Symbolism Used in Poker Flat Essay Example

Symbolism Used in Poker Flat Paper Human societies all across the world follow a set of beliefs which influence their attitude and thinking. There are certain values which are honored and followed by the members of these human societies. Among these values, the value of virtue and purity is considered to be most important for the welfare of the society. The significance attached to virtuous behavior and purity in human society is depicted in the short story â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat† by Bret Harte. The story follows the journey of four outcasts who are exiled from their community named Poker Flat. Although these four outcasts are expelled from their community for failing to follow the values of virtue and purity, they display their virtuous qualities in the course of their journey when they seek to protect a young couple of lovers. Through the element of symbolism, the author brings forth the mistaken notion of virtue held by the people in the community of Poke Flat. Symbolism People regard that virtuous behavior is the most important factor which influences the welfare of a human society. If the members in a particular society are virtuous, then the peace and harmony in the society is maintained. But if some of the members of the society indulge in immoral behavior, then the peace of the society can be threatened. It is this thinking that induces the people of the town in the story â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat†, to banish four individuals, who are thought to be indulging in immoral activities, from Poker Flat. These four individuals are John Oakhurst, The Duchess, Mother Shipton and Uncle Billy. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism Used in Poker Flat specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism Used in Poker Flat specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism Used in Poker Flat specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer John Oakhurst was a gambler whereas Uncle Bill was a drunkard, who was also doubted of being a robber. Mother Shipton owned a brothel while The Duchess worked as a saloon girl. The people of the town desired to deport immoral persons living amongst them hoping that the town will flourish after the departure of such people. â€Å"A secret committee had determined to rid the town of all improper persons. † (Harte 23). These four people were judged by the society as immoral persons so the people of the town ordered them to leave the town. After being exiled from their town, the four people embark on a journey to reach another camp which was less respectable compared to the Poker Flat. In course of their journey, they decide to halt at a place to take rest, where they are joined by Tom Simson and Piney Woods, young lovers who have eloped from their homes. Owing to a snowstorm and stealing of mules by Uncle Billy, all of them are forced to stay in a cabin discovered by Simson. It is during their stay in the cabin, that the virtuous qualities of the four outcasts are revealed. Although the outcasts behaved in a manner which was unacceptable to their society, they strove hard to protect the lives of the young lovers. Being at the mercy of nature, the outcasts struggled to keep them alive with the aid of the rations available in the cabin. Mother Shipton sacrifices her life to save Piney by leaving her rations for Piney. â€Å"It contained Mother Shiptons rations for the last week, untouched. â€Å"Give em to the child,† she said, pointing to the sleeping Piney. † (Harte 30). By giving her life for the sake of saving Piney, Mother Shipton reveals her virtuous quality. The same virtuous quality of the outcasts is presented in the story when Piney and The Duchess hold each other and sleep peacefully. The snow covers them and the author describes this happening in a manner which represents the purity of The Duchess and Piney. â€Å"Feathery drifts of snow, shaken from the long pine boughs, flew like white-winged birds, and settled about them as they slept. † (Harte 31). The white-winged birds are symbolic of virtue and purity. In their death, Piney and The Duchess looked so peaceful that it was hard to point out who was the sinner and who was innocent. â€Å"And when pitying fingers brushed the snow from their wan faces, you could scarcely have told from the equal peace that dwelt upon them which was she that had sinned. † (Harte 32). The snow washed away all the sins of the outcasts. Through the symbolism in the story, the author brings forth the virtues of the outcasts who were exiled from their community for improper behavior. The snowstorm aids in revealing the virtues of the outcasts and the snow expunges the distinction between the sinner and the innocent. The snow in the story is symbolic of the purity of the outcasts. Conclusion The story â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat† by Bret Harte depicts the journey of the four outcasts who are considered to be improper individuals by the people of the town. But their virtuous qualities are revealed when in course of their journey, they make every effort to save the lives of young lovers. Being held back in their journey by the snowstorm, the outcasts and the lovers stay in a cabin surviving on the rations available there. One of the outcasts, Mother Shipton sacrifices her life to save Piney from death. Her sacrifice brings forth her virtue which was overlooked by the people of the town. Similarly, the virtue of The Duchess is exposed when in death she looks similar to the Piney who was pure and innocent. The snow in the story is a symbol which represents the purity and virtue of the outcasts. Works Cited Harte, Bret. Selected Stories of Bret Harte. BiblioBazaar LLC. 2006.

