Tuesday, December 24, 2019

A P By John Updike - 1122 Words

Throughout the short story AP written by John Updike, we see how men and women are seen in that time. By taking the Marxist approach, Updike was successful in placing sexual, gender and authoritative powers throughout AP to portray how males objectified women in society of the early 1960’s. By using the emphasis of the girl’s bare skin we see the influence of sexual power. Having the story told from a man’s point of view, we see the stereotypical way they view girls and how this may affect them. From the presence of Lengel we see the power of authority switch from the girls to the older man in the conflict of the story. Throughout Updike’s work, the characters explore their own sexual desire which leads to the exploitation of women’s bodies in society. Sammy, the protagonist, focuses on the girl’s bare skin revealing his true intentions. He states â€Å"the two smoothest scoops of vanilla he had ever known.† (Updike 196), referring to the girls breasts. In the beginning of the story Sammy acknowledges that they are wearing bathing suits but he soon moves on to what they aren’t wearing, indicating that his main interest is their bodies. By giving extreme detail into their bare skin it reveals that his main interest is not that they aren’t wearing clothes, but the places themselves that are not covered by clothes. Sammy draws a parallel between the commodities and the girl’s bodies by referring to the girl’s bodies as items found in the supermarket. He describesShow MoreRelatedA P By John Updike982 Words   |  4 PagesThe story that this research paper is being written over is â€Å"AP† by John Updike. This story is filled with good grammar and has a well written plot and good transition. A person reading the story â€Å"AP† could see it as an interesting story filled with good symbolism. The main character, Sammy, uses a great deal of symbolism when describing the thre e girls in bathing suits who walked into the store he works in. the three girls in bathing suits that walked into the store where the center of the wholeRead MoreA P By John Updike1190 Words   |  5 PagesA P is a story of Sammy who is a 19 year old boy working as a clerk at a grocery store in a small town in New England. Published back in 1961 narrative defining A P is the popular mythology of 1960s basically where youthful rebellion powers took over the soulless system. (Sustana) Therefore Updike has written a story that includes key elements of myth along with the background of postwar prosperity and the attendant consumer culture. Where there is a strong hint of the Cold War as hero characterRead MoreA P By John Updike1704 Words   |  7 PagesIn the story AP by John Updike a young cashier by the name of Sammy learns about the power of desire and the mystery of others minds when working at an AP supermarket in a small town north of Boston in the 1960’s, where there was a lot of social norms and many people didn’t step out of them. The young nineteen-year-old Sammy wasn’t expecting his Thursday shift at AP to go the way it did when income three young girls but, these are not your socially normal teenagers who come walking in the doorRead MoreA P By John Updike1160 Words   |  5 Pagesthe girls’ exit and regret fills him. What he thinks is noble and just becomes a changed, regretful soul. In â€Å"AP† by John Updike, the symbolism portrays the theme of the desire for change. The girls’ immodesty is a symbol of rebellion, revealing the theme of the desire for change. As Sammy acknowledges in the short story, the story takes place â€Å"north of Boston† (Updike 360). The estimated time period is the 1960s. At this time, most of the younger generation longed for change, whichRead MoreA P, By John Updike1019 Words   |  5 Pagespsychoanalytical lens can be used to analyze AP, a short story by John Updike, lone, a piece of art by John William Godward, and â€Å"To My Best Friend - Short Film†. Through this lens, readers can draw the theme that all humans have basic instincts and urges that lie in the unconscious mind. Throughout Updike’s AP, it stands clear that we are always being influenced by fundamental human desires. AP is told from the perspective of Sammy, a teenage cashier at AP. In the beginning of the story, three teenageRead MoreA P By John Updike843 Words   |  4 Pageshelp establish the uniqueness of his or her use of speech through the story’s title, structure, punctuation, setting and the communication between characters. In the story A P by John Updike, the author sets the story in a very ordinary place where everyday people go shopping for their groceries, in a market known as A P. Updike’s style within the story shows many aspects of ordinary life. For example, in the first sentence of the story, the narrator Sammy uses incorrectly the word walks, â€Å"InRead MoreA P By John Updike1441 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Updike is considered one of the greatest writers in modern American history. He is known for the idea that seemingly ordinary aspects of American life are actually quite fascinating. He wanted readers to see the beauty and magic of life, so he tried to describe everyday things using the most clear but beautiful language possible. Many of Updike’s pieces are drawn from his own life such as his marriage and his boyhood, as shown in three of his short stories: â€Å"AP†, â€Å"Ace in the Hole†, and â€Å"PigeonRead MoreA P By John Updike765 Words   |   4 PagesJohn Updike wrote, â€Å"A P† in 1961. In this era of the 1950s and early 1960s, conservative dress mirrored conservative social values. Conformity was the measure of popularity as well as a measure of moral rightness. During this time, people were more afraid of being labeled outsiders than they were afraid of the outsiders themselves (â€Å"A P†). Gender issues and the emergence of feminist consciousness are represented when Lengel states the rules that proclaim the girls are decently dressed-codingRead MoreAP by John Updike512 Words   |  2 Pages â€Å"AP† by John Updike is a story about a boy who learns that all actions have consequences. In â€Å"AP† three girls walk in to the store AP in nothing but their bathing suits. Sammy one of the stores cashiers describes what the girls are wearing and what they do throughout the story. The girls walk up and down the aisles catching the attention of many of the other customers. The girls then get in line at Sammy’s checkout, the manager Lengel walks up and tells the girls they will have to leave thisRead MoreA P By John Updike1033 Words   |  5 Pageshow we face these decisions will have an impact in our lives, and sometimes the ones that seem to be small are the most important ones. John Updike understood how making decision affects people’s life, and he develops it in his short story â€Å"A P,† which is the story of an unhappy boy who quits his job for a pretty girl. In order to develop this theme, John Updike takes Sammy, the main charac ter of the story, through three different stages. In the beginning stage, Sammy is just a boy who is not happy

