Politics of the Network Society :: What is Politics?

In End of Millennium (2nd. ed., Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2000), Manuel Castells makes much of the change from Industrialism (which he defines as a mode of development in which the main sources of productivity are the quantitative increases of factors of production and the use of new sources of energy) to Informationism (defined as the mode of development in which the main source of productivity is the qualitative capacity to optimize the combination and use of the factors of production on the basis of knowledge and information). This transformation of economics, he says, is inseperable from the rise of a new social structure, the NETWORK SOCIETY. Here, he says, the primary shift is located in the material foundations of our existence: that is, space and time. We have gone from a conception of space as "place" to a conception of space as "flows." Similarly, we have gone from a conception of time as "clock time" to a conception of time as "timeless time." Additionally, he makes much of t he shift from the POLITICS of space/time to the politics of information: that is, a politics enacted by symbol manipulation rather than material manipulation. This "symbol manipulation," he says, occurs in the abstract space of the media in the form of representation, etc. Basically, he takes this idea and applies it to current conflicts in the world today. He makes a huge, complicated argument that the USSR fell because of statism/communism's inability to adapt to this system; and he also argues that China, etc. have surged economically in recent years precisely because they were able to incorporate their old political ideologies with this very real change that has ocurred in the world market. More importantly for our project, he brings in the notion (based on what seems to me like neoMarxism) of SOCIAL EXCLUSION: that is, the new form of cultural imperialism in which the "First World" systemmatically excludes what he calls the "New Fourth World" by keeping them from the mainstream technology and markets which are the driving forces behind informational capitalism. In doing so, the fourth world are forced into a position of "uselessness" compared with the rest of the world; and they are quickly forced into a devastating pattern of exporting only their raw materials (the only resources left after exclusion) to the first world. This, of course, leads to intense nationalism, hatred, and anything other tactic that allows the new fourth world to hold on to anything resembling an identity.

Alternative Building Materials and Methods Essay -- Exploratory Essays

Alternative Building Materials and Methods The buildup of past construction techniques up to our present point in time has denoted wood as being the first and foremost material used to build houses in the United States. Building codes prescribe wood to build homes, because of both its structural benefits and because it is ingrained in the industry as the material of choice. Because wood has been used for so long, it is the material that builders know best and are the most comfortable with. However, the world’s forests are rapidly disappearing, as wood is used inefficiently and excessively in building – both the quantity of houses and the amount of wood used within a single house helps to quickly deplete our natural wood supply. Because of this, alternatives to wood building are being sought out by environmental organizations, with the aims of increasing awareness of the state of our forests and providing information and access to wood alternatives in building and upkeep of houses and other structures. Though it may be a slow process to change building codes and norms, there are other alternatives available. There are two main ways to decrease wood consumption: alternative building materials and alternative building methods. Alternative building materials include concrete, flyash, cob, earth, and straw/bale. All of these materials have been used in both the United States and in different countries to build houses, and have proven to be viable replacements for wood in construction. However, efforts to mostly or entirely supplant the use of wood with these wood substitutes have not yet been successful. Alternative methods for building range from sustainable practices in acquiring materials to the developmen... ...y, there are many barriers to this change that will be very difficult to overcome. As a global environmental issue, however, it is important to strive for the widespread use of alternative options. I believe that if the use of alternatives becomes economically viable, ad campaigns are instituted to promote their use, and government subsidies are allotted differently, then alternative materials and methods will definitely start to be used, to the benefit of the environment and world in general. Works Cited Daly, Ned. Demanding change in the wood and paper markets. Multinational Monitor, v19 n4 p13(4), April 1998. Fowler, Stacey. Building the future: Sustainable building materials come of age. Environmental News Network. September 25, 2001. www.enn.com. Use of Alternative Building Materials Could Save India 25% Cost. AsiaPulse News, Feb 24, 2003; p7044.