Government Expenditure essayEssay Writing Service

Government Expenditure essayEssay Writing Service Government Expenditure essay Government Expenditure essayToday, the problem of the high government spending raises the debate over the possible reduction of the government spending that will stimulate the economic growth of the US. However, the government spending tends to increase rather than decrease and this trend is likely to persist. In such a situation, it is important to understand the main items comprising the core of the government spending today.The government expenditure is the subject to the public debate because the government spending is one of the primary concerns in the time of the economic downturn, while cuts in the government spending affect a large part of the population. At the same time, in spite of economic problems and policies conducted by the government, the government spending tends to increase in the US. At this point, it is possible to refer to the article â€Å"What Is Driving Growth in Government Spending?† by Nate Silver, where the author explores the historical change of t he government spending and reveals major trends in the government spending and how it affects the US economy and society.In fact, the author of the article provides the detailed analysis of the development of the government spending and stresses key changes that occur in this field in the US. In this regard, it is worth mentioning key findings of the author. First, the government spending on the defense comprised over 40% as share of GDP and comprised the lion share of the total government spending not only during World War II but also after the war.However, in the course of time, the government spending has shifted toward the higher spending on social welfare programs and entitlement programs. The author places emphasis on the fact the government spending on the entitlement programs comprised the larger part of the total government spending by 2010. At the same time, the author points out that the government debt and interests on the national debt remain low. At first glance, such a trend is paradoxical, because the national debt keeps growing but the author explains the low costs of interests on the national debt for the federal budget by the fact that borrowed money and interest rates are cheap borrowings. Therefore, it is possible to trace three major trends: 1) the cut of spending on defense; 2) the growth of the government spending on entitlement programs; 3) the low costs of interest rates that makes the public debt a cheap instrument to cover the budget deficit.Eventually, Silver arrives to the conclusion that the growing spending on entitlement programs may become too costly for the US government, while Americans will take the government spending on diverse social programs for granted. As a result, Silver compares the federal government to insurance brokers, who takes risks and covers health care and other costs of their clients, who do not even care about them.However, some points made by Silver in the article are debatable/many researchers () disagr ee that the public debt is as attractive as Silver believes. In fact, the public debt is still the costly instrument because the government will have to serve the debt in a long run. As a result, the growth of the public debt will still increase the government spending on interest on the public debt. Many researchers () insist that if the public debt keeps growing, it will become the unbearable burden for the federal budget.At the same time, I believe that the growth of spending on entitlement programs is a very important trend but it is not necessary as negative as Siler believes. To put it more precisely, the government spending on entitlement programs means the funding of health care programs, educational programs and other entitlement programs. If the government cuts abruptly costs spent on these programs, a large part of the population will be unable to cover those costs that may have disastrous effects putting many people on the edge of survival. Moreover, another effect of th e possible cut of the government spending on entitlement programs will be the reduction of revenues of businesses and organizations that rely on the government funding. For example, health care organizations will have to cut their services provided for the population covered by welfare programs sponsored by the government. As a result, the cut of the government spending on entitlement programs may trigger the deterioration of the socioeconomic situation in the US and, more important provoke the large scale social conflict.Thus, the government spending tends to increase today basically due to the growth of entitlement programs. Silver warns that this trend may have negative effects on the US economy and society in a long run. In this regard, the reduction of spending on defense and infrastructure remain almost unnoticed by the author, who considers that such reduction is not significant and disastrous. However, the conclusion of the author that the rise of the government spending on entitlement programs is negative is questionable because, otherwise, i.e. in case of cuts of the government spending on entitlement programs, the US may face the profound socioeconomic crisis.

Using Forest Fire Weather to Prevent Forest Fires.

