: Learn more about Supply Chain Management ( Origins) The needs of Supply Chain Management for the Organisations The Benefits of Doing So The Objectives and the fundamental elements of SCM: Examine common cases to find the current issues And for finish Evaluate the improvments accordings to the contribution to the results wanted. 1.3 INFORMATION SOURCES Both secondary and primary data will be discussed in this dissertation Information used will have the latest data and statistics according to researched literature and online data from various articles, journals, newspapers , annual reports Secondly, after revising the collected secondary data and formulating the current issues and problems I will include graphs and answers from my own personal sources that were collected threw out all the work .Thirdly, I will explain the primary and write a discussion followed by the summary of main findings and completed with conclusion. 1.5 THE SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY current research is limited by the fact that is it rather unlikely for companies to provide data related to our business and strategies plans.For this reasons, although my interviews answer was brief, i tried to summarize my research by taking some general answer related to this case i mean Organisation strategies found in the internet. DISERTATION STRUCTURE Following the introduction of the problem, aims, objectives and method of the deep research ,the chapters will structured as: Chapter two; will provide information from the literature review as from written published journals , books, websites and other work that have been already discussed by other authors It will give detailed understandingSupply Chain Management, the needs for SCM ;The benefits for doing so ; the fundamentals elements of SCM and the Supply chain Management issues.this chapter will have good presentation on latest events related to SCM Chapter three: , which gives the general idea and introduction to Supply Chain Management and its historical development Chapter four; examines The Supply Chain Mangament structure process The Key components I mean the fundamenals elements Chapter five;Examines the issues in SCM by discussing problems and available positive changes in order to identify solutions by later discussion and evaluation of the current progress and future plans in improving SCM conditions.. Chapter six:is a General introduction to Wal mart with his Supply chain explained, order to implement everything I say and quote in my previous research. Chapter seven; summarize on the topic from the discussion of chapter six and drawing conclusion based upon the information in previous chapters. Chapter eight; final part of work will include the list of most often used references CHAPTER 1 1.1.1 Introduction to Supply Chain Management This chapter will be an introduction the Supply Chain Manageent and its principles as it is important to understand the scope of the area in order to discuss its current situation. Lets go to the origin of logistics and its evolution to the concept of Supply Chain Management. Although broadly defined in some dictionaries. The definition of the CNL (Council of Logistics Management) differs slightly: Logistics is that part of the supply chain process that plans , implement and controls the efficient , effective flow and storage of goods, services and related information from the point of origin to the point of consumption in order to meet customers requirements. Logistics has its origins in the armies. Its presented successively as part of military operations that the group which coherent in arms champagne live, move and fight in the best conditions of efficiency to become the area is by all problems relating to supply of all natures, in their delivery and for their distribution through base and transit operations. According to Chopra, Sunil and Peter Meindl(2004). Supply Chain Consist of allparties involved, directly or indirectly, in fulfilling a customer request. The Supply Chain not only includes the manufacturer and suppliers, but organization, such as manufacturer, the supply chain includes all functions involved in receiving and filling a customer request.Theese functionsinclude, but are not limited to, new product development, marketing, operations, distribution, finance and customer service. CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION This literature review is written about Supply Chain Management. The research for this piece of work is based on how organizations put into operation an effective Supply Chain Management. Throughout this literature review, i will demonstrate knowledge of Supply Chain Management ; Explain the need to manage a Supply Chain Management and describe the benefit of doing so. I will also look at the objectives and list fundamental elements of Supply Chain Management and examinate possible issues on Supply Chain Management. Information about this piece of work are collected from various sources such as books and online journals Modules lectures listed after: Ronald H. Ballou in Business logistics/supply chain management 5th ed Martin Christopher logistics and supply chain management 3rd ed Gerard Baglin management industriel et logistique 4th ed A case study of Ceramic HG. Willian. J. Stevenson Operation Management Donald Waters Supply Chain Management an introduction to Logistics 2nd ed