Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Personal Analysis Family Security Essay - 1784 Words

Personal Analysis: For my terminal values from the Rokeach Value Survey, I chose health as my number one value, because I feel like you cannot enjoy any other values if you are not in good health physically and mentally. I chose family security as my second value, my family is very important to me and they come first in my life. True friendship was my third choice. I believe in having someone besides your significant other who knows you inside and out and can tell what you’re thinking just by looking at you. I chose freedom as my fourth value, because it’s hard to live the life you want when you do not have the freedom to do so. Self-respect is fifth, I believe that you cannon love or be loved by another person until you love yourself. Sixth is equality, everyone should have an equal chance to make a better life for themselves or their family. My seventh value is a world of beauty, because the earth gives us so much I think that we should do our part of recycling and ma king smart choices about keeping the earth clean. Inner Harmony is my eighth value, on account of I have a close friend who struggles with inner conflict and I think freedom from that makes for a better life. I choose an exciting life for my ninth value, because doing exciting things makes life more interesting and educational. Salvation is value number ten, I believe in something bigger than the human race and I think having that belief gives me something to look forward to after death. My eleventh value isShow MoreRelatedPersonal Finance : The Management Of Funds Essay1680 Words   |  7 Pagesservices in India being business finance, personal finance, and public finance, finance in India is really comprehensive. Personal finance is entirely related to the application of finance principles, thereby helping an individual to make necessary monetary decisions. Individuals or families through this, obtain, budget, save, and spend resources (entirely monetary) taking into consideration the associated financial risks and time period. The personal finance apparatus includes savings accountsRead MoreAssignment #4 - Financial Statement Analysis1364 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment #4 - Financial Statement Analysis Strayer University Obtaining financing is one of the challenges facing a new venture. The financial planning and good budgeting will be significant factors in helping Portions Restaurant reach success. The restaurants financial statement analysis below lists the sources of funding, the capital structure, debt to equity ratios, the intentions of going public and a break even analysis. The sources of funding Portions Restaurant is operating asRead MoreBusiness Plan- Secuirty Business Essay1698 Words   |  7 PagesSierra Security is the place to go in the greater Sacramento/ Capital area where the well known, rich and petrified can go to get a friendly yet terrifying faces to help secure them. This company is an upscale security company for the neurotic who might be in need of some securing. Our goal is to create an atmosphere that is a safe and sound environment for you, your family, your residence and or place of work. We will provide state of the art private residential, building or personal security, withRead MoreModern Policing Grew Out Of Private Security Concerns968 Words   |  4 PagesModern policing grew out of private security concerns. Crime prevention is a major issue in our society. A greater burden is being placed on public law enforcement to respond to crisis situations. As a result, the consumer is turning to the private security industry to help protect our communiti es and businesses. Private security agencies are one of the fastest-growing entities in our country. The demand for security services is growing at stellar 6% rate a year in our post 9/11 climate. This trendRead MoreDiscovering Obstacles Hindering College Graduation1328 Words   |  6 Pagestheories to education, including Kurt Lewin’s force-field analysis model, Abraham Maslow’s need reduction theory for motivation, and the self-efficacy and attribution theories. Together, these theories have provided a framework to discover the obstacles students face upon entering the collegiate environment and how to overcome them, in order to make this shameful graduation rate one of the past. Force Field Anaylsis: The force field analysis model provides that all behavior, such as the decision toRead MoreHow Motivational Theory Can Motivate Employee Motivation906 Words   |  4 Pages1.3An analysis how motivational theory can inform employee motivation. Motivation: It is an act of person to fulfil his desire or need. E.g. Eating a food to satisfy hunger. To be motivated there must be a need or reason to act in a certain way. The employees are mainly motivated by their personal interest of being safe or for reward they achieve. And motivated staff will work hard to achieve their goal and that can reduce their labour cost. So, It is very important for the people to have a motivationRead MoreThe Problem Of Network Security959 Words   |  4 PagesNetwork security has never been so critical for the last decades. Companies nowadays are at a potential risks. The use of data is essential for business needs and user’s education is a priority. Users allow companies to manipulate their data on a trust relationship basis. A startup healthcare company has many challenges in the market as new cyber threats come every seconds which impel network security administrator to enforce strict rules and measures. A company information technology structure setRead MoreAnalysis Of Cybersecurity Metrics As Well A Governmental Policy Framework Essay1677 Words   |  7 PagesGovernment is faced with many challenges when it comes down to Information Assurance compliance. The Government is faced with the impossible task of unifying all systems and ensuring that they meet all the mission needs. So this paper will include an analysis of cybersecurity metrics as well a governmental policy framework. I will discuss some cybersecurity strategies, frameworks, workplace threats caused by modern day technology, and at least one governments strategic prospective as it relates to theirRead MoreStrangers: Identity Theft and Identity Fraud 1604 Words   |  6 Pagesanother person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.† Some of the tactics used by thieves to steal personal information are through shoulder surfing. This is when people watch from a nearby location as you punch in credit cards, passcodes, or ATM pins. They can also listen, without you being aware, to your telephone conversations and gather information, such as your name, address, credit card/ account number, social security, security answers, addressRead MoreThe Government Of Us Should Not Allow People With Buy And Use Gun For Personal Purpose987 Words   |  4 Pagesgun for personal purpose. General Purpose: To persuade. Specific Purpose: To persuade U.S government to impose restriction on purchase and use of gun. Thesis Statement: Government should impose restriction on purchase and use of guns because it is used widely for illegal purposes all around in U.S. Attention Step I. [Attention Getter] Possessing a weapon such as gun for personal defense does not provide solution for maintaining greater level of security. A. For protection and security, gun is

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Personal Narrative My Soul, Josh Fleisher - 1567 Words

My SOUL, Josh Fleisher, that i had last year did a nice job with me being an incoming student. I would like to be able to have the same opportunity as he did and make the transition from high school to college go much smoother than it would be at other schools. Im hoping to gain friendships with some of the incoming freshman, but also hope to gain work ethic and break out of my shell. I was quiet in high school and would like to branch out and help others that are transitioning and make it much easier on them. Also to meet other souls that may be connections and close friends that ill have for the rest of my life is truly remarkable to me. Im hoping to gain experience among working with others regarding performing scenes for the incoming students or just being able to talk with the incoming families about what Miami is like and how incredible it can be, purely on how you make it. In the summer of 2015, i worked at Evans Landscaping, a company based in Cincinnati. I had worked there for three years at this point and this was the first time that i was given my first company truck and workers. I was thrilled to be given a leadership position after the time i had spent working there. I was given a job that required removing a brick patio from a family s backyard. The problem was all of the water pipes that were laid out underneath the patio. If i broke a water pipe, or one of my workers, that would mean the company would have to pay for it and i most likely would be taken off

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Ted Bundy His Killings on a Drive-Reduction Theory free essay sample

Ted progressed to movies, but his yearning needed more fuel. As the desires progressed he added violence to the print and movie porn. Ted still needed more. He needed to have his desired fulfilled. Soon the violent magazines and movies would not be enough. The passion for wanting more out of porn drove Ted into action. The drive-reduction theory kicks into play. The drive-reduction theory is the idea that a physiological need creates an aroused state that drives the organism to reduce the need. Ted then turned to violet murders of women and some young girls to fulfill his need. The more Ted killed the more aggressive the killings became. Ted started small and worked is way up. He started with only store market porn, and then porn movies, then movies and magazines became violet. Soon that did not satisfy his yearnings; he needed another outlet for his release. The stronger force of the inter-demon caused Ted to insert himself physically into the satisfaction of his desires. We will write a custom essay sample on Ted Bundy His Killings on a Drive-Reduction Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This wanting of more, forced him to act upon it. Ted Bundy’s progression of violence is classic definition of the drive-reduction theory. I believe that Ted became unsatisfied and had to keep finding new ways to fulfill his desires in different ways. He did this by finding new and more violet methods of killing as well. His hormones did play a big role. When Ted started to kill he would only kill women. Why was this, maybe to satisfy his hormonal needs or show dominance? We can only speculate, but what we do know is that he was not satisfied and his desires become uncontainable. When he started his spree, the women were not beaten as badly, but as the murders progressed the beatings go became worse and the women were eventually raped. Soon he turned to raping and murdering a few young girls. The truth was the violet porn was Ted’s fuel to ignite his flame. It was feeling that he got when he watched or took part in his desires. He almost felt like he was posited by something. He revealed that during the time of murder he was most likely half-drunk. Ted Bundy was soon caught and convicted, but he never truthfully confessed to all of his crimes. Years later Ted was interviewed and spoke about all of his crimes. Ted was later executed by electric chair at Raiford Prison in Starke, Florida, in January 1989.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Torture in China Then and Now