Monday, December 16, 2019

History Of Popular Culture Free Essays

In Early Modern Europe festivals were the setting for heroes and their stories, to be celebrated by the populace. They posed a change from their everyday life. In those days people lived in remembrance of one festival and in expectance of the next. We will write a custom essay sample on History Of Popular Culture or any similar topic only for you Order Now Different kinds of festivals were celebrated in different ways. There were festivals that marked an individual occasion and weren’t part of the festival calendar, like family festivals such as weddings and christenings. Some took place at the same time every year and ere for everyone, like community festivals like the different saints’ days. Pilgrimages took place all year round. Annuals festivals like Christmas and Midsummer always took place on the same day every year. In those days the average village in Western Europe celebrated at least 17 festivals annually, not counting family occasions and saints’ days. Some festivals, such as Carnival, lasted several days or sometimes even several weeks. In the Netherlands Carnival started every year at the 11th of November (St. Martin) and culminated in a big festival of ‘Dranck, pleijsier ende vrouwen’ (Drink, fun and women) at the end of the Carnival eriod, preceding the period of Lent. Festivals were meant to take the minds of the people off their everyday life, off the hard times and their work. Everyday life in Early Modern Europe was filled with rituals, both religious and secular. Songs and stories played an important role in their lives, although they sometimes adjusted the details of the legends and stories to fit the way they thought a certain festival should take place. Popular culture was mixed with ecclesiastical culture in many ways. The story of St. John the Baptist is a good example of this. The ancient ritual f bathing and lighting fires during Midsummer’s Eve was a remnant of a ritual from the pre-Christian period. Fire and water, symbols of purification, could be seen as the tools of St. John the Baptist, and therefore a combination of the two elements of popular and ecclesiastical culture was obvious. It looks as if the Medieval Church took over the festival and made it theirs. The same thing happened to the Midwinter Festival, which became linked with the birth of Christ, on 25 December. There are many more examples to be found, such as the connection between St. Martin and geese caused by the fact that the St. Martins Day (11 November) coincided with the period during which the people used to kill their geese in the period preceding the Christian period. Carnival plays a special role in popular culture in Early Modern Europe. It is a great example of a festival of images and texts. It was a popular festival, taking on different forms in different regions of Europe. Aside from regional variations, these differences were also caused by factors such as the climate, the political situation and the economical situation in an area. On a whole Carnival started in late December or early January and reached ts peak upon approaching Lent. The actual feast, taking place at the end of the festive period, could take days and would usually involve large quantities of food and drinks. The festival took place in the open air in the centre of a town or city. Within a region, the way Carnival was celebrated varied from town to town. The festival was a play, with the streets as a stage and the people as actors and spectators. They often depicted everyday life scenes and made fun of them. Informal events took place throughout the Carnival period. There was massive eating and drinking, as a way of ’stocking up’ for Lent. People sang and danced in the streets, using the special songs of Carnival, and people wore masks and fancy-dress. There was verbal aggression, insults were exchanged and satirical verses were sung. More formally structures events were concentrated in the last days of the Carnival period. These events took places in the central squares and were often organised by clubs or fraternities. The main theme during Carnival was usually ‘The World Upside Down’. Situations got turned around. It was an enactment of the world turned upside down. Men dressed up as women, women dressed up as men, the rich traded places with the poor, etc. There was physical reversal: people standing on their heads, horses going backwards and fishes flying. There was reversal of relationships between man and beast: the horse shoeing the master or the fish eating the fisherman. The other reversal was that of relationships between men: servants giving orders to their masters or men feeding children while their wives worked the fields. Many events centred on the figure of ‘Carnival’, often depicted as a fat man, cheerful and surrounded by food. The figure of ‘Lent’, for contrast, often took the form of a thin, old woman, dressed in black and hung with fish. These depictions varied in form and name in the different regions in Europe. A recurring element was the performance of a play, usually a farce. Mock battles were also a favourite pass-time during the Carnival period. Carnival usually ended with the defeat of ‘Carnival’ by ‘Lent’. This could happen in the form of the mock trial and execution of ‘Carnival’, (Bologna, Italy, 16th century), the beheading of a pig (Venice, Italy), or the burial of a sardine (Madrid, Spain). So what was the meaning of Carnival in Early Modern Europe? Was it merely an excuse for the populace to go crazy or did Carnival have a deeper eaning hidden behind the facade of food, violence and sex? Carnival was a holiday, a game. It was a time of ecstasy and liberation. The form was determined by three major themes: food, sex and violence. It was the time of indulgence, of abundance. It was also a time of intense sexual activity – tables of the seasonal movement of conceptions in 18th century France show a peak around February. Carnival was also a festival of aggression, destruction and desecration. It was the ideal time to insult or pester people who had wronged someone, often in the form of a mock battle of a football match. A time for paying off old grudges. Serious violence was not avoided and in most areas the rates of serious crimes and killings went up during Carnival. It was also a time of opposition, in more than one way. It opposed the ecclesiastical ritual of Lent. Lent was a period of fasting and abstinence of all things enjoyed by the people, not just food and drink but also sex and recreation. The elements that were taken out of life during Lent were emphasised during Carnival. All that was portrayed by the figures of ‘Carnival’ and ‘Lent’ (fat versus thin). Carnival was polysemous, meaning different things to different people in ifferent areas. In different regions, different heroes were celebrated. Sometimes elements were taken over from other regions. Carnival did not have the same importance all over Europe. In the north of Europe (Britain, Scandinavia) it was less important than in the rest of Europe. This was probably partly due to the climate which discouraged an elaborate street festival at that time of the year. In these regions, people preferred to elaborate the festivities during the Midsummer festival (St. John’s Eve). Two reasons for this are the pagan survivals that were stronger in these regions, partly because they were solated from the rest of Europe due to geographical obstacles, causing a lesser ecclesiastical influence, and the climatic situation as mentioned above. Carnival was a festival in extremis, but elements of Carnival can be found in every festival that was celebrated in Early Modern Europe. During the harvest season, all over Europe festivals and rituals were held. The harvest was celebrated, again, with elaborate drinking and eating, although in a more moderate way than the Carnival celebrations. All these festival had one thing in common: they offered the people an escape from their everyday life and a way to express themselves. It offered the people a way to vent their resentments and some form of entertainment. Festivals were an escape from their struggle to earn a living. They were something to look forward to and were a celebration of the community and a display of its ability to put on a good show. It is said that the mocking of outsiders (the neighbouring village or Jews) and animals might be seen as a dramatic expression of community solidarity. Some rituals might be seen as a form of social control, in a sense that it was a means for a community to express their discontent with certain embers of the community (charivari). The ritual of public punishment can be seen in this light, as it was used to deter people from committing crimes. Professor Max Gluckman used the African popular culture to explain the social function of the ritual of reversal of roles as it happened during rituals as Carnival. Similar rituals still occur in certain regions in Africa. Gluckman explains this ritual as an emphasis of certain rules and taboos through lifting them for a certain period of time. The apparent protests against the social order were intended to preserve and even to trengthen the established order. As a counter example Gluckman states that: â€Å"? in regions where the social order is seriously questioned, ‘rites of protest’ do not occur. † Riots and rebellions frequently took place during major festivals. Rebels and rioters employed rituals and symbols to legitimise their actions. Inhibitions against expressing hostility towards the authorities or individuals were weakened by the excitement of the festival and the consumption of large quantities of alcohol. If those factors were combined with discontent over a bad harvest, tax increases or other calamities, this ituation could get out of control. It could prove a good opportunity for people excluded from power to try and enforce certain changes. It is hardly surprising that members of the upper classes often suggested that particular festivals ought to be abolished. They felt threatened by the populace who during festivals tried to revolt against the ruling classes and change the economical situation they were in. The reform of popular festivals was instigated by the will of some of the ‘educated’ to change the attitudes and values of the rest of the population († to improve them†). This reformation took on different forms in different regions and it took place at different moments in time. There were also differences in the practices that were being reformed. Catholics and Protestants opposed to different elements of popular festivals and they did so for different reasons. Even within the Protestant movement, the views towards reformation of festivals and popular rituals varied. Missionaries on both sides worked in Europe to install their religious values in the local people. Reformers on both sides objected in particular to certain elements in popular religion. Festivals were part of popular religion or were at least disguised as an element of popular religion. The festival of Martinmas (11 November) was a good example of this. What were the objections of the authorities against these elements of popular culture in general and popular religion in particular? There were two essential religious objections. Firstly, the majority of festivals were seen as remnants of ancient paganism. Secondly, the festivals offered the people an occasion to over-indulge in immoral or offensive behaviour, at many occasions attacking the establishment (both ecclesiastical and civil). The first objection meant that reformers disliked many of the popular customs because they contained traces of ancient customs dating from pre-Christian times. Protestant reformers went very far in their objections, even denouncing a number of Catholic rituals as being pre-Christian survivals, considering the saints as successors of pagan gods and heroes, taking over their curative and protective functions. Magic was also considered a pagan remnant: the Protestants accused the Catholics of practising a pagan ritual by claiming that certain holy places held magical powers and could cure people. The reformers denounced the rituals they didn’t find fitting as being irreverent and blasphemous. Carnival and the charivaris were considered â€Å"the work of the devil†, because it made a mockery of certain godly elements the Church held sacred. The reformers thought people who didn’t honour God in their way to be heathen, doomed to spend their afterlife in eternal damnation. Flamboyance was to be chased out of all religious aspects of culture, and, where possible, out of all other aspects of life, according to the Protestant doctrine. In some areas, gesturing during church services was banned, as was laughter. All these things were seen as irreverent, making a mockery of religion. All these changes were introduced in order to create a sharper separation between the ’sacred’ and the ‘profane’. The ecclesiastical authorities were out to destroy the traditional familiarity with the sacred because â€Å"familiarity breeds irreverence. The objection against popular recreations stemmed from the idea that they were ‘vanities’, displeasing God because they were a waste of time and money and distracted people from going to church. This objection was shared by both the ecclesiastical and civil authorities. The latter mainly bjected because it distracted the populace from their work, which in turn affected the revenues of the leading upper classes, or from other activities that were benefiting the rich, reasons that would vary per region. Catholic and Protestant reformers were not equally hostile to popular culture, nor were they hostile for quite the same reasons. Protestant reformers were more radical, denouncing festivals as relics of popery and looking to abolish feast-days as well as the feast that came with it, because they considered the saints that were celebrated during these festivals as remnants of a pre-Christian era. Many of these Protestant reformers were equally radical in their attacks on holy images, which they considered ‘idols’. During the end of the 16th and the first half of the 17th century Dutch churches were pillaged by Protestants trying to destroy all religious relics and images (de Beeldenstorm). Catholic reformers were more modified in their actions; they tried to reach a certain modification of popular religious culture, even trying to adapt certain elements to the Catholic way of worshipping and incorporating popular elements into their religion. They insisted that some times were holier than others, and they id object to the extend to which the holy days were celebrated with food and drink. Some argued that it was impossible to obey the rites of Lent with proper reverence and devotion if they had indulged in Carnival just before. Catholic reformers also installed rules in order to regulate certain popular festivals and rituals, such as a prohibition on dressing up as a member of the clergy during Carnival or a prohibition on dancing or performing plays in churches or churchyards. Contrary to the Protestant reformers however, the Catholic reformers did not set out to abolish estivals and rituals completely. Civil authorities had their own reasons to object to popular festivals in Early Modern Europe. Apart from taking the people away from work or other obligations, the authorities feared that during the time of a festival, the abundance of alcohol could stir up the feelings of discontent the people had been hiding all throughout the year. Misery and alcohol could create a dangerous mix that would give people the courage they needed to rebel against authorities. This was a good reason for the authorities to try and stop, or at least control, popular festivals. How to cite History Of Popular Culture, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Computer Graphics A Semi