Keywords: Supply Chain Management: The context of continuous evolution is still more advance level of competition, the success of an enterprise is not only the management of core activities but also depends on relationships and supply management. Thus, upstream and downstream of the SCM, a company needs to manage relationships with customers and suppliers. Ordinarily, the increasing trend of outsourcing maintains this requirement. The Supply chain is the organization that provides(in human beings, organizations ). SCM (Supply Chain Management) is in charge for organizing the supply by the managing of flows in the context of the company. The basic principle of SCM is that gets a worse result by optimizing every element of the chain, rather than optimizing the overall chain (the sum of the optima of each element of the chain is less than the global optimum ) A product is never made throughout by the same company. Many suppliers, intermediates and subcontractors implicated in different phases of product realization. Traditionally, communication between stakeholders is minimized. To ensure hazards, each form of stocks more or less important, expensive( Gerard Baglin 2005)The slightest error restraints the flow and interrupts the chain which is penalized. Supply Chain Management wants to ensure the overall fluidity while ensuring greater flexibility. It provides the shift from production-oriented product to a customer-centric-production(Olivier Bruel 2005 ). The Need for Supply Chain Management: The essence of supply chain is to maximise value and reduce total cost across the entire trading process through focusing on speed and the certainty of response to the market (Tom McGuffog). Since companies improves toward virtual, real-time organizational structures, a new set of Supply Chain Management capabilities will come into sight, and that permits the user to react rapidly to the market demand. Due to globalization, Supply Chain Management has turn out to be a means for companies to compete efficiently at local as well as global scale. It became a fundamental element for companies, especially when it comes to deliver services at a competitive cost and high quality. Now days, product and services have no value unless they are in the possession of the customer when (time) and where (place) they wish to consume them Ronald H. Ballou (1999; p13) . According to William.J. Stevenson( 2008 ) the needs for Supply Chain Management are these followings ? Developing operations Increasing levels of outsourcing Increasing transportation costs Competitive pressures Increasing globalization Increasing importance of e-commerce Complexity of supply chains Managing inventories As stated before, Supply chain management creates an efficient and integrated company. It plays considerable roles when it comes to reduction of costs and time by channelizing the products into appropriate distribution channels in order to enable the goods to reach the end consumers on time. Those above are not the only benefit of supply chain management. William J. Stevenson identified benefits of SCM as follow: Lower inventories Higher productivity Greater agility Shorter lead times Higher profits Greater customer loyalty Integrates separate organizations into a cohesive operating system. Elements of Supply Chain Management: There are three types of Supply Chain Management elements, namely: Strategic Tactical Operational Issues on Supply Chain Management: According to TMG ( Transportation Management Group Inc ) article published the 24 Jan-2000. Nowadays, the Supply Chain Management world, companies are required to focus on developing the necessary capabilities to address key business issues. Getting product from the vendor to the shelf to fulfil consumer demand has been identified as one of the critical business issues. To address this issue, organizations must center on building a flow management capability. As an initiative to support this capability, companies need to optimize their distribution network to enable merchandise flow. This optimized distribution network must also support key changes associated with the new merchandise flow strategies. The optimized distribution network must support product assortments, order practices, replenishment methods, replenishment quantities, increase in imports if applicable, and new store formats that will require stores operating at much lower inventory levels than today. A preliminary analysis of existing Supply Chain Operating models indicate that there are significant opportunities to rationalize current distribution center networks by exploring new flow path options. These alternatives are driven by many factors. The following are high level attributes and the issues that must be addressed with each of them. The mains issues on Supply Chain Management retained are these followings: Customer Demands Cost Issues Consolidation/Partnering Globalization Technology Government Regulatory Agencies Throughout my research we will detail each of them. 1.1 Supply Chain Management: Supply Chain Management, SCM, defines the control of the supply chain from the first supplier to end customer. Supply Chain Management aims to assess as accurately as the needs, availability and capacity of each link in the supply chain and manufacturing, to better synchronize and serve customers in the best possible conditions. Basically we can