Table of Contents China’s Torture Chambers A Step into the Right Direction Conclusion Works Cited Human history is filled with violence. Since ancient times, murder and mayhem is a common occurrence in every pocket of the globe. The ability to destroy a person’s life is sometimes based on an inequality of power, the victim having less power to defend himself from an aggressor who has take an advantageous position and abuses his power over another. The one who has all the power then takes away the life of a human being.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Torture in China: Then and Now specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is no limited to individuals but a government can do the same. Aside from murder there is another human activity that must also be condemned because although it does not immediately take the life of a living person, its gradual effect can be likened to taking life one precious unit at a time. It is none other than torture and surprisingly the Chinese government is known to use it as an interrogation tactic and to silence its critics. This has to stop and China seems heading into the right direction in recent years. After World War the many have come to know the brutality of the Nazi government led by Adolf Hitler. They were experts in the use of torture. For them it was not only about extracting information but to use torture as a means to degrade and to break down the will and the spirit of their enemies. As a result world leaders, especially those working in conjunction with the United Nations, decided to initiate a convention against torture and their rationale for doing so was stated as follows: â€Å"Considering that, in accordance with the principles in the Charter of the United Nations, recognition of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world† (UN, p. 1) It do es not matter if a person is a royal subject or under a communist regime he or she is a human being with inalienable rights. In order to clarify the United Nations’ stand against torture they came up with the first ever definition of torture and it can be used in the international courts as a basis to determine if a regime or a certain political leadership is guilty of this offense and they wrote: †¦torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such a purpose as obtaining from him or a third person information or confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of †¦ a public official or other person acting in an official capacity (UN, p.1). There are two th ings about this definition that stand out. First, it is the highlighting the kind of pain or suffering inflicted – that it is not limited to the physical but mental as well. This is crucial because torture methods can become sophisticated that there are no visual evidence of suffering but the mind of the person was already broken beyond repair.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Secondly, it is the insistence of the United Nations that torture is narrowly defined as an action inflicted at the instigation or acquiescence of a public official (UN, p.1). This will redirect the discussion on the allegation that China is perpetuating a bureaucracy that includes torture as one of their most effective tools of governance. China’s Torture Chambers According to Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, â€Å"The government maintains a system of laws and practices that give rise to torture† (Watts, p.1). In1994 the United States sent U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher to confront then Prime Minister Li Peng regarding allegations of human rights abuse in China (Nelan, p.1) Li Peng responded by saying, â€Å"The Chinese government cares deeply about human rights† (Nelan, p.1). It is hard to believe and difficult to understand how the Prime Minister can see torture from a different light and consider barbaric practices as part of law enforcement protocol and good governance. It is a well known fact that torture has always been a part of the government’s repertoire in the attempt to control a vast territory that extends as far as Tibet in Mongolia. According to the U.N. Committee on Torture there is reason to believe that: â€Å"†¦torture may be practiced on a widespread basis in China† (Holmstrom, p.26). In the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, Wang Dan was arrested and imprisoned for 43 months for his leadership role (Nelan et al., p. 1). After his release he was picked up once again by the police and interrogated for 24 hours and was told to get out of Beijing (Nelan et al, p.1). If one will take a second look at the UN charter, the actions of the policemen are tantamount to torture. Another disgusting facet of the use of torture is seen in the fact that it is not limited to suspected criminals but people who are perceived to be enemies of the state. Human rights groups have always contended that brutality and degradation are common in Chinese prisons â€Å"†¦where many of the victims are from the Tibetan and Uighur ethnic minorities, political dissidents, followers of the banned Falun Gong sect and members of underground churches† (Watts, p.1). This is the Digital Age and yet many Chinese people still suffer because of their desire to practice their faith.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Torture in China: Then and Now specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the most affected religious group is the sect called the Falun Gong. The Communist Party’s revulsion concerning this group may stem perhaps from the fact that it is one of China’s most ancient religions and a prime example of how vastly different is communism to the old way of life and so the party wanted it eliminated from their society. In 1999 the government declared Falun Gong illegal and began to systematically round up and torture some of its members. â€Å"Some Falun Gong members have been tortured in custody and some have died† (Lipton, p.86). This is simply unacceptable. While it is shocking to know that China uses medieval age tactics to coerce its people and to institute justice in her realms even as late at the 20th century, what is more appalling is the fact that the Chinese government is still backing up the use of torture even in the 21st century. A UN special investigator was sent to China in 2005 and he discovered that immersion in sewage, ripping out fingernails, sleep deprivation, cigarette burns and beatings with electric pods are just some of the torture methods used by Chinese police officers and prison officials (Watts, p.1). However, it must be pointed out that the Chinese government is not one hundred percent indifferent towards the issue. But they want to take their time and sensitive to external prodding for them to transform law enforcement system. A Step into the Right Direction The Chinese government does not want any foreign country exerting their influence and telling them what to do. Outsider’s opinion does not matter to them whether it is in the form of advice regarding the way they do business or their policies with regards to human rights. It has to be understood that China is governed based on communist ideology and in a nutshell it simply means that the state takes precedence over the individual. This is a mindset radically opposed to the western worldview wherein each human being has an inherent value and each one has freedom and inalienable rights as well as his right to pursue happiness. In communist China the state can do anything as long as it is for the perceived good of the state and society in general. In recent years there seems to be positive signs that China is considering its stance regarding torture and working towards a future wherein the government will vigorously oppose the use of torture as part of intelligence gathering and governance. There are two reasons for this shift first of China hosted the 2008 Olympics and eyes of the whole world was riveted to this communist state.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More North Korea may be as hardcore as China when it comes to socialism but it is only China who succeeded in marrying socialism and capitalism. And if one is in the game of capitalism there are certain rules to follow and part of it is dependence on trade partners although China has more than a billion people its leaders are wise enough to know that they cannot survive on their own, especially in a global market. So it is going to be expected that China will give out a few concessions, and a more open-minded China can be seen in the coming years. Aside from concern of an economic backlash from the West there is another major reason why China is softening its stance regarding the use of torture in solving crimes and punishing criminals. There were two separate and related incidents wherein two suspects were tortured and forced to admit guilt only to find out a decade later they were innocent from the very beginning. A convicted murder named Zhao Zuohai was acquitted after his supposed vi ctim went home after disappearing for more than ten years (Hornby, p.1) In a similar case a man who confessed to killing his wife was released from prison after his wife was found to be alive and well after 11 years of disappearance; unfortunately his mother died in prison when she was arrested after defending his son’s innocence, both were victims of torture (Hornby, p.1) As a result the Chinese government has issued guidelines to stop the use of torture in obtaining confessions or witness testimony (Jacobs, p.1). It is about time. However, the world is hoping that China will go full blast with reforms and not hold back. The government must show proof that this time around they are serious about transforming their judiciary and law enforcement departments. â€Å"The larger problem, legal experts say, is the disconnect between China’s stated desire for the rule of law and the Communist Party’s insistence that the judicial system serve the party† (Jacobs, p,1). It must also be noted that this is not the first time that China has pledge to initiate change and yet unable to pull the trigger so to speak. In 1995 the Chinese government sent a report to the United Nations committee against torture and in that said report they made known their intention to institute legal reforms specifically amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law (Holmstrom, p.26) However, the committee was dismayed when it discovered that the report is lacking in the most important issues, for instance: â€Å"The failure to incorporate the crime of torture into the domestic legal system, in terms consistent with the definition contained in article 1 of the Convention† (Holmstrom, p.26). Nevertheless, the embarrassment generated by the wrong conviction of two men who were under duress when their confessions were taken can be the real wake-up call needed by China. It must also be pointed out that the United Nations can only be certain of success if it can convince China to acknowledge that there are various forms of torture. Although China already outlawed torture as stated in a report they submitted to the UN Committee against torture, they simply defined torture as leaving physical marks, a definition so narrow it provided a way for officials to use other methods that can contravene UN standards (Watts, p.1) For instance many torture victims were manacled in contorted positions, were deprived of sleep and subjected to psychological forms harsh treatment and all of these does not leave a mark but it does leave a lasting impact to the mind and spirit of the human being in custody (Watts, p.1). This has to stop. Conclusion International leaders, especially the United Nations were aware that torture is rampant in China. The international community already condemned these barbarous acts especially when it comes to using torture against dissidents – people who held dissimilar views than the government. In the United States it is called fr eedom of expression; in China it can be grounds for arrest and in some instance giving police officers the right to torture suspects in their custody. It is a good thing that China is finally able to acknowledge the problem and has declared it illegal to use torture to obtain information from witnesses and to coerce a confession from a suspect. However, the United Nations must not give up the fight until the Chinese government will come to realize that the accurate definition of torture is found in the UN and not in the papers drafted by China’s communist party. Works Cited Holmstrom, Leif. Conclusions and Recommendations of the UN Committee Against  Torture. MA: Kluwer Law International, 2000. Hornby, Lucy. â€Å"New China rules rule out torture in confessions.† Web. Jacobs, Andrew. â€Å"China Bans Court Evidence Gained Through Torture.† The New York  Times. Web. Lipton, Edward. Religious Freedom in Asia. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2002. Nelan, B. et al. â€Å"Farewell My Trade Status.† Web. United Nations. â€Å"CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.† Web. Watts, Jonathan. â€Å"Torture still widespread in China, says UN investigator.† Web. This essay on Torture in China: Then and Now was written and submitted by user Konner Cantrell to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Lockheed U-2 Spy Plane

