Aztec Civilization Essay -- essays research papers

The Aztec Indians created a great civilization in Central Mexico, reaching its peak in the 1500’s. Being late arrivals to the area, and because of their strong neighboring nations, they were forced to live in the swampy western areas of the Lake Texcoco. Because of the swampy surroundings, the Aztecs used mud to create miniature islands in the swamps. These islands are called chinampas, or “floating gardens,'; and were used as farming lands. On these fertile islands they grew corn, squash, vegetables, and flowers. Being an agriculturally dependant empire, the Aztec’s religion was based highly on the forces of nature and worshipped them as gods. The god of war, Huitzilopochtli, was the most important deity. They had many other important gods, such as Tlaloc, the god of rain, Quetzalcoatl, the god of wind and of learning, and Tenochtitlan, the sun god. The Aztecs believed in order to appease these and many other gods that they needed to perform human sacrifices. The main purpose of the great Aztec pyramids was, in fact, human sacrifices. They also believed that there were “lucky'; and “unlucky'; days for baptism and to declare war on, which were decided by a priest. Most art and architecture in the Aztec civilization was based on their religion. There are many brightly colored murals and paintings on walls and on bark which depict religious ceremonies, along with large idols of gods. One of the most amazing and famous of the...

Economics: Turn Around Is Fair Game :: essays research papers

Economics: Turn Around is Fair Game   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America's size and prosperity have made it the largest consumer of imported products in the world. Brightly lit shopping malls adorned with the latest foreign-made apparel, gadgets and trinkets, testify to the vast selection of goods available for purchase. There is a dark side to this enormous quantity of choices: a hefty price tag - the federal deficit. Unfair trade agreements, and, predatory pricing strategies and practices from abroad, placed those goods on the store's shelves. The United States Trade Representative (USTR), who is directly responsible to the President and Congress for trade negotiations; is forecasting a two hundred billion-dollar trade deficit for fiscal year 1996. The American people must demand reciprocal trade agreements for overseas business competitors. Complimentary trading would; put an end to subsidized dumping, curb the loss of manufacturing jobs, and, tear down the barriers associated with free trade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The practice of selling items at a price less than what it costs to make them is called dumping. Foreign governments subsidize the manufacturing processes of certain industries so their companies can displace the competition's industry. The television industry is a perfect example of subsidized dumping. The post World War II infusion of subsidized Japanese-made televisions, terminated the United States(U.S.) television manufacturing industry. In the late 1950's, half a million units crossed our borders, tax and tariff free. These television sets were made using cheaper components and cheaper labor. However, the cost of transportation, which would normally escalate each individual price, was paid for by the Japanese government. The pioneering inventors of the electronic marvel were forced out. No longer able to compete by meeting rapidly declining prices, companies had to stop production, liquidate all available assets, and release their entire work force.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unemployment figures for 1996 are predicted to be at seven percent (USTR, 1996.) This equates to nearly twenty million skilled American workers without jobs. The math is simple; imports cost an economy jobs, exports produce jobs. Reciprocal trading contracts would definitely curb the exponential loss of manufacturing jobs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trade barriers are the largest problems facing American companies in overseas markets. The obstructions are sometimes overt, sometimes hidden and usually extremely complex. Deals are covertly impeded with complicated licensing and import procedures. Regulations concerning special specification standards and testing of American goods are hurdles deliberately enacted to block fair trade. If foreign governments were mandated to treat American businesses the same way native companies were treated, free commerce would truly be achieved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The U.S. has used an arsenal of tools to try to mitigate unfair trade practices and enhance U.S. access to overseas markets. These include: Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act - Section 301 serves as the flagship of the

AIDS: Research and Funding :: essays research papers

AIDS is slowly becoming the number one killer across the globe. Throughout numerous small countries, AIDS has destroyed lives, taken away mothers, and has left hopeless children as orphans. The problem remains that funding for the diseases’ medical research is limited to none. In the country Brazil, HIV/AIDS has been compared to the bubonic plague, one of the oldest yet, most deadly diseases to spread rapidly across Europe (Fiedler 524). Due to this issue, Brazil’s government has promised that everyone who has been diagnosed with either HIV or AIDS will receive free treatment; however, this treatment does not include help in purchasing HIV medications, that â€Å"carry astronomical price tags† (Fiedler 525). Generic drug companies have been able to produce effective HIV medications that are not as costly if compared to the prices given by the huge pharmaceutical companies. In contrast, the U.S. government has now intervened with these generic companies hindering them from making HIV medications, which may not be as efficient if made by the pharmaceutical companies. Not only are these drug companies losing thousands of dollars against generic drug companies, but also tremendous profit that is demanded for marketing these expensive drugs as well. â€Å"How many people must die without treatment until the companies are willing to lower their prices, or to surrender their patients so generic makers can enter market? (Fiedler 525).† With this question in mind, what ways can we eliminate the HIV/AIDS epidemic across the world? With research, education, testing, and funding we can prevent the spread of HIV to others and hopefully find a cure. Everyday researchers have proposed new methods of how to control the HIV virus from turning into AIDS. A combination of effective HIV medicines help stop the formation of new copies of HIV as it reproduces in your body. This technique helps to keep your CD-4 cell count up and your viral load down. CD-4 cells are one type of immune cells that assist to fight off the virus, the higher your count the stronger your immune system (Nakashima 77). Whereas, your viral load is a measure of HIV in your blood and your treatment goal is to have the lowest viral load possible. People with higher viral loads tend to progress to AIDS and become sick sooner than those with lower viral loads (Nakashima 80). Successful HIV medications can prevent other infections common with AIDS and can help you live longer.