conclude that the SCM Supply Chain Management helps improve the flow and time while controlling costs. http://rmdonovan.web6.hubspot.com/Portals/61797/images/image002.gif According to 2011 R. Michael Donovan Co Figure SC-2 The standard manufacturing supply chain shows the traditional flow of information and materials to and from the customers and the suppliers through the company. The processes within the supply chain typically have a strong correlation to the traditional silo organizational functions within a manufacturing company, including sales, engineering, manufacturing, distribution, and accounting. The business process flows across an organization, but communication, accountability, and reward systems flow vertically. This organizational and process contradiction often impedes supply chain effectiveness. ( Hanfield,2002, p.9) that supply chain can see in two angles, internal one for the company and external for the supplier .A supplier for this company has his own set of suppliers that provide input. Supply Chain are essentially a series of linked suppliers and customers until products reach the ultimate customer. In the world Supply Chain Management, we have three words the first word is Supply ; the second one Chain and the third one Management. Definition of Management The fact is that different supply chain in every day world exist wether they are managed or not. If one of the organization will actively implement any of supply chain management concepts explained further on in the thesis, the supply chain as a phenomenon of business will still exist but will probably not act in a rational, coordinated way. Supply chain management therefore requires active management efforts by the organisations within the supply chain. What is an organisation? Lipovec 1987, p35) defines organization as the composition of relationships between people, who by relationships become members of a formed social unit. Organisation ensure the existence and specific characteristics of the social unit and rational achievement of goals. According to Rozman(2000, p15) there are 3 process in a organisation assuring rational achievement of goals: organization process, coordination process, and decision making process. The organisational process are defined as goal oriented processes of ensuring the rationality The Way Spain Was by Neruda: Analysis The Way Spain Was by Neruda: Analysis The Way Spain Was is in the poetic collection Third Residence, which Neruda had written when he was a member of the Communist Party of the Chile. He is very much concerned about the common people of the land. Although his mind is burdened with seething social issues, he spoke as simply as possible to communicate his sentiments to the public. He recounts with passion the repeated suffering recorded in the history of Spain. How unto crying out, unto the very soul I live your barren soil and your rough bread, your stricken people! How in the depths of me grows the lost flowers of your villages, timeless, impossible to budge, your tracts of minerals bulging like oldsters under the moon, devoured by an imbecile god. The poet brings out the harsh realities of life through various images. Fresh bloom of life that cannot be found, the lost flower of your villages continues to clamour in his mind. He is enraged that an idiot like god is punishing the land that he loves. Through the deep love for Chile he begins to consider Spain as his motherland. When he witnessed the ruins of Machuchu Pichchu, his love for the land became more intense. His mourning for the Spains glorious past is evident in the words our stricken people. Silence and isolation are repeated and cries of Taut and dry Spain, this phrase shows the core of his sensibility and the memories of war reminds him of the dull and loud sound of drums. In spite of the fertility of Spain the poet is more concerned about the inhabited of the land affected by the civil war and dictatorship. He is very much conscious of the Spanish soil aged by years of sunlight and of regions invades by various races. your harsh wine and your sweet wine. Your violent and delicate vineyards. Stone of the sun, pure among territories, Neruda also mourns for his best friend Garcia Lorca and Miguel Hernandez, who died in the Spanish civil war. Spain veined with bloods and metals, blue and victorious, this clearly shows the history of king discoverers and the tragedy of civil war which made him Republican and he uses his poetry as a weapon to fight against the violence. The ordinary people of the society i.e, the common people are suppressed and their lifes plight is showcased clearly in the line proletariat of petals and bullets/ alone alive, somnolent, resounding. The people of rich fertile land are depended on their daily labours; their life is beautiful with the horror of war in it. Opposition of ideas can be seen in the words sweet and harsh, in violent and delicate in petals and bullets these words confirms that Neruda is fighting against the suppression of proletariat He writes about a poor, but beautiful Spain, historically rich and glorious in the past, crushed and destroyed in the present. It is a fact that Pablo Neruda openly reacted to the contemporary political events in Spain and his own country that made him summaries his own life as follows: I have had to fight and struggle, love and sign. I have had to see the breaking