Lockheed U-2 Spy Plane In the years immediately after World War II the US military relied on a variety of converted bombers and similar aircraft to collect strategic reconnaissance. With the rise of the Cold War, it was recognized that these aircraft were extremely vulnerable to Soviet air defense assets and as a result would be of limited use in determining Warsaw Pact intentions. As a result, it was determined that an aircraft capable of flying at 70,000 feet was needed as existing Soviet fighters and surface-to-air missiles were incapable to reaching that altitude. Proceeding under the codename Aquatone, the US Air Force issued contracts to Bell Aircraft, Fairchild, and Martin Aircraft to design a new reconnaissance aircraft capable of meeting their requirements. Learning of this, Lockheed turned to star engineer Clarence Kelly Johnson and asked his team to create a design of their own. Working in their own unit, known as the Skunk Works, Johnsons team produced a design known as the CL-282. This essentially married the fuselage of an earlier design, the F-104 Starfighter, with a large set of sailplane-like wings. Presenting the CL-282 to the USAF, Johnsons design was rejected. Despite this initial failure, the design soon received a reprieve from President Dwight D. Eisenhowers Technological Capabilities Panel. Overseen by James Killian of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and including Edwin Land from Polaroid, this committee was tasked with exploring new intelligence weapons to protect the US from attack. While they initially concluded that satellites were the ideal approach for gathering intelligence, the necessary technology was still several years away. As a result, they decided that new spy plane was needed for the near future. Enlisting the aid of Robert Amory from the Central Intelligence Agency, they visited Lockheed to discuss the design of such an aircraft. Upon meeting with Johnson they were told that such design already existed and had been rejected by the USAF. Shown the CL-282, the group was impressed and recommended to CIA head Allen Dulles that the agency should fund the aircraft. After consulting with Eisenhower, the project moved forward and Lockheed was issued a $22.5 million contract for the aircraft. Design of the U-2 As the project moved forward, the design was re-designated U-2 with the U standing for the deliberately vague utility. Powered by the Pratt Whitney J57 turbojet engine, the U-2 was designed to achieve high altitude flight with a long range. As a result, the airframe was created to be extremely light. This, along with its glider-like characteristics, makes the U-2 a difficult aircraft to fly and one with a high stall speed relative to its maximum speed. Due these issues, the U-2 is difficult to land and requires chase car with another U-2 pilot to help talk the aircraft down. In effort to save weight, Johnson originally designed the U-2 to take off from a dolly and land on a skid. This approach was later dropped in favor of landing gear in a bicycle configuration with wheels located behind the cockpit and engine. To maintain balance during takeoff, auxiliary wheels known as pogos are installed under each wing. These drop away as the aircraft leaves the runway. Due to the U-2s operational altitude, pilots wear the equivalent of a spacesuit to maintain proper oxygen and pressure levels. Early U-2s carried a variety of sensors in the nose as well as cameras in a bay aft of the cockpit. U-2: Operation History The U-2 first flew on August 1, 1955 with Lockheed test pilot Tony LeVier at the controls. Testing continued and by spring 1956 the aircraft was ready for service. Reserving authorization for overflights of the Soviet Union, Eisenhower worked to reach an agreement with Nikita Khrushchev regarding aerial inspections. When this failed, he authorized the first U-2 missions that summer. Largely flying from Adana Air Base (renamed Incirlik AB on 28 February 1958) in Turkey, U-2s flown by CIA pilots entered Soviet airspace and collected invaluable intelligence. Though Soviet radar was able to track the overflights, neither their interceptors nor missiles could reach the U-2 at 70,000 ft. The success of the U-2 led the CIA and US military to press the White House for additional missions. Though Khrushchev protested the flights, he was unable to prove that the aircraft were American. Proceeding in complete secrecy, flights continued from Incirlik and forward bases in Pakistan for the next four years. On May 1, 1960, the U-2 was thrust into the public spotlight when one flown by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over Sverdlovsk by a surface-to-air missile. Captured, Powers became the center of the resulting U-2 Incident which embarrassed Eisenhower and effectively ended a summit meeting in Paris. The incident led to an acceleration of spy satellite technology. Remaining a key strategic asset, U-2 overflights of Cuba in 1962 provided the photographic evidence that precipitated the Cuban Missile Crisis. During the crisis, a U-2 flown by Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr. was shot down by Cuban air defenses. As surface-to-air missile technology improved, efforts were made to improve the aircraft and reduce its radar cross-section. This proved unsuccessful and work began on a new aircraft for conducting overflights of the Soviet Union. In the early 1960s, engineers also worked to develop aircraft carrier-capable variants (U-2G) to extend its range and flexibility. During the Vietnam War, U-2s were used for high-altitude reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam and flew from bases in South Vietnam and Thailand. In 1967, the aircraft was dramatically improved with the introduction of the U-2R. Approximately 40% larger than the original, the U-2R featured underwing pods and an improved range. This was joined in 1981 by a tactical reconnaissance version designated TR-1A. The introduction of this model re-started production of the aircraft to meet the USAFs needs. In the early 1990s, the U-2R fleet was upgraded to the U-2S standard which included improved engines. The U-2 has also seen service in a non-military role with NASA as the ER-2 research aircraft. Despite its advanced age, the U-2 remains in service due to its ability to perform direct flights to reconnaissance targets on short notice. Though there were efforts to retire the aircraft in 2006, it avoided this fate due to the lack of an aircraft with similar capabilities. In 2009, the USAF announced that it intended to retain the U-2 through 2014 while working to develop the unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk as a replacement. Lockheed U-2S General Specifications Length:  63 ft.Wingspan:  103 ft.Height:  16 ft.Wing Area:  1,000 sq. ft.Empty Weight:  14,300 lbs.Loaded Weight:  40,000 lbs.Crew:  1 Lockheed U-2S Performance Specifications Power Plant:  1 Ãâ€" General Electric F118-101 turbofanRange:  6,405 milesMax Speed:  500 mphCeiling:  70,000 ft. Selected Sources FAS: U-2The CIA the U-2 Program: 1954-1974

Friday, November 22, 2019

Learn How To Write A Perfect Thematic Essay

Learn How To Write A Perfect Thematic Essay How to Write the Best Thematic Essay Sometimes, students are scared when being assigned a thematic essay. But don’t worry; we are sure you’ve written tons of thematic essays already, they just were called differently, for example, analytical or research essay. However, a thematic essay is not the same as those ones, but sometimes professors do not give exact writing instructions. A thematic essay is an essay discussing a phenomenon, concept, or theme. Here you should use all the skills you mastered when writing previous essays. The skills you will need to write your thematic essay include writing in a well-organized manner, presenting evidence, and supporting your thesis. Thematic Essay Definition Sometimes, professors call any assignment on literature a thematic essay. And, very often teachers assign any essays revolving a certain subject or theme in any branch of life as thematic essays. Some professors think that a thematic essay can be written only about literary devices, i.e. you will have to create a thesis around metaphor, symbolism, or hyperbole, for example. Your task will be to take a motif in the literature and create a thesis around that motif. The motif can be different, for example, success, self-knowledge, lost love, etc. As you can see, the approaches of teachers to thematic essays are very different. One of such common topics is How does William Shakespeare use young love bloom to spread the tragedy seeds in Romeo and Juliet? And here is the example of a thesis on that topic: Mental superiority and infallibility of youth are consistently demonstrated by Shakespeare as means of creating the fundament for the later tragedy. You can select a motif or literary device typical for the text and craft an original thesis. Eventually, your task is to prove the thesis with the help of evidence from the text in a coordinated way. Nowadays, teachers assign more thematic essays not related to literature, they simply link thematic essays with various challenged in social human existence.   It means that you will have to do some deeper research. However, you should realize that the reader might not see the thematic essay issue in the same way as you do. That’s why make sure to provide very tight evidence. A thematic essay might require you to write about some very sensitive social problems, so make sure to use light and elegant words not to make your reader disagree with you. Be focused on your central argument at all times. Let’s Write a Thematic Essay Step By Step Choose the best topic to cover your thematic essay. It can be abusage in the workplace if you write about the exploitation of servants in Victorian England, for example. Select a quote, fact, joke, or statistic related to your best topic and create a hook. Link that topic to the narrower one and discuss it in two-three sentences. Provide the thesis. Write three separate topic sentences for each paragraph provided. For example: 1) The exploitation of servants was a means of participating in darker impulses for the wealthy. 2) The exploitation of servants was caused by poor patterns of communication and politeness of the elite society. 3) The exploitation of servants used the most vulnerable society members, and, thus, was opportunistic. Support each topic sentence by providing evidence from history and top sources. State your thesis again in a different manner. Use new vocabulary to recap the main points in a conclusive paragraph. Now the perspective has to be linked to a bigger social issue. Outline Some students don’t pay much attention to writing an outline while they consider it to be a waste of time. However, writing an outline will make everything clearer and will guide you through your essay. Outline Sample Introduction Interesting fact, joke, statistic, or quote which will be a hook. Up to three sentences relating specific theme. Statement of thesis: Second paragraph First topic sentence supporting the thesis. Evidence supporting that claim and explanation of its relevancy or efficiency. Third paragraph Second topic sentence supporting the thesis. Evidence supporting that claim and explanation of its relevancy or efficiency. Fourth paragraph Third topic sentence supporting the thesis. Evidence supporting that claim and explanation of its relevancy or efficiency. Conclusion Reiterate your thesis. Recall three primary points. Link a perspective to a greater picture of life, history, society, etc. issue. Introduction In order to write an introduction, you should complete several tasks at a time, so it might be a bit confusing. From the very first line, it’s necessary to capture the attention of the reader, present him a wider topic and take them to a more specific one. When your experience in writing essays is not that big, it might be tough. However, if you have troubles with writing an introduction, you can go to your thesis and get back to it later. You will find it much easier to write an introduction after you have finished your essay already. Body Paragraphs The body of your thematic essay requires you to think well and write the strongest topic sentences. In your body paragraphs, you should show you’re able to research, collect and organize evidence and make an analysis. Remember that each topic sentence is to be supported by evidence. Initially, topic paragraphs can be written in a certain order, but later, you can restructure them if it is needed. Yes, it happens that the third paragraph should be first eventually, or the first paragraph should become second. Once the essay is written, take your time and check the body paragraphs order again, while the flow of your ideas has to be nice and understandable. Conclusion Before writing a conclusion, take a break and refresh your mind. The reader should have a clear closure after all. In conclusion, it is necessary to remind your reader about the most important points of the essay and help him understand the general sense of its ending. Topics for Your Thematic Essay History How the Civil displayed progress versus tradition? How the seeds of the Great Depression were sowed by the Roaring Twenties? How the notion of brotherhood was undermined in the Civil War? Discuss how human beings created a royal class in modern times and antiquity. What is the role of religion in civilized nations? Human Rights Can we deny the Holocaust? What are the LGBT rights trends in America for the last decade? Discuss the civil rights movements. Nationalism The Neo-Nazi and the KKK movements. American Revolution and nationalism. Is there any connection between nuclear weaponry and nationalism? We Can Help A thematic essay is assigned to you to check if you can create an original essay using the concepts or trends around the events in history or a piece of literature.   It is a real challenge to brainstorm a thesis unconventionally. Sometimes it seems impossible to find the most proper evidence for your thesis. We get lots of request from students like you, who get stuck with their thematic essay, and we are here to help. Our top writers have created tons of thematic essays and they are always inspired to create a masterpiece for you. Our experts know exactly what teachers want from you and how they evaluate your works, so they will be able to write a perfect thematic essay for you! Conclusion Don’t be scared when you are assigned a thematic essay, while it is the same essay you have already mastered before. All you need to do it to create a more specific thesis around more precise trend or concept. Once you do that, write an essay using the same structure as for all the previous ones. Your main problem might be connected not with writing itself but with finding unique ideas to support your writing. It’s necessary to set your imagination free and think in some new directions for your essay to be unique and successful. And if you need professional help and support, you know where to find us!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Amazon (Kindle Fire) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Amazon (Kindle Fire) - Research Paper Example In order for it to stay at the top in its sales, more needs to be done to obtain competitive advantage that is essential to get rid of any competition in the prospect. Comparing with the rest of the firms, Kind Fire presents a gap of about $300 for a similar commodity, thus, allowing customers to enjoy significant sales from its target markets. The gap exists because the other firms seek to sell their commodities at $499 while Kind Fire sells its commodity at $199. From the recent market results, Kind Fire has hit a sale of five million in the period terminating on December 2011 although Amazon has already resolved to stop working for this company. In comparison, the market leaders Apple Inc. sold at eleven million for their iPad in the last quarter, thus, presenting an undefeatable upper hand. According to the CEO of Amazon, the company aimed at realizing smaller profits from these devices although in its capacity as the retail company has resolved to dwell in smaller margins a fact ors that only few electronic firms would manage. Comparing to other firms, Kind Fire from Amazon Inc. has revealed excellent pricing strategies, through price elasticity in order, to keep sales high above most influential firms in the sector. According to most analysts, Amazon has not much interest in obtaining a gap in the tablet device market rather it views it as an opportunity to develop into the market for the digital world and make use of the vast opportunities that exist within the target market (Rohida 1). The firm has the chance to present its services to Kind Fire similar to their tests concerning the digital content. In order to realize these objectives, Kind Fire and Amazon have used price as the tool for entering into the market. Price is considered to determine the purchases that occur within the digital and electronic markets. With the emergence of Apple Inc. and other firms that market commodities such as the iPad, the world has presented demand for the commodity alt hough the prices do not favor the customers. Unless a marketer manages to offer his or her product an edge over the competitor’s commodity, only little sales can be realized. Therefore, marketers ought to give their firms an edge over the competitors in order to acquire competitive advantage that serves to augment the sales of firms that manage to establish one. Pricing strategies are offered on various grounds through consideration of different concepts such as the target market, demand, assortment of products offered and the commodity life cycle (Roth 2). Pricing strategies assists the marketer in realizing his or her pricing objective. Therefore, the pricing objective that a marketer prefers assists in the creation of the best pricing strategy. Both the pricing objectives and pricing strategies are guided by the business plan that a certain firm places in the business environment (Roth 2). Selection of a pricing objective precedes the determination of the best pricing stra tegy for the firm. Kindle Fire utilizes the penetration pricing strategy in which the firm seeks to obtain entry into the market environment, especially if there are other already established firms with a similar product. The aim of utilizing this pricing strategy is to attract customers into purchasing products from the new market entrant and improve the market share of that firm (Roth 5). In case the anticipated extents of the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Problems with Android phones Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problems with Android phones - Essay Example Various problems come with Android phones. One problem that needs immediate solution is forceclose, which is when an application running on Android phones stops abruptly. This is the root concept of this problem. It has problems with data storage and transmission. When the forceclose error is experienced, in most cases, data is lost. Therefore, it needs to be solved immediately. Various issues are being discussed in various forums. One of the forums that are commonly used and popular with many programmers is xda-developers.com. The stakeholders in this forum are the programmers of Android phones. The vision of the forum is to ensure that Android phones are popular and meet the client’s requirements. This forum is common with programming issues that are experienced with Android phones. Most problems that are raised in this forum need programming solutions. One common issue here is forceclose, and from the discussions, it seems to be a common problem that needs immediate solution. It is something that can affect the marketing of the product, and there is a need to work on it immediately. Another forum is that of Adnroidcentral.com. This forum deals with issues that can be solved. The common errors that are raised in this forum are those that can be solved without necessarily engaging programming procedures (Martin and Hoover). The xa-developers.com deals with programming issues. Most stakeholders are those that make use of Android phones in data collection. The data collection brings with it these problems. Android forums are mostly programmers who work on a freelance basis. They give solutions to the problems that are posted in the forum. The artifact analysis of the stakeholders is that the users of the forums give step-by-step solutions to the problems that are sent.  Most contributors also have programming skills that help them to solve the issues  (DoCoMo).  