Pneumonia and Older Adults

What is pneumonia? Pneumonia is a lung infection that can make you very sick. You may cough, run a fever, and have a hard time breathing. For most people, pneumonia can be treated at home. It often clears up in two to three weeks, but older adults, babies, and people with other diseases can become very ill. They may need to be in the hospital. You can get pneumonia in your daily life, such as at school or work. This is called community-associated pneumonia. You can also get it when you are in a hospital or nursing home. This is called healthcare-associated pneumonia. It may be more severe because you already are ill. This topic focuses on pneumonia you get in your daily life. What causes pneumonia? Germs called bacteria or viruses usually cause pneumonia. Pneumonia usually starts when you breathe the germs into your lungs. You may be more likely to get the disease after having a cold or the flu. These illnesses make it hard for your lungs to fight infection, so it is easier to get pneumonia. Having a long-term, or chronic, disease like asthma, heart disease, cancer, or diabetes also makes you more likely to get pneumonia. What are the symptoms? Symptoms of pneumonia caused by bacteria usually come on quickly. They may include: †¢Cough. You will likely cough up mucus (sputum) from your lungs. Mucus may be rusty or green or tinged with blood. †¢Fever. †¢Fast breathing and feeling short of breath. †¢Shaking and â€Å"teeth-chattering† chills. You may have this only one time or many times. †¢Chest pain that often feels worse when you cough or breathe in. †¢Fast heartbeat. †¢Feeling very tired or feeling very weak. †¢Nausea and vomiting. †¢Diarrhea. When you have mild symptoms, your doctor may call this â€Å"walking pneumonia. â€Å"