Ageplay

Gentry, Kristin Jennifer Cherry English 101. 04 Spring 2012 Ageplay: Emotionally Gratifying, Socially Taboo! Ageplay, or the often sexually- taboo act of role playing, where one consenting adult personifies a minor child, while the other serves as a caretaker for the â€Å"minor child†, is a highly common phenomenon that shocks and perplexes many, but serves as profound emotional fulfillment for those who participate in the lifestyle. Throughout the following pages it is my intent to explore the many facets of age play and especially dissect, with integrity, the â€Å"why† behind this unique subject matter.Overwhelmed with a wealth of information, I have broken down the subtopics, for convenience and ease in reading. I have incorporated a variety or research sources varying from books written by esteemed sexologists to personal interviews from age players right here in the community. To protect their identity some have chosen to anonymously contribute to the paper while others have allowed me to use and alias. What is this age play thing all about? Ageplay is type of role playing mostly practiced amongst the kink community.In some cases, ageplayers will limit â€Å"sceneing† or â€Å"play† to the â€Å"vanilla† world, sexless, or seemingly blase, 9-5, mundane life, but, it is far less frequent than the sexually- driven alternative. There are three common age ranges that are explored in this kink. The first is Adolescentilism, where a relationship is formed around a person who identifies as a young adult or high school aged person. Often, a â€Å"naughty school girl† fantasy falls into this category.Authors Gloria and William Brame and Jon Jacobs, educated Sexologists and experts in the BDSM arena, wrote about this in the candid, wildly-popular book: Different Loving: The World of Sexual Domination and Submission. On page 129 it reads â€Å"[in this type of ageplay] the fantasy is likely of only temporary duration. â₠¬  Paul Rulof, a lifestyle educator and conference presenter raises a good, supportive point in his writings that suggests why this might be true. On page 52 of his first book, he sheds a new perspective about this particular age range of role play.He notes the following: â€Å"The teenage years are often ones of exploration of the self-identity, interactions with others, and many different experiences. Many firsts often happen during this time: first kiss, first date and first romantic partner. † The attraction of new and exciting events is most likely short-lived once those first experiences have occurred. When prompted during an interview, â€Å"Draven†, a Bloomington-Normal based Daddy had to say this about the appeal of this age range. The naive instincts of a pre-teen appeal to the hero complex that most men possess. We like to be needed and especially when we can offer our insight about sexual discovery. I personally enjoy watching my baby girl grow emotionally and become a sweet young lady as a result of my influence. † The next age group fetish mentioned in the trio-penned â€Å"Different Loving† was the Juvenilism range. This includes littles who personify, or emotionally connect with 6-12 years of age.Punishment is a cornerstone of functionality in this age range. Littles who identify as a juvenile are typically more sensitive and require great emotional care. Most littles who have a bratty, or disobedient streak, fall into this group, thus the frequency in punishment for these preteen boys and girls. Brame, Brame and Jacobs had this to say about unique, therapeutic punishment tactics for littles in this age range, â€Å"The parent figure may ask embarrassing questions about the submissive’s personal or sexual habits.By stripping away the submissive’s privacy, the dominant exposes not only the submissive’s body but also her inner nakedness and vulnerability. In some juvenilist scenarios the dominant role plays as the erotic guide. † Surprisingly, despite the small amount of littles who fall into the pre-teen category, the Juvenilism age range is not the most popular. The last age fetish, Infantilism, or â€Å"ABDL†s (Adult Baby/Diaper Lovers), is the most commonly known age play fetish (Different Loving, p 137).This class of ageplayers is, by far, the most controversial and is what has been most depicted in the media, in documentaries, and even on reality shows since the 1980’s when a Phil Donahue episode practically turned daytime television viewers inside out with discomfort. The episode featured an adult baby, his Mommy and clips of footage showing his daily routines as an ABDL. Visions of an adult willingly soiling himself or fully relying on another adult to feed him, when he was physically capable to feed himself, shocked the studio audience, and home viewers, alike.Very young myself at the time, less than 9 years old, I had so many questions and the i mages burned into my memory, mostly from fascination and wonder. I was so very confused and yet, so afraid to ask my very judgmental and cynical grandmother why everyone was yelling at this big baby and his Mommy. I filed the images away into the back of my mind and, on occasion, when I hear stories of bigotry and discrimination surrounding ageplayers, that particular story comes flooding back to me.The controversy behind age play absolutely stuck me for over two decades. During my research for this paper I was surprised to find that two of the interviewees, a couple, not involved in the lifestyle in any way, for the Brames’ and Jacobs’ book referenced the same Donahue show in their testimonial: â€Å"We saw a [Phil] Donahue [show] about infantilism and were amazed at the outrage that some people felt about infantilists, who are engaged in something completely innocent.They enjoy being in baby clothes and get a certain amount of satisfaction from recreating their earl y childhood. Statistically, nobody knows whether it’s normal or not. The psychiatrist on the show was very clear on the fact that these people were doing nothing wrong. † (p137) The experts who scripted â€Å"Different Loving† had this to say about this controversial group of littles: â€Å"Many D&Sers ( BDSM participants) express discomfort with infantilism, as well, perhaps because it is difficult to understand why someone would wish to be as helpless as and infant. (p137) History has taught us that anger and fear are products of ignorance. I believe that this is a solid explanation for the public’s response to ABDLs in the media. The intolerance is most likely fueled, further, by the notion that most adult babies are typically of male gender, which contradicts, completely, the general standard of patriarchy in our society. Unfortunately, with minimal awareness and exposure I do not see a wave of acceptance and empathy any time soon from the greater pop ulation.Despite the negative talk about adult babies, and/or their caretakers, and the lifestyles that they lead, of the three categories, Infantilism offers one unique aspect that neither of the other two can offer. The ABDL model is the perfect erotic outlet for those that are afflicted with disabilities that affect fine and gross motor skills and mobility, as well as neurological conditions that may affect the ability to control bodily functions.In all age ranges the caretaker will make decisions and approach their relationship with their little as they would a person who is biologically the age that their little feels. This includes physical and emotional care. In my observation of a social setting, where several couples were gathered for a kinky birthday party for a local Daddy, I saw first-hand how this plays out between a top (the roleplayer of authority) and the bottom ( the role player with the least amount of obvious power), or in this case, a Daddy and his daughter.During the birthday party the little was feeling feisty and apparently a little bratty. Much like an over-stimulated, attention-seeking, sugary-cake-filled six year old would, the little aimed to be the center of attention and repeatedly was speaking over her Daddy and interrupting him as he attempted to make announcements about the food to his party guests. Excited, the little would bounce up and down in front of him in attempt to get him to listen to her not-at-all-related-to-birthday-cake story.Despite the Daddy’s firm verbal prompts to calm down and fully fueled by an adoring on-looking crowd, the little continued to be a nuisance. Finally, the Daddy grabbed the little by the arm, guided her to a nearby chair, firmly guided her bottom into the seat, bent over to her eye level and sternly ordered to her sit down, stop talking and to make no attempt to get up without his permission. It looked like a scene I have seen a million times myself as a parent and former preschool classro om assistant.The little was petite in stature and sported short, pink hair in a pixie styled haircut and natural looking make-up. It was certainly believable to the party attendees and understandably so. The little was acting like a typical child the age the same age of her inner little would act and her Daddy was acting like any loving parent would. For Bigs and littles, this relationship is not a scripted, â€Å"fairytale-esque† , theatrical experience. The bond between the pair and their interactions are easily solidified by a fascinating concept called â€Å"headspace†.Once a scene begins between a caretaker and a little, the reality and natural roles melt away and, almost like a person with multiple personalities, the emotions, thoughts, habits, preferences, and behaviors of the inner personality surfaces and the person that they function as during their vanilla life dissipates, even if for a little while. It is very much trance-like in some cases, and almost alwa ys, in sexual scenes. In order to best understand what age play is all about there are terms that one should become familiar with.These terms are pivotal to communicating with those who identify as minors or caretakers. The lifestyle breeds a whole new language of its own and knowing the lingo fosters a relatable nature when building trust amongst the kink community members. You will note new definitions and terms you have most likely not been introduced to prior to the reading of this paper. For example, the most common term is â€Å" a/the little†, referring to the person who identifies as the minor.The term â€Å"Big† is intentionally capitalized, and can refer to the little when they are functioning as their genuine, or â€Å"real life† age; it can also be used as a term to describe the caretaker, or counterpart to the little. Another popular word often heard in conversations about age play is â€Å"inner little†. This refers to the distinct feeling o f being â€Å"small†, or younger, than one’s true age, a separate entity, if you will, from who they are forced to be every day in their â€Å"adult life†. There have been great debates when it comes to phrasing the description of littles and their personal connection with their inner little.I recently surveyed a group of littles, in a discussion forum, online ( that shall not be named for the protection of the contributors), as to how they speak of their inner little. The great phrasing debate is typically split between themselves as â€Å"having a little† or â€Å"being a little†, while on a rare occasion, some will say that they â€Å"are little†. This particular description is the least common as very few people desire, or are able, to live the lifestyle 24/7. When I posed the question: â€Å"How do you refer to your relationship with your little? in a discussion forum, open only to littles, I was bombarded with an avalanche of response s. After filtering through and reading the ample list of opinions over 50% of the littles speak of ownership of their little, as if their body hosts a shell for their little to live and safely surface when the need strikes. Slightly over 25% of the all-female responders would represent their little by saying â€Å"I am a little â€Å", while the rest commented that they do not ever leave the feeling of being little therefore it is senseless to refer to it at all.Littles have preferences, much different than their Big (in this case I am referencing the vanilla person who â€Å"hosts† the inner little), in everything from hobbies, to fashion, to sleep habits, to comfort rituals, to sexual fantasies, to even how they talk, behave and relate to those around them. In most things ageplay when a debate arises, there is no consensus, as the ageplay community is still evolving. It is adaptable, based on personal preference and relationship history, to whatever extent the partners ar e comfortable with, in any facet that they so choose.There are no societal expectations with ageplay, as there are with traditional parent/child roles. There are no social norms to adhere to within the community. The world of ageplay is very pliable and the appeal is very transparent once you begin to take a close look at the logistics of ageplay. Who age plays? As someone who is rarely surprised by taboo or kinky concepts and ideas, I am generally taken back by the diversity of those involved in the ageplay community. No one is excluded from having unique sexual preferences and, certainly, no one is ever exempt from personal hurt and â€Å"baggage†.In ageplay, the egalitarian roles serve as unconventional, therapeutic tool for people from all walks of life. In my personal interviews and connections that were made with the local ageplayers I have met everyone from the college-educated, pre-med student all the way the blue collar, entry-level, fast food worker. Like profession or education level, other demographics do not limit who participates in such a lifestyle. I have met participants as young as 18 years old and as old as 72. Sexual kinks and taboos are not dictated by demographics and age play is no exception.Why age play? The beauty in this way of life is that it is customizable to individual needs. As an aspiring sex therapist I find immeasurable worth in personalizing what works for healing old hurts and sorting through hang ups with the tools you have before you. If someone is to grow from their pain and rise above it the method has to be something they believe in and trust will work. With ageplay, both partners steer the ship, so to speak, and the whole intent is to do so with their partner’s well-being in mind.The caretaker, also referred to as the â€Å"top†, â€Å"master†, â€Å"Daddy†, â€Å"Mommy†, or â€Å"Big†, depending on those involved and to what extent they interact, parents the little with loving guidance and reassurance while the little fills a need to almost â€Å"ego stroke† their Big and construct a confidence and self-esteem boost within them. There is a mutual understanding, and a simultaneous bond between the two, that buffs out the unfulfilled emotional needs of each other and brings great joy and liberation from those wounds. During an e-mail conversation with â€Å"Mr.Beck†, a local Daddy and leader in the BDSM social scene here in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois , that I have had the fortune of befriending, I discovered that the â€Å"why† is a sensitive topic that some choose not explore for themselves. In response to a question asking if he thought there was a direct link between trauma and eroticism (a personal attempt to deconstruct