Two Families Essay Example for Free

Two Families Essay In the Godfather we have the family as an organized crime syndicate, in Boyz in the Hood, we have African American referring to each other as brothers. I got the title for this paper because that is the biggest similarity in between the two movies, the family connection. The Godfather is a classic film making 3rd in the AFI’s top 100 movies of all time. One of the reasons it is a great and compelling movie is that it focuses on the realities of an alternate world where people have to make dramatic choices every day. It does this without trying to politicize the movie; it shows the struggles of a crime family in a fight for their literal life. Boyz in the Hood is a very political movie and that is its downfall. While it pretends to be interested in the welfare of the family, mostly the son, and African Americans in general, it posits many positions about race that are absolutely ridiculous. In the movie the father blames white society for all of the problems of the black race, including liquor stores and gun shops. I guess I just haven’t heard yet how the government subsidizes these. When talking about drugs he says, we don’t have the resources to bring the drugs here, we don’t have airplanes and ships. Somehow Columbians are now responsible for the African American plight. I’m sure that Columbian’s can’t get sleep at night because they are worried about how to bring African Americans down, that is the only rational explanation for what is happening. Contrast this to The Godfather and you see they never blame white men for their problems. There is a few times that they are called negative names, and the story in the beginning, where the undertaker asks to have his daughter’s attack revenged, he never says that they did what they did because he was Italian. It could have been because of that because the attackers were implied to be white, but it was never mentioned. I think it was interesting that one of the sons was adopted and not Italian. There is an implication in this that although the Mafia is largely an Italian organization, it does not discriminate against some races, although the use of the work â€Å"nigger† by Sonny does show negative attitudes towards those people. He says this when he says that they should sell drugs just to African Americans. The reasoning was because they wouldn’t get in as much political trouble. This seems logical and is a much better explanation than that there is a conspiracy against African Americans. This is not an acceptable situation either, and we need to focus on bringing all of America together rather than tearing America apart. I am reminded of the quote by John Donne from Meditation XVII of Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were. Any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. For if the plauge of rasism blinds the eye to injustice, is it not in some way my innocence that cries to the heavens for justice. Is this to be cured by the isolation of a race from those who are percieved to have caused the injustice? No, it is caused by communication in between two two races, because communication casues understanding. The other key ingredient is personal responsibility. The main character in Boyz in the Hood acepted personal responsibility and was able to espace the circle of violence that plauged the comminity. It also seems like the Maifa was more concerned with power and the ability to do business than to be upset by petty arguments. In Italy Michael noticed there was no young males and his bodygaurd said it was because of the vendettas. It seems like we can all learn from this another lesson from â€Å"For Whom the Bell Tolls,† when you participate in voilence you are the person who will suffer the most, because there is always repercusions of your actions. In The Godfather the enemies were the same as they were, they were organized criminals. In Boyz in the Hood it was much the same. I wonder if they think about the similarities in the oposing gangs, and if that has any effect on them. The best thing that either could do would be to join forces with their adversaries and put away petty differences, although this would mean a loss of control by the leaders of the gangs/families. Both were torn apart not by outside forces, but by their own kind. It seems like in The Godfather at least they were honest about that. They realized that their biggest opponent was the organizations like them. They knew that the only thing they would understand was violence. The Godfather didn’t want Michel to have the same life he did, but in the end he was more violent that what the Godfather was. It was a payback for the life he led, and was probbably worse for him than any personal repercusion he felt. There are two families represented here, two of a whole miriad of families that we have in the United States. The families have different colors, different religons or none. The families have different values. Sometimes the colors and values are different in a single family. Most of the time there is no violence, although most families have their black sheep. When we become a single familiy a lot of the problems we face will be gone. This wont happen by blame, but understanding. A movie like Boyz in the Hood should have helped create that understanding, but it fell on its face blaming eveyone and increasing the gulf in between black and white. Works Cited Print Sources Donne, John, Meditation XVII of Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. 1624 Web Site American Film Institute’s web page. 2006. American Film Institute. April 11, 2007. http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/movies.aspx.