“Animal Farm: A Fairy Story” Essay

A book that is based on a fable usually contains characters that act and talk like human beings while retaining their human traits. George Orwell wrote a book that was called ‘animal farm: a fairy story’ and was most likely based on the Russian Revolution which occurred during 1917 to 1945. There are many reasons to which why George Orwell would have used a fable in his condemnation of Soviet communism and totalitarianism. George Orwell used talking animals to show their interaction of these animals to help link things about humans that he can link to animals in the world. George Orwell’s book contained many animals which seemed to be imprisoned on a farm by their owner Mr. Jones, it is recognised by many people that this symbolised the Russia and the Soviet Union under Communist Party rule. The pigs seemed to represent the leaders because they made all the decisions that involved the animals and the farm. The rest of the animals seemed to be the citizens that lived on the farm and were controlled by Mr. Jones then the pigs. The battle at cow shed represented the civil war which ravaged Russia until1920. The battle of the windmill is linked to the German invasion of Russia during World War II. Throughout time, many animals have gained a reputation for their unique actions or even physical looks. These animals have been used to insult or describe someone or what they were doing. When George Orwell wrote this book, he was able to choose particular animals as particular characters to help forebode that character’s particular characteristics and their role in the story. Orwell would have had the animals in the story chosen to help link intelligent human characteristics with dirty farm animals. Orwell is able to use animals to link them to behaviours of humans and even end the book by saying that it is difficult to tell the difference. When George Orwell wrote this book, it would have been clear to him that the topic he was writing about was very controversial and would have angered or annoyed many people in powerful or influential positions that could do some harm to him or his career as a writer by making an influential comment or action. By writing a fable, he is able to protect himself from the criticism or denigration he might receive from those that believe they are being  slandered. Orwell was able to write the book to create an unspoken link with his work and the events that are happening around them that the readers are able to connect without the author making a direct connection. This would have been a very good reason for Orwell to write the book in the way he did. As George Orwell wrote the book, he would have wanted his work to be remembered or recognised for as long as possible. By writing in a fable, his message can be referred to in any situation or any point in time because he has not made any specific references to a specific event. By having his message written in such a way he can now have it spread because the message is universal. By writing the book as a fable, Orwell was able to write his story without having to explain what and why things were really happening because the story was most likely based on politics which can be very difficult to understand. Orwell was able to create reasons to which why things were happening and still have it linked to the complicated topic of politics. Many more readers of the book would have found it much easier to read and understand because Orwell explained it all in a new way without having to complicate it with other topics. Having a wider audience for his book would have helped him spread his thoughts and message with more people reading his book. Based on your understanding of the Russian Revolution, do the characters and events in Animal Farm take on any new significance?When George Orwell wrote this book, he might have wanted his message to be universal though it is quite clear to many readers that he based the story and the many characters on the environment he was living in and the people he knew much more about. The farm itself would have represented Russia as a country and the farm’s transformations would have represented the government changes which Russia undertook during the time which the book was written. The farms surrounding and interacting with Animal Farm would have symbolized the other countries in the world which related with the country during that time which tremendous change was happening in Russia. Farmer Jones is easily linked to Czar Nicholas II because Nicholas was the leader or Russia and Jones was the owner of the farm which represented Russia. Both leaders were beginning to be questioned and hated by their followers and soon lost what they had control of. Jones came back with other farmers to come and attempt to regain control of the farm though was met with all of the animals who did not allow Jones to come out of the battle victorious with some animals rising from the group and inspiring them to fight harder. Nicholas also came back with help from other countries to help him regain control of the country which he once controlled. The