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Benefits of Enlisting in the Armed Forces Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Enlisting in the Armed Forces Essay Introduction A scrutiny of the history of mankind, down the ages covering a period of 4000 years beginning from 3500BC till today indicates that in almost all the cases, the course of events have been dictated by the military prowess and the consequent superiority of one of the contenders. The fact continues to hold true even today, in this age of modernization when the emphasis is on economic power and political stability. The vital aspect of safeguarding these national interests is dependent upon one crucial factor: ‘Armed Forces’. A career in the Armed Forces may be considered to be one of the oldest professions in the history of mankind (the other being prostitution), and it may have an important role to play in safeguarding national interests, but it is also one of the most forgotten and maligned of career choices. For in times of peace and enduring prosperity, the general propensity of people is to look down upon this profession and all related aspects. It is considered to be the last refuge of scoundrels and the failed cases in society-definitely not a job to take if one has other options. But is this reputation really based on facts? Are conditions in the Armed Forces so bad today that it is anathema to even contemplate enlisting in the Armed Forces? Why do educational institutions and our society at large not promote the idea of their students/youngsters enlisting in the Armed Forces with a sense of pride and honor? Why does the present generation not consider enlisting in the Armed Forces as a worthwhile option? Critics (and there are many) point out that enlisting in the Armed Forces implies an unstated but real risk of life, separation from family for extended periods, frequent moves at short notices , poor work conditions and lower pay. This argument is taking a rather biased and short sighted view of the issue, and it does not do justice to either the interests of the country and the people whom the argument attempts to dissuade. Thesis Statement My endeavor during the course of this essay is to illustrate the benefits of enlisting in the Armed Forces. I am of the opinion that the benefits of enlisting outstrip the disadvantages by a wide margin and overall, it is just as good or better; an employment option as any that is available to the new generation. The scope of this thesis in terms of the people covered is holistic in nature: applicable to the entire scale of economic, racial, religious, gender and educational scale. Social Benefits During the ancient times, people enlisted for monetary and other purposes with the sole aim of garnering the spoils of war by way of loot, women, slaves and resources of the vanquished. At various stages in history, it has been repeatedly proved that other concerns like race, national pride and religion have also been a major motivating factor. The last known war entirely based on religious affinities terminated with the victory of the Crusaders over the Jihadis in 1453 A. D. at Constantinople (Turkey). Upward Social Mobility Enlisting in the Armed Forces opens up a whole new world of opportunities for a person irrespective of whether he joins as an officer or as a GI/soldier. This immediately catapults him from his humble origins to a society much more privileged, acknowledged and recognized as one. The change in social status leads to a subtle refinement in the person, his family and his circle of associates. Consequently, it brings about a change in the perception and quality of life for him as his options in everyday life are less weighed down by the mundane issues that he would have been otherwise negotiating. Culture Culturally, there is a huge leap due to the extensive interaction with people from diverse backgrounds and states. This introduces him to the positive and the negative aspects of life in other cultures both within and outside the country. Presuming that the individual has the sense of purpose and ability to discriminate between good and bad (with few exceptions, most posses this quality in abundance), this exposure introduces in him a better understanding of customs and awareness of other cultures. He can then subconsciously or by design incorporate the good aspects in to his way of life, thereby becoming a better citizen and an effective soldier. It must be appreciated that a person hailing from a remote, under-developed and relatively backward area has a proportionately less chance of making it big in the world. With time, he settles down to a job in the same place or at best moves within his state or county for a steady but not necessarily well paid job. It may not lead to much, but it provides him with basic economic security. Personality Development The tough training, regimental life and high emphasis on discipline permeates the very core and essence of the individual and transforms him from a happy go-lucky, take life as it comes type of youngster into a conscientious, well mannered and disciplined citizen of the future. He is now capable of looking after his own interests in life and takes the decisions best suited to his requirements and a secure future. The training imparts to his personality a combined sense of discipline, mental robustness, endurance and physical sturdiness which is generally lacking in other competitors his age and experience in life. The training and culture within the Armed Forces lays a great deal of emphasis on development of moral values and personal integrity. This development of acquired skills leads to a multi-faceted and versatile individual who would be an asset to any organization he joins. The refined mannerism, positive attitude and basic skills make him an automatic candidate of choice for prospective employers in the future. Pride, Prestige, Honor and Duty In the prevailing national environment, it has been the experience that the prospects of enlisting in the armed Forces are not considered to be a worthwhile option. Whatever be the reason, it must also be emphasized that in the rural countryside and deep interiors of the country, there still exist communities and villages which take great pride in sending their young ones to the Armed Forces. Then there exist certain demographic and regional specific patterns wherein the propensity towards enlisting in the Armed Forces is higher (Mavor 41-3) It is taken as a matter of pride and prestige by both: the family of the individual and the individual himself; as an act of repaying the nation for all it has bestowed them with and also as a matter of tradition. But the idea is a non starter and gradually starts loosing steam as we progress from the rural courtsides and deep interiors towards the cities and the power centers. Purely from a moral ground, it should be the duty of each citizen to do his time in the Armed Forces and contribute to the national effort. After all if democracy bestows certain unquestioned rights, then it also imposes certain unstated obligations. It must be kept in mind that, ‘there is no such thing as a free lunch’. Similarly, it is inappropriate to assume that one can proceed to enjoy the benefits of democracy for free without bothering to fulfill our own obligations to the nation. Every right has a corresponding duty and this is no exception; we cannot leave the nation’s requirement of manpower to just the people from the interiors, highlands and the so called lower classes alone. This burden has to be shared by all of us who swear by democracy and the nation. Economic Benefits When speaking about the Armed Forces, the general refrain is that it is not a well paying job, and that the connected hardships of separation from family for extended periods, the frequent moves on duty at short notice, and the attendant risks to life and health is not worth it. In the subsequent paragraphs, I will examine the merits and demerits of this presumption on a factual basis. Job Security What would be the prospects of a person in his native hometown of landing a job consistent to his qualification? What are the chances that he retains his job in the event of some constraining circumstances either to the person or to the employer? The answers to these questions are obvious. Whereas, in the case of the person employed in the Armed Forces, there is an assured degree of job security that is unmatched in any other form of employment. The individual has to do something really drastic or be highly incompetent to be considered unfit for retention. The chances of retrenchment are virtually non-existent. On The Job Training(OJT) Until the end of World War II, the aspect of enlisting was more or less considered as the beginning of the military career. However, with the modernization of weapons and delivery systems, the process of refining the enlisted personnel in to a trained and efficient operator has to be taken up in earnest and hence the need of putting the person through rigorous specialized training schedule(Buck 204-6). The Armed Forces provide training relevant to the aspect of specialization specific to the individual’s branch before formal induction in to the respective arm or service. There are approximately 360 specialist jobs in the US Army alone of which 20% have similar jobs in the civilian world in departments related to communication, IT, software and allied services (Goldberg 59-60). Upon reporting to the parent unit, the individual undergoes further training at the concerned facilities for a period depending upon the requirement of the job and the laid down parameters. This is to say that depending upon the arm which the individual opts for; the training on the specialist equipment, weapons and other systems are guaranteed. The stipend during this period is paid for by the government. It implies that the individual is undergoing training and at the same time also making up his experience profile simultaneously; and he is being paid for it.! How many other jobs can boast of this facility? Job related risks It is often stated that the attendant risk and hardships of a career in the Armed Forces is a negative factor influencing the new generation from enlisting. It can be argued that the so called hardships are not a way of life and depend entirely upon the number of conflicts and skirmishes the country is involved in. Again, how many other jobs do not involve frequent moves at short notices? The aspect of living out of suitcases is generally well described in all forms of literature and media, hence need not be repeated. Needless to say frequent moves and separation from family is a factor that is true for most other forms of employment. The only difference is in the period, which again is taken care of by the system of rotation of troops that is strictly adhered to by the Defence Forces. As regards physical injuries and risk of death, it is a professional hazard and needs to be taken on its merit and statistical figures. The ratio of casualty sustained in comparison to the number of personnel inducted into the combat zone is very low, especially in the case of the developed countries like the USA, UK, France and other European countries. This is so, due to overwhelming superiority of these countries over the adversary in terms of sophistication and capability levels of weapon systems, logistics, and ensuring of an adequate stand–off distance during delivery of tactical executions of strategic plans. Besides, the other major factor influencing Government decision making is level of intolerance by the media and the country to higher casualties of own nationals. This attitude is in stark contrast to the disdain that the average citizen professes on the issue of enlistment in peace time. What I am implying here is that the possibility of being injured or killed in the war zone is not as high as is being made out to be. It is just a professional hazard which hypothetically states the possibility, but does in no way categorically confirm the same. Fatal casualty/Grevious Injury Having deliberated on the aspect of the very low probability of grievous injury and death, let us presume the case wherein either of these possibility does indeed take place. In that case, the government looks after the individual depending upon the nature of his injury, makes efforts to ensure his rehabilitation and employment in another form of work. In the event of death in action, the full range of military honors and government provisions are laid out to the individual and his family. This is only to state that the individual is not a forgotten chapter in case he is rendered invalid for active service or in case of fatal casualty. Perks and Privileges Every nation bestows upon the personnel of its armed forces a wide range of facilities and privileges which would otherwise adversely impact the monetary status of the individual. The facilities and privileges are not sacrosanct and every nation follows a different yardstick to determine what it gives its personnel, e. g. free Medicare facilities given to the personnel and also extended to their families, accommodation at subsidized rates etc. Now if these perks and privileges extended by the government were to be quantified in terms of costs, it would work out to a high figure, when added to what the individual already earns, amounts to a fat salary bill (Ostrow 219). The idea I am trying to highlight is that the privileges which are not considered while describing the low pay also need to be included just to put things in their proper perspective. And I have deliberately avoided discussing the various allowances which every nation provides its armed forces personnel in recognition of the hardships and limitations endured by them during times of operational deployment and commitments. The allowances by themselves amount to a substantial part of the remunerations and are by and large a realistic reflection of the hardships endured. Pensioner Benefits The armed forces have a stipulated period of service for their personnel, and this duration varies from country to country and within the forces: from arm to arm and service to service (Roza 10-11). However, the bottom line is that the personnel are free to leave active service and proceed home with all pensioner benefits as laid down by the Government. If the individual is smart and has planned his moves well in advance, he can join a new employment which means he has effectively two incomes to go by. It lends him a strong base for procuring home loans and enterprise related loans from banks as his degree of financial security is considerably higher than that of the average citizen. The pensioner benefits also entitle him to medical and other related facilities which result in considerable savings to the overall financial planning and outlay of the individual. Educational Benefits A sound education is defined as the basic foundation upon which rests the edifice of a person’s career. Very often, and in most cases, the inclination, interest, and urge to undergo formal education from a standard university or college exists in individuals. However, there is a large gap in the ability of the existing education system to provide to the needs of each aspiring student due to various factors. Government education institutes in most democracies have an unstated but existing drawback on the quality of education they provide. Quality education in a democracy comes at a price, which not everyone can afford. This leaves a large number of potential aspirants without quality education. However, by enlisting in the Armed Forces, this drawback is also addressed. The Armed Forces offer specialist training in a wide range of professionally oriented courses and degrees with a view to produce qualified and expert specialist in their respective sphere of tasks. Apart from this, the government provides for the service personnel opportunities to enhance their education skills before, during and after enlistment. The Montgomery GI Bill and Tuition Assistance Programme are a case in point(Asch 57). Enlisting for the armed forces thus gives the individual the opportunity to complete a degree or an education that he could otherwise not have achieved (Paradis 106). Infact the consequent experience that the individual gains (mostly under pressures of time and combat) puts him in an advantageous position when looking for a job elsewhere upon termination of his contract with the Armed Forces. Counter Claims Critics of the proposal for enlisting into the Armed Forces cite the attendant risk to life, possible injuries, extended periods of separation and comparatively lower pay packages as the principle reasons to avoid the Armed Forces. This reasoning has been discussed by me during the course of the essay and I have proved that on the surface, these points are apparently valid. However, they do not measure up to an unbiased and impartial scrutiny based on facts and statistics. Conclusion To conclude, it is again reiterated that the proposal of enlisting in the armed forces is highly beneficial to a large section of the society and country. The stated disadvantages regarding enlisting; and the advantages I have highlighted need to be weighed against each other. It would be inappropriate to come to a conclusion that affects the lives and careers of a large number of people just because we think that a particular line of thought is correct. It is more important and relevant to analyze the issue based on facts and arrive at the correct conclusion, before propagating it as a statement of fact. Work Cited Asch Beth J. â€Å"Contextual Information on Recruiting† â€Å"Military Recruiting and Retention After the Fiscal Year : Military Pay Legislation† Ed. Asch Beth A, et al Rand Corporation(2002) 57 Buck Peter â€Å"Adjusting to military Life: The Social Sciences Go to War† â€Å"Military Enterprise and Technological Change: Perspectives on the American Experience† Ed. Smith Merritt Roe MIT Press (1985) 204-6. â€Å"Hearings on National Defense Authorization ACT for Fiscal Year 2003H. R. 4546 and Oversight of By United States Congress†. House Committee on Armed Services. Subcommittee on Military Personnel Summary The Supt. Of Docs. , U. S. G. P. O. (2003) 75-7 Goldberg Jan â€Å"Careers for Patriotic Types Others Who Want To Serve Their Country† McGraw-Hill Professional(1999) 59-60 Jerome Johnston, Jerald G. Bachman â€Å"Young Men and Military Service† Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan (1972) 195 Mavor Anne S. et al, â€Å"Attitudes, Aptitudes, and Aspirations of American Youth: Implications for Military Recruiting† National Academies Press (2003) 41-3 Ostrow Scott A. â€Å"Guide to Joining the Military â€Å"Thomson Petersons (2004) 219 Paradis Adrian A. ; â€Å"Opportunities in Military Careers† McGraw-Hill Professional (1999) 106. Rand Corporation â€Å"The Rand Paper Series† Rand Corp (1946) Roza Greg â€Å"Choosing a Career in the Military† The Rosen PublishingGroup Careers / Jobs (2001)10.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