John Lewis Christmas Marketing Campaign Essay Example for Free

John Lewis Christmas Marketing Campaign Essay This year’s advert, entitled â€Å"The Journey†, hopes to do as well if not better than its predecessor. The ? 6 million campaign created by Adam+EveDDB tells the story of a snowman who travels across rivers, mountains, roads and cities to get the perfect gift for the snowwoman who stands with him in the garden. * The advert could’ve been seen on channel 4 just before Christmas and then it was easily accessible on internet(facebook, youtube, etc). John Lewis also was running a snowman hunt, with six snowmen figures hidden around stores. If customers find them all they could win a price, including a  £10,000 holiday, Sony laptop, spa days and gift hampers. John Lewis has also run social media activity including competitions to win a holiday to New Zealand, where the ad was filmed, and for a family to get their garden ‘snowed up’ for Christmas day. John Lewis hopes to make a â€Å"confident statement† in its Christmas marketing this year through its TV, press, outdoor and in-store activity as well as the Annual, a glossy print title that brings together its Editions magazine and Christmas catalogue into one publication for the first time. The Twitter campaign uses the hashtag #snowmanjourney to track its experiential campaign that is photographing the snowman in different towns around the country. John Lewis has also press released many articles regarding their Christmas advert, in store sales, and competitions. John Lewis PR department has also write a book that tells the story of the snowman and his journey which is also part of the high profile Christmas campaign, short afterwards the book became one of the most selling books for children. John Lewis has attributed a lift in its crafts offering to its Christmas ad campaign. Items on sale include a Knit Your Own Snowman. * The campaign was created to persuade more and more customers to come in the store and buy gifts for their loved ones during Christmas time. John Lewis’s advert also delivered strong Christmas, and warm feeling to the viewers so they are also creating the brand. They want to tell and insert John Lewis’s brand in many people’s life. Craig Inglis the Marketing Director at John Lewis said â€Å"the campaigns are not just an investment in making people feel Christmassy, they have commercial effectiveness at eart. † Adverts starring the character proved a big hit – with more than three million views on YouTube. * The target market were people who had families, people who lad loved ones, relatives, and people who had someone one special in their lives, because Christmas it is all about spending time with the loved ones, giving them gifts and have a great time. Also they targeted at other organization’ s customers for example MarksSpencer, Boots, etc. Also people who wanted to their bedrooms as they had big sales in their home department. Sales figures Sales for the retailer are up 7. 6% year on year for the week ending 17 November with a strong performance in electrical and home technology driving the growth with a 22. 2% jump in sales. In the five weeks over Christmas John Lewis recorded a 44. 3 per cent rise in its ‘Click and Collect’ service, which allows shoppers to buy products online and then collect them from one of the group’s Waitrose supermarkets, compared with figures from 2011. Total web sales reached ? 684. 8 million in the five weeks to 29 December. Electrical and home technology sales were up by 30. 9 per cent on 2011 with tablets being the retailer’s star festive performer. Fashion and beauty sales rose 10. 4 per cent with home products increasing by 6. 2 per cent. In the last full week before Christmas John Lewis posted sales of ? 157. 8 million, a rise of 26. 5 per cent from last year. A record ? 31. 7 million was then taken on 27 December, the start of the retailer’s clearance sale. Conclusion Overall I think the Christmas campaign has been extremely successful. The reason why I am saying this is because comparing the sales figure from last year and this year they achieved a record this year by stepping over the ? 150 million revenue. Also looking at the promotional mix they have done pretty well again, as we have new products which are the snowman book and the snowman toys, sales offers in their stores at certain products. Their PR department did very well as they came with articles just before launching the advert letting people know when and where will they be able to see the advert. The personal selling was great as well as when going to the check out they would ask the customers if they found everything they need and also if they would be interested in buying the snowman book, etc. Direct marketing was great as well as there was a twitter account where you could fallow the snowman’s adventure, and competitions on Facebook and in store. An improvement I would say it would be that maybe the customers where interested in more sales promotions and more direct marketing would convince customers to buy more products and come to John Lewis more often. Although the Advert did cost a huge amount of money that is nothing compared to the ? 157. 8 million revenue they made last year. Another reason why I think that the campaign was successful was that the advert they made has been voted as the year’s most favourite TV advert. And finally the last reason why I am sure that the campaign was extremely successful was that none of the directors of John Lewis expected a record breaker sales figure.