animals of the farm obviously represent everyone and everything that was under the control of Mr. Jones. In reality, this would represent all the citizens and working class who were struggling in those times which were many in numbers. Karl Marx and Old Major have an obvious similarity because Karl Marx was one of the first to proclaim his vision of a better country and Old Major was the pig who tells all of the animals on the farm of the dream he had that had resurrected an idea and thought which he had forgotten long ago but was able to remember and then pass those ideas onto the other animals. Both Marx and Old Major died before the revolution had come. Old Major spread his message of the vision that he had by teaching a song which he heard as a little pig called the ‘Beasts of England’. This ideology of communism was very popular with the animals and even got them excited where the ideas of communism began to spread throughout the world. A real song was also written by the followers of communism which was called ‘Communist Internationale’. Napoleon seems to be an obvious metaphor for Stalin who was able to become the new leader after Jones had been defeated. Stalin also became the new leader after the rebellion was able to take over. Both Napoleon and Stalin seemed to have the best interest of the country or the farm though both seemed to give into the evil temptations which arose while they were in  those positions. Napoleon began to slowly become greedier for more power which then began to influence his actions such as training the puppies not to read but to train them to become his personal protectors and even attackers. Napoleon soon begins to shower himself with more luxury and fort such as sleeping in a bed and even drinking alcohol. Stalin was also overwhelmed with new found luxury and power and soon let the peasants whom he was meant to help suffer. Snowball seems to be the symmetry of Leo Trotsky. Snowball was a pig that had the same interests of the farm as Napoleon in mind though it is how they each approached their ideas which got them into fights. Snowball was always disagreeing with Napoleon’s ideas and it was soon that Napoleon’s physical way of forcing his thoughts onto others that conquered over Snowball’s less taunting approach. Trotsky was soon seen as a traitor by the country and left as Snowball did when he was forced out by Napoleon. Squealer seems to represent the media in those times who attempted to influence everyone’s thoughts as to what they thought about why Napoleon did such acts as the media did with Stalin. Squealer becomes the only link to Napoleon to the rest of the animals on the farm and was the persuader and influential speaker who was able to hide or conceal the true intentions of the pigs. The media in those times were able to influence so well because the working class in those times were quite uneducated and needed something to think for then and it was that source of media that they depended on. Boxer is quite clearly the metaphor for the working class in those times. Boxer was a very hard working animal on the farm that made great efforts throughout his life and always had a simple motto to help him work even harder. The uneducated workers in those times were easily influenced by Stalin because it seemed as though they would prosper most in the new system as did Boxer. Boxer was a very dedicated follower of Stalin who was later on betrayed by being sent to the glue factory. Mollie is the representation of the middle class workers who are educated and understand the true effects under the new government which was being presented. Mollie would wear a ribbon and lick sugar when Jones was in charge of the farm though as the animals took over, Mollie was not aloud to wear ribbons or lick sugar for she had to make sacrifices. In reality, the middle class did not like the new system for they would be lowered to everyone else’s level. Mollie then leaves the farm after being caught being patted by another farmer and lives as she did when Jones was in charge. The puppies which were taken away from their mother by Napoleon became the bodyguards or defenders of Napoleon. These dogs that Napoleon trained to help keep his strong grip on the country attack Snowball and force him out of the farm which leaves no significant challengers for Napoleon to face. These dogs also attacked anyone that opposed or betrayed Napoleon in anyway. This easily represents the police or army which Stalin had control of when he took over as the leader of Russia. The windmill seems to represent the economy of Russia in those harsh times. The animals worked hard together to build the windmill even though there was a shortage of food and it was promised that this would help them significantly. This was just like in reality where Stalin had a five year plan to help Russia and just like the windmills, they failed to succeed. The book is easily linked to many things around Orwell as he wrote the book. Even though the message of Orwell was attempted to be made universal it is most likely connected to the significant Russian revolution.