Computer Graphics: A Semi-Technical Introduction Essay My semi-technical introduction to computer graphics will, however, provide only a half-answer, one that, in particular, cannot address the necessary comparison between paintings and computer images or between subtractive and additive color mixing. Simplified accordingly, a computer image is a two-dimensional additive mixture of three base colors shown in the frame, or parergon, of the monitor hous ing. Sometimes the computer image as such is less apparent, as in the graphic interface of the newfangled operating systems, sometimes rather more, as in ‘‘images’* in the literal sense of the word. At any rate, the generation of 2000 likely subscribes to the fallacy—backed by billions of dollars—that computers and com puter graphics are one and the same. Only aging hackers harbor the trace of a mem ory that it wasn’t always so. There was a time whon the computer screen’s display consisted of white dots on an amber or green background, as if to remind us that the techno-historical roots of computers lie not in television, but in radar, a medium of war. Radar screens, though, must be able to address the dots, which represent attacking enemy planes, in all dimensions and to shoot them down with the click of a mouse. The computer image derives precisely this addressability from early-warning systems, even if it has replaced the polar coordinates of the radar screen with Cartesian coordi nates. In contrast to the semi-analog medium of television, not only the horizontal lines but also the vertical columns are resolved into basic units. The mass of these so-called pixels† forms a two-dimensional matrix that assigns each individual point of the image a certain mixture of the three base colors: red, green, and blue. The discrete, or digital, nature of both the geometric coordinates and their chromatic values makes possible the magical artifice that separates computer graphics from film and tele vision. Now. for the first time in the history of optical media, it is possible to address a single pixel in the 849th row and 720th column directly without having to run through everything before and after it. The computer image is thus prone to falsification to a degree that already gives television pr oducers and ethics watch dogs the shivers: indoed. it is forgery incarnate. It deceives the eye, which is meant to be unable to differentiate between individual pixels, with the illusion or image of an imago, while in truth the mass of pixels, because of its thorough address ability. proves to be structured more like a text composod entirely of individual letters. For this reason—and for this reason only—it is no problem for a computer monitor to switch between text and graphics modes. The twofold digitality of coor- dinates and color value, however, creates certain problem areas, of which at least throe should be mentioned. First, tho three color canons of traditional television or computer monitors are simply not sufficient for producing all physically possiblo colors. Rather, experi ments (which the industry seems to have considered too costly) have shown that it would require nine color canons to even begin to approach the visible spectrum.1 As it stands, the so-called â€Å"RGB cube.† the three-dimensional matrix of discrete values of red, green, and blue, is a typical digital compromise between engineers and management experts. Second, discreto matrices—the two-dimensional matrix of geometric coordinates no less than the throo-dimonsional matrix of color values—pose tho fundamental problem of sampling r ate. Neither nature, so far as wo believe we understand it. II. The optical media, having changed Western culture—not coincidentally—simul taneously with Gutenbergs printing press, always approached optics as optics. From the camera obscura to the television camera, all these media have simply taken the ancient law of reflection and tho modern law of refraction and poured   them into hardware. Reflection and linear perspective, refraction and aerial per spective are the two mechanisms that have indoctrinated the Western mode of perception, all counterattacks of modern art notwithstanding. What once could be accomplished in the visual arts only manually, or. in the case of Vermeer and his camera obscura,* only semi-automatically, has now been taken over by fully auto matic technical media. One fine day. Henry Fox Ihlbot set aside his camera clara, to which his imperfect drawing hand had lent its quite imperfect support, and adopted a photography that he celebrated as the pencil of nature itself. One day. less fine. E. T. A. Hoffman n’s Nathanael shoved aside his lover Clara, hold a per spective glass or telescope to his eye. and jumped to his certain death. Computer graphics ure to these optical media what the optical media are to the eye. Just as the camera lens, literally as hardware, simulates the eye. which is lit erally wetware. so does software, as computer graphics, simulate hardware. The optica] laws of reflection and refraction remain in effect for output devices such as monitors or LCD screens, but the program whose data directs these devices trans poses such optical laws as it obeys into algebraically pure logic. These laws are generally, it should be noted from the outset, by no means all the optical laws valid for fields of vision and surfaces, shadows and effects of light; what is played out are these selected laws themselves and not, as in the optical media, just the effects they produce. It’s no wonder, then, that art historian Michael Baxandall can go so far as to suggest that co mputor graphics provide the logical spaco of which any given perspective painting forms a moro or less rich subset. .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 , .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 .postImageUrl , .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 , .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011:hover , .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011:visited , .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011:active { border:0!important; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011:active , .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011 .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7fa2b083b844d1d0f45e0d7f81755011:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Graphical image EssayTho complete virtualization of optics has its condition of possibility in the com plete addressability of all pixels. The three-dimensional matrix of a perspectival space made into discrete elements can be converted to a two-dimensional matrix of discrete rows and columns unambiguously but not bijectively. Every olemcnt posi tioned in front or behind, right or loft, above or below is accorded a matching virtual point, the two-dimensional representation of which is what appears at any given time. Only the brute fact of available RAM space limits the richness and resolution detail of such worlds, and only the unavoidable, if unilateral, choice of the opt ic mode to govern such worlds limits their aesthetics. In the following I would like to try to present the two most important of those optional optic modes, raytracing and radiosity. That being said, it is important to emphasize from the outset what a revolution it is, compared to analog optical media, that computer graphics make optic modes optional at all. To be sure, photography and film allowed for a choice between wide-angle or telephoto lenses and   a wide selection of color filters. But since photography’s hardware simply did what it had to do under tho given physical conditions, there was never any quostion of what the optimal algorithm for images might be. Conversely, computer graphics, because it is software, consists of algorithms and only of algorithms. The optimal algorithm for automatic image synthesis can be determined just as easily as non-algorithmic image synthesis. It would merely have to calculate all optical, i.e. electromagnetic, equivalencies that qua ntum elec trodynamics recognizes for measurable spaces, for virtual spaces as well; or, to put it more simply, it would have to convert Richard Feynmans threo-volume Lectures on Physics into software. Then a cat’s fur, because it creates anisotropic surfaces, would shimmer like cat’s fur; then streaks in a wine glass, because they change their refraction index at each point, would turn the lights and things behind them into complete color spectra. Theoretically, nothing stands in tho way of such miracles. Universal discrete machines, which is to say. computers, can do anything so long as it is programma ble. But it is not just in Rilke’s Malte Laurids Brigge but also in quantum electro dynamics that realities are slow and indescribably detailed.’’7 The perfect optics could be programmed just barely within a finite time, but, because of infinite mon itor waiting times, would have to put off rendering the porfect imago. Computer graphics are differentiated from the cheap real -time effects of the visual entertain ment media by a capacity to waste time that would rival that of good old painters if its usors woro just more patient. It is only in the name of impatience that all existing computer graphics are based on idealizations—a term that functions here, unlike in philosophy, as a pejorative. A first fundamental idealization consists of treating bodies as surfaces. In con trast to computer medicine, which out of necessity must render these bodies as three-dimensional, computer graphics automatically reduces tho dimensions of its input to the two dimensions of its output. That would exclude not just transparent or partly transparent things like the above-mentioned streaks in a wine glass. It is also more than apparent that things like cat fur or lambs-wool clouds (at least since Benoit Mandelbrot) have neither two nor three whole-numhered dimensions, but rather a so-called Hausdorff dimension of 2.37. Not coincidentally, computer generated films like Jurassic Park do not even attempt to compete with the fur coats in Hans Holbein’s The Ambassadors, they content themselves with armored and thus optically unadorned dinosaurs. Even with the perfection of the fundamental reduction of bodies to surfaces, of Hausdorff dimensions to pictorial material, computer graphics will still ultimately need to face tho question of what virtual mechanism shall be used to represent which surfaces. Two algorithms present themselves as options, but these practically contradict each other and. consequently, govern mutually exclusive aesthetics. Realistic computer graphics, i.e. those that, unlike mere wireframe models, are supposed to be able to compete with the traditional arts, are either raytracing or radiosity—but not both at the same time.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