Summary of the Viking Raids in Ireland

Summary of the Viking Raids in Ireland Burying items of personal, social or economical value in hoards was not only exclusive to the Viking era, indeed hoards have been found dating back to the hunter gatherer period during the Mesolithic and Paleoindian era.  [1]  By analysing Viking hoards it is possible to glimpse into the wide ranging grasp of the Viking economy and into the minting process and silver metallurgy of the world at the time. Silver was used as the principal means of exchange throughout the Viking world . Silver hoards in Ireland are crucial evidence for trade, status and lifestyle of the Vikings and the Irish, and the relationship both societies had with one another due to the many finds. In order to fully understand the implications the Viking settlement had on Ireland and the subsequent relationship which was built between the two communities; a brief summary of events leading to the burial of hoards in Ireland is required to draw any possible links between the two. However it is tempting and someti mes unwise to assume a link between the deposition of particular hoards with specific historical events as some may have been deposited for purely local or family reasons. What is certain is that a vast majority of hoards were buried for safe keeping, which is proven by the fact that the majority of coin hoards found coincided with the defeat of the Vikings at Tara in 980AD. Gold hoards found in Hare Island and silver hoards found in Lough Ree (which a Viking fleet from Limerick dominated during the 920s and 930s) also show a connection between occupation of land by Vikings and the subsequent burial of hoards.  [2]   Nevertheless all plausible circumstances must be researched in order to come to a conclusion or at least a range of possibilities concerning the purpose of a specific hoard. This essay will concentrate on case studies of specific hoards after a brief summary of Viking settlement in Ireland. Chapter I: Brief Summary of Viking raids and subsequent occupation in Ireland The first recorded Viking raid in Ireland took place in 795 AD in Rathlin. Thereafter Viking attacks continued in the form of costal raiding. After a series of raids in the north the Vikings moved westward where there were multiple monasteries in 807AD, of which some were raided. For the first time annals begin to report violence (although no battles) between the Vikings and the Irish. After a break there began attacks once again by the Vikings on the south coast of Ireland in 821AD along with further raids in the north-east in 823AD. From 825AD the annals report severe attacks along the east coast of Ireland on churches and local costal kingdoms. There was also significant engagement with local Irish kings and with this the first Viking Age in Ireland had begun.  [3]   In 832AD a Viking fleet once again invaded Irelands northern and eastern coasts. During the 830s raids, the Vikings began to push deeper into Ireland. In 838AD a small Viking fleet entered the river Liffey. The Vikings set up a base there called a Longphort which eventually became Dublin. Dublin became the most important and wealthiest centre in Viking Ireland. It is no coincidence that the majority of silver hoards were found in the Dublin area which had a wealth unequalled in the west of Ireland and indeed the majority of the Viking world.  [4]  Silver which was used throughout the Viking world as the main material of exchange has been found in large quantities in Ireland, over a hundred and thirty silver hoards to be precise. A hundred and twenty of these were found in Dublin dating from the 9th until the 11th century. The Vikings were able to branch off into different areas in the country by sailing through the river Liffey. The Vikings then began to build trading centres that developed into towns and cities around the Irish coast from the middle of the 9th century. It was in these places that the first coins in Ireland were minted as well as trading goods and slaves. Economic links were established with the wider Viking world for example the town of Jorvik (York) in England, across Europe and the Near East. After 840AD, Vikings had several bases in strategic locations throughout Ireland. In 902 the Vikings were temporarily expelled from Dublin due to an Irish alliance, however they soon returned. The Viking rulers of Dublin became involved with the political conflicts between Irish kingdoms which reached its pinnacle when in 1014 the Vikings of Dublin allied with Leinster in their battle for supremacy against Munster. The Vikings and Leinstermen were defeated in the Battle of Clontarf which is se en as the end of Viking power in Ireland. However Vikings still played an active role in Irish life until the Anglo Norman invasion of 1169.  [5]   The earliest raids which occurred up to the second decade of the 9th century are said to have been undertaken from the Vikings from south-west Norway. The more violent attacks which occurred in 821AD and later were conducted by a larger and more organized force. There would have been logistical problems bringing large fleets from Norway and therefore a theory is that the invaders came from nearby, namely the Viking settlements in the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland.  [6]  These large scale raids led to the occupation of the Irish east  midlands. Full term occupation in Ireland can generally said have begun with exploratory raids, then heavy plundering and slaving in order to break the resistance of the Irish population and then finally occupation and the establishment of a regional kingdom. Vikings in Ireland adopted a different strategy of colonising Ireland namely economically. From the mid 9th century Vikings became very involved in politics by siding with Irish kings against other Irish kings. In the early decades of 10th century, Vikings realized they could not conquer through force and started founding trade centres instead such as the aforementioned Dublin which became important for Irish sea affairs and commercial centre of international importance. The raids and consequent settlements by Vikings in the east of Ireland were particularly intense due to the Viking Kings of Scotland in the middle of the 9th century having previously exercised authority over the Vikings and their settlements in Ireland (though not over all as annals report activities of Viking adventures with no commitments to Scottish Viking royalty). Whereas the Norwegian raids of the north and the west Ireland were conducted by small, mobile Viking groups, by 830AD Viking raiders consisted of large fleets of ships which led to permanent bases being established on the coasts by 840AD. Dublin was to be the most significant of these settlements long term. Chapter II: The debates surrounding Viking hoards in Ireland Viking hoards in Ireland can be defined in three categories, coinless hoards, mixed hoards and coin hoards. Using silver in form of coinage did not happen until the late Anglo-Saxon economy of the Viking Age and so the worth of silver was measured in weight and therefore was acceptable in other forms which some hoards represent by including a mixture of cut up fragments of ingots and/or ornaments and later on, coins.  [7]  Silver started appearing in Ireland from 850AD in the form of coins and ingots which correlates with the beginning of Viking settlement in Ireland. Single Viking age silver finds in Ireland also appear which raises the question of what the purpose of burying silver hoards was. The threat of Viking raids would be sufficient for the burial of hoards in order to protect the wealth which could be later, but was not, reclaimed. This is a plausible explanation however there are other possible reasons why hoards were buried and then not recovered. One theory is that pagans in the Viking Age believed that the deceased would need riches in the afterlife which were the treasures he had buried whilst still  alive. However this story was written long after the Christianisation of Scandinavia and so it in uncertain about its accuracy. Another possible reason for burying hoards was in order to protect silver generally (without specific threat of invasion) by leaders so that they could in time reward their followers with silver. This display of wealth and power could also have lead to hoards of silver being buried in order to eliminate them from circulation, creating a talking point for others.  [8]   Another debate is who buried which hoards. Hoards do not seem to completely correlate with the pattern of Norse settlement, although there are numerous finds near Dublin. More hoards are found in territories controlled by independent Irish Kings than in areas controlled by Vikings.  [9]  All this information raises the question of what use hoards had for the Irish and Vikings. The study of distribution of hoards shows us that many of them where in native ownership when buried. However it is also possible that the hoards were given to the Irish by Vikings for political reasons, or were looted items. Many other hoards on the other hand represent Viking wealth. By end of millennium Viking hoards contained rarely anything but coins.  [10]   Chapter III: Coinless hoards Generally coinless hoards consist of a range of ornaments and/or ingots and hack silver. In total there are to date fifty-one coinless hoards of early Viking Age date . Coinless hoards can be divided into three sub-groups on the basis of their form and structure. Analysing hoards in this way enables a more specific research into their intended purpose and origin. One type of Viking age coinless hoard contains neither hack silver nor ingots and is composed exclusively of complete ornaments. Most of these ornaments are of Hiberno Scandinavian type and vary in their style from four examples. These types of hoards account of nearly half the total number of coinless hoards.  [11]   Half of all Viking age hoards from the 9th and 10th century fall into the coinless category and consist largely or wholly of Hiberno-Scandinavian ornaments. Examples of these finds consist of hoards from Raphoe in County Donegal and Cushalogurt in County Mayo. The most common item found in coinless hoards are the broad band armrings which are Hiberno-Scandinavian silver artefacts. Their dates range between 850AD and 950AD. This case study concerns itself with this sub-group of Viking silver hoards. Case Study:A Hoard of Viking silver bracelets from County Donegal and County Mayo: Until 1966 there were the remains of what appears to have been a rath or cashel in the townland of Roosky in east County Donegal.. The owner of the land decided to build a house with a ford and cleared away most of the surrounding wall. Several foundation trenches were cut for the foundation walls of the new house but no archaeological evidence was found. However whilst demolishing the wall of the fort, four silver bracelets where discovered on the surface of the ground on the inside. This lead the finder to believe that the bracelets had fallen down with the wall itself which would mean that they had been hidden in one of the gaps between the stones of the wall. This indicates that the fort was built earlier that the making of the bracelets. The four objects were found so closely together than they could only be interpreted as a hoard. The four bracelets are common in types of Viking silver work in Europe. In Ireland no silver bracelet resembling those from Roosky has so far been found. Those found in Britain range in dates from 900AD to the 11th century. 7 In Eastern Europe, bracelets which have been found that have resemblance to the Roosky bracelets date to the first half of the 12th century. This suggests the original source being from the west and/or influence from that area. Muslim Spain has also been suggested as the original source but little evidence supports this.  [12]  J. Raftery concludes that the bracelets were probably Norse in origin as their shape has no forerunners in Ireland and the nature of the ornamentation on them has no parallels amongst native Irish material. This does not however dismiss the possibility of the bracelets being made in Ireland by Norse or Irish silversmiths. The conclusion by à Ã‚ . à Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Ó Rà ­ordà ¡in that Viking silver ornaments of Irish provenance were made in Ireland and the material used is the product of silver mines in Ireland has little evidence to back the claim up.  [13]  14 This hoard is interesting because of where it was, namely near the coast. Most Viking hoards come from near the coast. This could suggest that the pattern of chance finds of Viking objects coincided with what we know of the movements of Norsemen. However some of these discoveries could represent Irish loot from Vikings who had ventured ashore. The number of Norse items from non costal areas is quite small. A hoard of 25 silver bracelets and fragments was discovered in 1939 on the peninsula in the townland of Cushalogurt, Kilmeena parish, Burrishoole barony, County Mayo. The discovery was only six yards from the shore. This hoard is the largest of its king known in Ireland. It is connected to the Roosky hoard findings in that as regards to shape and decoration, the bracelets are unparalleled amongst earlier Irish material but do occur often in Viking age contexts of Scandinavia and Europe. Their popularity continued in Scandinavia until the 13th century but in Britain their popularity assessed on deposition ceased at an earlier date. à Ã‚ . à Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Ó Rà ­ordà ¡in pointed out when discussing the bracelets from Carrowmore in Co. Donegal that numismatic evidence from Scotland and England demonstrated that the bracelets were in fashion during there during the 10th and 11th centuries. That the Vikings were responsible for their introduction into Ireland can be seen by the occu rrence of the Runic letter R incised on the back of one of the bracelets from the hoard from Roosky which emphasised its Scandinavian derivation.  [15]   The second sub group of coinless hoards contain ingots and/or ornaments but no hack silver. This type of hoard is more uncommon and makes up only 16% of the total number of coinless  hoards. In most cases these ornaments are of Hiberno-Scandinavian type and vary in number from two to four examples. Case Study: Hoard from Carraig Aille, County Limerick The next sub group accounts for 36% of the total coinless hoards and is characterized by the presence of hack silver. Most of these hoards also contain ingots. A classic example of this type of hoard in that from Carraig Aille, County Limerick, which contains one complete ring, three ring fragments, two ingots and an ingot fragment.  [16]  The fragments of bracelets found here link to the hoard mentioned previously which consisted of 25 silver bracelets from County Mayo. Both are the same type of bracelet (rectangular and cross-sectioned) and are dated to the 10th century.  [17]   The context in which the hoard from Carriag Aille, Co. Limerick was found is quite interesting. On the hill where the hoard was found stand two Iron age stone Cashels which are on the bank of Lough Gur and dated between 8th and 11th century AD. Both forts are quite low, the wall only maybe 1- 1.5m high although originally they would have been considerably higher. There is an entrance in both of them to the east. This fort is not unusual in style and would have been built by the native Irish.  [18]  The question lies on who was responsible for creating the hoard and who buried it. It seems that the bracelet is Scandinavian whereas the ingots have no evidence to suggest their origin. The 10th century was a turbulent time in Co. Limerick. The Vikings founded the town Limerick in 922 AD as a strategic point between the Shannon and Abbey River. However the Vikings often fought each other (seen with the attack of Vikings from Dublin on Limerick in 924) as well as fighting the native Ir ish. In 968 the Irish gained control over Limerick but it was short lived as in 969 the Vikings regained their authority. It would be until the early 11th century until the Irish assumed full control of the town once again and this time the Vikings absorbed into Irish society.  [19]  Carraig Aille is roughly 20km from the town of Limerick and would have been easily accessible by rivers. There is evidence of the Waterford Vikings creating a base at Lough Gur, which Carraig Aille is in close proximity to on the east side. Carriag Aille would have witnessed the base which was built as an advancement point for the Waterford Vikings to Limerick. During the disputes with the Limerick Vikings and Dublin Vikings, the Waterford Vikings sided with Dublin. The Waterfordmen were defeated by the Limerick Vikings and their Irish allies, apparently at Kilmallock (which lies in between Limerick and Logh Gur) in 927.  [20]  Geographically Carraig Aille could have been caught amongst the disp utes and the subsequent burial of the hoard could be a consequence as the date of the bracelets coincide with the power struggles in that area. What is not certain is whether the native Irish or the Vikings buried the hoard, as that would depend on who had control over the forts, this evidence is not available. Their similarity to the 25 silver bracelets found in County Mayo suggest that they were made by Hiberno-Norse silversmiths. Chapter IIII: Mixed hoards: Mixed hoards consist of non-numismatic silver combined with coins. Around 16 of Irelands hoards are of this type, fifteen of which were deposited during the 10th century. Most of these hoards contain ingots or ingot derived hack silver in addition to coins and occasionally ornament derived hack silver. The 10th century first see substantial amounts of coins be buried with hoards in Ireland. It was the period of the second half of the 9th century and the first half of the tenth century that saw Hiberno Vikings develop their silver-working. From 920 until ca 1000 begins the most debatable phase of hoard deposition. It was in this period that the Vikings increased their power in Leinster and Munster and consequently there was an upsurge in violence between the Vikings and the Irish and indeed the Vikings amongst themselves. Dublin was also rapidly growing as a trading port. The deposition of hoards reach a peak in c.970 and the scholar Dolley has suggested that this coincides with risin g violence prior o the defeat of the Vikings at the battle of Tara in 980.  [21]   There were a large number of coins minted in York found in hoards dating to the early part of the period and this reflects close political links between Viking York and Dublin. Hoards from c.925-c.975 are dominated by Anglo-Saxon coins minted in Chester which reflects the importance of the trade route between Dublin and Chester. After c.975 the number of coins from Chester decline and the number of coins from the West country rises which show the growing importance of the Dublin to/from Bristol trade route. The re-establishment of Dublin and the growth of other Viking towns during the first decades of the 10th century saw a gradual transition from bullion towards coin usage in economy. Whereas previously coins were often melted, now they began to be retained as familiarity for coin usage in trade increased which would finally lead to the minting of the first Hiberno-Norse coins in Dublin c- 977. The earliest hoards of Hiberno-Norse coins from Dundalk, County Louth and Clondalkin, Cou nty Dublin were deposited around c.997-1000. The practise of hoarding continued, however by the end of the millennium Viking age silver hoards contained rarely anything except coins.  [22]  23 The distribution of coinless hoards are relatively evenly spread over much of Ireland, however mixed hoards and coin hoards display a strong concentration on the east coast of the east Midlands. This can be seen as evidence for the central role of Viking costal settlements, particularly Dublin in the dispersal of silver within Ireland.  [24]   Case Study: Mixed hoard from Dysart Island, County Westmeath This hoard is a relatively recent and was deposited ca. 907 AD. This hoard contains Kufic dirhams and coins from Anglo Saxon England, Viking York and possibly Carollingian in Germany as well as ingots and a variety of fragmentary ornaments. This important hoard may in part be derived from wealth captured by the Irish as a result of the sack of Dublin. The Dysart Island hoard could reflect the expulsion of the Vikings from Ireland in 902 and their subsequent settlement in north-west Britain. Metal analysis of the silver in the Dysart hoard demonstrates close affinities with the nearby hoard from Carrick which contained 60 ingots and it is possible that they are of similar date.  [25]   The Dysart hoard is significant in that it has ingots which are quite like those from the infamous Cuerdale hoard. Graham Cambell uses this as evidence that the Norse remained actively involved in Irish affairs despite their loss of Dublin in 902.  [26]  Graham Cambell has shown that the massive Cuerdale Hoard of ca. 903 is of likely Hiberno-Norse origin. Cuerdale was in Danish-Viking Northumbria but close to Norse Viking strongholds in Ireland. The hoard contained about 7,000 coins and over 1,300 pieces of silver. The range of the material, including Hiberno-Norse armrings and fragments of both bossed penannular brooches and thistle brooches, is closely comparable with Dysart. The slightly later hoard from Goldsborough c.920, Yorkshire also contains fragments of similar brooches and armrings. Hoards outside of Ireland could be possible evidence of the sudden defeat of the Vikings in Ireland and the subsequent bringing of the silversmith trade to Britain. The publishers of the Dy sart coin hoard conclude that the hoard was deposited in an entirely Irish context at a time when the Vikings had been expelled from Dublin.  [27]   Chapter V: Coin hoards Finally the last category of Viking hoard in Ireland is the hoard which consists exclusively of coins. These hoards represent in bullion terms and insignificant element of the overall silver wealth of the Viking Age in Ireland. There are over sixty examples of coin hoards on record however most of these are quite small in size. The majority were deposited after c.940 and the type of issues found in them are predominantly Anglo Saxon. However Arabic coins as well as those issued by the Viking Northumbrian and East Anglian rulers are also represented. Hiberno-Norse coin issues dominate the composition of the 11th century hoards. Michael Dolley has established some theories about coins from Viking age Ireland. Coins were first imported by the Dublin Hiberno-Norse and coin use in Ireland was confined to the Norse. Graham Cambell has remained non-committal on the subject of whether the native Irish used coins. Irish coin use, as opposed to the study of coins themselves as been of secondary interest in works by scholars such as Michael Dolley. Marilyn Gerriets states that closer examination of evidence demonstrated that the conclusion that the Irish rejected the use of coins is based on little evidence.  [28]   She argues that hoards do not correlate with patterns of Norse settlement but rather more hoards are found in territories controlled by independent Irish kings. Secondly, non-coin Viking artefacts are better correlated with Viking activity in the interior of Ireland than are coins. Dolleys theory of spatial distribution of coin hoards and other artefacts is an unreliable indicator of coin use. Many factors, including the pattern of contemporary violence and the distribution of modern economic activity, bias the pattern of finds. The hypothesis that the Irish did not use coin still could be supported if the assumption was made that coins founds in Irish territories bordering Dublin arrived as plunder from rains on Dublin or were lost by Vikings resident in Irish kingdoms. Although some hoards lost in Irish territory could have been the booty of plunder, many hoards correlate poorly with instances of plunder recorded in the Annals according to Gerriets.  [29]  Irish regions have mo re hoards during their periods of greatest power when Irish natives were in control instead of Vikings. Gerriets argues that too little is known about early Irish society to support the argument regarding how the Irish might have used coin, or whether they used it at all. Case Study: Coin hoard from Dunbrody, County Wexford This coin hoard is the largest found in Ireland with over 1600 examples of coin. It was discovered in 1836 beside Waterford harbour. This reflects the function of the estuary as a trade route. It could also relate to trading activities with the adjacent monastic centre of Kilmokea, situated at a strategic ferry crossing on the road linking the Norse towns of Wexford and Waterford.  [30]   The hoard consists of predominantly Hiberno-Norse phase coins In addition there were ca. 200 late Anglo-Saxon pennies from editions by Cnut to Edward the Confessor, the majority being of the latter. The hoard therefore can be dated to c.1050 based on the Anglo-Saxon element.  [31]  Waterford Harbour was under the control of Vikings during this period and therefore it is plausible that the hoard was buried by Vikings, however we cannot be certain. Conclusion: The distribution patterns of silver hoards in Ireland give us the most information about the relations between the Vikings and the Irish. Coinless hoards are fairly evenly spread, however with a concentration in the central midlands. Mixed hoards and coin hoards are found predominantly in the midlands and east coast of Ireland. The majority of silver hoards were deposited in areas of Ireland that were not under control by the Vikings which can be taken as evidence that although many of the finds were Viking in style, they were in fact in the ownership of the native Irish. We cannot be certain how the wealth was acquired but the fact that the hoards were found in contemporary native Irish territory suggests evidence of trade and the process of giving receiving gifts between the Irish and the Vikings. The changing economy of Viking Ireland can be seen by the steady transformation of what was contained in hoards. From the late 9th century to the early 10th century there is a steady tran sition from a bullion economy (seen in the coinless hoards) to an economy which imported and used coins. Coins were in existence before the burial of coin hoards, however many were melted to their silver state in order to be used for other objects. Coins began being retained, and this transition is represented by the mixed hoards which can be associated with the foundation of the Scandinavian towns during the beginning of the 10th century. From the mid of the 10th century, coinless and mixed hoards decline dramatically whilst coin hoards become more prominent. By the beginning of the 11th century the transformation from bullion is completed.

