A Thousand Splendid Sunsâ€Discussion Questions

'A Thousand Splendid Suns'- Discussion Questions A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is superbly written, has a page-turning story, and will help your book club learn more about Afghanistan. Use these book club discussion questions to probe deeper into the story. Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions reveal important details from the novel. Finish the book before reading on! Discussion Questions What did A Thousand Splendid Suns teach you about the history of Afghanistan? Did anything surprise you?Mariam’s mother says: Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have. In what ways is this true? How do Mariam and Laila endure? How is their endurance different from the ways their mothers faced their trials?Several times Mariam passes herself off as Lailas mother. In what way is their relationship like mother-daughter? How did their own relationships with their mothers shape how they treated each other and their family?What is the significance of Lailas childhood trip to see the giant stone Buddhas above the Bamiyan Valley? Why did her father take her on this trip? How did his influence shape the way Laila would cope with her future?Afghanistan changes rulers several times in the story. During the Soviet occupation, the people felt life would be better once the foreigners were defeated. Why do you think the quality of life deteriorated after the occupation rather than r eturning to the way it was in the pre-communist era? When the Taliban first enter the city, Laila does not believe women will tolerate being forced out of jobs and treated with such indignity. Why do the educated women of Kabul endure such treatment? Why are the Taliban accepted?The Taliban forbid writing books, watching films, and painting pictures; yet the film Titanic becomes a sensation on the black market. Why would people risk the Taliban’s violence to watch the film? Why do you think this particular film became so popular? How does Hosseini use films throughout the novel to symbolize relationships between people and the state of the country (i.e. Jalils theater, Tariq Lailas outings to the movies)?Were you surprised when Tariq returned? Had you suspected the depth of Rasheeds deceit?Why does Mariam refuse to call witnesses at her trial? Why didnt she try to escape with Laila and Tariq? Do you think Mariam made the right decision? Even though her life was hard, Mariam wishes for more of it in the end. Why do you think tha t is? Do you think Laila and Tariq can be happy?Afghanistan is still in the news a lot. Do you think the situation will truly improve there?Rate A Thousand Splendid Suns on a scale of 1 to 5.

Free Essays on “I’m Your Horse In The Night”

to Beto, as if she were over him, and no longer going to fantasize. â€Å"Beto, you know now, if it’s true that they killed you, or wherever you may be. Beto, I’m your horse in the night and you can inhabit me whenever you wish, even if I’m behind bars. Beto, now that I’m in jail I know that I dreamed you that night; it... Free Essays on â€Å"I’m Your Horse In The Night† Free Essays on â€Å"I’m Your Horse In The Night† Luisa Valenzuela’s, â€Å"I’m Your Horse In the Night†, is a short story that can be interpreted in many different ways. Many questions arose in my mind while reading this story, like, was her fantasy a dream or was it a reality? Luisa Valenzuela wrote this short story in such a way that the reader must think deeply about what is being said. The woman referred to as Chiquita heard the doorbell. It rang in such a way that she knew it was the man referred to as Beto. They embraced and remained silent. Chiquita remembered him always being silent, never one to express his feelings in words. Questions enter her mind about his whereabouts in Argentina. She hadn’t heard from him in months. She did not know if he was alive, or whether he had been captured, or was in hiding. With him he brought a bottle of cachaca, an alcoholic beverage, and a Gal Costa record. Chiquita and Beto begin listening to the music and slowly drink the alcohol. No words were said; just sweet caressing and deep looks into each other’s eyes. They begin to make love while the music sings, â€Å"I’m your horse in the night†. Chiquita awoke to a phone call claiming that Beto was dead. Realizing that Beto must have left while she was sleeping, she said it could not have been him. The caller hung up and shortly after the police arrive. Demanding to know where Beto was the police ransack the house. While watching her life unfold before her, Chiquita realized that they wouldn’t find anything for it was only a dream, and they couldn’t take that away. The story concluded with a short paragraph. Chiquita saying her last words to Beto, as if she were over him, and no longer going to fantasize. â€Å"Beto, you know now, if it’s true that they killed you, or wherever you may be. Beto, I’m your horse in the night and you can inhabit me whenever you wish, even if I’m behind bars. Beto, now that I’m in jail I know that I dreamed you that night; it...