Sexologist Gloria Brame’s theory on the matter, stating that there is no direct link ( Different Loving, p127) he responded as follows: â€Å"I believe that every form of sexual expression exists o n a spectrum.Some people are gay with only one person. Some people are into the â€Å"lifestyle† only with younger people. So on and so on. There isn't a one size fits all with any form of sexual expression. There are littles working out issues, of course. I have been with a little who had been groped by her father but wanted to call me â€Å"Daddy† during sex. When I asked she was clear that her biological father and the â€Å"Daddy† figure of her fantasies were completely different people. I think that age play is, at the heart of it, about finding a role that makes sense and embracing it.There are â€Å"kittens† and experts are not rushing out to find out what role the family cat played in their upbringing. Those who are attempting to push age play out into the realms of the broken homes and disquieted minds are, in my opinion, wanting to push uncomfortable questions, about their own sexual landscape, out at arm’s length. † This particular Daddy is what is called a â€Å"24/7 Daddy†, or a Daddy who lives the lifestyle around the clock, at every opportunity. There aren’t many spaces where he would edit his words or interactions with his little. When questioned about his version of the â€Å"why ageplay? He seemed to be passive aggressive in his response, and evasive to a complete, personal answer. I would say that he was defensive in his wording and not at all comfortable in examining his personal motivation for entering a relationship of the age play nature. For some members of the kink community doing self-reflective exercises unveils some scary and uncomfortable truths that are too intense in nature to comprehend and deal with. This is a common issue when looking at most taboo practices. Many age players share in Mr. Beck’s mentality mentioned in his interview.The idea behind trying to understand the origin for the kink is usually â€Å"just go with it and embrace it†¦it is what it is. à ¢â‚¬  For those like myself and Paul Rulof, Chicago- based age play educator and Daddy, we believe that there is a certain, natural connection, through ageplay, to â€Å"righting the wrongs† of the past that children have no control over. Rulof speaks to this theory in his book: â€Å"Ageplay: From Diapers to Diplomas â€Å"when he wrote: â€Å"For many, ageplay is an opportunity to connect with an aspect of themselves that they have forgotten or set aside†¦some people like to explore alternate models of who they could have been with ageplay. p. 65) As a researcher of this social phenomenon I am on the fence about making a claim that 100% of ageplayers are motivated by deep, unmet, emotional need. I would still say that the majority of ageplayers are gaining a sense of control over an area in their life that they felt they lost early on, but I don’t ever care to categorize any group of people, in its entirety, and attach it to one label or judgment, no matter how concrete the evidence is proving that the label is justified.Rulof listed some of his thoughts on the reasons why people partake of this lifestyle, some sexually motivated, some not. His reasons were listed, as follows, on pages 19-34, the biggest chapter in the book: The participants get to: * Relive their childhood – â€Å"†¦ a great number of people have experienced childhoods that they look back upon as desirable or ideal times†. Paul goes on to write that adult life can be viewed as boring and mundane, whereas childhood is generally the complete opposite. Mr.Rulof paints this point as an obvious motivator for ageplaying. (p19) * Rewriting their childhood – â€Å"For littles, rewriting or re-envisioning their childhood is one reason that ageplay might be appealing. However, ageplay is not simply a reaction to one’s own childhood events. Some ageplayer’s own personal childhood or possible negative events may not influence their play mu ch at all†¦Everyone has something in their childhood that they would like to change: disappointments, lacks, incompletion and missed opportunities. (p19) I felt that the author seems to have waivered in his stance on this particular justification, however, at a closer look, and full reading of his book, his claim strongly supports that point I mentioned earlier about how subjective this lifestyle truly is. Sure! Some people do use the little part of themselves to mend the past through conscious actions as an adult while others may focus more on specific hurtful events and relationships. The third option is that ageplay benefits them in some way not at all linked to negative childhood experiences.This group of participants, I gather, based on my interviews, are the ones that are working to address something they would improve about themselves in their current phase of life, be it confidence, the ability to connect with others, building trust in intimate relationships, mastering discipline and will power issues, or just filling a need to be needed†¦which brings me to Paul’s next theory for reasoning. * Practicing Caregiving – â€Å"When caregivers play, they are able to explore the naturally ingrained caregiving traits that they have. (p23) I view this as playing â€Å"grown up house†, or maturing the favored childhood role play game to better hone in on nurturing skills in a less threatening way than what usually occurs in vanilla relationships. * Exploring Gendered Childhoods – â€Å"Especially for transgendered individuals, ageplay provides opportunities to explore childhood experiences as the gender they feel more closely associated with and different than their biological sex. † (p23) During my research I found a podcast whose subject matter is solely based on ageplay.One of the hosts, a lively and entertaining male, â€Å"scenes†, or role plays, as a female baby. Spacey, the host is one of three regular hosts of the show. He recently helped produce an episode of the podcast that completely focused on â€Å"sissies†, or male adults who roleplay as young, adolescent or baby girls. The guests on the show were two â€Å"sissies†, one of which who exercises his civil rights, even in instances of airport pat downs, to live his sissy life around the clock.The gentleman went by the name â€Å"Sissy Stephanie† and he spoke about some of the challenges he encounters living the lifestyle but felt that they emotional payoff is worth the attacks. The second guest, â€Å"Bunny†, talked about his transgendered ageplay and how his youthful, female persona serves as a mechanism to relate to others through a sweet and vulnerable personality, as his vanilla, male self struggles with connection, relatability and trust, typically. Taking Different Options – Much like rewriting your childhood, this theory talks supports the idea that there are particular details in the ageplayer’s childhood that they would like to â€Å"re-do†. Paul writes, on page 24: â€Å"For example, ‘good girls’ can be tease, tramps, or hang out with the â€Å"wrong type of guys†. He went on to offer that some littles appreciate the chance to earn praise for poor or disappointing choices from their past, or even a shot at living on the wild side and pushing boundaries that were obviously unsafe to do as children, such as actually going with the creepy neighbor who offers little kids candy. Shrinking Childhoods – This point was very interesting me, as I had never heard of such an idea about role playing as a minor, but Mr. Rulof wrote about how one might be dissatisfied with their timing of hitting developmental, social or emotional milestones in their childhood and ageplay