Interrelationship Between Systems of the Human Body

Interrelationship Between Systems of the Human Body Introduction This essay will consider the structure and function of the 11 systems within the human body. It will detail the interrelationship between the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system and between the circulatory system and the lymphatic system. It will then explain the roles of the circulatory and lymphatic systems in the immune response and the role of hormones in metabolism. Human Body Systems The human body is made up of 11 separate but interconnected systems (Sherwood, 2007). These are the skeletal, muscular, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, excretory, nervous, integumentary, immune, endocrine and reproductive systems. The success and survival of the human body is dependent on the ability of separate body systems to work together. The skeletal system provides structure for the human body, stores minerals, produces blood cells and provides protection for delicate organs (Kelly, 2004). 206 bones are connected with ligaments, muscles and tendons, with cartilage, a softer cushion like material, providing protection in jointed areas. Body movements are controlled by the muscular system, with these muscles being connected to bones via tendons (Adams, 2004). Stimulation of these muscles by the nervous system causes contraction and the resulting movement of bones to which they are attached. A number of involuntary muscles ensure the respiratory and circulatory systems continue with contraction of the heart and lungs (Adams, 2004). The heart is central to the circulatory system and acts as to pump blood through arteries, veins and capillaries. The circulatory system is responsible for delivering nutrients and oxygen to cells as well as removing waste products and aiding the immune system through the circulation of whit e blood cells (Jacab, 2006). The immune system is comprised of lymph organs, such as the spleen and thymus, and the skin, all of which are responsible for protecting the body against invading pathogens (Parham, 2005). The circulatory system and the respiratory system are closely interconnected with the latter bringing fresh oxygen into the body through the alveoli of the lungs (Johnson, 2004). The respiratory system is closely connected with the excretory system as it is responsible for the removal of carbon dioxide and other waste gases through exhalation. The excretory system eliminates both solid and liquid wastes in addition to these gaseous products, and is made up of a number of specialist tissues along with the large intestine, bladder, kidneys, rectum, lungs and skin (Sherwood, 2007). The physical and chemical breakdown of food into energy is carried out by the digestive system. This system commences with the mouth, teeth and salivary glands then passes through the oesophagus to the stomach and small intestine for digestion. The liver, pancreas and large intestine are also involved, through the production of digestive enzymes and bile and the processing of nutrients (Windelspecht, 2004). The nervous system is responsible for sending messages to and from the brain through neurons. The nervous system controls all bodily functions by sending electrochemical signals through the neural network (Llamas, 1998). The endocrine system acts as a communication network but uses hormones as chemical messengers which travel through the bloodstream (Klosterman, 2009). The hormones have specific target organs and carry signals to start or stop performing a specific function. Finally, the reproductive system is responsible for the production of children and reproductive hormones cause our bodies to develop into sexual maturity. Relationship between the nervous and musculoskeletal system Muscle is a contractile tissue that can be histologically divided into three types. These are: striated or skeletal muscle, which are under direct nervous control; cardiac muscle, which is also striated but is a specialist form that is confined specifically to the heart; and smooth or visceral muscle, which is not under direct nervous control (Nair and Peate, 2013). This latter form can be found in the walls of blood vessels and the alimentary tract and in arrector pili. Smooth muscle is usually in the form of flat sheets and forms circular and longitudinal layers, or can be arranged as a sphincter in order to control passage through a tube, for example the anus (Ikebe, 1996). Skeletal muscle is usually attached to two separate bones via tendon, fleshy or aponeurosis connections. Muscle action control is carried out by the nervous system (Stein, 1982). Contact between nerves and muscles often occurs through chemical stimulus conveyed by motor end plates, which instruct muscles to contract. Signals can also be sent through tendons via specific receptors that are able to measure the stretch of the tendon (Stein, 1982). Messages from nerves are referred to as efferent when they take a message to a specific tissue and afferent when they are taking the message to the spinal cord and brain (Craig, 2005). As such the nervous system comprises two separate but combined systems. These are the central and peripheral nervous systems, with the former being made up of the brain and spinal cord, and the latter comprising the remaining neural network (Cervero, 1988). This neural network comprises 12 pairs of head nerves connected to the brain and 31 pairs of spinal nerves connected to the spinal cord. Nerves which transfer information from receptors within the body to the ce ntral nervous system are sensoric nerves, whilst nerves that transport information from the CNS to muscle fibres are motoric nerves (Cervero, 1988). As such, the peripheral nervous system comprises collections of nerves, their insulating myelin sheaths, Schwann cells and connective tissue. The majority of these nerve cells are able to carry out efferent and afferent cell processes (Craig, 2005). Figure 1 shows the organisation of a neuron, with the body being the axon and the smaller projections being known as dendrites. The neuron uses the dendrites to obtain and pass information from and to other neurons (Spruston, 2008). The axon passes the information to other cells particularly muscle cells. The information is then passed along the neuron through voltage changes within the cell membrane. This is known as the action potential (Bean, 2007). Information transfer between individual nerve cells occurs through chemical agents which are released when the action potential has reached the end of an axon.