Medical Experiment on Animals Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Medical Experiment on Animals - Term Paper Example the past, animal testing was justified due to lack of technology and absence of proficiency in medicine, as fewer alternatives were present to heal the patients (Anderegg et al, 1). Supporters of animal testing have been using the argument that experimentation on animals have led to remarkable advancements like kidney transplants, mental illness, ulcer and asthma drugs, bypass operations, polio vaccines etc. Even the effects of penicillin were first observed on mice in 1940. Following these tests, the drug was then used on soldiers in 1941. Similarly, blood transfusion was conducted on dogs in 1914. Since then this technique has been used for human beings and has helped save the lives of many (RDS, 3). In spite of what the supporters of animal testing say, it has been testified by numerous medical historians that key medical discoveries were rather made by observing patients and human autopsy, as opposed to animal testing. There have been several cases where testing on animals has led to results which ended up misleading the scientists rather than provide evidence. In 1963, it was concluded that smoking and lung cancer in humans was strongly correlated. This conclusion was a result of retrospective studies and research. However when tested on animals, the experiments failed to produce the desired results. Since the human and animal anatomy had vast difference, researchers ignored the human data which they obtained from patients. As a result, health warnings weren’t issued and this resulted in thousands of deaths by lung cancer (Anderegg et al, 2). Similarly the use of animal models misled researchers, when the polio virus was being studied. As a result of experimenting on monkeys, researchers concluded that the polio virus was transmitted through the respiratory system. Consequently misdirected preventive measures were taken and the development of the polio vaccine was delayed. It was later found out that in human, the polio virus is transmitted by the

The Puzzled CEO, The Number Crunching CFO, The Curious HR Director, Essay

The Puzzled CEO, The Number Crunching CFO, The Curious HR Director, The Frustrated R & D Director - Essay Example In some instances, as in Level II or III attacks, they have the potential to be catastrophic. Bearing this in mind, I will now restate what I discussed in the executive meeting regarding the three generation of IA technologies but shall better clarify their relevancy to our company. The first generation of IA technologies is exclusively focused upon the prevention of intrusion. As may be deduced from Liu, Yu and Jing's (2005) definition and analysis of the first generation of IA Technologies, it is imperative that any corporate entity, not just ours, have such a system in place. It involves the implementation of multiple levels of data securitization, seeking to protect information from both unauthorized physical and network access and attack. It is, thus, that our data is encrypted, for example. Encryption functions to maximize the security of data by rendering the deciphering of data retrieved through unauthorized access, difficult. The second generation of IA technologies is founded upon an acknowledgement of the fact that the first generation of IA technologies cannot preve... The IT department was effectively able to identify the intrusion attempts and to offset them precisely because the company has second generation IA technologies in place, whether firewalls or intrusion detectors. As you may recall from our meeting, I did not spend too much time discussing the first and second generations outlined in the above but focused on the importance, indeed, imperatives, of implementing third generation IA technologies. Even while conceding to the fact that the implementation of such a system of technologies is expensive, I would argue that not doing so can prove even more costly. To clarify this, I will define and discuss third generation IA technologies in specific relation to our company. The third generation of IA technologies withstands categorization into two groups, as Liu, Yu and Jing (2005) explain. These are intrusion making and defense in depth. Within the context of the first, the primary aim is to maximize the survivability of a system, even when it has been subjected to attack. It necessitates the redesigning of our current system around the following principles: "(a) redundancy and replication, (b) diversity, (c) randomization, (d) fragmentation and threshold cryptography and (e) increased layers of indirection" (Liu, Yu, and Jing, 2005, p. 112). This system will maximize, not only the company's ability to prevent and detect intrusions but, of greater importance, it will protect our data, hence the company, if violated. The second category of third generation IA technologies I mentioned at the meeting is defense in depth. It would involve our implementing technologies as "(a) boundary controllers, such as firewalls and access control, (b) intrusion detection and (c)