offers them the a shot at restoring their self-image and confidence in their abilities. * Innocence – â€Å"†¦the loss of a childlike innocence and be coming jaded with the world seems to be a reoccurring theme with some ageplayers.The realization that there are not magical places, fanciful creatures, and happy endings is difficult for some to accept. The desire to regain innocence and escape adult responsibilities could factor in to a desire for ageplay. † (p25) * Relaxing and Enjoyable – Page 26 of Paul Rulof’s book highlights how ageplay encompasses the simplicity and carefree nature of childhood and how the escape from everyday adulthood is sometimes just enough reason, alone, to partake in a non-sexual form of age play. A combination of Popular Fetishes – Paul, not only an author and educator, is a creator of CAPcon, Central Illinois’ premiere ageplay convention. He has a wealth of knowledge on the subject matter and did fervent research, himself, while penning his book and the statistics he uncovered proved to be helpful in supporting this point. Page 27, in Ageplay, describes how this form of role playing is ranked 51st, out of the 100 top favored fetishes. Three of the main components that make for good role play are fetishes in themselves and were also ranked on the top 100 list.Upon reaching out to Mr. Rulof, I discovered that his statistics came from a kinky social networking site, much like Facebook; it is a hub, the high ground, for those in the kink community at large. The site listed role-play itself as the 23rd most popular fetish, followed by cuddling in 81st place and costumes barely squeezing in under the 100 mark as the 92nd most practiced kink. These items were ranked in order based upon serving as the number one kink choice for the site members. For example, Mrs.Smith may like to be spanked during intercourse but being bitten is her favorite fetish so biting would have been her vote. This supports how well age play involves three majorly ranked fetishes, out of thousands, literally, and wraps them up into one kinky, therapeutic ball of goodness. * Enhan cing Roles – â€Å"Ageplay presents a different mental framework through which you can view your partners or others. † Paul wrote for three pages examples that show how a dominant personality or a submissive personality can flourish in this type of role play.People who may not typically be drawn to this type of play just may participate because of the ability to fine-tune egalitarian roles in this medium. * Filling Psychological Needs – I am a huge fan of how the author referenced â€Å"Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs† to prove, what I personally see as the greatest motivator for role playing as a Big or little. There are essential human physical and emotional needs that human’s require fulfillment of to develop in a healthy and productive fashion. Much like ageplay, there is a parallel between the progression of human development from birth to adulthood and beyond.Many ageplayers will identify with multiple ages and, depending on their mood, re quire different things from their caregiver. Often, littles will not â€Å"morph†, for a lack of a better term, into a different age until they feel satisfied with their needs being met at their current age. In Maslow’s model, humans cannot progress or develop in the natural way without having their basic needs met at their current stage in life. * Playing with the Taboo – This idea hones in the basic human calling to be rebellious, or go against the grain, if you will.There is something engrained in us, as a society formed from hunters and gatherers ages ago, that tugs at our moral compass and prods us to be daring and bold and to break the mold of what is socially acceptable. Men especially are often deduced to a walking set of procreating DNA who lack in the ability to make ethically-upstanding choices without challenge. This set up allows all role players to abandon what is socially acceptable and what is defined as â€Å"normal† and escape to a place where it is ok to break the rules and enjoy it. Fetishes -Different from the supporting point earlier that highlighted similarly ranked fetishes, this last reason speaks to the flexibility for exploration into other, new kinks, that ageplay allows. Because of the disciplinary aspects of ageplay there are countless punishment-based fetishes that could be brought into a scene, as well breast-feeding, diapering, play date, schoolgirl, dollification, and many, many other adjacent fetishes for those who wish to dabble in new sexual discovery.Ageplay is often a starting point for kinksters who wish to slowly introduce themselves to harsher, less – nurturing-based fetishes. Though the BDSM pioneer took a seminal approach in analyzing the logic and motivation behind â€Å"sceneing† with ageplay principles, is all truly speculation and the reasoning varies for each individual. In addition to varied gains between top and bottom roles, personal needs manifest from each role play er, independently, and there rarely a clear understanding of why this is such a comforting, natural expression for anyone.The reasons for entering this lifestyle can be many and completely askew, much like rewards. The Power Exchange Book series, written by Dr. Bob Rubel, includes a book about ageplay. The Doctor shared first-hand accounts and experiences from fellow ageplayers that he interviewed during his research for the literature. The most profound and beautifully moving words were from a woman who goes by â€Å"Bethie Hope O. †. On page 70, the next to last page of the book, these words were composed what following her heart and investing in her Daddy has added to her life: I remember the first few times I visited my Daddy, looking at him or being around him, or even just talking to him on the phone felt like someone was shining a light into the world that was not there before. It was like the world was covered in clouds all the time and when he was around the clouds p arted and the sun came out and shone down on everything and I felt warm. I remember the days before my Daddy like a kind of dream, and really, that is how I lived, like I was sleepwalking. I got by, but I did not thrive. Now I feel like I truly live, like the sun is shining on me all of the time.Part of the reason for that is because I’ve learned so much about myself and I’ve found the freedom to just be me, and to do what makes me happy. Part of the reason is my Daddy and how he is with me and how he makes me feel. Part of it is how I love him and how loving someone so much makes me feel. People seem to think that it’s an unhealthy thing to have such strong attachments to just one person and maybe it is but my Daddy is my everything. He is my Daddy, my Master, My partner, my best friend, my confidant, my lover†¦I love him as if I were bore from his own body! †

Brave New World: Utopia or Dystopia Essay