jimhf Jim as Hero in The Adventures of Huck Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Jim as Hero in The Adventures of Huck Finn A hero is defined as a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose. The character of Jim in Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain certainly fits that description. He risked his life in order to free himself from slavery, and in doing so, helps Huck to realize that he has worth. Huck becomes aware of Jim's sense of love and humanity, his basic goodness, and his desire to help others. There are many illustrations of this phenomenon in Huckleberry Finn. The reader first becomes aware of Jim's sense of love and humanity when Jim discovers Pap's corpse on the houseboat: ...But it didn't budge. So I hollered again, and then Jim says: "De man ain't asleep -- he's dead. You hold still-- I'll go en see. "He went, and bent down and looked, and says: "It's a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He's ben shot in de back. I reck'n he's ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan' look at his face -- it's too gashly." This is an example of how Jim is a humane and loving person because he does not allow Huck to see his dead father's face once he sees and understands the position in wehich he is placed. Later, Huck wishes to speak to Jim about the dead man, but Jim will not allow it since he does not want to reveal the truth about Pap to Huck. This is a second and more direct approach that is used in the story in order to show this same point. Jim is also basically a good person. Although he is ignorant, he knows that it is a good thing for him to show Huck that he has worth so that Huck can think of him as an equal. This is a tough idea for Huck to realize because at this point in time he still thinks of Jim in terms of being a slave, and not on equal footing with him. This is shown by Jim's statement of his own self worth. "Yes; en I's rich now, come to look at it. I owns mysef, en I's wuth eight hund'd dollars. I wisht I had de money, I wouldn' want no mo'. jimhf Jim as Hero in The Adventures of Huck Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays Jim as Hero in The Adventures of Huck Finn A hero is defined as a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose. The character of Jim in Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain certainly fits that description. He risked his life in order to free himself from slavery, and in doing so, helps Huck to realize that he has worth. Huck becomes aware of Jim's sense of love and humanity, his basic goodness, and his desire to help others. There are many illustrations of this phenomenon in Huckleberry Finn. The reader first becomes aware of Jim's sense of love and humanity when Jim discovers Pap's corpse on the houseboat: ...But it didn't budge. So I hollered again, and then Jim says: "De man ain't asleep -- he's dead. You hold still-- I'll go en see. "He went, and bent down and looked, and says: "It's a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He's ben shot in de back. I reck'n he's ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan' look at his face -- it's too gashly." This is an example of how Jim is a humane and loving person because he does not allow Huck to see his dead father's face once he sees and understands the position in wehich he is placed. Later, Huck wishes to speak to Jim about the dead man, but Jim will not allow it since he does not want to reveal the truth about Pap to Huck. This is a second and more direct approach that is used in the story in order to show this same point. Jim is also basically a good person. Although he is ignorant, he knows that it is a good thing for him to show Huck that he has worth so that Huck can think of him as an equal. This is a tough idea for Huck to realize because at this point in time he still thinks of Jim in terms of being a slave, and not on equal footing with him. This is shown by Jim's statement of his own self worth. "Yes; en I's rich now, come to look at it. I owns mysef, en I's wuth eight hund'd dollars. I wisht I had de money, I wouldn' want no mo'.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Putting a Stop to Film Piracy Essay