Coffee Shop Essay

Why should I be nice to you?. Coffee shops and the politics of good service is the article of Emily Raine shows the issues of the working environment like coffee shop. Raine’s worked in good and bad conditions in many place for many years. She finds the ways that make her feel better and less stress at work. Raine’s deal with difficult kind of people like the manager, â€Å"the displayed that unique of pleasant customers†. She was not happy because the â€Å"pay†, and the â€Å"long† hours that she has to work. She learned that good service doesn’t mean much of anything. The most important thing that I knew that every single customer service all know is, always be nice to the customers. I understand that the customer’s experience should always be the best it can possibly be, that you should always strive to make their experience better. No matter what they said to you, what they treat you, how rude and disrespectful they were and what they want from you. That is the most difficult thing to do, because you never know if they in the bad mood or good mood. If customers received a bad service because you in bad mood then it is very possible that could cause you in trouble or decrease the chance of those customer coming back to your restaurant. Why Should I Be Nice To You? : Coffee Shops and the Politics of Good Service is the article about Emily Raine’s opinions about the coffee shop. She used many examples to get reader attention and understand for her how difficult when working in the coffee shop. There are different between work in the â€Å"service jobs† â€Å"find dining to cocktail waitressing to hip euro-bistro counter work† and the coffee shop. She thought she got pay too little for the long hours, the boring at work and the tricky person like the â€Å"manager†. She talks about the Starbuck coffee shop, â€Å"where cheerful young workers are displayed behind elevated counters†. Starbuck has branded a new kind of worker, â€Å"the happy wholesome, perfume-free barista†. She also compared the working environment of Starbuck and other companies finally she understood that there is no easy way to serve without being a â€Å"servant† and she always found that the best way to serve is to show actual emotion rather than affecting a smooth display of interminable patience of good will† also personality with a customer it very important of being good sever. I agree and also disagree with her opinion. I think that she already knew how much she got paid before the first day of work so why did she choose to work for that jobs. I understand that before the first day of work the manager explain for you everything that you need and how long that you have to work for each day. She shouldn’t complain about the pay and how long that she has to work because she already knew all of that. She said that â€Å"The managers demanding†, of course when you work under someone else, you have to follow every single demand of someone above you. You have to understand for them, because there is someone else above demand them to do that. She feel that working in the coffee shop the time to interact with customer not too long â€Å"Unlike table service, where interaction with customers spans a minimum of half an hour, the average contact with a cafe customer lasts less than ten seconds†( Raine 213). Every job has a different time to communicate with your customer in restaurants. For example the time to communicate with the server and waitress in the restaurant is longer time than serving in the coffee shop. Customers in the fast food restaurant and the coffee shop get order the food, the drink, and carry the food out to the table. When you serve in the restaurant, you need to stop by couple of time to ask if the customer need something else. In the coffee shop, the customer service stand behind the counter and get what the customers need. In the coffee shop not many people will stand up or ask you for something else, because the counter around the coffee shop is full of everything they need, sugar, milk, straw and napkin, the place where they can serve by themselves. But in the restaurant, they will ask you for a little thing such as napkin, refill the drink, or order something else for their table, because restaurants are fancier places than fast food restaurants or coffee shops. I believe that the way fast food restaurant run is get people in line, order what they want by take a little â€Å"trip† inside the restaurant. The purpose is get customer feel like they are not wasting time to get their food. â€Å"This means that in a given visit a customer might order from one worker, receive food from the next, then brewed coffee or tea from yet another, then pay a cashier before proceeding down the line of the counter. Every employee has a different job and in some way you need more than three or four people to service you, and you don’t want to wait any longer to receive the food. She also complains â€Å"Our notions of good service revolve around a series of platitudes about professionalism; we’re at your service, with a smile where the customer’s always right†(Raine 214). Of course you need to smile at customers to show your happy personality so it make customer feel more comfortable when eating in your restaurant no matter where you work, not only in the coffee shop. The customer always right, I don’t thinks many place that have this rule, because sometime customers need more than what you can give. They need something over your work, that means you don’t have to follow their demand. She also said that the server at the Starbucks â€Å"where cheerful young workers are displayed behind elevated counters as they banter back and forth, calling out fancy Italian drink names and creating theatre out of their productive labor†(Raine 215). All of this also depend on you, depend on your partners. You want to make your work become happy and cheerful, you can do that. The boss wants their employees feel comfortable at their work. Raine’s said Starbuck coffee has good benefits for their employees such as, health insurance, dental plans and other perks such as product discount and give away† (Raine 216). I don’t understand what she talk about those unusual benefit. What is an unusual benefit for service?. I know that a lot companies offer good insurance for their employees. What is the difference between Starbucks benefits and other companies’ benefits? She needs to explain little bit more about the unusual benefits of Starbucks offer for their employees. The text was written in a way that was easily understandable, and also itwas very easy to relate to. Most people have had an encounter with some type of customer service work, whether they were actually working, or they were being served. I agree and also disagree with her opinion. Because there are a lot of different kinds of people that you have to service and you’re a worker you have to deal with your boss and follow their demand. After I read this article I also understand how difficult and hard time for service work behind the counter. I understand how difficult it was for her and other worker to deal managers. I suggest for Raine’s that changing the jobs until you find a better job is a good way to improve your work skills and have less stress at work and also my suggestion for the manager is as a manager you has to understand how hard your employees have to work. Try to put more people on the schedule and more than one people on one station that more easy for employees to do their work. The more comfortable employees have the more success they could bring to your restaurant or the coffee shop.