world, the triumph and the defeat. I tasted the bread and the blood. What more can a poet want? And all the alternatives, from the songs to the kisses, from the solitude to the people, exist in my poetry, participate in it, because I have lives for my poetry, and my poetry has sustained me. Intense feeling for the colonised people is very much seen along with the reaction to the social and political events in his mother country. Discoverers of Chile is taken from Canto General, Nerudas the most important work. First, it was conceived as Canto General of Chile and later became the general song of America, i.e., Canto General. The new practice of addressing to an audience, communicating with a group of people becomes more specific in Canto General, a collection of poems that are often called epic poems of Chile. Published in 1950 and divided into fifteen sections, these poems tell the tale of Latin American people. Songs of Canto General were composed over twelve years, which are also considered years of militant Neruda. Many sections of Canto General are dedicated to workers and peasants whose homes and experiences the poet had shared so many times. While reading these poems one feels that these are the people who are lending their voice to his poetry. Through these poems Neruda explains how his people were oppressed and exploited first by the conquerors and then by the dictators, the collection ends with an autobiographical account of him. Neruda celebrates the mysteries of South America, its flora and fauna, and gazes with wonder at an antique civilisation that really belongs to pre-Columbian days. Discoverers of Chile is taken from Canto General, Nerudas the most essential work. To begin with, it was considered as Canto General of Chile and later turned into the general melody of America, i.e., Canto General. The new routine of tending to a crowd of people, speaking with a gathering of individuals turns out to be more particular in Canto General, an accumulation of lyrics that are regularly called epic sonnets of Chile. Distributed in 1950 and isolated into fifteen segments, these ballads tell the story of Latin American individuals. Tunes of Canto General were made more than twelve years, which are additionally considered years of aggressor Neruda. Many segments of Canto General are devoted to laborers and workers whose homes and encounters the writer had shared such a variety of times. While perusing these lyrics one feels that these are the general population who are loaning their voice to his verse. Through these lyrics Neruda clarifies how his kin were persecuted and abus ed first by the winners and afterward by the despots, the gathering closes with a personal record of him. Neruda praises the riddles of South America, its greenery, and looks with marvel at an antique civilisation that truly has a place with pre-Columbian day In the first line poet discovers the history of the invaders, who they are and from where they come? The word à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾northà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ indicates European country mainly the Spain. The Spanish force entered Chile under the commanding ship of Almagro (in some translation instead of Almagro, pronoun he is used, he can be a suggestive of Pedro de Valdivia, who followed the route of Diego de Almagro in 1541 and established the colony at Santiago). He may also indicate any or all of the conquerors of Chile. The Conquers entered into the land with gunshots. The poet calls his country as my thin country. The strong forces suppressed the small country Chile which suffered in silence. From the north Almagro brought his crushed ember: And over the territory, between explosion and sunset The poet uses various images to stress his point of suppression of the country like the Spaniard meeting with his dry figure; shadows of thorn and coal covering it with mysterious kisses. Again, he personifies Chile as an old man with a white beard, which is actually the foam from the sea. It is a veiled suggestion that his people couldnt hold out for a long period against the powerful invaders and so were compelled to surrender, to merge their own history and culture with that of their colonial masters. Neruda admits that the Spaniard did succeed in conquering his undiscovered territory that lay beyond the seas and in ruling over the angry and yellow-coloured people of his land. They also succeeded in giving birth to a new civilisation that slowly and surely supplanted the old one of the native Indians like dropping the excrement (dung) by a sea-eagle that was hovering and circling above the sky. Neruda starts with the history of the Spanish settlers in Chile, enamoured as they were by tales of richness and of wealth.   