Comparing two different styles of policing

Comparing two different styles of policing This essay will examine the difference between these two styles of policing and try and ascertain which is better for the community. Community policing is an oxymoron, for if the police could serve the whole community there would be little point in having a police force at all fn 1 However for the purposes of this essay community policing will have the meaning which is ascribed to it by the Home Office. It is seen as a key and permanent element of reforms to make the police service more citizen focused. The aim is to build a more responsive, locally accountable and citizen-focused police service through a programme to transform policing at a local level to meet the needs of communities. dddddd The notion of zero tolerance policing was inspired by the apparent success of the approach taken in NY, and a variation of it-confident policing-pursued by DCI Mallon in Hartlepool as well as others within the UK. The notion of zero tolerance policing is based upon the broken window theory and the conviction that the best way to tackle serious crime is to tackle disorder in which policies such as the community safety order, parental responsibility order, composite offence and final warning all have a role to play. It is arguable that this policy adopts a social exclusion rather than inclusion policy approach towards community safety. The result may be that healthy urban futures are established but not necessarily all inhabitants will benefit. Crime, disorder, anti-social behaviour and nuisance may all be particularly unpleasant but it is not clear if placing such a strong emphasis upon criminalisation and enforcement is the best way of tackling the problems contributing to and created by those behaviours. It leaves very little space for more constructive actions and even where it is possible to do so, they take place on terms which strengthen the criminalisation of the discourse of social policy so that the measures end up being more about containment and control within the community. In 1996 the London Metropolitan Police carried out a zero tolerance initiative in partnership with the Transport Police, City of London Police and local authority councils. This initiative involved active confrontational measures to deal with homeless beggars, drug dealers, prostitutes and pimps who were congregating at the St Pancreas Railway Station. The result of the action was the temporary displacement of the undesirables to adjoining neighbourhoods until the control measures were withdrawn. The benefits included over 400 arrests of drug dealers and a raising of the quality of life for people in the area (Leigh et al 1998; 73) A recent Home Office Study of policing styles noted that Cleveland Police responsible for Middlesborough remain convinced that zero tolerance is compatible with community policing in a problem orientated policing form. Cleveland police viewed it as a short term prelude to the implementation of longer term measures in high crime areas where fear of, and intimidation by a minority of residents is having a detrimental effect (Leigh et al 1998, 26 and Romeanes 1998). The statutory enforcement powers for zero tolerance are contained within the Crime and Disorder Act with its emphasis on taking back control over unruly neighbourhoods and so it is not unreasonable or unlikely that the Home Office would give the initiative a qualified endorsement although it chooses to term it order maintenance (Jordan 1998 72). Zero tolerance style of policing is popular with a majority of the public who se the police as being tough on crime. In July 2003 an ICM Poll for the think-tank Reform questioned public support for zero tolerance comprising a highly visible policing on the streets bearing down heavily on anti social behaviour and vandalism. 83% thought that this would be a good idea, with over 50% thinking it would be a very good idea. Does Safer Neighbourhood Policing Help p 62-63 Zero Tolerance does have the negative repercussions of souring police community relations and can antagonise racial tensions in neighbourhoods. This is in conflict with the philosophy and practice of community policing which depends upon strong support from the public and discretion from police officers, proactive policing, problem solving and an intimate knowledge of the neighbourhood in which the police are operating, acquiring intelligence and building trust. Officers viewed discretion as an important part of community policing. A firearms officer was outside a school monitoring traffic and flagged down a middle aged man who was not wearing a seat belt. He managed to resist the temptation to alienate the police service further by scoring 5 easy points and after some advice, he let the man proceed on his way. A few months later the firearms officer found himself in an unoccupied house where a gun had been found in very suspicious circumstances. The same man as in the seat belt incident approached him and provided invaluable information which saved many hours of police investigation. The officer maintained that the man assisted him because he had dealt with him leniently in the seat belt incident and the officer wondered if the man would have assisted had he not used his discretion in the earlier incident? The officer said that police should be left to use their common sense on the streets. Cited in The Public and Police by Harriet Sergeant page 52 Is the answer for the two concepts to sit side by side? It would appear that the two concepts are not mutually exclusive and there is a need for both within certain communities. A police system based on consensus and working in and with the community seems the better option for the community as a whole. This method allows the community to be involved in the law enforcement process and encourages the community to be involved in its own safety by the informal policing of its on neighbourhood, collecting intelligence on suspected trouble makers to assist the police. Community policing allows the community to be a partner with the police in crime reduction and as such are more receptive to police initiatives. Zero tolerance should be used selectively in reducing certain types of deviant behaviour such as anti social behaviour and also for knife and carrying weapons, but its success is limited to selected areas. Its use should be limited to a short sharp approach and it should also be seen as a short term policy rather than overall police policy. It has been shown that a tactic of the targeting of repeat offenders and victims, a high level police visibility in some crime hot spots, and problem orientated strategies and police initiatives have worked. Zero tolerance style of policing can impact on human rights and liberties but it is popular with most members of the law abiding community and politicians as it demonstrates that the state is seen to be tough on crime. Of course whatever is the better option for the community depends on whether you look at the community as a whole or a particular section. If one block of flats is being terrorised by anti social behaviour and zero tolerant tactics are adopted to deal with it, it will not be considered beneficial to the whole community if the perpetrators are merely dispersed to a neighbouring block within the same community. What is best for the community can also be said to be the eradication of crime in the first place, so that the causes are addressed (community policing) rather than the symptons (zero tolerance). It would appear that there is a place for a zero tolerance approach within community policing itself particularly if the community is kept informed of the police approach so that it is included in adopting the policy. So although it may be seen to some members of the community as the better style of policing overall it is better to have the community policing system which is a softly softly approach to law enforcement underpinning the relationship between the police and the community.