Film piracy is one of the most lucrative forms of intellectual property theft in the United States and in the rest of the world. Movies are illegally copied, reproduced, and mass distributed in different ways such as in replicated DVDs or through the Internet for financial gains. Piracy is an act of stealing and it â€Å"includes the unauthorized copying, distribution, performance or other use of copyrighted materials† such as movies and television shows (Motion Picture Association of America). These practices result to negative impacts on consumers, the film industry, and to the whole economy. No matter how enticing are the reasons why people support pirated movies, film piracy remains to be a punishable crime for it is equal to stealing the properties and hard work of other people. Therefore, people who produce and distribute pirated movies for illegal purposes should face the consequences of their actions. Reasons Why People Engage in this Crime There are several ways how to pirate films. These movies are produced either by recording inside the theater, post-production leaks or leaks from an awards screener, stealing film print, stealing legitimate DVD prior to official date of release, or by ripping a legitimate DVD of any protective code (Treverton 37). These stolen copies of the movies are then burned or replicated in more DVDs or uploaded in the Internet without the consent of their original owners and then sold at cheaper prices or distributed for free. Despite being prohibited by law, film piracy is hard to control because many people instantly benefit from it. The people behind the business earn a lot from pirated movies because they do not have to buy the copyrights of the movies or pay royalties. Despite having lower qualities at times, buying pirated movies appeals to consumers because they can get films for free or for a very cheap price. â€Å"The low prices of pirated films compared with the legal ones make the former very attractive to buyers† (Treverton 31). Consumers who have limited budgets would prefer to buy pirated movies or download illegally from the Internet than to spend the money in cinemas. But these are only temporary benefits and in the bigger picture, film piracy causes more harm than good results. How Film Piracy Harms Pirated movies gain support from those who see them as answers to financial burdens. But many people remain unaware of the how movie piracy actually contributes to the sufferings of the whole country’s economy and film industry. These people do not recognize the importance of not supporting the products of piracy. The economy loses a lot of money annually because of the organized crime of intellectual property theft. Each year, â€Å"motion picture piracy costs the U. S. economy more than $20 billion† and because of the illegal reproduction of films, lesser income is earned by the movies and lesser money is contributed by the movie industry to the country’s economy (Grover and Shields). Piracy is also one of the biggest threats to film and music industry. The whole entertainment industry suffers from this crime. â€Å"The global film industry creates more jobs, more entertainment choices and more opportunities for the creative professions† and because of piracy, lesser opportunities are given to film production because budgets for discovering new talents, artists, directors, and production staffs are limited and restrained by the lack of budget (MPAA). There is a big possibility for the value of film making to decline and maybe even completely crash. Consumers will also suffer then because, aside from getting little for the money they invest in illegal products, they are also contributing to the wealth of people who have not really worked hard for the film. When the movie industry loses money to piracy, the costs produce quality and meaningful films and shows also become more expensive. Punishments and Consequences Piracy equals theft. Therefore, it is important to have laws created to protect the copyrights of films and television shows. â€Å"These laws help safeguard the creative works that support the livelihoods of the 2. 4 million Americans who work† together to create quality films for the entertainment of consumers (MPAA). The enforcement of laws makes copyrighted movies valuable and pirating these products makes them known as stolen properties. Many critics of the anti-piracy law and other laws related to copyright violations believe that the anti-piracy bill has harsh repercussions. Critics of anti-piracy laws believe that the punishments for acts related to piracy are too severe at times because lengthy prison terms and huge fines await those who will be caught involved in movie piracy. â€Å"First-time violators can be sentenced to up to five years in prison if the camcording was committed for financial gain or commercial advantage and fined up to $250,000† (MPAA). Critics say that there should be a limitation for the consequences of reproducing materials such as films. But for the industries that are affected by this crime, they need greater enforcement of laws because their lost sales continue increasing as consumers retain access to free music and movies on the Internet (Grover and Shields). Conclusion Reproducing copyrighted materials such as films are prohibited by laws. Piracy is a form of theft and many people profit a lot from stolen works. It has become a problematic dent in the film industry because movie outfits are hurt by this illegal act. Apprehenders are not easily caught and are not always given their rightful punishments. Purchasing pirated movies or getting them illegally from the Internet may seem like a mild offense for an ordinary person. But if this crime is done in volume, the negative consequences of movie piracy are proven to be detrimental to those who are part of the industry of film making because the act already translates into theft and a violation of another person’s rights. Works Cited Grover, Ronald and Shields, Todd. â€Å"Movie-Piracy Websites Shut Down by Raids. † 30 June 2010. Web. 23. Aug. 2010. Retrieved from < http://www. bloomberg. com/news/2010-06-30/movie-piracy-web-sites-shut-down-in-coordinated-raids-by-u-s-officials. html>. Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Frequently Asked Questions. 2010. Web. 23 Aug. 2010. Retrieved from < http://www. mpaa. org/contentprotection/faq>. Treverton, Gregory F. â€Å"Chapter Three: The Shape of Counterfeiting and the Example of Film Piracy. † Film Piracy, Organized Crime, and Terrorism. California: RAND Corporation, 2009. Print. Pp. 27- 38.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Literary Analysis of Ernest Hemingway Essay