The starry night Essay Example For Students

The starry night Essay The Starry night by Van Gogh Now the darkness took over the sky and a chill ran down my body. The wispy breeze was cold too. The somber path curving up to the ghastly trivial hill, on which I walked alone. But the other side of the hill was proud with light. The path ran amidst prickly scrubs trampled by the locals. On the path were laid water drenched leaves from the shower in the afternoon. The sky was illuminated with tiny emotive objects. Under he colossal tree laid a pit of dry leaves with some streaks of gray smoke making their way through the long butted sack of heat. The starry night started with a chilled breeze blowing and fireflies rode the air current making their way through to safer grounds. I made myself comfortable on soft damp grass and lay down. A man stood on the front, barring the view. He crushed a stalk in his mouth, a Mexican poncho crowned his head, and he bore a cowboy outfit on a lean build. We will write a custom essay on The starry night specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now He had his own way, e stood tall with a silhouette marking his practical personality. He asked what are you doing out here, kid? I was bewildered and I said Just had food, am chilling, you? He kept quiet, wind blew, the leaves rattled and the light smoke hustled to get attention. The sky had a startling clout which made me contemplate the environment. In front of the long butted fire stood a rock which stood crisp and rough by the blowing air. It was midnight, an I still lay on the velvety grass sensing a deep, amp scent of rain, a little bit of moist mud. The cynical curls of clouds ruled the skies, and the stars seemed to have been standing overpowered by the vicious clouds of rain, but as time went past the mighty clouds had been triumphed by the robust Lulus. It seemed very positive while the person by my side lay with his hat covering his cryptic and diplomatic personality. The sky was clear and the moss started to deluge on my face like god left his shower running. I felt exuberant, I unveiled my yes and witnessed the Jovial and stunning sky and it mesmerisms me, as I gradually stood up and could not see the man. The rabbits hurried as silently as they could to get out of sight. For a moment the entire place felt dull until I the bright sunlight struck my eyes and forced me to look at it. The tedious darkness was defeated by the bright streaks of sun, the light climbed up the hill and it was five in the morning. The cowboy man patted me on the back, his face blushing with an optimistic glow, like it said lets move on. The starry night Essay Example For Students The starry night Essay The Starry night by Van Gogh Now the darkness took over the sky and a chill ran down my body. The wispy breeze was cold too. The somber path curving up to the ghastly trivial hill, on which I walked alone. But the other side of the hill was proud with light. The path ran amidst prickly scrubs trampled by the locals. On the path were laid water drenched leaves from the shower in the afternoon. The sky was illuminated with tiny emotive objects. Under he colossal tree laid a pit of dry leaves with some streaks of gray smoke making their way through the long butted sack of heat. The starry night started with a chilled breeze blowing and fireflies rode the air current making their way through to safer grounds. I made myself comfortable on soft damp grass and lay down. A man stood on the front, barring the view. He crushed a stalk in his mouth, a Mexican poncho crowned his head, and he bore a cowboy outfit on a lean build. We will write a custom essay on The starry night specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now He had his own way, e stood tall with a silhouette marking his practical personality. He asked what are you doing out here, kid? I was bewildered and I said Just had food, am chilling, you? He kept quiet, wind blew, the leaves rattled and the light smoke hustled to get attention. The sky had a startling clout which made me contemplate the environment. In front of the long butted fire stood a rock which stood crisp and rough by the blowing air. It was midnight, an I still lay on the velvety grass sensing a deep, amp scent of rain, a little bit of moist mud. The cynical curls of clouds ruled the skies, and the stars seemed to have been standing overpowered by the vicious clouds of rain, but as time went past the mighty clouds had been triumphed by the robust Lulus. It seemed very positive while the person by my side lay with his hat covering his cryptic and diplomatic personality. The sky was clear and the moss started to deluge on my face like god left his shower running. I felt exuberant, I unveiled my yes and witnessed the Jovial and stunning sky and it mesmerisms me, as I gradually stood up and could not see the man. The rabbits hurried as silently as they could to get out of sight. For a moment the entire place felt dull until I the bright sunlight struck my eyes and forced me to look at it. The tedious darkness was defeated by the bright streaks of sun, the light climbed up the hill and it was five in the morning. The cowboy man patted me on the back, his face blushing with an optimistic glow, like it said lets move on.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Right to Online Music Sharing essays

The Right to Online Music Sharing essays Its 10 PM at night, and youre downloading a hit song from one of your new favorite bands. If certain companies and industry heads get there way, this will soon be impossible. As the Internet has grown in the past five years into a source for vast amounts of information and knowledge, the people have changed it, molded it for their own wants and needs. It is because of this that it is possible to get music for free from programs such as Kazaa, Imesh, or the most popular and controversial one, Napster. The principle leader of this, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is extremely against this, and for no reason, for it is impossible to stop all forms of it. Its obviously not hurting everyone, especially seeing music stars are already making millions of dollars. Therefore, they should stop pursuing this never-ending battle, for they will never prevail. First of all, there are so many different search engines to use to find music. Its almost everyday that a new program is uploaded to the Internet and downloaded by thousands, even millions of users. Every time a program or site is shutdown for distributing such software, another one is created and brought to users that have access all over the world. The RIAA isnt having any success shutting others down, for they spend too much money and time on only one of them, Napster (Bootleggers). Janis Ian said, The Internet, and downloading, are here to stay... Anyone who thinks otherwise should prepare themselves to end up on the slagheap of history. (Ian) I believe that because of such trouble these Recording Companies are going through, they are making people think of how greedy the Recording Industry is. Consumers will possibly think, why should I continue to assist them by buying CDs? Some artists believe that if they choose to make songs available to the public, that they will be m ore like...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Who Will Write My Term Paper at Affordable Rates

Who Will Write My Term Paper at Affordable Rates Who Will Write My Term Paper at Affordable Rates? Understandably, student who have made their minds to order assistance always look for affordable, but high quality writing services since most of them are not employed or are part-time workers. Hectic student life leaves not much time for out-of-class activities and term papers consume much of their time because they demand adequate exposure on the subject under discussion. Who can write my term paper at affordable rates? desperate students need to submit their term papers before the stipulated deadlines. Term papers contribute a major share on students overall grading. This means that students have to give term papers their best shot in order to advance to the next learning level. College students are always assigned term papers at nearly the same time making it difficult for them to complete the papers in a quality fashion. Completing one term paper and immediately starting another can compromise quality of the subsequent paper. Students therefore need assistance on their term papers in order to score good grades. Our paper writing service agency employs fresh university graduates to assist clients in completing their assignments. Most of the term papers ordered from our paper writing service are from college hence writers find them easy to complete. Doing a term paper requires writers who have good research and writing skills. Term papers are assessments given to students to ascertain whether they have grasped the idea of the course or not. Doing term papers is therefore challenging because it requires the student to remember the concepts learned in class. We offer to help you with your term paper for cost-effective prices. Our writers are very cooperative and will help you any time of the day. Freelance writing agencies recognize that majority of students depend on their parents for upkeep. It is therefore upon the student to save some cash so that he/she can purchase term papers. Therefore, we have done everything possible to provide student in need with affordable, plagiarism free and high quality content. But you should also be considerate of the writers needs, high quality papers cannot be to cheap, as the writers need motivation to produce a good paper. A discouraged writer is likely to produce term papers of low quality, which will be of no use to you. Order with our custom writing service and we will help you with any kind of paper you have a hard time doing. Just fill in the order form in a few simple steps and pay for your order. Now you have some free time to spare on other activities while a suitable writer deals with your order. You wonder Who can write my term paper for me? Visit and order a custom term paper written by professional writers.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Research on Sharia law Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

On Sharia law - Research Paper Example , the origins of Sharia laws derive from a combination of laws, like Roman laws, contents of the Holy Koran (qiyas), teachings of Prophet Mohammed and present day assimilations of ancient legal interpretations and treatises (ijmas). However, an interesting aspect of Shari has been that in their countries of acceptance and faith, different interpretations exist for these laws. Modernists, traditionalists and fundamentalists all hold different views of Sharia, as do adherents to different schools of Islamic thought and scholarship. Different countries and cultures have varying interpretations of Sharia as well. Thus, Sharia practices in African countries may be quite different from those in Arab countries. On the other hand, Muslim population in India may have different cultural and sociological interpretation of Sharia than what is being done in Indonesia, or Yemen, for that matter. Thus, what is important is the sociological background of these laws in the context of respective countries where these laws are followed. Moreover, it is also seen that Islam has two sub sects – Sunnis and Shias. It is now necessary to consider the differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims, which essentially finds the difference in religion but politics. This is primarily because it concerns leadership matters subsequent to the prophet’s era and what led to division of Muslim sect soon after the death Mohammed. When the question arose as to who would inherit the mantle of the Prophet, of one sect believed that leadership should be taken over by one of his worthy followers. But Shias believed th at leadership should move to the member of his own kith or kin, like his son- in- law, or nephew. Thus, major differences arose between Sunnis and Shias, such that the latter were not able to ever reconcile themselves to the fact that Ali’s descendants were not provided due leadership in the Muslim order after the lifetime of Prophet. Thus, they refused to accept the authority of Sunni

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Gender Roles In Old Testament Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gender Roles In Old Testament - Research Paper Example Men and women both are considered saints when they die according to the Testament; there are different aspects of being a saint such as being a martyr, a military leader or a monarch etc. which symbolized the different roles that were played by them in their life as Christians. Jesus is believed to have told his followers in the Testament that God is like their Father and should be addressed so. Catholics and Orthodox Christians also believe that there is a special place for Mary, who was the Mother of Jesus and this shows that they give virtue to the maternal value in Christianity. Protestants, however, don’t believe in the devotion towards Mary, called Marian devotion. (Pierce, Groothuis, & Fee, 2004) The Old Testament describes the journey of Christianity and its beliefs. Christianity came from patriarchal societies which place men in a higher position of command in a marriage bond, in society, government and many other aspects. Christ was inclusive of women, however, apostles were the only male. Marian devotion rose in the Middle Ages and so did chivalry. Women became part of church life later by developing the concept of a convent where women played a role by being religious nuns and sisters. (Barton, 2007) Gender roles have also been debated over the years among people of different beliefs and their different theories, however, there are some views that are widely accepted in our culture and in our practical lives as well. The way of life is shown in the Old Testament; it is a revelation with roles defined for men and women that people often confuse for their own purposes today. It covers what their roles have been since they were created. And it further helps us to overcome barriers, races, cultures etc. and to understand the broader sentiment of the subject.  