Humor and Irony in British Literature

The comic novel is a very English kind of fiction and does not always settles down in other national literatures well. Certainly the English novel tradition is remarkable for the number of comic novels among its classics from the work of Fielding, and Sterne and Smollett in the eighteenth century, through Jane Austen and Dickens in the nineteenth to Evelyn Waugh, Arnold Bennett and David Lodge in the twentieth.Even novelists whose primary intention is not to write funny novels such as George Eliot, Thomas Hardy and E.  M. Forster have scenes in their fiction which make us laugh aloud. In this work we will define on the example of literary texts of British literature the notion of humor and irony both of which are based on the comic element.Comedy in fiction would appear to have two primary sources, though they are intimately connected: situation (which entails character – a situation that is comic for one character wouldn’t necessarily be so for another) and style.Bot h dependent upon timing, that is to say, the order in which the words, and the information they carry, are arranged. The principle can be illustrated by a single sentence from Evelyn Waugh’s Decline and Fall. At the beginning of the novel, the shy, unassuming hero, Paul Pennyfeather, an Oxford undergraduate, is divested of his trousers by a party of drunken aristocratic hearties, and with monstrous injustice is sent down from the University for indecent behavior.The first chapter concludes: â€Å"God damn and blast them all to hell,† and Paul Pennyfeather meekly to himself as he drove to the station, and then he felt rather ashamed, because he rarely swore. (Waugh, 1929) We laugh at this because of the delayed appearance of the word â€Å"meekly†: what appears, as the sentence begins, to be a long-overdue explosion of righteous anger by the victimized hero turns out to be no such thing but a further exemplification of his timidity and passiveness.Lucky Jim of Ki ngsley Amis exhibits all properties of comic fiction in a highly polished form. As a temporary assistant lecturer at a province university, Jim Dixon is totally dependent for the continuance of his employment on his absent-minded professor’s patronage, which itself requires that Jim should demonstrate his professional competence by publishing a scholarly article. Jim despises both his professor and the rituals of academic scholarship, but cannot afford to say so.His resentment is therefore interiorized, sometimes in fantasies of violence: â€Å"to tie Welch up in his chair and beat him about the head and shoulders with a bottle until he disclosed why, without being French himself, he’d given his sons French names† (Amis) and at the other times, as here, in satirical mental commentary upon the behavior, discourses and institutional codes which oppress him. The style of Lucky Jim is full of little surprises, qualifications and reversals which satirically deconstru ct cliches. Jim’s powerlessness is physically epitomized by his being a passenger in Welch’s car, and a helpless victim of his appalling driving.The banal and apparently superfluous sentence â€Å"Dixon looked out of the window at the fields wheeling past, bright green after a wet April† (Amis) in fact proves to have a function. Looking from the same window moments later, Jim is startled to find â€Å"a man’s face staring in his from about nine inches away† Surprise is combined with conformity to Welch’s incompetence. â€Å"The face, which filled with alarm as he gazed, belonged to the driver of a van which Welch had elected to pass on a sharp bend between two stone walls.† (Amis) A slow motion effect is created by the leisurely precision of the language: â€Å"about nine inches away†, â€Å"filled with alarm†, â€Å"had elected to pass† contrasting comically with the speed with which the imminent collision approa ches. The reader is not told immediately what is happening, but made to infer it, re-enacting the character’s surprise and alarm. Another stylistic device based on humorous effect it creates is irony. Irony consists in saying the opposite of what you mean or inviting an interpretation different from the surface meaning of your words. Unlike other figures of speech – metaphor, simile, metonymy, synecdoche etc.– irony is not distinguished from literal statement by any peculiarity of verbal form. An ironic statement is recognized as such in the act of interpretation. When, for example, the authorial narrator of Pride and Prejudice says â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a fortune, must be in want of a wife,† (Austen, Chapter I) the reader, alerted by the false logic of the proposition about single men with fortunes, interprets the â€Å"universal† generalization as an ironic comment on a particular social group obsessed with matchmaking.The same rule applies to action in narrative. When the reader is made aware of a disparity between the facts of a situation and the characters’ understanding of it, an effect called â€Å"dramatic irony† is generated. (Lodge, 179) Arnold Bennett in his The Old Wives’ Tale employs two different methods to put his characters’ behavior in an ironic perspective. Sophia, the beautiful passionate but inexperienced daughter of a draper in the Potteries, is sufficiently dazzled by Gerald Scales, a handsome commercial traveler who has inherited a small fortune, to elope with him.The embrace described in the passage below is their first in the privacy of their London lodgings. Her face, view so close that he could see the almost imperceptible down on those fruit-like cheeks, was astonishingly beautiful; †¦[and] he could feel the secret loyalty of her soul ascending to him. She was very slightly taller than her lover; but somehow she hung from him, her body curved backwards, and her bosom pressed against his, so that instead of looking up at her gaze he looked down at it. He preferred that; perfectly proportioned though he was, his stature was a delicate point with him.(Bennett, 278) What should be a moment of erotic rapture and emotional unity is revealed as the physical conjunction of two people whose thoughts are running on quite different tacks. Gerald in fact intends to seduce Sophia, though in the event he lacks the self-assurance to carry out his plan. Even in this embrace he is at first nervous and tentative, â€Å"perceiving that her ardour was exceeding his. † (Bennett, 278) But as the intimate contact continues he becomes more confident and masterful: â€Å"His fears slipped away; he began to be very satisfied with himself† (Bennett, 278).There is probably a sexual pun hidden in â€Å"His spirits rose by the uplift of his senses†, for Bennett frequently hinted in this fashion at things he dared not describe explicitly. Gerald sexual arousal has nothing to do with love, or even lust. It is a function of his vanity and self-esteem. â€Å"Something in him had forced her to lay her modesty on the altar of his desire†. Like â€Å"the secret loyalty of her soul ascending to him† (Bennett, 279) earlier, this florid metaphor mocks the complacent thought it expresses.The use of the word â€Å"altar† carries an extra ironic charge since at this point Gerald has no intention of leading Sophia to the altar of marriage. Up to this point, Bennett keeps to Gerald’s point of view, and uses the kind of language appropriate to that perspective, thus implying an ironic assessment of Gerald’s character. â€Å"So he kissed her yet more ardently, and with the slightest touch of a victor’s condescension; and her burning response more than restored the self-confidence which he had been losing.