Stewart, Matthew C (2000) quite rightly points out that: If literary quality is a register of how deeply an author has felt the subject matter about which he writes, then Hemingway felt very deeply about his war experiences, for these are some of his finest stories. They are â€Å"In Another Country,† â€Å"Now I Lay Me,† and â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be. † The first story very clearly anticipates A Farewell to Arms in its opening paragraph, its setting and the themes it raises. It depicts the ruined lives of wounded soldiers in a hospital, in particular the physical therapy of the American narrator and an Italian major. It is clear that the physical therapy is useless and that some sort of metaphysical, perhaps spiritual, therapy would be more fundamentally valuable for the psychically battered men. The second story, as stated above, depicts Nick and an Italian soldier lying awake at night near the front, unable to sleep. The American narrator dreads sleeping because he fears that his soul will leave his body. The final story depicts Nick Adams returning to the Italian front as a would-be morale booster, but he has been shot, receiving a head-wound that has rendered him barely able to control himself at the front. Indeed, his principal task is to hold onto his sanity. These three war stories are remarkable for their literary quality, for their high degree of autobiographical resonance, and for the way they illuminate A Farewell to Arms and each other. Most to the immediate purpose, however, is to assert that they constitute additional early evidence that Nick Adams was severely traumatized by the war. Lynn and Crews build a version of Hemingway as a world-renowned, middle-aged author pulling the wool over the eyes of friends and critics during the forties and fifties. Twenty-five years after the fact, they maintain, Hemingway fabricates the idea that the war affected him. Yet â€Å"In Another Country† and â€Å"Now I Lay Me† were composed only two years after â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River,† and â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be† was composed in mid-1932. These are Nick Adams stories; they are set at the war; they show Nick as physically and psychically wounded. The opening pages of â€Å"Now I Lay Me† even echo many particulars of â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River,† including the central action of trout fishing as psychic restoration. Hemingway’s finest explorations of the human consequences of war. Hemingway discussed his war nightmares with his first wife in the 1920s for the same reason? Hemingway as both young and middle-aged man undoubtedly kidded, exaggerated, misled, pulled legs, manipulated, hoaxed, and lied. But the existence of these early war stories argues strongly against the idea that Hemingway decided to lay claim to the importance of the war in his work belatedly and factitiously. The incapacity to find his way through questions he cannot solve, his reticence the admission of his own weakness, those familiar steps on the path of the individualist–bring Hemingway’s contemporary to desertion on principle. The theme of desertion is not new to Hemingway. Long ago Nick Adams fled from his home town, then he fled to the front. But here too the brave arditti decorated with all sorts of medals is a potential deserter at heart. For example, that if all the stories about Nick Adams were collected and entitled â€Å"In Our Time† they would not have the structure which In Our Time does have. â€Å"The Killers† and â€Å"Now I Lay Me† might fit, but â€Å"Fathers and Sons† and â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be† would not. Hemingway’s favorite hero-ever the same under his changing names–and you begin to realize that what had seemed the writer’s face is but a mask, and by degrees you begin to discern a different face, that of Nick Adams, Tenente Henry, Jake Barnes, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Frazer. Hemingway shows us how complicated he is by his very attempts to be simple. A tangle of conflicting strains and inconsistencies, a subtle clumsiness, a feeling of doubt and unrest are to be seen even in Hemingway’s earlier books as early as his presentation of Nick Adams’s cloudless young days, but as he proceeds on the way of artistic development these features show increasingly clear and the split between Hemingway and reality widens. Closely following the evolution of his main hero you can see how at first Nick Adams is but a photo film fixing the whole of life in its simplest tangible details. Then you begin to discern Nick’s ever growing instinct of blind protest, at which the manifestations of his will practically stop. The well trained athletic body is full of strength, it seeks for moments of tension that would justify this sort of life and finds them in boxing and skiing, in bull fighting and lion hunting, in wine and women. He makes a fetish of action for action, he revels in â€Å"all that threatens to destroy. † But the mind shocked by the war, undermined by doubt, exhausted by a squandered life, the poor cheated, hopelessly mixed up mind fails him. The satiated man with neither meaning nor purpose in life is no longer capable of a prolonged consecutive effort. â€Å"You oughtn’t to ever do anything too long† and we see the anecdote of the lantern in the teeth of the frozen corpse grow into a tragedy of satiety when nothing is taken in earnest any longer, when â€Å"there is no fun anymore. † Action turns into its reverse, into the passive pose of a stoic, into the courage of despair, into the capacity of keeping oneself in check at any cost, no longer to conquer, but to give away, and that smilingly. The figure of Jake mutilated in the war grows into a type. It is the type of a man who has lost the faculty of accepting all of life with the spontaneous case of his earlier days. For example the wounded Nick says to Rinaldi†You and me we’ve made a separate peace. We’re not patriots. † Tenente Henry kills the Italian sergeant when the latter, refusing to fulfill his order, renounces his part in the war, but inwardly he is a deserter as well and on the following day we actually see him desert. â€Å"In the fall the war was always there, but we did not go to it any more† ( â€Å"In Another Country†). This theme of sanctioned treason, or desertion in every form, so typical of the â€Å"extreme individualist, recurs throughout Hemingway’s work. But to learn to do it is no easy job, especially for one whose sight is limited by the blinders of sceptical individualism. Life is too complicated and full of deceit. The romance of war had been deceit, it is on deceit that the renown of most writers rests. The felicity of the Eliot couple is but self-deceit; Jake is cruelly deceived by life; for Mr. Frazer everything is deceit or self-deceit, everything is dope–religion, radio, patriotism, even bread. There is despair in the feeling of impending doom, and morbidity in the foretaste of the imminent loss of all that was dear. All stories if continued far enough end in death, and he is no true-story teller who would keep that from you. Especially do all stories of monogamy end in death, and your man who is monogamous while he often lives most happily, dies in the most lonesome fashion. There is no lonelier man in death except the suicide, than that man who has lived many years with a good wife and then outlives her. If two people love each other there can be no happy end to it. † A variety of later stories– ‘The Revolutionist,†In Another Country,†A Simple Enquiry,†Now I Lay Me,†A Way You’ll Never Be’–affirm the various phases of Hemingway’s thesis: the suffering of the war, the resistances and defenses of his people, their ways of ignoring the scene around them which apparently they cannot control. The depression of the nineteen-thirties was thus a sort of shock to our writers, rather like the insulin treatment in modern therapy, which brought them back from the shadows of apathy to American life at best, and active hostility at worst. This much of the expression of the thirties Hemingway anticipates in his own withdrawal and return to our common life, though the pattern will vary with our other literary figures, and with John Dos Passos and William Faulkner we have both an apparent exception to the rule and a real one. But we cannot deny that if the return to social sanity through shock is better than no return, it is in the end a method of desperation rather than a counsel of perfection. Our Americans are also to show its effect in their work of the decade, as Hemingway has already. The crisis of the new age has caught him well along in his career. Can he discover, who has discovered so much and left much unsaid, the genuine method of unifying his work and his times, the fusion of the ‘I’ and the ‘we’ which will further illuminate the tragic impulses he has made his own? We recall the phrase which summarized Hemingway’s solitary position: ‘a way you’ll never be. ‘ With such native capacities, the inheritance of wisdom and eloquence, the sense of bottomless intuitions we often have with Hemingway, the prophetic texture which marks his talent, will Hemingway now find a way to be? For what a marvelous teacher Hemingway is, with all the restrictions of temperament and environment which so far define his work! What could he not show us of living as well as dying, of the positives in our being as well as our destroying forces, of ‘grace under pressure’ and the grace we need with no pressures, of ordinary life-giving actions along with those superb last gestures of doomed exiles! Tenente Henry enjoys the definite, clear-cut relations between people, the good comradeship â€Å"We felt held together by there being something that had happened, that they did not understand,† and the feeling of risk while it lasts. But soon along with the debacle at Caporetto he finds himself faced by the cruelty of the rear, choked by its lies and filth, hurt by the hatred of the working people to gli ufficiali. And as his shellshock had lost him his sleep so does the stronger shock of war make him a different man. By the time the war is over he has learned to discern â€Å"liars that lie to nations† and to value their honeyed talk at what it is worth. Year after year Hemingway steadily elaborated his main lyrical theme, creating the peculiar indirectly personal form of his narrative (Soldier’s Home, Now I Lay Me), sober on the surface, yet so agitated; and as the years went by, the reader began to perceive the tragic side of his books. It became more and more apparent that his health was a sham, that he and his heroes were wasting it away. Hemingway’s pages were now reflecting all that is ugly and ghastly in human nature, it became increasingly clear that his activity was the purposeless activity of a man vainly attempting not to think, that his courage was the aimless courage of despair, that the obsession of death was taking hold of him, that again and again he was writing of the end–the end of love, the end of life, the end of hope, the end of all. The bourgeois patrons and the middle-class readers tamed by prosperity, were gradually losing interest in Hemingway. To follow him through the concentric circles of his individualistic hell was becoming a bit frightening and a bit tedious. He was taking things too seriously. In early days both critics and readers had highly admired the â€Å"romantic† strength, the â€Å"exotic† bull-fights, â€Å"the masculine athletic style;† but now Hemingway’s moments of meditation, his too intent gazing at what is horrible, According Hannum (1992) the trial of courage Nick so often faced had begun at least by the time of the Boulton episode. The doctor’s backing down before Boulton no doubt spurred Nick’s long fascination with boxing (his immediate recognition of Stanley Ketchel, Ad Francis, and Ole Andreson in the road stories) and his own concern with fistfights (the brakeman and Ad) and other challenges to his own courage. In â€Å"The Light of the World† he flinched and put up money when the bartender threatened Tom and him (292); in â€Å"The Battler† he smarted under the brakeman’s trick punch, then found himself briefly overmatched in the near-fight with Ad (101-02), but in â€Å"The Killers† he risked his life to warn Ole Andreson. In â€Å"In Another Country† Nick considered himself a dove in contrast to his â€Å"hunting-hawk† (208) comrades in Milan, though he learned a new courage from the Italian major whose wife died of pneumonia, and in â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be† puked and fell back in his first infantry attack (314), but thereafter found courage in grappa. (Hannum 92) Conclusion If on closing Hemingway’s books you recall and assort the disjoined pieces of the biography of his main hero you will be able to trace the decisive points of his life. Nick–first a tabula rasa, then turning away from too cruel a reality; Henry struggling for his life and trying to assert its joys, Jake and Mr. Johnson–already more than half broken and Mr. Frazer–a martyr to reflection and growing passivity. So we witness both the awakening and the ossification of the hero whose psychology is so intimately known to Hemingway himself, and as opposed to it a file of brave and stoic people–the Negro in â€Å"Battler,† the imposing figures of Belmonte and Manola, the broken giant Ole Andreson; in a word–those people for whom Hemingway’s double has so strong an instinctive liking, first worshipped as heroes and then brought down to earth. Works Cited Hannum, Howard L.†Ã¢â‚¬ Scared Sick Looking at It†: A Reading of Nick Adams in the Published Stories. † Twentieth Century Literature 47. 1 (2001) Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"The Art of the Short Story. † Ernest Hemingway: A Study of the Short Fiction. Ed. Joseph M. Flora. Boston: Twayne, 1989. 129-44. Nolan, Charles J. Jr. â€Å"Hemingway’s Complicated â€Å"Enquiry† in ‘Men without Women. ‘. † Studies in Short Fiction 32. 2 (1995) Nolan, Charles J. Jr. â€Å"Hemingway’s Puzzling Pursuit Race. † Studies in Short Fiction 34. 4 (1997) Paul, Steve. â€Å"†Ã¢â‚¬ËœDrive,’ He Said†: How Ted Brumback Helped Steer Ernest Hemingway into War and Writing. † The Hemingway Review 27. 1 (2007) Paul, Steve. â€Å"Preparing for War and Writing What the Young Hemingway Read in the Kansas City Star, 1917-1918. † The Hemingway Review 23. 2 (2004) Stewart, Matthew C. â€Å"Ernest Hemingway and World War I: Combatting Recent Psychobiographical Reassessments, Restoring the War. † Papers on Language & Literature 36. 2 (2000) Tyler, Lisa. â€Å"Hemingway’s Italy: New Perspectives. † The Hemingway Review 26. 2 (2007)