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Philosophy Essay 1. Settings: I scheduled my AA meeting for Tuesday September the 18th at 10 p.m. at the Sobe Room in Miami Beach (1718 Bay Rd. Miami Beach, Fl. 33139). When I arrived I noticed that the parking was far away from the actual meeting point. The meeting point was a church type structure with no sing or any other identification. The door was open so I just went in; I waited about 5 minutes for the meeting to start. The meeting took place in a large room, and the chairs were organized in a semicircle and at the front there was a kind of podium. In the Sobe Room all meetings are open, so I didn’t have to set an appointment. In the meeting were about 50 people, I guess because it was in south beach the majority were young people under 40. There were mostly white males, followed by white females some Latin and some African Americans. There were about 15 people who were there for the first time. I didn’t have to say why I was there but I did have to say my name when everyone else did. 2. Philosophy Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. The primary purpose of AA is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. Although AA was founded on Christian principles and by white men, the organization has evolved to be multicultural. AA doesn’t keep a list of members names, but estimates that it has 2 million members who come from all backgrounds. The philosophy behind Alcoholics Anonymous is that alcoholism is a disease. Even if someone stops drinking, they are not cured. The individual is a recovering alcoholic. The organization follows a 12-step structure designed to help the recovering alcoholic have a healthy mind and spirit. By following the 12 steps in sequence, the recovering alcoholic can improve their thought processes and work on healing their emotions. 3. Therapeutic content Even though AA is an independent organization and is not based on psychological or therapeutic research or interventions, they have adopted some techniques of different theoretical models to help the group members deal with their illness. AA uses techniques from diverse psychological theoretical models such as existentialism, gestalt, and narrative therapy. The existentialism theory invites clients to explore their being and ask themselves philosophical questions such as what is the meaning of live, how do actions define individuals and to continually revise their set of values. AA uses this approach in its program when they talk about the greater power, the purpose of their lives, etc. Gestalt theory sees each client as a unique individual and states that any change made by the client has to be his or her own decision, gestalt therapy is also very confrontational, and in both characteristics are included in the AA program. AA states that the client will get better if and only they really want it and commit to it. Also AA uses an approach similar to the narrative therapy by treating the addiction as an illness and as a problem independent of the client, it externalizes it to try to confront it. 4. Impressions and significance: When I arrived to the meeting the first thing that called my attention was the fact that we had to park really far away from the actual site (about two blocks) I later found out that it was purposely made this way so the members wouldn’t feel self conscious about having their cars outside of something that could be affiliated with alcoholism. I entered the location, it wasn’t an actual church, but it had a church like structure. The doors were opened and most people seemed to know each other, before the meeting started some people said hi to me but no one asked any questions. The meeting began with a shot prayer called the serenity prayer, which had me thinking about some contradictions found in the AA philosophy since they claim not to have any religious affiliation but it certainly felt a little inclined towards the Christian side. After the prayer everyone introduced themselves (most people said their names and I’m an alcoholic, but some didn’t) I said my name but gave no further information. Then someone proceed to talk a little about the AA program and the 12-step structure. After the greeting process a guy (27) stood up and went to the podium. He started by repeating his name and saying he was an alcoholic. He said that since this time he saw a lot of new faces he wanted to share his story again. The man shared a very powerful story about his involvement with alcohol, he stated he started drinking around the age of 14, he said that at the moment he thought he was just having fun and doing the same that everyone else did, but that now that he thinks about it he realizes he was using alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with the confusion he was facing about his sexuality. He stated that he came out of the closet at the age of 16, that it was a very difficult time and that he was dating older men who encouraged him to drink. He continued talking about what coming out had done to the relationship with his family members; he described the time as very painful and he cried while telling the story (some of the people in the meeting cried as well). He said that his mother was very supportive since the beginning, that his younger brother had a hard time understanding; he said that he was a jog in school, so no one expected him to come out since he wasn’t â€Å"the gay type†. But that the real issue was with his father, as soon as he gave him the news the father became very angry and he kicked him out of the house. He said that he sort of expected the reaction but thought that he would eventually get over it, but that that hadn’t happened yet, and that it’s been 10 years and 7 months since the last time he spoke with his father. He said that he joined AA when he was 23, he decide to attend a meeting because he and his partner were having terrible fights while he was under the influence of alcohol and he even tried to hit him once. At that point the partner threatened with leaving him if he didn’t get treatment. He stated that it was the best decision he made in his live. He has now been sober for 3 years and 4 months. Before going to the meeting I had many opinions about what I would find there, I was sure that most people would be people of low socioeconomic status probably many homeless and very angry people. I was afraid of being forced to speak and that they wouldn’t understand the reason that I was participating in the meeting. I expected to see a lot of people praying, singing, and hugging at the end. But the truth is that the reality was very different to what I had in my imagination, I think my perception was heavily influenced by movies I’ve see about it. One thing that caught my attention was the first to realize that most people in the group were people with jobs and life situations fairly normal. But mostly I was surprised that people were a bit cold and distant. I was hoping that dodos were united and friendly to each other but not the case. For me the story of gay guy was very powerful and I felt good to see people around me responding positively and nodding. One thing I did not like was the strong Christian influence of the program; I feel that excludes many people who do not feel identified with this dogma. I think AA is a very powerful tool and can help many clients, but I also think is not for everyone. I would recommend it to clients with maladaptive behaviors that do not have the skills to deal with day-to-day problems. I think that a person has to be religious to some point to really identify with the program. I would not recommend this program to teenagers because I think that there are other programs more suitable for this population.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Identify the constituent parts of a total computer system :: Computer Science

Identify the constituent parts of a total computer system ========================================================= Hardware - input and output units Backup storage; central processing unit; Software - applications package; Operating system; The main function of a computer system is to process data. When data has been processed and output it becomes information. The main stages of this procedure are: 1. The Input Stage - where data is put into the computer. 2. The Processing Stage - where the data is processed. 3. The Output Stage - where the results are displayed. A computer also needs to store data for later use. This is done on a backing storage device. Hardware - input and output units INPUT DEVICES Barcode reader A barcodeBarcodes are different groups of vertical bars that can be read by an optical scanner. Barcodes are printed on nearly every product that you can buy. Shops use barcodes because they are cheap to produce and very durable. Concept keyboard A concept keyboard is a flat board that contains a grid of buttons. Each button can be programmed to follow instructions. An overlay sheet is placed on the grid with an explanation for each button. They are used in primary schools with young children. Many modern fast food restaurants have overlays with either a description or picture of the meals that are available to make ordering easier. Digital camera A digital camera allows you to take pictures and to store a digital photographic image that can be read by a computer. You can then transfer the images directly from your camera on to your computer. Digital cameras are often used by estate agents for producing advertising and sales material. Graphics tablet A graphics tabletA graphics tablet consists of a flat pad (the tablet) on which the user draws with a special pen. As the user draws on the pad the image is created on the screen. Using a graphics tablet a designer can produce very accurate on-screen drawings. MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Reader) Magnetic ink characters are the strange looking numbers that appear at the bottom of cheques. These characters are used because they are very difficult to forge or damage. Banks use MICR to read the numbers from the bottom of cheques to obtain data such as account numbers and bank sort codes. Magnetic strip A magnetic strip on a credit cardMagnetic strips are built into many plastic cards such as cheque guarantee cards, cash-point cards and personal identity cards. The magnetic strip on the back of the card can hold the personal details of the card owner and, with the necessary PIN, will allow access to secure information e.g. bank account details. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) A MIDI system allows you to attach a musical instrument to your

Monday, November 11, 2019

Payroll Literature Review Essay

In textile industry, quality is closely related to employee performance . An essential feature of any successful factory is motivated employee. Therefore the performance of an employee towards his or her place of work and the extent to which an employer, owner or manager is able to motivate employees may have a direct effect on the quality of those products. One most important challenge facing managers is the creation of context within which employees feel motivated and will act in order to achieve the goals of the organization. Firms must put more care on and satisfy employees demand, commitment and inspiration in work and then push them to meet the target set by the firm. Excellent services to employees are resulted from satisfied supervisors, because the performance and behavior of supervisors interacting with employees would influence the feeling and behavior of the employee when they get the service. It is quite important for managers to efficiently define and manage the way that their employees do the service in order to make sure that their performance and behavior are good for service providing. Since the emerging of information technology and the introduction of computers, more work is effectively performed and successful results achieved. Right from government industries to nonprofit making organizations, the use of information technology has married with all types or rather patterns of activities in order to produce the desired results as an end product of the collaboration. In this day’s industries can effectively use information technology to work its daily activities without delays, failure or man made errors. The payroll system is a new system which uses the computer to work out calculations regarding employees’ performance whereas can compute the total target and hence produce the salary achieved by the employee. In this system, the employee, employee names are registered in the computer and each details of the employee is acquired and registered too. After which during the payment, the office production clerks off-pc and lines production clerks pc enter the salary of sewing lines by scanning the production and later the computer will automatically compute for total, target and bonus. The most advantageous part of this system is: it is quick in computation and presentation of information and because of this less time hence saves on time. Being accurate, it is not prone to human error. It is economical that is stationer like papers will be used sparingly in printing of daily attendance, and daily line production salary of employee for confirmation. The system will as well reduce boredom and tiresomeness to lines production clerks (pc) and office production clerks (off-pc) in the calculations and drawing of targets. The system will produce neat, clean and clear reports or records. This enables the system to be good and productive functions to the factory. Challenges encountered The data production processing has been of manual since the establishment of the Kenya Knit Garment (epz) Ltd. Manual processing entails production of using manual means that is without using a computer automated system. Calculation of employee salaries and daily work done is tiresome, error prone and might lead to boredom hence the work won’t be finished on intended time. This is very uneconomical. Lots of paper work is used leading to high costs incurred in return. The payroll production processing system in Kenya Knit Garment (epz) Ltd has faced many drawbacks. To add to that the large number of employees and turn up each day ,while others resigning monthly as made the load to be more than what it could take . Staff and employees are faced with more work to complete hence in many occasions failed to meet the expected deadline set by the factory. Employees go early to work for six days in a week and are forced to work extra hours including public holidays and Sundays thus the need to embrace change in garment manufacturing industry.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