† (Bennett, 279) The description of his timidity, vanity and complacency – so very different from what he ought to be feeling in this situation is enough to condemn him in reader’s eyes. In the next paragraph Bennett uses the convention of the omniscient intrusive author to switch to Sophia’s point of view, and to comment explicitly on her misconceptions, adding to the layers of irony in the scene. Sophia’s words are more creditable than Gerald’s, but her words, â€Å"I’ve got no on but you now† , are partly calculated to endear him to her.This merely reveals her naivety, however. â€Å"She fancied in her ignorance that the expression of this sentiment would please him. She was not aware that a man is usually rather chilled by it, because it proves to him that the other is thinking about his responsibilities and not about his privileges. †¦ [He] smiled vaguely. † (Bennett, 279) As the â€Å"burning† Sophia utters this sentiment in a â€Å"meltingâ₠¬  voice, Gerald is â€Å"chilled† by the reminder of his responsibilities.He responds with non-committal smile, which the infatuated Sophia finds charming, but which, the narrator assures us, was an index of his unreliability and a portent of disillusionment to come: â€Å"A less innocent girl than Sophia might have divined from that adorable half-feminine smile that she could do anything with Gerald except rely on him. But Sophia had to learn. † (Bennett, 279) The reader is supplied with knowledge that helps to feel pity for Sophia and contempt for Gerald. This type of irony leaves us with little work of inference or interpretation to do; on the contrary, we are the passive recipients of the author’s wisdom.To conclude it is necessary to note the main difference between humor and irony. These two devices while both based on comic element apply different approaches to their object. Irony the funny object is hidden beyond the mask of seriousness, and the negati ve, derisive attitude to the object is expressed. The different is humor, where the serious thing is hidden beyond the mask of ridiculous and the attitude to the object of derision is predominantly positive. Works Cited List: Amis, Kinsley. Lucky Jim. London: Gollancz, 1954.Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Reissue edition, Bantam Classics, 1983. Bennett, Arnold. The Old Wives’ Tale. New York Hodder & Stoughton, 1909. Carens, James F. , The Satiric Art of Evelyn Waugh. Seattle and London, University of Washington Press, 1966. Lodge, David & Wood, Nigel Modern Criticism and Theory: A Reader. Harlow: Pearson, 2000 Nilsen, Don L. F. Humor in Eighteenth-and Nineteenth-Century British Literature. A Reference Guide, 1998. Waugh, Evelyn. Decline and Fall. London: Chapman & Hall, 1928.

Comparing and Contrasting The Rocking Horse-Winner by...

An Explication of Passages in â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner† By D.L. Hawthorne {It came whispering from the springs of the still-swaying rocking horse, and even the horse, bending his wooden, champing head, heard it. The big doll, sitting so pink and smirking in her new pram, could hear it quite plainly, and seemed to be smirking all the more self-consciously because of it. The foolish puppy, too, that took the place of the teddy-bear, he was looking so extraordinarily foolish for no other reason but that he heard the secret whisper all over the house: â€Å"There must be more money!† Yet no body ever said it out aloud. The whisper was everywhere, and therefore no one spoke it. Just as no one ever says: â€Å"We are breathing!† in spite of the†¦show more content†¦The dark and cynical writing that’s presented in both stories gives consequences of what is morally right even though it is clearly shows the cost of being selfish and wrong but it still have a price even if it means cheating someone out of their future. A noteworthy details Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† which was published on June 26, 1948. Her tone in this writing was cynical, and extreme delusion in her ideology of population control. For example, â€Å"The people had done it so many time that they only half listened to the directions; most of them were quiet, wetting their lips, not looking around†. However, if this were really a lottery gathering everyone wouldn’t be nervous or angry and scared. There would be festive theme with families celebrating the winner. Instead, there were terror, horror, and panic among the recipients that were gathered. The significance in D.H. Lawrence’s The Rocking-Horse Winner was published on September 11, 1885 in Harper’s Bazaar. His tone in writing was extremely deranged in a passive way. For case in point, â€Å"The foolish puppy, too, that took the place of the teddy-bear, he was looking so extraordinarily foolish for no other reason but that h e heard the secret whisper all over the house: â€Å"There must be more money!† Yet no body ever said it out aloud. The whisper was everywhere, and therefore no one spoke it†. All in all, if this were a true family

The Conquest Of The Americas - 1094 Words

The conquest of the Americas is one of the most important events in modern history. The invasion, which took centuries to complete, created a trans-atlantic world. The people that began the conquest were Spaniards, inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula, primarily from the Christian kingdoms of Castille and Aragon. Following the initial discovery By Cristobal Colon in 1492, Spaniards conquered most of modern South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. They did this in the words of Bernal Diaz de Castillo, a conquistador that took part in the invasion of Mexico; â€Å"we came here to serve God and the king and also to get rich† . As the Spanish noblemen himself states, most colonists decided to engage in the conquest because of multiple reasons. Chiefly a devotion to the Catholic Church and its mission to convert all ‘heathens’ . A love of country, expressed in a desire to expand the empire, both materially and ideologically. And perhaps most importantly the se young men were guided by a desire for profit and social advancement, the like of which would of impossible in Motherland Spain . In this essay I will consider the motives that led to the conquest and destruction of the Aztec and Inca peoples of modern Mexico