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Structuralist Approach of the Green Mile Essay Example

Structuralist Approach of the Green Mile Essay Example Structuralist Approach of the Green Mile Essay Structuralist Approach of the Green Mile Essay Nikki Green 9/24/09 Structuralism Dr. McKnight The Importance of the Healing The Green Mile is a movie about a man that has the gift of healing and is punished for it. Throughout the movie, you learn more about this man and his supernatural power. I reviewed two scenes in The Green Mile and found several binary oppositions that work together to make the meaning of the movie. Life/death, trust/doubt, silence/suffering, and good/evil are all binary oppositions but of this life/death, trust/doubt, and freedom/imprisonment work with each other to form the main concept which is Jesus/man. Life/death is the first binary in the two scenes. In the first scene the mouse is killed. Life is taken away, but also given. As the guard takes the life from the mouse, J. C. gives life to the mouse. The same sequence occurs in the second scene, except somewhat twisted. The woman is dying and in great pain. In this scene, J. C. takes death away from the woman but someone must receive it. That someone is J. C. The price he had to pay to take the death away. The scene in which life is given makes you happy as well as when death is taken away. As much as one is happy for the life given, one is also sad for the death that was given. For one to understand the happiness of life, they must comprehend the devastation of death. This binary is a controlling in the movie. Life/Death is intertwined throughout the entire movie. Trust/doubt is shown through the people who come in contact with J. C. When J. C. heals the mouse, Mr. Jangles, no one questions him. Everyone is welcoming of his talent. Everyone has complete trust in him, asking him to heal Mr. Jangles. The trust ties in with the life. It was easy for them to trust him to give life. If something did not work nothing was lost. In the scene where J. C. s taken to heal the woman, her husband is skeptical. He doubts J. C. and does not want him to touch her. Although J. C. was trying to take the death away, there was the chance that death could be given. The doubt resides once the woman is healed. Freedom/imprisonment is a binary that stems from J. C. In the scene where Mr. Jangles is healed, he is imprisoned. He reaches through the bars to heal the mouse. In the nex t scene, a healing is again occurring, except J. C. is free. He could have left and ran but he understood that his freedom could only come from one being imprisoned. He had to suffer and prove that he was able to be free and not escape full imprisonment. J. C. healed under each circumstance leading to the controlling binary in the movie. Throughout the movie the main concept is Jesus/man. The supernatural healing that occurs in each scene is clearly not an example of humanity. Humans cannot create miracles such as. In each scene though, the image of God himself is depicted through J. C. Not only are the initials the same, but the response given is that of which humanity gave Jesus when such miracles were performed. J. C. ike Jesus knew that in order to heal and give life, life must be given. Just as J. C. had the opportunity to escape from the imprisonment in his moment of freedom, he stayed. He knew that his freedom would come soon enough. His freedom was reached when accepted death. He left doubt, life, and imprisonment behind. When the woman was being healed, she was scared; she didn’t want to trust that J. C. wouldn’t hurt her. Her humanity was in the way of the salvation she would receive. The Green Mile is a quilt of binaries woven together to understand the movie. The code is depicted throughout life/death, trust/doubt, and freedom/imprisonment to make the main concept; Jesus/man. To understand the value of life, viewers must see the value of death. Trust is not understood without every feeling doubt. You cannot appreciate freedom with out once being imprisoned. J. C. throughout the movie shows that not everyone will accept him the same or appreciate his gift. Just as J. C. suffered Jesus suffered as a result of man. The binaries help in letting readers see these connections and work as a code to tell what is important.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

A Guide to Renaissance Humanism

A Guide to Renaissance Humanism Renaissance Humanism- named to differentiate it from the Humanism that came later- was an intellectual movement that originated in the 13th century and came to dominate European thought during the Renaissance, which it played a considerable role in creating. At the core of Renaissance Humanism was using the study of classical texts to alter contemporary thinking, breaking with the medieval mindset and creating something new. What Is Renaissance Humanism? One mode of thinking came to typify Renaissance ideas: Humanism. The term derived from a program of studies called the studia humanitatis, but the idea of calling this Humanism really arose in the 19th century. There remains a question over what exactly Renaissance Humanism was. Jacob Burckhardt’s seminal 1860 work, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, solidified the definition of humanism into the study of classical- Greek and Roman- texts to affect how you viewed your world, taking from the ancient world to reform the modern and giving a worldlier, human outlook focusing on the ability of humans to act and not blindly follow a religious plan. Humanists believed God had given humanity options and potential, and humanist thinkers had to act to make the most of this. That definition is still useful, but historians increasingly fear that the tag Renaissance Humanism pushes a large range of thought and writing into one term that doesn’t adequately explain subtleties or variations. Origins of Humanism Renaissance Humanism began in the later 13th century when Europeans hunger for studying classical texts coincided with a desire to imitate those authors in style. They weren’t to be direct copies but drew on old models, picking up vocabulary, styles, intentions, and form. Each half needed the other: You had to understand the texts to take part in the fashion, and doing so drew you back to Greece and Rome. But what developed wasnt a set of second-generation mimics; Renaissance Humanism began to use knowledge, love, and maybe even obsession with the past to change how they and others saw and thought about their own era. It was not a pastiche, but a new consciousness, including a new historical perspective giving a historically based alternative to medieval ways of thinking. Humanism began to affect culture and society and powered, in large part, what we now call the Renaissance. Humanists operating before Petrarch, called Proto-Humanists, were mainly in Italy. They included Lovato Dei Lovati (1240-1309), a Paduan judge who may have been the first to mix reading Latin poetry with writing modern classical poetry to major effect. Others tried, but Lovato achieved far more, recovering among other things Seneca’s tragedies. A hunger for bringing old texts back to the world was characteristic of Humanists. This searching was vital because much of the material was scattered and forgotten. But Lovato had limits, and his prose style stayed medieval. His pupil, Mussato, connected his studies of the past to contemporary issues and wrote in the classical style to comment on politics. He was the first to deliberately write ancient prose in centuries  and was attacked for liking pagans. Petrarch Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) has been called the Father of Italian Humanism, and while modern historiography plays down the role of individuals, his contribution was large. He firmly believed that classical writings were not just relevant to his own age  but saw in them moral guidance that could reform humanity, a key principle of Renaissance Humanism. Eloquence, which moved the soul, was the equal of cold logic. Humanism should be a doctor to human morals. Petrarch didn’t apply much of this thinking to the government  but worked at bringing together the classics and the Christians. The Proto-Humanists had been largely secular; Petrarch bought religion in, arguing that history can have a positive effect on a Christian soul. He has been said to have created the Humanist program, and he argued that each person should study the ancients and create their own style. Had Petrarch not lived, Humanism would have been seen as threatening Christianity. His actions allowed Humanism to spread more effectively in the late 14th century. Careers needing skills of reading and writing were soon dominated by Humanists. In the 15th century in Italy, Humanism once more became secular and the courts of Germany, France, and elsewhere turned away until a later movement brought it back to life. Between 1375 and 1406 Coluccio Salutati was chancellor in Florence, and he made the city the capital of Renaissance Humanism’s development. The 15th Century By 1400 Renaissance Humanism’s ideas had spread to allow speeches and other orations to become classicized: diffusion was needed so more people could understand. Humanism was becoming admired, and the upper classes were sending their sons to study for the kudos and career prospects. By the mid-15th century, Humanism education was normal in upper-class Italy. Cicero, the great Roman orator, became the core example for the Humanists. His adoption jibed with a turn back to the secular. Petrarch and company had been politically neutral, but now some Humanists argued for republics to be superior to the dominant monarchies. This wasn’t a new development, but it came to affect humanism. Greek also became more common among the humanists, even if it often stayed second to Latin and Rome. However, a huge amount of classical Greek knowledge was now worked in. Some groups wanted to adhere strictly to Ciceronian Latin as the model for languages; others wanted to write in a style of Latin they felt more contemporary. What they agreed on was a new form of education, which the rich were adopting. Modern historiography also began to emerge. The power of Humanism, with its textual criticism and study, was shown in 1440 when Lorenzo Valla proved The Donation of Constantine, ostensibly transferring much of the Roman Empire to the Pope, was a forgery. Valla and others pushed for Biblical Humanism- textual criticism and understanding of the Bible- to bring people closer to the word of God that had been corrupted. All this time Humanist commentaries and writings were growing in fame and number. Some Humanists began to turn away from reforming the world  and focused instead on a purer understanding of the past. But Humanist thinkers also began to consider humanity more: as creators, world-changers who made their own lives and who should not be trying to imitate Christ but finding themselves. Renaissance Humanism after 1500 By the 1500s, Humanism was the dominant form of education, so widespread that it was dividing into a range of sub-developments. As perfected texts passed to other specialists, such as mathematicians and scientists, the recipients also became Humanist thinkers. As these fields developed they split, and the overall Humanist program of reform fragmented. The ideas ceased to be the preserve of the rich, as printing had brought cheap written materials to a wider market, and now a mass audience was adopting, often unconsciously, humanist thinking. Humanism had spread across Europe, and while it split in Italy, the stable countries to the north fostered a return of the movement that began to have the same massive effect. Henry VIII encouraged Englishmen trained in Humanism to replace foreigners on his staff; in France Humanism was seen as the best way to study scripture. John Calvin agreed, starting a humanist school in Geneva. In Spain, Humanists clashed with the Church and Inquisition  and merged with surviving scholasticism as a way to survive. Erasmus, the 16th century’s leading Humanist, emerged in the German-speaking lands. The End of Renaissance Humanism By the mid-16th century, Humanism had lost much of its power. Europe was engaged in a war of words, ideas, and sometimes weapons over the nature of Christianity (the Reformation) and Humanist culture was overtaken by rival creeds, becoming semi-independent disciplines governed by the area’s faith.