How does Miller present ideas about reputation in A View from the Bridge? Essay

In A View from the Bridge, Miller portrays many ideas about reputation, especially in the battle for reputation between the two main men of the play, Eddie and Marco. He also showcases the way in which a failure to settle for half in maintaining one’s reputation can lead to downfall, and also portrays the way in which not conforming to stereotypes can lead to people not taking you seriously, thereby leading to a ruining of your reputation. Initially, Miller portrays reputation as a very important part of the Italian Moral Code, and showcases how ruining someone’s reputation can be punished very harshly in by Sicilian Morals. After Eddie reports on Marco, Marco is seen to say ‘In my country, he would be dead’, due to Eddie ruining Marco’s reputation, and, as Marco puts it ‘degrading my brother and removing my children’. The fact that Eddie would receive this harsh a punishment, for simply abiding by the law shows how seriously reputation is taken in Sicilian morals, and how derogatory it is for someone’s reputation to be ruined. Eddie also is shown by Miller to be concerned about his reputation, because he states that ‘Marco’s got my name’, and that ‘he gonna give it back to me in front of this neighbourhood’. This goes to shows how, in a primarily Italian community, one’s reputation can have severe implications on how someone is treated within society. This can also be seen through the narrative parallel of the story of Vinny Bolzano, who was shunned by society for informing upon his own uncle, and thereby losing his ‘reputation’. Through this, Miller portrays the importance of someone’s reputation in other cultures, and this would have been fairly striking to the contemporary American audience. Furthermore, Miller portrays how a failure to settle for half in keeping your reputation leads to downfall. Throughout the play, Marco is portrayed as settling for half, except at the end of the play, where in his opinion, he has option but to kill Eddie. When Marco has just arrived at Eddie’s house, he belittles his own reputation, saying ‘when you say go, we go’, showing how he recognises Eddie as the master of the household, and that he settles for simply being a visitor. Later in the novel however, when Eddie tries to prove his strength against Marco, Marco is said to have ‘raised the chair like a weapon over his head’. This shows how Marco is now considered as Eddie’s equal or even his superior, and hints of aggression and violence are seen due to the use of the direction ‘like a weapon’, and this could possibly be used by Marco to maintain and prove his reputation against Eddie. However, at the end of this scene, the curtains close for the interval, and it can be assumed that the incident was taken no further, showing how Marco has settled for half there. At the end of the play however, Marco outright kills Eddie, and does not settle for half, as he tries to maintain his reputation, and ruin Eddies, showing how important this reputation is to them. However, through this, Miller is possibly trying to suggest that maintaining a reputation should not be a priority, and that people should be able to settle for half. Miller also portrays the way in which one can receive a bad reputation for not following stereotypes. Eddie initially seems to aware of this issue, as he tells Rodolpho to ‘wait a minute’ while singing, showing how he is aware of the fact that his reputation will get damaged if he does not comply to the stereotype of a dockworker. In addition, Mike and Louis state how Rodolpho is seen as a ‘Paper Doll’, and how he has a ‘sense of humour’ and is always ‘making remarks’. This is in distinct contrast to the ‘regular slave’ of Marco, and the fact that Marco is ‘regular’ further highlights the way in which Rodolpho is different, and ‘stands out from the crowd’, and this in turn results in the ruining of his reputation, as he is not taken seriously by any of the other characters, due to him not behaving like the stereotypical masculine 1950s man. Perhaps, Miller uses this to highlight the way in which standing out from the stereotype in contemporary society leads to this ruining of reputation. Overall, Miller uses these ideas about reputation to contrast the Sicilian code of honour to the American culture that the contemporary audience will have been used to, and accurately showcases the importance of reputation to people from an Italian background, as well as this reputation affects how one is treated in society.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

11 Easy Meal Ideas for College Students

11 Easy Meal Ideas for College Students Cooking in college presents a challenge to even the smartest student. These ideas and recipes can quickly- and cheaply- transform a lackluster meal or snack option into something much more exciting (and delicious!). Breakfast Ideas 1. Spruced-Up Bagels Grab some bagels and cream cheese, slice a tomato (save the rest for later) and pour yourself some fresh orange juice to create a quick and energizing meal. 2. Quick Pancakes Dont have a lot of time, supplies (like eggs, milk, and flour), or cooking tools? Grab a container of Bisquick Shake n Pour, add water, pour into a frying pan, and voila ... hot, steamy pancakes! Dont forget to bring the syrup. 3. Blueberry Pancakes in Disguise Krusteaz makes a pretty decent- and usually pretty low-priced- Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix. (Its in a box, usually on the same aisle as the flour.) However, thanks to a recipe on the back of the carton, you can quickly turn it into blueberry pancakes. 4. Egg Sandwich to Go Crack an egg into a coffee mug, sprinkle in some cheese and beat it with a fork. Microwave for 45 seconds, then scoop the cooked egg onto an English muffin (toasted, if you can). Youre out the door with a filling sandwich in hand in less than 5 minutes! Just make sure you rinse out the mug before the egg is permanently caked on. Lunch andDinner Ideas 5. Macaroni and Cheese With multiple, easy-to-make options available, theres no reason why you cant enjoy a dish of mac and cheese now and then. You can add ingredients yourself and cook it on the stove top, or you can buy the simple stuff that just requires you add water and microwave it. Add some veggies on top to up the nutritional value. 6. Simple Bread and Cheese Grab a small baguette, a chunk of your favorite cheese and something nice to drink. This makes a great snack or small meal and is easy to eat while studying. Add salami if youre extra hungry or a dollop of jam if you want to sweeten it. 7. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup If you have a stove or toaster oven, making grilled cheese is about as easy as it gets when it comes to comfort food. Melt some butter in a frying pan to crisp both sides of the bread, then add some cheese between the slices. Heat up tomato soup on the stove or in the microwave to complete this classic meal. 8. Microwave Quesadillas Grab some tortillas and shredded cheese, and pop em in the microwave. In under two minutes, youve got a delicious snack that leaves very little mess behind. 9. Roasted Veggies Anything If you have an oven, chop up some of your favorite vegetables, toss them in olive oil, add salt and pepper and roast them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 60 minutes. Broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, onions, and carrots make a good mix. You can use them in a different dish every day: roasted veggie burritos, roasted veggies over rice, roasted veggie pizza, roasted veggie pasta or roasted veggie panini. You can do a lot with them, and they keep in the fridge for about a week. Desserts 10. Fruit and Yogurt Parfait Its pretty self-explanatory: Add fresh (or thawed frozen) fruit to a cup of yogurt, top with your favorite granola and voila- a healthy-ish dessert. 11. Mug Cake You can find all sorts of recipes online, but heres the gist: Put together all the ingredients you need to make a cake in a microwave-safe coffee mug, microwave them for about 2 minutes, then let your creation cool for 30 seconds before adding toppings or diving in.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Alan Mullaly and Ford Motors Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alan Mullaly and Ford Motors - Term Paper Example †). For instance, it was during the recent global economic downturn that most of the automobile companies faced various challenges in gaining a competitive position to survive in the international market which included General Motors, Harley Davidson and even Ford. It is in this context that leadership advantages were apparently observed in these companies. The most debated issues related to this context were the turnaround of Ford which is stated to be steered by Alan Mulally as the organizational leader (Dean & Varshney, â€Å"Your Next Turnaround Leader: Industry Expert or Outsider?†). Alan Mulally is considered to be an outsider to the automobile industry as well as to the company (i.e. Ford Motors) due to the fact that his early professional career related to the Boeing Company, a commercial airplane and integrated defense system producer and thus had limited knowledge about the operational structure of the automotive industry (BBC News, â€Å"Boeing Exec Made New Ford Chief†). He joined the company in the year 2006 when Ford was witnessing losses and severe downfalls in its overall competency. In order to face these challenges and sensing the upcoming recession then, Alan Mulally decided to borrow a significant amount from the debt market against the company’s assets. ... One factor has been the leadership of Alan Mulally and the other factor was the crisis faced by the company during the period. Thereby, the paper intends to recognize the stronger factors to influence the change management of Ford and reward its remarkable competency in the international platform. Impartial Evaluation Both the factors of change, i.e. the financial crisis faced by the organization and the leadership change witnessed by the organization can be observed as quite significant in influencing the turnaround of the company. It was in the year 2006 when the company was facing losses for four consecutive years. Therefore, it is quite evident that the company had to witness significant challenges to maintain its financial competency and survive in the fiercely competitive market of global automobile industry (Armitage, â€Å"Ford CEO Alan Mulally: The Turnaround Specialist†). Alan Mulally joined the company during the financial crisis of the company. Financial turmoil wa s also apparent in the domestic economy of the company that certainly supported the impacts of internal limitations faced by the organization. Considering these facts, Alan Mulally concentrated on the implementation of various strategies that included retrenchment, restructuring of the organizational operations, marketing strategies, as well as financial strategies (Wall Street Journal, â€Å"Testimony of Alan R. Mulally†). Few of the most significant strategies that boosted the change in the organization concentrated on the borrowing of $23.6 billion from the market against the assets of Ford Motors (Armitage, â€Å"Ford CEO Alan Mulally: The Turnaround Specialist†). The strategic decisions of Alan Mulally further initiated to cut almost 30,000