Meeting Scene Romeo and Juliet VS Gnomeo and Juliet Essay

The famous play Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is the tale of two star-crossed lovers. Romeo, the only heir of Montague, falls in love with Juliet, the heiress of Capulet, but their love is forbidden due to a rivalry between houses resulting in a double suicide. Two adaptations of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet are Asbury’s Gnomeo and Juliet (2011), portrayed as humorous through various film techniques, and Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet (1996), portrayed as a tragedy through similar film techniques. This will be shown through the use of film techniques like language, camera angles and mise-en-scene. Fristly, language features are used by both Luhrmann’s version of Romeo and Juliet and Asbury’s version of Gnomeo and Juliet. In Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet language features such as similes are being used in the meeting scene. Romeo is comparing Juliet to a saint and himself to a pilgrim. He is saying that as it’s a long last, when he finally found the object of his reverence. Romeo takes her hands, and offered to kiss away and damage he might of has caused or may have been committed in the process. This is evident when Romeo states, â€Å"If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready to stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.† Luhrmann’s version of Romeo and Juliet uses language to creates the feel of Romeo and Juliet falling in love with each other before they find out who they really are. The heartbreak and knowing that both parents won’t allow them together is tragic. In Asbury’s Gnomeo and Juliet play on words are used all throughout the film. In the meeting scene Gnomeo and Juliet are mucking around with each other as they both want the flower. As Juliet gets the flower from Gnomeo she states, â€Å"Who’s your Gnomeo now?† This used for when Juliet steals the Orchid from Gnomeo as they are play around with each other. This leads to Juliet flirting with Gnomeo as she develops feelings for him this creates a feel of happiness and cheerful between the character and the audience. The different language features that have been used in both films shows that the two have both constructed two different versions of William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet. Secondly, the use of camera angles are used in Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet to show the tragic and emotion effect the film has on the audience. In Asbury’s Gnomeo  and Juliet the camera angle creates a romantic and humorous. This is shown in Luhrmann’s version through the low angle when Romeo and Juliet meet and realise who they actually are. The low angle is for Romeo when he runs after Juliet to see where she is going then finds her with her mother Mrs Capulet. The camera angle captures the Romeo’s facial expression, his confusion that his one true love is his family emery and now Romeo doesn’t understand why someone so prefect in his eyes could be his family worst emery of them all. In the Asbury’s version of Gnomeo and Juliet the camera angles are used to show that the film is humorous. The camera angle that has been used in the meeting scene Gnomeo and Juliet is an eye level angle; this is shown when Gnomeo and Juliet climbing up the glasshouse and when they both reach for the Orchid. The purpose behind using eye level angle is used to create the scene romantic when they touch for the first time. The camera angle is used to make the audience think that the two are in love and they are meant to be together forever right then and here. Camera angles are used in Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet to show the tragedy. The camera angles are used in Asbury’s Gnomeo and Juliet to show the humorous through the camera angles as Gnomeo and Juliet. In addition, the use of mise-en-scene things such as props, costumes, lighting, facial expressions and placement are used throughout both films. Luhrmann’s version of Romeo and Juliet the costumes played a big part in the meeting scene. In the scene Romeo is dressed up as a knight and Juliet is dressed up as an angel. Romeo see’s Juliet for what she really is, an angel in his eyes.

For Machiavelli, how should a leader sensibly and reasonably respond Essay - 1

For Machiavelli, how should a leader sensibly and reasonably respond to an environment where events are determined in part by fortune - Essay Example Therefore, the Machiavellian approach recommends an extremely practical approach to those situations that arise from fortune; an approach that might be frowned upon in the liberal dominated world of today. Politics is essentially influenced more by fortune than by the machinations of leaders and it is because of this that, according to Machiavelli, is to create a balance between the various interests within the state so that he can have an influence on all of them (Machiavelli: 22). The result of a balancing of interests is that a leader can be able to create a political environment, which favours himself rather than his opponents. Leaders always have to be careful to ensure that more competent or popular individuals within their societies do not take their power away and this is the reason why they have to take account of all the grievances that might arise. In most cases, rivals often take advantage of situations where the leader is in a weak position in order to press their own causes and it is because of these circumstances that a leader has to always have firm control over the state. A leader has to stabilise his power through the development of an enduring political structure be cause this is the only way through which they can retain their power (Machiavelli: 17). Therefore, if a leader wishes not to leave anything to fortune, it is essential that he provide his people with the stability and security that they need to ensure that they continue their support for him. With the support of the people over whom he rules, it would be much more difficult for rivals to take advantage of the situation to either reduce his power or depose him. When a new leader comes to power, he has to ensure that he studies the political environment carefully before making any drastic changes within the society because to do so immediately might jeopardise his rule. He must first stabilise his rule through the studying of the different actors