and Peru. In particular this paper will look at why the conquest was possible, both physically and idiotically. Also I will look at how the conquest received, both in distant Spain and by the conquered peoples themselves. Why 1492? Spain was jubilant, havingShow MoreRelatedConquest Of America Essay1078 Words   |  5 Pagescolonies in the Americas and the Spanish colonization of the Americas began with the so-called discovery of New World by Columbus in 1492 while he was searching for a new route to Asian Indies. As Columbus recounted in his letter to the king of Spain, Americas was a kind of heaven with its prosporous land which was full of trees of a thousand kinds. In fact, Columbus letter is a useful source in our understanding of the motives of the Spaniards for the colonization of Americas. This untouchedRead MoreThe Spanish Religious Conquest Of America1739 Words   |  7 Pagesthe key factors that have shaped our world society today. The Spanish religious conquest was one of the first early history examples that played a big role in America. As soon as the Spanish landed in New Spain it changed the Native Mexican culture. The consequence of the spiritual conquest was the loss of the native people beliefs, buildings, and customs. However, the Native Mexicans did not respond well to the conquest, it caused them to rebelling against the Spanish, but with time they started toRead MoreConquest of South America Essay785 Words   |  4 PagesThe conquest of Mexico began when Hernando Cortes first arrived in South America. When he started his first movement of the conquest, some people looked at him as a great leader or a God and others saw him as a simple man. His conquest brought the Spaniards and Indians happiness and sorrow at the same time. The differences between the Spaniards and the Indian accounts were vast and varied from writer to writer, for a mans deeds could be bad and good. The differences that the reader encountersRead MoreEuropean Exploration And Conquest Of Latin America1277 Words   |  6 PagesBefore European exploration and conquest in Latin America the indigenous people lived off the land working mainly to support themselves. Despite having conflicts of their own, most Latin American tribes would coexist peacefully relative to what was to come. Some, more advanced civilizations, such as the Aztec, did have conditions somewhat similar to those that would soon spread to the rest of Latin America. When European settlers started to take over the Americas, however, conditions got markedlyRead MoreThe Conquest of America by Tzvetan Todorov Essay3698 Words   |  15 PagesThe Conquest of America In the book The Conquest of America by Tzvetan Todorov, Todorov brings about an interesting look into the expeditions of Columbus, based on Columbus’ own writings. Initially, one can see Columbus nearly overwhelmed by the beauty of these lands that he has encountered. He creates vivid pictures that stand out in the imagination, colored by a marvelous descriptive style. Todorov gives us an interpretation of Columbus’ discovery of America, and the Spaniards’ subsequentRead MoreEssay about Religious Conquest of the Americas1910 Words   |  8 PagesCatholic religion, they were to be punished severely and sometimes even fatally. This influence would undoubtedly be brought over to the Americas a century later, as the colonization of the New World would begin by then. 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In your discussion include the initial reaction of the Taino and Maya to the presence of the Spanish and the rationalRead MoreThe Conquest Of America By Walter Ong And Goody s Claim1333 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout his text The Conquest of America, Todorov, a french sociologist, implements multiple theories written by Walter Ong and Jack Goody in regard to the contrasting effects living in an oral versus a literate society plays on its members. More specifically, Ong and Goody claim that the way one communicates, greatly affects their thought processes as well as their physical brain. To explore this, Todorov uses Cortes’ and Montezuma’s communication techniques throughout their battle to highlightRead MoreHistory: Spanish Colonization of the Americas and Spanish Conquest1021 Words   |  5 PagesThe Conquest and Colonization of the Caribbean and Yucatan by European, Resulted in significant cultural, biological environmental changes to both regions Maggie Jim Professor Ancient History [Date] 1. Briefly discuss (but in detail) the similarities/differences between the initial Spanish colonization of the Caribbean and the Yucatan. In your discussion include the initial reaction of the Taino and Maya to the presence of the Spanish and the rational

Family Values Shape The Way People Are Today - 951 Words

Family values shape the way people are today. The meaning of family could vary depending on our background, whether blood related, marriage, or just emotionally attached, it’s used out of a form of love. Values are the things we strongly believe in. Forms of values could be culture, race, or ethnicity. Almost everyone lives up to the saying â€Å"family first.† Putting our family first could mean putting things to the side for a family night, cooking for your family, or taking family trips. Others could be finding the right care or making sure our family is financially stabled. However, in our society today we lack some of these values. Eventually people age, the older people get the more care and love they need. Caring for the elderly citizens†¦show more content†¦Some will never receive a visit while they’re living and some will become so sick they’ll start losing memory. Today we see headlines saying elderlies being mistreated in nursing homes. 1 out of 3 nursing home has a report of abuse and in 1996, approximately 450,000 adults over the age of 60 were abused and/or neglected in domestic settings. ABC news reports that common problems include untreated bedsores, inadequate medical care, malnutrition, dehydration, preventable accidents and inadequate sanitation and hygiene. Although these are just a few incidents, more do occur. ABC News also reports documents instances of residents being punched, slapped, choked or kicked by staff members or other residents, causing injury such as fractured bones or lacerations. These common incidents occur throughout many nursing homes. Abuse to an elderly person can cause them to have psychological abuse. Psychological abuse is when a caregiver cause emotional pain or stress to a patient. Elders who experienced abuse, even modest abuse, have a 300% higher risk of death when compared to those who had not been abu sed. In 2006, 89-year-old Albert Wagner was sexually abuse by a nursing home worker at Mid-Coast Senior Health Center in Brunswick, ME. Due to Wagner being legally blind and partially deaf it was hard for him to tell his story to his family members. His granddaughter Kate Marro visited him occasionally when she started to notice a change in