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Critical Evaluation of a Website Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Evaluation of a Website - Essay Example Also, it is possible to contact WWW@sil.org. There is no any information about updates and creation of this web page. It is possible to say that this document is a current one because the organization indicates a current year on the site. The site provides viewers with a link to the home page. Also, the graphics of this site and information display is appealing to users. The purpose of the page web is indicated on the home page. Thus, there is a need for up-to-date information and the exact date of all changes. The information discussed in the article is useful for my purposes because it highlights SIL's philosophy and importance of endangered languages for general community. Unfortunately, the web page lacks objectivity because there is no a bibliography of print sources. The web page leads viewers to other Web resources but omits printed materials on this topic. Taking into account the pros and cons of the web page, it is evident that the key to any successful relationship program is detailed information and its design. Another feature, which is closely connected with this one, is that the better information that visitors have about the author, the more value they will potentially be able to provide. The main weaknesses of the web page are that it does not indicate the last date of changes and a bibliography.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Law and terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Law and terrorism - Essay Example This paper will critically discuss the present UK legislative framework governing the gathering of covert intelligence on terrorist suspects and the necessary safeguards to ensure that ensure that police and security services do not violate the civil liberties of suspected individual. Covert Operations Perhaps, it can be said that the best covert intelligence operation was the operation Neptune Spear/Geronimo which launched the attack of Osama Bin Laden’s safe house in Bilal town of Abbottbad, Pakistan at around 1:00 a.m. (Listverse, 2011, p. 1). US Navy Seals breached through the high walls of Bin Ladin’s safe house using explosives whilst airborne US special operations command, also known as Night Stalkers were on board Black Hawk Helicopters and two Chinooks as backups (Listverse, 2011, p. 1). The SEALS found Bin Laden on the third floor and shoot him on his head and chest. Osama’s dead body was brought to Afghanistan for identification and buried at sea withi n 24 hours of his death (Listverse, 2011, p. 1). ... e result, have also seen the necessity to define and refine the country’s covert intelligence operation framework of its security forces using the statutes stipulated under the Regulations of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) (Home Office, 2013, p. 1; Gov.uk, 2013). This has been considered as the Home Office guidance to local authorities in England and Wales on the judicial approval process for RIPA and the crime threshold of surveillance (Home Office, 2013, p. 1; Gov.uk, 2013) RIPA defined the framework of the government’s covert investigatory techniques as authored by public authorities (Legislation.gov.uk, 2013, p. 1). The framework in itself does not customized such power to execute covert activities but if these activities are undertaken by the council officers, RIPA limits, control and regulate the manner on how covert intelligence gathering are undertaken to ascertain that this is consistent to the Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) t hat mandates security forces to respect the private and family life of the suspects (Legislation.gov.uk, 2013, p. 1). Under RIPA, the local authorities limited the local authorities on using three covert techniques to prevent untoward incidences by early detection and monitoring of disorder (Legislation.gov.uk, 2013, p. 1). This security mechanism authorized designated persons on significant issues that may cause social harm and disorder but require such essential balance of proportionate care that the covert intelligence operation and intrusion, to gather information, will not seriously violate the right of privacy of a person on the bases of unfounded allegations or suspicion (Legislation.gov.uk, 2013, p. 1). Ethical code of covert operations refines further the scope of powers on necessary

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Analysis of the Kurt Vonnegut and Margaret Atwoods stories Essay

Analysis of the Kurt Vonnegut and Margaret Atwoods stories - Essay Example Although many of us uphold equality as an undeniable human right, the majority have their own subjective idea of what equality means. Prior to reading Vonnegut's story, I believed that I supported equality as a principle but never considered what type of equality I believed in. Following my reading, I discovered that I believed in equality before the law and equality of opportunity but, definitely do not support economic equality and equality of capacities. Economic equality entails denying people their right to succeed, just as equality of capacities ensures that people cannot strive to become all that they can be. Accordingly, I cannot support absolute equality although I most definitely do believe in the fundamental equality of all before the law. The equality to which I am committed is an equality of opportunity as would allow people to fulfill their ambitions and realize their potentials. As I am writing this, however, I cannot help but think of Atwood's story and the simple and absolute truth it conveys. That truth is that in the end, we are all going to die.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

American Disability Policy for Education

American Disability Policy for Education IDEA, 504, and ADA ADA The American Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (504) are legislation put into place by the United States Federal Government in an attempt to improve the living and educational lives of those with disabilities. All three serve a distinct purpose but also have several aspects that overlap. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975 was passed by congress helped changed public education for children with disabilities. It made it possible that all children could receive a free appropriate public education. This law was far more progressive than those of the past. It stated that special education was to be provided in the least limiting setting. This means that students are to be educated in the best way possible in a regular classroom. (Mastropieri Scruggs, 2014, p. 3) Before the passing of IDEA disabled student were either put into institutions or their parents had to put them into private schools which did not have the capabilities to educate them correctly. After its initiation students with disabilities now received free, suitable education. (Mastropieri Scruggs, 2014, p. 3) 504 Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law that was put into place to prevent any discrimination against any individuals with disabilities by any agency that receives financial support from the federal government and offers a free, appropriate public education (FAPE). Even though some private schools may be exempt from the law, both public schools and the workforce are not. There may be students that do not fall under the IDEA legislation but they could receive services under 504. Issues such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and asthma are under the 504 mandate. To qualify these issues limit major live activity. (Mastropieri Scruggs, 2014, p. 11) ADA The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that individuals with a disability must be provide reasonable accommodations. The accommodation are for the workplace and commercial facilities. The protection extends to those who attend colleges and universities. ADA protects those with physical or mental disabilities. The accommodations for the colleges and universities are similar to those of the K-12 public school system. The most influence this law has had is in the workplace. It has provided employment to millions of Americans who would not have employment without the law. (Mastropieri Scruggs, 2014, p. 13) Similarities The similarities between IDEA, 504, and ADA are that they all protect those who have some sort of disability. The disabilities may be emotional, physical and/or mental. All three require that reasonable accommodations be provided to those who need them. 504 and IDEA have more similarities. For example, they both require FAPE for students with special needs. Both legislation also has procedural safeguards in place to help support the needs of the individuals. Written notices are required for both. Differences The big difference between the three is how they are funded. ADA is funded by grants. The grants help provide technical assistance to both private and public agencies. IDEA is supported by federal funds to help states and local education institutions to serve the needs of infants, toddlers and youth that have disabilities. For the 504 the responsibility falls onto the state and local agencies. Funds from IDEA cannot be used to support those who have a 504. The evaluation and placement procedures for all three are also different. IDEA requires a very detail evaluation. The 504 requires only a notice for evaluation. While the ADA requires no evaluation. All three legislation are important safeguards for those who are disabled. It allows for FAPE for students with disabilities and appropriate work environments for adults. It has allowed for those who in the past could not receive such support to receive what they need. Which allows for success and a richer life. References Mastropieri, M. A., Scruggs, T. E. (2014). Introduction to Inclusive Teaching. In The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective differentiated instruction (5th ed., pp. 3-12). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Trip Report :: essays research papers

Trip Report Summary This assignment was designed to get the views of athletes toward how the athletic budget is spent and what type of activities that they do. In this case the intended audience was current athletes at Washington State University. Athletes competing in different sports were surveyed. This survey was conducted February 17-20. My target audience was the actual audience that I surveyed. The majority of my surveying was conducted outside of the varsity weightroom. Assesment I felt that I got reliable info on the majority of the questions. My goal, as stated above, was to get the view of athletes on what they thought of their budget, and how they spend their free time. I believe that the questions represented what it was I was trying to get. The information that I received will be helpful to my group in that we can assess the athletic budget to see if there is excess spending that can be used by the students. The questions can be delegated to three different groups, as follows: Budget and Spending 1. I am aware of how tuition is dispersed throughout the University.  Twenty-five of the thirty people surveyed (83%) said no, that they do not know how it is dispersed. 2. Yes or no; my tuition is paid by an athletic scholarship.  Twenty-two of the thirty surveyed (73%) said yes, their tuition is paid for. 3. True or False, I spend all of the meal money allotted to me on the trips.  Seventeen of the thirty surveyed (57%) said true, they spend all of the meal money. 4. How would you rate the hotels that you stay in during your trips, one being excellent and four being poor.  Sixteen of the thirty surveyed (53%) circled four, saying that the hotels are excellent, four of the thirty (13%) said that the hotels were poor. Facilities and Equipment 1. On a scale of one to five with one being that highest, how would you rate the varsity gym?  Twenty-three of the thirty surveyed (77%) gave the varsity gym the highest rating; not one person gave the gym a rating of four or five. 2. How often must you wait around to use the equipment in the varsity gym?  Twenty-three of the thirty people surveyed (77%) selected never while only seven said that they sometimes had to wait. 3. How would you rate the student gym?  Fifteen of the thirty (50%) gave the student gym the highest rating, while five of the thirty (17%) gave it a poor rating.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Noise – Music to our ears or pollution?