Colonizing Planets other than Earth Essay -- Mars Colony space explora

Earth has a population of more than six billion people. As this number continues to grow, the populated land masses fill up, and it seems that eventually they will all be overcrowded. Certain areas are already showing this overpopulation, such as large American cities including Los Angeles and New York City. Some countries do not suffer from overcrowding due to high population, but to a high ratio of population to resources. As the natural resources of an area are depleted, the quality of life of the people who live there decreases. If the human race is to prosper as a whole, there must be enough resources to support the global population. In order to support our increasing population, we must learn to harness new resources. Some scientists are considering the possibilty of learning to inhabit other planets. This plan includes a process called terraforming, which is defined as "transforming a planet into something resembling the earth, especially as regards to human habitation." This is widely thought of as "Science Fiction" - but 50 years ago so was just about everything that is commonplace today. What alternatives do we have? Are there any planets out there that are like enough to earth that they could be so transformed? The body most commonly thought of in association with terraforming is Mars. There are several reasons Mars is looked upon favorably. The gravity on Mars is about 0.38 g, compared to 1 g on Earth. It is believed that humans could live in such a gravity without any side effects like bone shrinkage. The day on Mars is about 24.5 hours, compared to 24 hours on Earth. This means that there wouldn't be any agricultural problems relating to day length. There are large quantities of rust (FE203) which woul... ...sing the temperature by 10 K to start this whole process wouldn't be enough to create a comfortable climate. The savage dust storms on Mars will still exist, as well as some carbon dioxide. It seems there are many different ideas for what sort of material would be required to construct a usable biodome. Over the years people have speculated over the use of glass, metal, plastic, etc. It is speculated that once the process of terraforming is begun, it will take decades to complete. With the technology we have available to us today, the scientific community is divided as to whether it will ever be possible. Works Cited: On To Mars! http://www.geocities.com/marsterraforming The Nine Planets http://www.nineplanets.org Red Colony http://www.redcolony.com Nasa http://www.nasa.gov The Terraforming Information pages http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~mfogg

Goodman vs Robin Essay -- Essays Papers

Goodman vs Robin Short stories, when written by the same author, vary by subject but sometimes contain similar themes. Nathaniel Hawthorne was an entertaining writer who wrote many such stories. Two among his works have some striking similarities. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and â€Å"My Kinsman, Major Molineux† both were written within three years of each other by Hawthorne (1832-1835). The biggest similarities between the stories were with the main character of each. Robin from â€Å"My Kinsman, Major Molineux† and Brown from â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† were both young men on a journey that took them through a single night. Both men held some innocent or naà ¯ve worldviews. Both had idealistic views of people that were proven to be untrue. Both men experienced events that should be perceived as symbolic. However, each man met a different fate. Both Robin and Brown took journeys that changed their lives forever. Both of these journeys took place mostly under the cover of darkness. That was symbolic of the naivetà © of both men. Both men met a series of people on their journey that turned up later in a different light. Robin met a large man in an inn. When he later saw him again, he saw the man as man with a two-toned black and red face. The change was only a symbolic one that reflected Robin’s view of the evil of the man. Brown experienced something similar with the character Goody Cloyse, who he thought a devote Christian. Later, he saw her on the road chatting with the ...