The Crystal Shard 6. Bryn Shander Free Essays

string(157) " his attention on the two most powerful spokesmen, Cassius of Bryn Shander and Kemp of Targos, as they sat at the head of the rectangular table and chatted\." Bryn Shander was unlike any of the other communities of Ten-Towns. Its proud pennant flew high from the top of a hill in the middle of the dry tundra between the three lakes, just south of the southern tip of the dwarven valley. No ships flew the flags of this city, and it had no docks on any of the lakes, yet there was little argument that it was not only the geographical hub of the region but the center of activity as well. We will write a custom essay sample on The Crystal Shard 6. Bryn Shander or any similar topic only for you Order Now This was where the major merchant caravans from Luskan put in, where the dwarves came to trade, and where the vast majority of craftsman, scrimshanders, and scrimshaw evaluators, were housed. Proximity to Bryn Shander was second only to the quantity of fish hooked in determining the success and size of the fishing towns. Thus, Termalaine and Targos on the southeastern banks of Maer Dualdon, and Caer-Konig and Caer-Dineval on the western shores of Lac Dinneshere, four towns less than a day’s journey from the principle city, were the dominant towns on the lakes. High walls surrounded Bryn Shander, as much protection from the biting wind as from invading goblins or barbarians. Inside, the buildings were similar to those of the other towns: low, wooden structures, except that in Bryn Shander they were more tightly packed together and often subdivided to house several families. Congested as it was, though, there was a measure of comfort and security in the city, the largest taste of civilization a person could find for four hundred long and desolate miles. Regis always enjoyed the sounds and smells that greeted him when he walked through the iron-bound wooden gates on the northern wall of the principle city. Though on a smaller scale than the great cities of the south, the bustle and shouts of Bryn Shander’s open markets and plentiful street vendors reminded him of his days back in Calimport. And, as in Calimport, the people of Bryn Shander’s streets were a cross-section of every heritage that the Realms had to offer. Tall, dark-skinned desert folk mingled among fair-skinned travelers from the Moonshaes. The loud boasts of swarthy southerners and robust mountain men trading fanciful tales of love and battle in one of the many taverns echoed on nearly every street corner. And Regis took it all in, for though the location was changed, the noise remained the same. If he closed his eyes as he skipped along down one of the narrow streets he could almost recapture the zest for life that he had known those years before in Calimport. This time, though, the halfling’s business was so grave that it dampened even his ever-lifted spirits. He had been horrified at the drow’s grim news and was nervous about being the messenger who would deliver it to the council. Away from the noisy market section of the city, Regis passed the palatial home of Cassius, the spokesman of Bryn Shander. This was the largest and most luxurious building in all of Ten-Towns, with a columned front and bas-relief artwork adorning all of its walls. It had originally been built for the meetings of the ten spokesmen, but as interest in the councils had died away, Cassius, skilled in diplomacy and not above using strong-arm tactics, had appropriated the palace as his official residence and moved the council hall to a vacant warehouse tucked away in a remote corner of the city. Several of the other spokesmen had complained about the change, but though the fishing towns could often exert some influence on the principle city in matters of public concern, they had little recourse in an issue as trivial to the general populace as this. Cassius understood his city’s position well and knew how to keep most of the other communities under his thumb. The militia of Bryn Shan der could defeat the combined forces of any five of the other nine towns combined, and Cassius’s officers held a monopoly on connections to the necessary marketplace in the south. The other spokesmen might grumble about the change in the meeting place, but their dependence on the principle city would prevent them from taking any actions against Cassius. Regis was the last to enter the small hall. He looked around at the nine men who had gathered at the table and realized how out of place he truly was. He had been elected spokesman because nobody else in Lonelywood cared enough to want to sit on the council, but his peers had attained their positions through valorous and heroic deeds. They were the leaders of their communities, the men who had organized the structure and defenses of the towns. Each of these spokesmen had seen a score of battles and more, for goblin and barbarian raiders descended upon Ten-Towns more often than sunny days. It was a simple rule of life in Icewind Dale that if you couldn’t fight, you couldn’t survive, and the spokesmen of the council were some of the most proficient fighters in all of Ten-Towns. Regis had never been intimidated by the spokesmen before because normally he had nothing to say at council. Lonelywood, a secluded town hidden away in a small, thick wood of fir trees, asked for nothing from anyone. And with an insignificant fishing fleet, the other three towns it shared Maer Dualdon with imposed no demands upon it. Regis never offered an opinion unless pressed and had been careful always to cast his vote on an issue in the way of the general consensus. And if the council was split on an issue, Regis simply followed the lead of Cassius. In Ten-Towns, one couldn’t go wrong by following Bryn Shander. This day, though, Regis found that he was intimidated by the council. The grim news that he bore would make him vulnerable to their bullying tactics and often angry reprisals. He focused his attention on the two most powerful spokesmen, Cassius of Bryn Shander and Kemp of Targos, as they sat at the head of the rectangular table and chatted. You read "The Crystal Shard 6. Bryn Shander" in category "Essay examples" Kemp looked the part of rugged frontiersman: not too tall but barrel-chested, with gnarled and knotted arms, and a stern demeanor that frightened friend and foe alike. Cassius, though, hardly seemed a warrior. He was small of frame, with neatly trimmed gray hair and a face that never showed a hint of beard stubble. His big, bright blue eyes forever seemed locked into an inner contentment. But anyone who had ever seen the spokesman from Bryn Shander raise a sword in battle or maneuver his charges on the field had no doubts concerning his fighting prowess or his bravery. Regis truly liked the man, yet he was always careful not to fall into a situation that left him vulnerable. Cassius had earned a reputation for getting what