Noise is all around us. Everywhere we go we can hear some kind of noise. Sound is measured in decibels. A decibel is a unit of relative loudness for sound, the decibel scale runs from zero for the least perceptible sound to 130 for sound that causes pain. The symbol for decibels is dB. There are a lot of pleasures in sound. Especially the music we hear. This means that the music industry make a lot of money as well as disco's. There are a lot of dangers related to noise. For example if u listen to loud music it can damage your ears. That is why when you but a disc man or any music appliance it warn the client of this. Loud noises created by man can disturb the life style of animals. It can drive animals away from their natural hunting ground and to less favourable land. At places such as football stadium of race tracks or concerts, the noise level is extremely high and can cause short term effects as well as long term effects. The people who are working in the race tracks, football stadiums and concerts are not concerned about the well being of the spectator because as long as the workers get paid they are happy. Sound sometimes can't be avoided because humans have no control over nature and nature can also produce sound. Mobile phones create a lot of pollution specially because there are so many mobile phones around. Eight out of ten people have mobiles and some people get fed up because mobile phones are always ringing. Mobile phone manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola. Siemens, Sony and Erickson are happy that so many people are buying their products and don't really pay much attention to the noise pollution. Aircrafts produce very high levels of sound. Inside an aircraft the sound is quite loud. On the outside the sound is very loud. Apartments and houses near airports are at great risk. Aircrafts pass constantly. In Lisbon airport the aircraft pass extremely close to the apartments and this must be very bad for the people who live in the apartments. People still live in these locations because the price of houses and apartments are much lower because of the airports. The has been talk in Portugal about a certain time where there can be no flights arriving or taking off this means that aircraft companies are loosing money. Dogs which constantly bark all day are also a form of noise pollution. Neighbours get irritated and cant sleep because of the barking have a right to complain. In apartments you are not allowed to make noise after 10 pm. If you do then the your neighbours can complain or even call the police. The police can give you a quite a large fine for â€Å"disturbing the peace†. Disco's and bars in certain areas need to close down at 12 am. There are always police clearing off the location at 12 pm. Some people make a lot of money because of sound. The music industry is huge. And it attracts teenagers and music lovers. Teenagers don't realize the dangers of loud music. I think music manufacturers such as Sony should increase the warning on the music products so that it give more security to the buyer.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Satan in paradise lost

Satan Satan is the first major character introduced in the poem. Formerly called Lucifer, the most beautiful of all angels in Heaven, he's a tragic fgure who describes himself with the now-famous quote â€Å"Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n. † He is introduced to Hell after he leads a failed rebellion to wrestle control of Heaven from God. Satan's desire to rebel against his creator stems from his unwillingness to be subjugated by God and his Son, claiming that angels are â€Å"self-begot, self-raised†,[4] thereby denyingGod's authority over them as their creator. Satan is deeply arrogant, albeit powerful and charismatic. Satan's persuasive powers are evident throughout the book; not only is he cunning and deceptive, but he also is able to rally the angels to continue in the rebellion after their agonising defeat in the Angelic War. He argues that God rules as a tyrant and that all the angels ought to rule as gods. [5] Satan is comparable in many ways to th e tragic heroes of classic Greek literature, but Satan's hubris far surpasses those of previous tragedies.Though at times he plays the narrative role of an anti-hero, he is still commonly understood to be the antagonist of the epic. However, the true nature of his role in the poem has been the subject of much notoriety and scholarly debate. While some scholars, like the critic and writer C. S. Lewis, interpret the poem as a genuine Christian morality tale, other critics, like William Empson, view it as a more ambiguous work, with Milton's complex characterisation of Satan playing a large part in that perceived ambiguity. [6]

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Endangered Species Committee essays

The Endangered Species Committee essays The Endangered Species Act of 1973 established the Endangered Species Committee to oversee applications for immunity from certain agency obligations. In short, this committee is responsible for the important decisions which affect every aspect of the act itself. The committee can hold hearings, issue subpoenas, receive testimony and evidence, and proceed with any action sanctioned by the government. The committee may also promulgate rules, regulations and procedures, and may issue orders it deems necessary (ESA, as amended, U.S. Congress 1973). The committee consists of the following seven members: Secretaries of Agriculture, Army and the Interior, the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, the Administrators of the EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and a Presidential appointment representing each state affected by an application. Secretary of the Interior chairs the committee and meetings take place by request of the chair or five members. All meetings are open to the public, and any federal agency has the ability to help the committee or supply information when needed. The current Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, is the first woman to head the 154-year-old Department of the Interior. She was sworn in as Secretary in January 2001. Norton has made what she calls the Four Cs the foundation of her tenure. The Four Cs stand for communication, consultation and cooperation, and are all in the service of conservation. At the core of Nortons Four Cs is the feeling that for conservation to work properly, the government must take into consideration the people who live and work on the land. To put her plan into motion, Norton has reached out to states, tribes, and local communities, businesses, conservation organizations, and private citizens in a number of different ways. Norton has made the focus of her career revolve around building cooperation and consensus. I...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Rome

We find them in the big cities of the world and in the most remote jungles; they cross the deserts of Africa and cruise to see the penguins along the polar ice caps; they climb the Himalaya Mountains and dive deep into the coral seas of tropical oceans. Tourists are everywhere these days - easily recognizable by their cameras and recorders, their leisure-time outfits, and their unquenchable desire to get away from home and experience life with in a whole new way. Tourism has become the biggest industry in the world. It offers jobs for 200 million people and contributes 11.7 per cent to global Gross National Product. Almost 700 million tourist arrivals are expected for this year in Rome, and this number is estimated to grow to 1.5 billion by the year 2020. (www.travelaroundrome.com) BREIF HISTORY OF ROME Rome, the capital of Italy, covers an area of 1,290 Km ² and is located in the region of Lazio, on the west coast of the North-South centre of the country. The metropolitan area of Rome, instituted by law 142/90 covers 5,352 km ² and 3,981,000 inhabitants www.progress-project.com). Rome's main activities, as country capital, are in the administrative, political and service sectors. Also the tourist sector, including transport, hotels and others, is an important asset of the City entrances: these economic activities are generally concentrated in the geometric centre of Rome, especially in the historic part. Situated on the River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the 'Eternal City' of Rome (Roma) was once the administrative centre of the mighty Roman Empire, governing a vast region that stretched from Britain to Mesopotamia. Today, it remains the seat of the Italian government and home to numerous ministerial offices, but is superseded by Milan, in the industrial north, for business and finance. The legendary beginnings of Rome are related in the tale of Romulus and Remus. Princess Rhea Silvia, ravished ... Free Essays on Rome Free Essays on Rome We find them in the big cities of the world and in the most remote jungles; they cross the deserts of Africa and cruise to see the penguins along the polar ice caps; they climb the Himalaya Mountains and dive deep into the coral seas of tropical oceans. Tourists are everywhere these days - easily recognizable by their cameras and recorders, their leisure-time outfits, and their unquenchable desire to get away from home and experience life with in a whole new way. Tourism has become the biggest industry in the world. It offers jobs for 200 million people and contributes 11.7 per cent to global Gross National Product. Almost 700 million tourist arrivals are expected for this year in Rome, and this number is estimated to grow to 1.5 billion by the year 2020. (www.travelaroundrome.com) BREIF HISTORY OF ROME Rome, the capital of Italy, covers an area of 1,290 Km ² and is located in the region of Lazio, on the west coast of the North-South centre of the country. The metropolitan area of Rome, instituted by law 142/90 covers 5,352 km ² and 3,981,000 inhabitants www.progress-project.com). Rome's main activities, as country capital, are in the administrative, political and service sectors. Also the tourist sector, including transport, hotels and others, is an important asset of the City entrances: these economic activities are generally concentrated in the geometric centre of Rome, especially in the historic part. Situated on the River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the 'Eternal City' of Rome (Roma) was once the administrative centre of the mighty Roman Empire, governing a vast region that stretched from Britain to Mesopotamia. Today, it remains the seat of the Italian government and home to numerous ministerial offices, but is superseded by Milan, in the industrial north, for business and finance. The legendary beginnings of Rome are related in the tale of Romulus and Remus. Princess Rhea Silvia, ravished ... Free Essays on Rome Multiple scholars have contended that the primary reason for Rome's decline and eventual fall was the receding of the great Empire's economic might, and the social repercussions that accompanied it On the surface, this may seem quite simple, but in actuality, this phenomenon affected nearly every aspect of Roman life, from the decline of the population to the lack of maintenance of infrastructure. One of the primary catalysts to the deterioration of the economy was the lack of circulating currency in the Western Empire. Two reasons for the lack of funds are wholesale hoarding of bullion by Roman citizens, and the widespread looting of the Roman treasury by the "barbarians". These two factors, coupled with the massive trade deficit with Eastern Regions of the Empire served to stifle the growth of wealth in the west. This would have far reaching ramifications that permiate the very fabric of Roman society, as we shall soon discuss. Ellsworth Huntington has proposed a unique hypothesis relating the changing rainfall patterns and climate in the Mediterranean with the economic problems encountered by the western empire. He basically writes that, as the climate became more unstable, it began to alternate annually between hot droughts and cold rainy seasons. This, for obvious reasons, would decrease crop yields, and would force the Romans to undergo widespread irrigation projects on land which had formerly been self-sufficient. The huge quantities of water needed for this project had to be contained in large reservoirs, and the standing water became stagnant. Stagnant water is the ideal environment for breeding mosquitos, the carriers of malaria. Malaria began manifesting itself at epidemic levels, weakening and killing a large percentage of the population. The fluctuation in temperature and climate also had more direct effects on the populus. Huntington believed that humans operate most effectively when their environment is at a stable ...