Thus, we have a land where coal covers it with mysterious kisses and Gold burns, Silver illuminates. The imagery emanates with light and colour contrasted by shades of darkness that only emphasises the relationship between   the colonisers and the Indian people the vanquished, and again Chiles intrinsic relationship with Spain. It is continuous Eurocentric history that is only displaced by the myth of creation, probably Amerindian, where the eagle drops a strip of land in the sea and a country is born. Neruda describes his country in its actual physical form, in simple phrase such as my thin country and silence lies in its long line. This contains an indirect suggestion that the people could not hold out against the powerful invaders and so were compelled to merge their own history and culture with that of the masters. The sea appears as a descri ptive factors and as a person whose marine beard all lifes follows. Neruda begins with the historical backdrop of the Spanish pilgrims in Chile, captivated as they were by stories of lavishness and of riches. In this manner, we have a land where coal covers it with mysterious kisses and Gold burns , Silver illuminates . The symbolism radiates with light and shading differentiated by shades of dimness that lone accentuates the connection between the colonizers and the Indian individuals the vanquished, and again Chiles characteristic association with Spain. It is persistent Eurocentric history that is just uprooted by the myth of creation, likely Amerindian, where the hawk drops a segment of land in the ocean and a nation is conceived. Neruda portrays his nation in its real physical frame, in basic expression, for example, my thin country and silence lies in its long line. This contains an aberrant recommendation that the general population couldnt hold out against the effective intruders as were constrained to consolidate their own history and cultur e with that of the experts. The ocean shows up as distinct components and as a man whose marine beard all lifes takes after. Discovered in 1911 by the American explorer Hiram Bingham, Macchu Picchu is an Inca stronghold in the Peruvian Andes near the modern city of Cuzco. Nothing is known of its history and it appears that it was never discovered by the Spanish Conquistadors. Bingham himself believed that the site was the last refuge of the Incas from the invading Spanish. In The Heights of Macchu Picchu, The poet meanders through the world as a empty net assembling nothing from the world. He dives his hand into the earth and finds the sulfurous peace of the world and its spent human springtime. Neruda asks what is the indestructible, the perpetual, life on the planet. The concentration shifts from the writer himself as he battles however the world and he sees that the whole world is in a comparable circumstance. The artist depicts the lives of individuals on the planet as they battle with living. Every day people die their little deaths. many deaths comes to each Every day a little death. He climbs to Macchu Picchu as he climbs he gains an insight into the history of the place. The stellar void of the final steps and the vertiginous spiralling road He thinks about the general population who lived there once. Presently the place is unfilled there is nobody in the land. He ponders who construct the city there whose remains are still there. He feels the vacancy, Today the vacant air does not sob anymore. Neruda addresses the lost Incas of Peru: you tumbled as in pre-winter to a solitary passing. He says that they live on in the stones of Macchu Picchu. Once the land is possessed by individuals yet now the land is vacant with its remnants. The land can be the casualty of misuse of colonizers. He feels for the grand past of the nation. He asks where is the man? among the uncovered stones. Did Macchu Picchu construct itself? Neruda needs to think about the general population who had once strolled the roads. He dives his hand into the earth a moment time and finds Man. At the point when the excited condor beats my sanctuaries I dont see the quick animal. Instead, I see the man of old. Now Neruda loses all association with his European past; he is presently an American and his family relationship is with its indigenous individuals. Neruda addresses the local people groups, specifically the workers, weavers, bricklayers, and so forth. He requests that they Ascend to be conceived with me, my sibling. Neruda feels his own otherworldly resurrection and a resurrection of the dead individuals of the Americas. The poem ends: Cling to my body like magnets Hasten to my veins and to my mouth Speak through my words and my blood. Nerudas Elementary Odes are also a mastery of expression and imagery where he raises useful but mundane objects to sublime heights. His poetry cultivates simplicity of language and simplicity of technique; and his purpose is to strip his writings of any distorted or complex factors that may impede the understanding of the reader. His tone is optimistic and positive, and Ode to the Tomato is a wonderful example of a poem that presents a pictorial description of a salad making to which a reader can add the more profound meaning culled from an American culture. In the poem Neruda uses the image of tomato as a symbol of coloniser. This is very clearly seen in the lines, The street drowns in tomato: noon summar, light breaks in two tomato halves and the street run with juice. Here the poet uses the tomato to represent the invasion of Spanish and Portuguese colonial in South America. Tomato is the one of the major crops in Spain. So the poet indirectly symbolizes the Spanish people with tomato. And that the tomato spread all over the streets of Chile like the juice. When cut, the two/tomato/halves looks like the two hemispheres to which Chile and Spain belong, the only difference being that it is summer in Chile in December (as it belongs to the Southern Hemisphere) and winter in Spain (as it belongs to the Northern