he wanted at another’s expense. â€Å"Come to order,† Cassius commanded, rapping his gavel on the table. The host spokesman always opened the meeting with the Formalities of Order, readings of titles and official proposals that had originally been intended to give the council an aura of importance, impressing especially the ruffians that sometimes showed up to speak for the more remote communities. But now, with the degeneration of the council as a whole, the Formalitites of Order served only to delay the end of the meeting, to the regret of all ten spokesmen. Consequently, the Formalities were pared down more and more each time the group gathered, and there had even been talk of eliminating them altogether. When the list had finally been completed, Cassius turned to the important issues. â€Å"The first item on the agenda,† he said, hardly glancing at the notes that were laid out before him, â€Å"concerns the territorial dispute between the sister cities, Caer-Konig and Caer-Dineval, on Lac Dinneshere. I see that Dorim Lugar of Caer-Konig has brought the documents that he promised at the last meeting, so I turn the floor over to him. Spokesman Lugar.† Dorim Lugar, a gaunt, dark-complected man whose eyes never seemed to stop darting about nervously, nearly leaped out of his chair when he was introduced. â€Å"I have in my hand,† he yelled, his upraised fist closed about an old parchment, â€Å"the original agreement between Caer-Konig and Caer-Dineval, signed by the leaders of each town,† he shot an accusing finger in the direction of the spokesman from Caer-Dineval, â€Å"including your own signature, Jensin Brent!† â€Å"An agreement signed during a time of friendship and in the spirit of good will,† retorted Jensin Brent, a younger, golden-haired man with an innocent face that often gave him an advantage over people who judged him naive. â€Å"Unroll the parchment, Spokesman Lugar, and let the council view it. They shall see that it makes no provisions whatsoever for Easthaven.† He looked around at the other spokesmen. â€Å"Easthaven could hardly be called even a hamlet when the agreement to divide the lake in half was signed,† he explained, and not for the first time. â€Å"They had not a single boat to put in the water.† â€Å"Fellow spokesmen!† Dorim Lugar yelled, jolting some of them from the lethargy that had already begun to creep in. This same debate had dominated the last four councils with no ground gained by either side. The issue held little importance or interest for any but the two spokesmen and the spokesman from Easthaven. â€Å"Surely Caer-Konig cannot be blamed for the rise of Easthaven,† pleaded Dorim Lugar. â€Å"Who could have foreseen the Eastway?† he asked, referring to the straight and smooth road that Easthaven had constructed to Bryn Shander. It was an ingenious move and proved a boon to the small town on the southeastern corner of Lac Dinneshere. Combining the appeal of a remote community with easy access to Bryn Shander had made Easthaven the fastest growing community in all of Ten-Towns, with a fishing fleet that had swelled to nearly rival the boats of Caer-Dineval. â€Å"Who indeed?† retorted Jensin Brent, now a bit of fluster showing through his calm facade. â€Å"It is obvious that Easthaven’s growth has put Caer-Dineval in stiff competition for the southern waters of the lake, while Caer-Konig sails freely in the northern half. Yet Caer-Konig has flatly refused to renegotiate the original terms to compensate for the imbalance! We cannot prosper under such conditions!† Regis knew that he had to act before the argument between Brent and Lugar got out of control. Two previous meetings had been adjourned because of their volatile debates, and Regis couldn’t let this council disintegrate before he had told them of the impending barbarian attack. He hesitated, having to admit to himself once again that he had no options and could not back away from this urgent mission; his haven would be destroyed if he said nothing. Although Drizzt had reassured him of the power he possessed, he retained his doubts about the true magic of the stone. Yet due to his own insecurity, a trait common among little folk, Regis found himself blindly trusting in Drizzt’s judgment. The drow was possibly the most knowledgeable person he had ever known, with a list of experiences far beyond the tales that Regis could tell. Now was the time for action, and the halfling was determined to give the drow’s plan a try. He closed his fingers around the little wooden gavel that was set out on the table before him. It felt unfamiliar to his touch, and he realized then that this was the first time that he had ever used the instrument. He tapped it lightly on the wooden table, but the others were intent on the shouting match that had erupted between Lugar and Brent. Regis reminded himself of the urgency of the drow’s news once again and boldly pounded the gavel down. The other spokesmen turned immediately to the halfling, blank expressions stamped upon their faces. Regis rarely spoke at the meetings, and then only when cornered with a direct question. Cassius of Bryn Shander brought his heavy gavel down. â€Å"The council recognizes Spokesman†¦uh†¦the spokesman from Lonelywood,† he said, and from his uneven tone Regis could guess that he had struggled to address the halfling’s request for the floor seriously. â€Å"Fellow spokesmen,† Regis began tentatively, his voice cracking into a squeak. â€Å"With all due respect to the seriousness of the debate between the spokesmen from Caer-Dineval and Caer-Konig, I believe that we have a more urgent problem to discuss.† Jensin Brent and Dorim Lugar were livid at being interrupted, but the others eyed the halfling curiously. Good start, Regis thought, I’ve got their full attention. He cleared his throat, trying to steady his voice and sound a bit more impressive. â€Å"I have learned beyond doubt that the barbarian tribes are gathering for a united attack on Ten-Towns!† Though he tried to make the announcement dramatic, Regis found himself facing nine apathetic and confused men. â€Å"Unless we form an alliance,† Regis continued in the same urgent tones, â€Å"the horde will overrun our communities one by one, slaughtering any who dare to oppose them!† â€Å"Certainly, Spokesman Regis of Lonelywood,† said Cassius in a voice he meant to be calming but was, in effect, condescending, â€Å"we have weathered barbarian raids before. There is no need for†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Not like this one!† Regis cried. â€Å"All of the tribes have come together. The raids before matched one tribe against one city, and usually we fared well. But how would Termalaine or Caer-Konig – or even Bryn Shander – stand against the combined tribes of Icewind Dale?† Some of the spokesmen settled back into their chairs to contemplate the halfling’s words; the rest began talking among themselves, some in distress, some in angry disbelief. Finally Cassius pounded his gavel again, calling the hall to silence. Then, with familiar bravado, Kemp of Targos slowly rose from his seat. â€Å"May I speak, friend Cassius?