The novel Brave New World has often been characterized as dystopia rather than utopia. Nevertheless, the superficial overview of the novel implies a utopian society, especially if judging by what the Controller said to John, the Savage: People are happy; they get what they want, and they never want what they can’t get. They’re well off; they’re safe; they’re never ill; they’re not afraid of death; they’re blissfully ignorant of passion and old age; they’re plagued with no mothers or fathers; they’ve got no wives, or children, or lovers to feel strongly about; they’re so conditioned that they practically can’t help behaving as they ought to behave. And if anything should go wrong, there’s soma. (Huxley, 2002: 151) Enjoying themselves in feelies, electromagnetic golf and in soma they are never worried, sad, nor solitary. The most frequent sentence pronounced in the novel which describes the people’s emo tional state of mind is „Everybody’s happy nowadays.â€Å" People spend time at work, spending money on new things, having fun and sex which does not involve any deep feelings or love relationship. The moment we take a deeper insight into this society, ideal perfection, or utopia, immediately disappears. The human kind is artificially generated, people are conditioned to suit their social roles in the Community, they are unconscious that their lives are carefully planned, manipulated and controlled by a few leaders. This picture does not imply a Brave New World to be a utopian society. Opposite to utopia stands dystopia, defined by dictionaries as „an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful livesâ€Å" (Hornby, 1995: 362). A little bit softer tone of this definition can be applied to Huxley’s society. People do not live in a fear, they do the job they are predestined to and therefore comfortable with, they lead the life they are made for, without making any arguments, and the most of all they are satisfied and happy with the way the things are. „All the people who, for one reason or another, have got too self-consciously individual to fit into community-life. All the people who aren’t satisfied with orthodoxy, who’ve got independent ideas of their own.† (Huxley, 1995: 155) are punished. But â€Å"Brave New World has its own gentler punishments: for non-conformists, it’s exile to Iceland, where Man’s Final End can be discussed among like-minded intellects, without pestering â€Å"normal† people – in a sort of university, as it were.â€Å" (Atwood, 2007: par. 17). Contrary to this civilized society, there is another smaller society, a Savage Reservation. John, the Savage, raised in the Reservation, has been taken to the Other Place. He was eager to go there as his mother told him beautiful stories about that civilized world. People living in the Reservation are considered not to have been „civilizedâ€Å" and they lead their lives as people did before, in harmonization with nature. They believe in marriage, they are monogamous and religious. Family is important to them. All the aspects of their lives are considered as uncivilized by people from the Other Place who consider them primitive. They still undergo the process of aging and mourn when someone dies. Growing old is artificially stopped in the Other Place, and death is accepted as the usual end. In a Hospital for the Dying eighteen months – old – children get accustomed to death. „All the best toys are kept there, and they get chocolate cream on death days. They learn to take dying as a matter of course.† (Huxley, 1995: 109). This society, the World State, has its motto „Community, Identity, Stabilityâ€Å" which governs its citizens’ lives. The society is arranged so that apart from the division to social classes, everybody is part of one unit, one large community which is controlled by only a few people, called the Controllers. The Controllers created the environment which suits people’s lives in order to benefit the Community. Identity is related to the Bokanovsky process. This process creates identical people, twins of the same qualities. They can hatch out up to 96 twins from only one ovary and a gamete. These armies, or sets of identical people with same abilities serve the Community. Therefore „Bokanovsky’s Process is one of the major instruments of social stability!† (Huxley, 1995: 7). Community has to be stable in order to survive. They strive for stability, â€Å"the primal and ultimate need.† (Huxley, 1995: 31). For this reason, apart from bokanovskification, controllers do their best to satisfy people’s impulses and vices, so they arranged â€Å"no strain on the mind or the muscles. Seven and a half hours of mild, unexhausting labour, and then the soma ration and games and unrestricted copulation and the feelies.† (Huxley, 1995: 153). Unrestricted copulation and the proverb â€Å"everyone belongs to everyone else†, repeated for so many times during hypnopaedic lessons, complete one another together. They can copulate with anyone they like whenever and wherever they want. Moreover, it is quite impolite not to do so. Having been raised in this manner it was so strange for Lenina when the Savage rejected to be intimate with her. Unlike Lenina, he relies on monogamy and romance, which in the World State are considered as „a narrow channelling of impulse and energy.† (Huxle y, 1995: 29). Even though they are not burdened with problems, people in the Brave New World are deprived of most human qualities. They cannot think for themselves as they have literally built-in instincts, aspirations and abilities. They are ufamiliar with what the term family connotes. What used to be the base of a prosperous and a healthy society is now regarded as something unnecessary, impure and offensive to talk about. When the Controller talked to students about family and relations in family „one of the boys, more sensitive than the rest, turned pale at the mere description and was on the point of being sick.† (Huxley, 1995: 27) since the negative attitude and feelings towards family and family life are embedded from their early childhood. The Controller once more reminds them: â€Å"And home was as squalid psychically as physically. Psychically, it was a rabbit hole, a midden, hot with the frictions of tightly packed life, reeking with emotion. What suffocating intimacies, what dangerous, insane, obscene relationships between the members of the family group!† (Huxley, 1995: 28). According to Atwood „The word â€Å"mother† – so thoroughly worshipped by the Victorians – has become a shocking obscenity.â€Å" (Atwood, 2007: par. 18). Wherever in the novel characters mention mother it drew impure connotation, like „that smutty word againâ€Å" (Huxley, 1995: 27) „full of mothers–therefore of every kind of perversion from sadism to chastity† (28) or â€Å"the word made Lenina look uncomfortable† (79) and finally â€Å"To say one was a mother–that was past a joke: it was an obscenity.† (103). One of the main characters Bernard, an Alpha plus, an intellectual, occasionally shows independent opinion. When he and Lenina were in a visit to a Savage Reservation and saw two mothers breastfeeding, Bernard noted: â€Å"What a wonderfully intimate relationship,† he said, deliberately outrageous. â€Å"And what an intensity of feeling it must generate! I often think one may have missed something in not having had a mother. And perhaps you’ve missed something in not being a mother, Lenina. Imagine yourself sitting there with a little baby of your own. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Huxley, 1995: 76) Such an observation was not something somebody would notice in that way, nor say out loud. Lenina is shocked. She looks for soma to calm her down. Her reaction is not unusual, most of the people coming from the World State would react this way for they reproduce artificially and do not take care of the children. The controllers developed many ways to manipulate people’s lives. Reproduction, which used to be the primary goal for all species, including the humankind, is now artificially carried out in laboratories. There are the so called „hatcheriesâ€Å" where human babies are hatched out of bottles and conditioned to fit their anticipated social position. The positions are occupied according to the level of their intelligence. Huxley used the Greek alphabet to name positions, starting from Alpha, the most intelligent people, and ending with Epsilons, morons who are capable for manual work. Different components are given to them while they are in bottles, as well as the amount of the oxygen. This manipulation with lives and deciding upon the role in the society in the Brave New World is a dehumanizing act. Mustapha Mond, one of the controllers, proudly explains to the Savage, who is getting more and more disappointed with what he has seen, the great biotechnology of people mani pulation „his conditioning has laid down rails along which he’s got to run. He can’t help himself; he’s foredoomed.