Moral Matters in Hamlet :: essays research papers

Each book has its own fate, but there are a few works of art, that can compete in fame the most mysterious piece of art by Shakespeare –, the tragedy ‘,Hamlet’,. There is a bountiful amount of matters- moral, philosophical, and social ones, set in the plot of the book. The tragedy of the humanist and the fate of one honest person in the era of Renaissance, his tragic dilemma about his love and duty, about the crime, the punishment and the retribution, will never stop provoking the readers of ‘,Hamlet’,. What actually is situated in the core of Hamlet’,s tragedy?!? Is it just his confused mind because of his father’,s murder, or because he has not got enough strength to revenge for the terrible crime?!? The reasons for Hamlet’,s tragedy are more complicated and considerable than the disturbed mental balance and weakness, which turns out to be obvious. His rambling and suffering are deeply seated in a person, whose ideas of morality and humanity, good and evil are torn down suddenly and irrevocably. That is the tragedy of the humanist Hamlet, caused by the conflict between his ideals, regarding mankind and their wild passion for power and wealth at any price. Brought up with the spirit of humanism, Hamlet suffers a deep spiritual stress because he has to cope with evil in all of its dimensions for a short period: a murder, fratricide, adultery, incest, treachery and complicity of the crime. Shockingly for him, the people who have done the evil deeds are those who he loves- his uncle, his own mother, his love, some of his friends who he has known since his childhood. This confrontation with the evil that follows and attacks him takes the joy away from Hamlet and distorts his ideal of humanity. Hamlet seeks the relation between him and the common taint and violence which surround reality from the beginning itself. According to him the murder has been done because of these factors of disgust and hatered. His disappointment leads him to the insight that Denmark is a beautiful prison. Moreover, the tragedy of a humanist, forced to live in an inhumane society changes his idea of the world, which now different and in his view is a des ert garden, ruled by the weed that is among people.

Electronic Communication Essay

The effect of electronic communication on everyday publication has increased the impact of mass communication, the change from verbally talking face to face and receiving and sending important things quicker. Some of the earliest forms of communication devices included runners and pigeons. With these communication devices, a message could take weeks before reaching its destination. Thanks to technology, all you have to do these days is send an email and your message will reach its destination within minutes. Email, social networking websites, instant messaging, cell phones and blogs are a few examples of communication devices that have been made possible by technology. Communication utilizing technology is referred to as â€Å"mediated communication.† Talking on a cell phone, sending an email and watching television all require a technological element to deliver the message. â€Å"Technology is constantly offering new methods for communication; therefore the amount of mediate d communication in our lives is expanding. The term â€Å"mass communication† refers to any message that is shared with a large audience.† (Lane). The message may be limited to a specific time or accessible over a large time period. Frequently, mass communication requires the use of some form of technology, especially for enduring messages. However, mediated communication is not always mass communication. Talking on a cell phone or sending a personal email does not involve providing a large number of people with a message. Receiving a mass email, watching the news or visiting an Internet site are all examples of mediated communication that is also mass communication. This has resulted in the emergence of the term â€Å"mediated mass communication.† Media convergence plays an important role in the evolution of mass communication. Media convergence occurs when established forms of communication technology merge to create new technologies offering new methods of com munication. The advent of the Internet allowed newspapers and magazines to merge with computer technology to increase the frequency and ease of reporting information to readers. E-readers, such as Amazon’s Kindle, combine the medium of books with both electronic display technology and cell phone-based Internet technology to offer convenient new methods of reading. As forms of media converge, previously unavailable methods for communication emerge, changing the way we send and receive messages. Every day we are exposed to numerous sources of mass communication. Television, billboards, Internet advertisements and various other sources of mediated mass communication pervade our lives daily. Due to this level of immersion, many communication scholars have studied the potential effects of media consumption on the lives of viewers. Two areas of affect emerged through these studies: cultures and individuals. George Gerbner’s Cultivation theory states that extensive exposure to television programming leads to cultures believing in increased violence and crime. Going further into cultural studies, critical media theorists believe that mass communication messages reinforce repressive ideas of power over those exposed to them. Theories regarding individual exposure to media tend to address the role viewers play in the message exchange. Uses and Gratifications theory maintains that we, as media consumers, have a choice over the media we consume and, therefore, exert power over what mass communication exists. Agenda Setting theory places more power over the media provider, suggesting that those providing the media message can determine what is considered important in our lives. Frequent examples of mediated mass communication in our lives, as well as theories that suggest the powerful effect they have on our lives, require us to be more discerning consumers of mediated mass communication. Considering the message, the technology being used to communicate it, the sources of the message and ourselves as the audience are all critical to successfully receiving mediated mass communication messages while minimizing the potential for harmful effects on our lives. Technology will continue to move forward, and with it so will the methods we have for communicating. The onset of social networking technologies ushered in another era of communication in our lives, not only increasing the ways that we can communicate with each other, but increasing the opportunities we have for receiving mass communication messages. As technology evolves, our society will continue to develop new ways to convey messages to each other. Taking time to consider the effects of technology on our ability to communicate, and the potential influences those methods will have on our lives, is crucial as we move forward.