† he asked with unnecessary politeness. â€Å"Perhaps I may be able to put this grave pronouncement in the proper light.† Regis and Drizzt had made some assumptions about alliances when they had planned the halfling’s actions at this council. They knew that Easthaven, founded and thriving on the principle of brotherhood among the communities of Ten-Towns, would openly embrace the concept of a common defense against the barbarian horde. Likewise Termalaine and Lonelywood, the two most accessible and raided towns of the ten, would gladly accept any offers of help. Yet even Spokesman Agorwal of Termalaine, who had so much to gain from a defensive alliance, would hedge and hold his silence if Kemp of Targos refused to accept the plan. Targos was the largest and mightiest of the nine fishing villages, with a fleet more than twice the size of Termalaine’s, the second largest. â€Å"Fellow members of the council,† Kemp began, leaning forward over the table to loom larger in the eyes of his peers. â€Å"Let us learn more of the halfling’s tale before we begin to worry. We have fought off barbarian invaders and worse enough times to be confident that the defenses of even the smallest of our towns are adequate.† Regis felt his tension growing as Kemp rolled into his speech, building on points designed to destroy the halfling’s credibility. Drizzt had decided early on in their planning that Kemp of Targos was the key, but Regis knew the spokesman better than the drow and knew that Kemp would not be easily manipulated. Kemp illustrated the tactics of the powerful town of Targos in his own mannerisms. He was large and bullying, often taking to sudden fits of violent rage that intimidated even Cassius. Regis had tried to steer Drizzt away from this part of their plan, but the drow was adamant. â€Å"If Targos agrees to accept the alliance with Lonelywood,† Drizzt had reasoned, â€Å"Termalaine will gladly join and Bremen, being the only other village on the lake, will have no choice but to go along. Bryn Shander will certainly not oppose a unified alliance of the four towns on the largest and most prosperous lake, and Easthaven will make six in the pact, a clear majority.† The rest would then have no choice but to join in the effort. Drizzt had believed that Caer-Dineval and Caer-Konig, fearing that Easthaven would receive special consideration in future councils, would put on a blusterous show of loyalty, hoping themselves to gain favor in the eyes of Cassius. Good Mead and Dougan’s Hole, the two towns on Redwaters, though relatively safe from an invasion from the north, would not dare to stand apart from the other eight communities. But all of this was merely hopeful speculation, as Regis clearly realized when he saw Kemp glaring at him from across the table. Drizzt had conceded the point that the greatest obstacle in forming the alliance would be Targos. In its arrogance, the powerful town might believe that it could withstand any barbarian raid. And if it did manage to survive, the destruction of some of its competitors might actually prove profitable. â€Å"You say only that you have learned of an invasion,† Kemp began. â€Å"Where could you have gathered this valuable and, no doubt, hard to find information?† Regis felt sweat beading on his temples. He knew where Kemp’s question would lead, but there was no way that he could avoid the truth. â€Å"From a friend who often travels the tundra,† he answered honestly. â€Å"The drow?† Kemp asked. With his neck bent up and Kemp towering over him, Regis found himself quickly placed on the defensive. The halfling’s father had once warned him that he would always be at a disadvantage when dealing with humans because they physically had to look down when speaking to him, as they would to their own children. At times like this, the words of his father rang painfully true to Regis. He wiped a bead of moisture from his upper lip. â€Å"I cannot speak for the rest of you,† Kemp continued, adding a chuckle to place the halfling’s grave warning in an absurd light, â€Å"but I have too much serious work to do to go into hiding on the words of a drow elf!† Again the burly spokesman laughed, and this time he was not alone. Agorwal of Termalaine offered some unexpected assistance to the halfling’s failing cause. â€Å"Perhaps we should let the spokesman from Lonelywood continue. If his words are true†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"His words are the echoes of a drow’s lies!† Kemp snarled. â€Å"Pay them no heed. We have fought off the barbarians before, and – â€Å" But then Kemp, too, was cut short as Regis suddenly sprang up on the council table. This was the most precarious part of Drizzt’s plan. The drow had shown faith in it, describing it matter-of-factly, as though it would pose no problems. But Regis felt impending disaster hovering all about him. He clasped his hands behind his back and tried to appear in control so that Cassius wouldn’t take any immediate actions against his unusual tactics. During Agorwal’s diversion, Regis had slipped the ruby pendant out from under his waistcoat. It sparkled on his chest as he walked up and down, treating the table as though his personal stage. â€Å"What do you know of the drow to jest of him so?† he demanded of the others, pointedly Kemp. â€Å"Can any of you name a single person that he has harmed? No! You chastise him for the crimes of his race, yet have none of you ever considered that Drizzt Do’Urden walks among us because he has rejected the ways of his people?† The silence in the hall convinced Regis that he had either been impressive or absurd. In any case, he was not so arrogant or foolish to think his little speech sufficient to accomplish the task. He walked over to face Kemp. This time he was the one looking down, but the spokesman from Targos seemed on the verge of exploding into laughter. Regis had to act quickly. He bent down slightly and raise his hand to his chin, by appearance to scratch an itch though in truth to set the ruby pendant spinning, tapping with his arm as it passed. He then held the silence of the moment patiently and counted as Drizzt had instructed. Ten seconds passed and Kemp had not blinked. Drizzt had said that this would be enough, but Regis, surprised and apprehensive at the ease with which he had accomplished the task, let another ten go by before he dared begin testing the drow’s beliefs. â€Å"Surely you can see the wisdom of preparing for an attack,† Regis suggested calmly. Then in a whisper that only Kemp could hear he added, â€Å"These people look to you for guidance, great Kemp. A military alliance would only enhance your stature and influence.