† (Huxley, 1995: 152). Another element of manipulation is soma. It is a kind of a drug, distributed by the State, which brings about pleasant feelings, makes people happy and easygoing, with no side effects. â€Å"Soma promotes a superficial hedonism and causes alienation from the kind of â€Å"real human life† that we know. Furthermore, soma is used to keep the social order as it is.† (Schermer, 2007: 121). When his mother dies in the Park Lane Hospital for the Dying, the Savage encounters Deltas who are about to get their portions of soma. Thinking of his mother, Linda, who died as a slave he decides to free the others. He cries out â€Å"poison to soul as well as body.† (Huxley, 1995: 145) and asks them if they would rather be slaves and puppets, than to experience manhood and freedom. He creates chaos among Deltas when he starts to throw the soma pills out of the window. Deltas panic and attack him. In the end policemen spray the soma cloud into the air and play the Voice of Reason and the Voice of Good Feelings. â€Å"Two minutes later the Voice and the soma vapour had produced their effect. In tears, the Deltas were kissing and hugging one another–half a dozen twins at a time in a comprehensive embrace.† (Huxley, 1995:147). Peace and social stability were restored. World State controllers apply the so called hypnopaedic lessons to manipulate people’s psychology. Hypnopaedic proverbs, rhymes, prejudices and wisdoms are played to children while they sleep. The hypnopaedia turned out to be â€Å"the greatest moralizing and socializing force of all time.† (Huxley, 1995: 21). Moreover, hypnopaedic lessons are not the same for all social classes. For example, when Lenina, the Alpha, saw Deltas she noted â€Å"what hideous colour khaki is.† (Huxley, 1995:42) the hypnopà ¦dic prejudices of her caste. Among many of the themes hypnopaedia covers, some of them are about â€Å"hygiene, sociability, class-consciousness and toddler’s love life† (Huxley, 1995: 99). They also use the hypnopaedic rhyme â€Å"Ending is better than mending. The more stitches, the less riches.† ( Huxley, 1995:35) to encourage people to get rid of old things and constantly buy new ones. In this way they created a society accustomed to get rid of the old things and immediately replace them with the new ones. „The novel provides a prophecy of a world of test tube babies, genetic engineering, and social control.â€Å" (Carter and McRae, 2001: 433). This prophecy turned out to be in practice nowadays. Test tube babies are for those who cannot have children in natural way and genetic engineering is used to improve organisms. Ordinary people know almost nothing if those are used for manipulation and creating lives or organisms to compromise humankind. Huxley saw the beginnings of consumer society and therefore incorporated it into the novel. „There was the conscription of consumption. Every man, woman and child compelled to consume so much a year. In the interests of industry.† (Huxley, 1995:35). Nowadays there are numerous shopping malls in cities attracting consumers. Buildings and roads are full of billboards as well as mass media with advertisements which hypnotize masses and make them anxious to spend money. „Brave New World eliminated all problems, sense of loyalty or compassion, love for art and philosophy, as well as any other activities which can lead to individual thinking or even more dangerous to induce passion or feelings.† (Koljević, 2002: 133). In this way Huxley tried to warn the society of his time what can to happen to humankind if people are deprived of activities which can induce individuality, like philosophy, art, religion, family, and above all freedom, to be free to make their own choice and think for themselves. Likewise the existence of one community in the novel, the contemporary world is under the process of globalization, erasing borders between countries, and turning into one global village, one state, offering the same products worldwide and promptly delivering information. The present world is a mixture of the futuristic elements which Huxley mentioned, but it retains all activities which enable people to show their skills, their individuality. In the end the Savage dies. â€Å"The Savage seeks the admittedly narrow freedom to be unhappy rather than to escape into an induced, tidy and controlled soma dream.† (Sanders, 1994: 556). Despite his eagerness to live in the World State with all amenities it offers, he realized that he would rather feel pain if it meant to be free, than to be happy and at the same time to be someone’s slave. Brave New World developed technology to manipulate people. Its dystopian environment eventually killed the Savage, a representative of true moral values which raised the question: Will the true moral values resist as technology and science move forward? Nobody cannot stop their development, but can make use of them for proper purposes. Hopefully the humankind will be smart enough to take out the best of its history, develop science and technology to benefit people, and prevent creating uniformity and sameness to preserve the diversity of human souls. Bibliography 1. Atwood, Margaret. (2007). Everybody is happy now. Retrieved November 5, 2012, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/nov/17/classics.margaretatwood 2. Carter. R. & J. McRae (2001). The Routledge History of literature in English: Britain and Ireland. New York: Routledge 3. GaÃ… ¡parić, Velimir. (2011). Vrli novi svijet – Novi Svjetski Poredak. Retrieved November 2, 2012, from http://2012-transformacijasvijesti.com/novi-svjetski-poredak/vrli-novi-svijet-novi-svjetski-poredak 4. Hornby. A.S. (1995). Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. Oxford: Oxford University Press 5. Huxley, Aldous. (2002, May 18). Brave New World. Retrieved November 6, 2012, from http://www.idph.com.br/conteudos/ebooks/BraveNewWorld.pdf 6. Koljević, Svetozar. (2002). Engleski romansijeri XX veka. Beograd: Zavod za udÃ… ¾benike i nastavna sredstva 7. Sanders, Andrew. (1994). The Short Oxford History of English Literature. Oxford: Clarendon Press 8. Schermer, M. H. N. (2007). Brave New World versus Island – Utopian and Dystopian Views on Psychophar macology, Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 10:119 –128

A Faithful Servant: the Ambition and Power of Thomas Wolsey