Hemisphere). The coloniser doesnt need any permission to enter or occupy the land. That has been in the lines, the tomato cuts loose, invades kitchens South America is conquered, suppressed, exploited by the colonialism. The coloniser of Chile (Spanish people) enters into the kitchen of Chile peoples house and occupies their places without any proper permission from them. Each line of this poem is unusually short, containing no more than one to four words. The line structure causes the reader to look at the next and then the next line to complete the action that has begun, of preparation of the salad that is an essential part of the midday meal in both South American and European countries, especially Spain. Thus, Neruda starts with the season when the tomatoes fill the stalls of vegetables vendors and their colour, though not mentioned, instantly captures the attention. The two tomato halves are also reminiscent   of the two hemispheres to which the countries Chile and Spain belong. It is not until the word December appears that we realise that the summer the poet is speaking about is of course one and the same in Southern hemisphere. The fact that the tomato breaks its bounds and invades/kitchens remains us of another takeover of their lands and their culture by the Spanish colonisers who came in the wake of Columbus. Neruda brings the picture of culinary delight to emphasize the union of two cultures. The Spanish people, who invaded Chile, sustained a relationship through marriage and by which there formed a mixture of culture of two races- the American (Red) Indians and the Europeans (Whites). This union is poetically explained in the lines: beds cheerfully with the blonde onion, and to celebrate oil the filial essence of the olive tree lets itself fall over its gapping hemispheres, the pimento adds its fragrance, salt its magnetism- The process of cooking aromatic salad mentioned in the poem indirectly speaks about the mixing of one culture with the other. The line we have the days wedding suggests the image of colonisation. Of course, the salads bowl with its olive and pimentos also suggests a cheerful lending of Chilean and Spanish culture. In fact, the melting-pot culture of America has now been replaced by the concept of the salad bowl where all the colours can mix without any losing their original shape, form, individuality and identity. Neruda races ahead to the meal that beckons with its aromas. There is immediacy when he writes, its time! Lets go! there is celebration and joy in this meal. the festival/or ardent colour/and all-embracing freshness. It is a veritable joining of cultures, at least through the common denominator of food. Spanish colonization over Chile can be characterized as pilgrim colonization, wherein the colonizers blend with the colonized and the division between the two societies is obscured. The conquistadors took it on themselves to be a piece of the foundation and not disparage the status of the colonized. They shared culture, dialect and wound up noticeably one with the occupants of their settlement. This is one reason why Nerudas verse does not contain any contempt towards Spain. This is especially apparent in the words like a goodly majesty, we have the days / wedding. There is no threatening vibe towards the colonizers of any sort. Neruda considers himself to be an epitome of the Spanish culture, as the writer of damaged human nobility who brings alive a landmass fate and dreams According to Jaime Alazraki, Neruda is not simply chronicling verifiable occasions but rather re-translating them with an unmistakable standpoint of history. Hes glancing back at American pre-history and analyzi ng the lands rich, normal legacy. Postcolonial literature often focuses on the suppression, oppression, identity crisis, alienation, and cultural identity etc, faced by the natives of the colonised land. But the poems of Neruda present the theme of post colonialism in a different way, here though the atrocities of colonisers are portrayed he never hates them, instead celebrates the mingling of culture. The Way Spain Was records the sufferings of people recorded in the history of Spain as a colony through many harsh images. The land blessed with natures bounty was destroyed in the civil war. He traces the history of Spain the present invaders were once invaded by many. Through many opposing images the horror of war and the plight of the affected people are portrayed effectively. Discoverers of Chile brings out the pain of suppressed people under the rule of dictators. As a historian he discovers the past glory of the thin country and also its invaders. Silent sufferings of the native people and how they are compelled to merge culturally with the invaders are resented in this short poem in an emphatic manner. In The Heights of Macchu Picchu though he describes the beauty of the landscape he is in search of the lost identity and the glorious past of the place. Now there is no man and he investigates where he has gone? The ruins found in the place give a hint to the colonial invasion. In the poem Ode to The Tomatoes his love for the Spanish and Chilean collaboration is very much evident when he tells about the process of cooking salads. As he aromatically describes the mingling of different ingredients in the preparation of salad, his love for the mixed culture and the coloniser can be clearly seen.