† The effect was dazzling. â€Å"Perhaps there is more to the halfling’s words than we first believed,† Kemp said mechanically, his glazed eyes never leaving the ruby. Stunned, Regis straightened up and quickly slipped the stone back under his waistcoat. Kemp shook his head though clearing a confusing dream from his thoughts, as he rubbed his dried eyes. The spokesman from Targos couldn’t seem to recall the last few moments, but the hafling’s suggestion was planted deeply into his mind. Kemp found, to his own amazement, that his attitudes had changed. â€Å"We should hear well the words of Regis,† he declared loudly. â€Å"For we shall be none the worse from forming such an alliance, yet the consequences of doing nothing may prove to be grave, indeed!† Quick to seize an advantage, Jensin Brent leaped up from his chair. â€Å"Spokesman Kemp speaks wisely,† he said. â€Å"Number the people of Caer-Dineval, ever proponents of the united efforts of Ten-Towns, among the army that shall repel the horde!† The rest of the spokesmen lined up behind Kemp as Drizzt had expected, with Dorim Lugar making an even bigger show of loyalty than Brent’s. Regis had much to be proud of when he left the council hall later that day, and his hopes for the survival of Ten-Towns had returned. Yet the halfling found his thoughts consumed by the implications of the power he had discovered in his ruby. He worked to figure the most failsafe way in which he could turn this new-found power of inducing cooperation into profit and comfort. â€Å"So nice of the Pasha Pook to give me this one!† he told himself as he walked through the front gate of Bryn Shander and headed for the appointed spot where he would meet with Drizzt and Bruenor. How to cite The Crystal Shard 6. Bryn Shander, Essay examples

Contemporary Indigenous Australia for IKC-myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theContemporary Indigenous Australia for IKC. Answer: Selection of one contemporary Indigenous Australian- Health of Indigenous Australians By using IKC 101 readings, the study need to identify and describe one of the contemporary indigenous Australian situations as mentioned Module 3. The situation title should relate to health, education, criminal justice and native. Module 3 introduces to number of issues that concern with contemporary indigenous Australians (Waterworth et al., 2014). The module properly explains about different contemporary situation and then select health aspect to give proper insights of information in the present study. The one contemporary situation selected for the present study is related to health. Health outcomes for the Indigenous Australians are poor as compared to non-indigenous Australians where the real cause behind it is complex by nature. Here, it is noted that the state of indigenous health highlights the fact about indigenous Australians live shorter lives as well as higher mortality rates and experiencing higher incidences of diseases as compared to non-indigenous people. The main reason behind why the health of indigenous people is worse as compared to non-indigenous people because it represent combination of general factors such as education, income, socio-economic status and employment (Stoneham, Goodman Daube, 2014) There are various factors that contribute to poor health status of Indigenous Australian within broader context of social determinants of health. These determinants actually include aspects such as income, employment, social networks, behavioral as well as working and living concepts. Indigenous Australians are generally worse off as compared to non-indigenous people when it comes to the social factors of health (Mitrou et al., 2014). Most of the health services cannot be properly accessed and it is not user-friendly in case of Indigenous Australian where the people add to higher levels of disadvantage situation. It is because of Indigenous Australians who live in remote locations and not all of the health services are offered outside cities. It is sometimes noted that the health services are not culturally appropriate that means it does not treat Indigenous Australians with good care. Some of the Indigenous Australian may not be able to use some services as it is quite expensive and they cannot afford such expensive health services (Stoneham, Goodman Daube, 2014). There are several factors that will make health services more accessible for Indigenous Australians. For these Indigenous Australians, it is needed to design health promotion campaigns so that there is proper care given to Indigenous Australian (Clifford et al., 2015). It is essential to fund for health services so that Indigenous Australian can even afford to have these health services. It is important to make the health care services available or accessible in rural and remote locations for Indigenous Australian. Indigenous Australians live in rural and remote areas and they should be given better health services in their own area so that they do not have to travel to cities (Stoneham, Goodman Daube, 2014). In the year 2016, more than one-third of Indigenous Australians lived in major cities and half of them lived in inner as well as outer regional areas. The population of Indigenous Australians is mostly younger generation (Bodkin-Andrews Carlson, 2016). There are several factors that lead to health problems that are faced by Indigenous Australian as well as traced to get historical policies and actions (Stoneham, Goodman Daube, 2014). Some of the approaches are kept both in terms of principles of social justice as well as human rights that need to be taken into consideration. In order to address the health problems of Indigenous Australian, the Commonwealth as well as State Government has committed to policies for closing the gap and there were improvements over past five years (Brusse et al., 2014). Reference List Bodkin-Andrews, G., Carlson, B. (2016). The legacy of racism and Indigenous Australian identity within education.Race Ethnicity and Education,19(4), 784-807. Brusse, C., Gardner, K., McAullay, D., Dowden, M. (2014). Social media and mobile apps for health promotion in Australian Indigenous populations: scoping review.Journal of medical Internet research,16(12). Clifford, A., McCalman, J., Bainbridge, R., Tsey, K. (2015). Interventions to improve cultural competency in health care for Indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA: a systematic review.International Journal for Quality in Health Care,27(2), 89-98. Mitrou, F., Cooke, M., Lawrence, D., Povah, D., Mobilia, E., Guimond, E., Zubrick, S. R. (2014). Gaps in Indigenous disadvantage not closing: a census cohort study of social determinants of health in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand from 19812006.BMC Public Health,14(1), 201. Stoneham, M., Goodman, J., Daube, M. (2014). The portrayal of Indigenous health in selected Australian media.The International Indigenous Policy Journal,5(1), 1-13. Waterworth, P., Rosenberg, M., Braham, R., Pescud, M., Dimmock, J. (2014). The effect of social support on the health of Indigenous Australians in a metropolitan community.Social Science Medicine,119, 139-146.