During the beginning of Henry VIII reign, the young and inexperienced new king was content with letting his father’s advisers continue to govern the realm from the security of the council. As Henry wasn’t interested in the responsibilities, namely regarding the political aspects and hard work that went into being the king, he let most of the trials and tribulations fall upon these selected councilmen, until one minister came to dominate over the rest. The Archbishop of York, Thomas, Cardinal Wolsey (1473-1530) seemed to take over when the members of Henry’s council began to retire or die off.This rise to power that the cardinal was experiencing, as well as his new found friendship with the king eventually lead to his very dramatic fall from grace due to the actions regarding the King’s Great Matter not suiting his position with the church. The Great Cardinal came from very humble beginnings in comparison to some of his counterparts. A son of a butcher and cattle dealer from Ipswich Suffolk, Wolsey secured a spot at Oxford on a poor boy’s scholarship. It was there that the young Wolsey decided to devote his life to God and joined the church.Due to his striking intelligence and organizational skills, Thomas moved up in ranks of the church rather quickly, starting as a chaplain with the archbishop of Canterbury, and then beginning the reign as royal almoner to King Henry VII. This newfound position gave Wolsey a seat on the Privy Council, which gave him an opportunity to show his driving ambition for power and his industrious nature to the king. When Henry VII succeeded his father in 1509, Wolsey continued his life at court and quickly outgrew his position as royal almoner.After very successful military campaigns in France, which garnered Henry the glory of defeating a powerful opponent as well as French land lead 1512-1514, the faithful servant was rewarded with leading these successful escapades with the title of Archbishop of York in 1514, as a way of Henry showing his gratitude and during the following year he was awarded with the prestigious cardinal’s hat by the pope. The gratitude’s that Henry bestowed upon Wolsey were numerous, which in turn made him one of the most hated men to hold any sort of high office in England.This hatred of Wolsey sprung from the fact that Wolsey, being a churchman was supposed to lead a relatively simple lifestyle. This however was not the case and Wolsey was quickly given the title of a notorious pluralist, which is that, he usually held more than one ecclesiastical position at once. Due to his friendship with the king, Wolsey was awarded the title of dean of Lincoln in 1509, then bishop of Lincoln in 1514, which coincided with his rise to archbishop of York. As was previously stated, Wolsey was given the title of Cardinal in 1515, and then in 1518 he was also granted the titles of abbot of St.Albans and bishop of Bath. Wolsey’s good fortunes continue d still when, in 1524, he exchanged the title of bishop of Bath for the wealthier see of Durham; and then finally gave up Durham for bishop of Winchester. Wolsey held many of these positions while maintaining his status of Archbishop of York, this favoritism that was being clearly showed by the king towards Wolsey made him many enemies. Holding many of these titles, show many historians the ambition that Wolsey had with his king, however he also had much ambition regarding his church standings.From 1518 onwards, Wolsey held the position of the pope’s personal representative, or legate, in the realm of England. However, it should be noted that the legate to the pope had an even higher ambition in that Wolsey wanted to be pope himself. During 1519 Despite having numerous enemies within Henry’s court, Wolsey retained the confidence and good graces of the king, until Henry decided to solicit an annulment to his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, so that he could marry the am bitious Anne Boleyn.To achieve the divorce, Henry looked to Wolsey once again, expecting the Great Cardinal to use his pull on Rome as well as with those powerful in England to gain the outcome that Henry expected. Bibliography Primary Sources â€Å"Act in Restraint of Appeals (24 Hen. VIII, c 12, 1533). † In Sources and Debates in English History, 1485-1714. Eds. Newton Key and Robert Bucholz. 2d. ed. Chichester: Riley-Blackwell, 2009. P. 41. â€Å"Articles against Cardinal Wolsey, signed by the Lords (December 1, 1529). † In Sources and Debates in English History, 1485-1714. Pp. 39-40 Cardinal Wolsey’s Report to Henry VIII on Proceedings in Star Chamber (ca. 1518). † In Sources and Debates in English History, 1485-1714. Pp. 37. â€Å"John Skelton, â€Å"Why Come Ye Not to Court? † (written 1522, pub. 1568). † In Sources and Debates in English History, 1485-1714. Pp. 38-39 â€Å"Venetian Ambassador Sebastian Giustiniani’s Report on C ardinal Wolsey (September 10, 1519). † In Sources and Debates in English History, 1485-1714. Pp. 37-38 Secondary Sources Bulcholz, Robert, and Newton Key. Early Modern England, 1485-1714. 2d ed. Chicester: Wiley- Blackwell, 2009.

The Odyssey – the Role of the Gods

The Role of the Gods The role of the Gods is very significant in the Odyssey. The ancient Greeks believed that the Gods were the source of all ideas, and everything that happened, good or bad, happened because of the Gods. However after the Trojan War, Odysseus claimed to the Gods that he did not need them, and he came up with the idea of the wooden horse on his own. This is the sin of hubris and arrogance, one of the sins that angers Gods the most. It is because of this that Poseidon vows to show Odysseus that he is nothing more than a mortal man, and men need the power of the Gods to survive.However according to Zeus, Poseidon cannot kill Odysseus, he can only hinder his journey. It is because of the Gods that Odysseus’ journey home was, in fact, an odyssey. The main Gods that play a part in Odysseus’ journey home are Zeus, Poseidon, Athena and Hermes, however there are also some minor Gods and Goddesses including Circe and Aeolus. Each of these plays their own crucia l part in the journey of Odysseus. The role of Athena is to be a guardian to Odysseus, and to guide Telemachus.There are many ways in which Athena helps Odysseus: She is the one that persuades Zeus to free Odysseus from the island of Calypso, she also calms the stormy winds sent by Poseidon. Also, Athena appears to the daughter of King Alcinous in a dream, convincing her to wash her clothes so that she will discover Odysseus washed up on the shore. Finally, when Odysseus arrives home to Ithaca, she disguises him as an old beggar, so he can roam his kingdom unnoticed, and spy on the suitors of his wife. Athena also plays a crucial role in the life of Telemachus.When Telemachus wants to find more information on his father, Athena appears to him as a family friend Mentor, encouraging him to seek the wisdom of Nestor and Menelaus. She also sends favourable winds to help him on his way. The role of Poseidon is equally as important. It is his job to set obstacles and tasks to prevent Odys seus from returning home to Ithaca. When Odysseus blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus, Poseidon’s son, he swears vengeance on him. Poseidon destroys his raft, and one of his monsters, Scylla, eats six of Odysseus’ crew members.The rest of his crew are swallowed by Charybdis, Poseidon’s whirlpool. Finally, the roles of Circe and Calypso are to tempt Odysseus to forget about his kingdom, and more importantly, his wife Penelope. Calypso holds Odysseus prisoner on her island for seven years against his will. She encourages him to stay on her island forever and to forget about his kingdom of Ithaca. However she eventually lets him go on the orders of Zeus. The reason why the Gods put Odysseus through so much in the first place was because he was arrogant after the victory in Troy.The role of the Gods (particularly Poseidon) was to show Odysseus that all men need the Gods to survive. There was a point in his journey where Odysseus was reduced to nothing. He had no crew, no ship and he was in the power of the Gods. This is where he realised that men are at the disposal of the Gods, and he is no better than anyone else. As a result of his experience with the Gods, and his journey home, Odysseus learns to respect the Gods, he learns the true importance of his family and he learns to always be humble, and never become too arrogant.