Real Dictatorship Between Stalin and 1984 Essay

Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the 1920 until his death in 1953. He has done a lot of good things for his country but during his reign, he also has a lot of mistakes and these mistakes we also can see in the story called 1984. 1984 tells the story of a country’s authoritarian regime and the â€Å"big brother† in this country how to maintain his regime. I find a lot of common between the Stalinist regime and the regime from 1984. I put my point or view is divided into three parts, and now I will describe it one by one. First one, I have my topic sentence called the common between these two slogans â€Å"BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU† from 1984 and â€Å"KGB STILL WATCHING YOU† from the Stalin’s regime. And I also can show that the quote in page 2 from 1984: â€Å"On each landing, opposite the lift shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran. We know that BIG BROTHER is the â€Å"god† in the country in 1984. The â€Å"BIG BROTHER† can be seen in everywhere in this country even if people’s home, so it just want people knows that they should know they need to loyal to BIG BROTHER and work for him. Second one, I will take about the KGB, I have my topic called â€Å"the KGB† from the Stalin’s regime and the Ministry of Love† from 1984. The Ministry of Love is a spy agencies to monitor the people who lives in this country. We can see the quote in page 4 to 5 from 1984: â€Å"The Ministry of Love was the really frightening one. There were no windows in it at all. † â€Å"It was a place impossible to enter except on official business, and then only by penetrating through a maze of barbed-wire entanglements, steel doors, and hidden machine-gun nests. † In another way, the KGB is also a spy agencies to have spied for Stalin, and anyone who was tortured and in most of the times murdered. There is a good example for this is the story of a Jewish man who lived in soviet Russia, and one day the KGB arrested him in the middle of the street for making conspiracy plans of killing Stalin. The innocent man was tortured, and when he still wouldn’t admit that he was planning to kill Stalin, they threatened him by saying that they will shoot his whole family if he won’t, and he had to sign. Finally he was sent to a labor camp, otherwise, he would have died. For this research evidence is wrote by Arik Rattli.

Advantages of Road Transport

There are numerous advantages of road transport in comparison to other modes of transport. 1. Less capital quality:- Road transport required much less capital investment as compared to other modes of transport such as railways and air transport. 2. Door to door services: – The outstanding advantage of road transport is that it provides door to door or warehouse to warehouse services. 8. Saving in packing cost: – As compared to other modes of transport, the process of packing in motor transport is less complicated. Goods transported by motor transport require less packing or no packing in several cases. Flexible services:- Road transport has a great advantage over other modes of transport for its flexible services. Its routes and timings can be adjusted and changed to individual requirements without much inconvenience. 5. Suitable for short distance:- Delays in transit of gods on account of intermediate loading and handling are avoided. Goods can be loaded direct into a road vehicle and transported straight to their place of destination. Price skimming is a business technique which involves charging a high price for a product when it is released initially, and gradually lowering the price over time. The goal of this practice is to ensure that the price matches consumer willingness to pay, generating profits for the company both over time and in the short term. nder some market conditions, the use of price skimming is a strategy to grab higher profits with a new or differentiated product. By charging high prices initially, a company can build a high-quality image for its product. Charging initial high prices allows the firm the luxury of reducing them when the threat of competition arrives. By contrast, a lower initial price would be difficult to increase without risking the loss of sales volume.