Using Forest Fire Weather to Prevent Forest Fires. Predicting Wildfire Behavior Using Weather Data Predicting wildfire behavior is as much an art as it is a science and very much based on understanding weather conditions that influence wildfire. Even seasoned firefighters have trouble reading fire behavior and in predicting a forest fires potential threat to property and lives. One tool at a fire bosses disposal is USDA Forest Services Wildland Fire Assessment System. Wildland Fire Assessment System Daily bits of information are compiled at 1,500 weather stations throughout the United States and Alaska. The values of this data are used in assessing current wildfire conditions and you can find valuable information on the Internet. Every incident command center should have an  Internet connection to these sites. USDA Forest Services Wildland Fire Assessment System provides the support and supplies fire weather and mapping sources. Fire Danger Maps A fire danger rating map is developed using current and historical weather and fuel data. These data are transferred to models to give present condition information and also predicts what may happen tomorrow. Maps are developed to give a visual presentation of the potential danger of fire in a particular region. Fire Weather Observations and Next Day Forecasts Observation maps are developed from the fire weather network. The latest observations include the 10 minute average wind, the 24-hour rain total, the temperature, the relative humidity, and the dew point. There are next day forecasts displayed as maps as well. Live Fuel Moisture/Greenness Maps A fuel moisture index is a tool that is widely used to understand the fire potential for locations across the country. Fuel moisture is a measure of the amount of water in a fuel (vegetation) available to a  fire  and is expressed as a percent of the dry weight of that specific fuel. Living fuels  play a major part in the potential of fire. Vegetative Greenness is a major determinant and predictor of fire spread. The greener the vegetation, the lower the fire potential. This map depicts the green you would expect to see from the air. Dead Fuel Moisture Fire potential is heavily dependent on dead fuel moisture  in forest fuels. There are four classes of dead fuel moisture - 10-hour, 100-hour, 1000-hour. When you have a drying of 1000-hour fuels, you have major potential for fire problems until a general soaking occurs. Wildfire Drought Maps There are several maps that depict drought as determined by measuring soil and duff moisture. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index measures soil capacity to absorb water. Another index is the Palmer Drought Index which is linked to the National Climate Center Regional and updated weekly. Atmospheric Stability Maps The stability term is derived from the temperature difference at two-atmosphere levels. The moisture term is derived from the dew point depression at a single atmosphere level. This Haines Index has been shown to be correlated with large fire growth on initiating and existing fires where surface winds do not dominate fire behavior.

Paper based on instruction (READ CAREFULLY) Essay

Paper based on instruction (READ CAREFULLY) - Essay Example The first piece is a book written by Naomi Wolf entitled â€Å"The Beauty Myth.† The book gained significant amount of popularity after it was published in 1991. It discusses the backlashes of feminism. Wolf states, â€Å"The contemporary backlash is so violent because the ideology of beauty is the last one remaining of the old feminine ideologies that still has the power to control†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wolf, 1991, p.487). Wolf claims that society has set a standard about beauty that still holds women imprisoned up to this age. In Alex Pham’s article entitled â€Å"Boy, You Fight Like a Girl,† the author describes the current trend of online gamers who play characters representing the opposite gender. He describes that such trend provides an opportunity to experiment the crossing of genders. These two pieces of information will be analyzed in order to come up with an insight regarding how women are still trapped in the issue of physical looks in both the eyes of femal es and males. Claims Both authors claims that there is still an issue regarding the perception of society on women. Wolf claims that after the supposedly triumph of feminist groups in 1970s, women were able to acquire a certain form of equality with men that allowed them to â€Å" gain(ed) legal and reproductive rights, pursue(ed) higher education, enter(ed) the trades and the professions, and overturn(ed) ancient and revered beliefs about their social role† (Wolf, 1991, p.486). However, Wolf states that despite these seeming freedom and newly founded rights, women did not truly feel so free after all. She claims this statement two decades after the triumph of feminism. It is said that after breaking through the power structure that had once been oppressive to women, â€Å"the more strictly and heavily and cruelly images of female beauty have come to weigh upon us† (Wolf, 1991, p.486). Accordingly, one could look at Pham’s article where he states, â€Å"Female characters generally get treated better in the male-dominated world of virtual adventuring† (Pham, 2001). This may sound like something good coming from men. However, Pham also states that if someone uses a female character, they â€Å"must constantly brush off unwanted advances, and their female characters are not taken as seriously† (Pham, 2001). It does not sound so good after all. These statements clearly say that there is something wrong about society’s perception of the female gender. Approaches Wolf is known as an advocate of the modern day feminists. Her book would have made a strong impact had it not targeted only those who have a strong feminist side. Wolf sometimes uses statements that may be deemed abrasive by the rest of the audience. For example, Wolf states â€Å"The affluent, educated, liberated women of the First World, who can enjoy freedoms unavailable to any women ever before, do not feel as free as they want to† (Wolf, 1991, p.486). In reading the book, one can actually say that Wolf presented the sides of her argument, but not the other side. Due to this, the book somewhat have an abrasive tone to it. Such approach to the argument is similar to Pham’s. In his article, Pham mainly addresses individuals who understand the virtual world

Air conditioning. What and when was it invented How did it develop Essay

Air conditioning. What and when was it invented How did it develop - Essay Example It was fan-powered. It was Ding Huan who made a fan which passed air from cold water which then spread in the house. This idea was found in the dynasties of Tand and Song. First, people powered the fans manually. Later on, water was used to drive the fans. One very difficult design of powering the fan was found in the Tang dynasty in which the fountain water that went upwards was used to push the gears and hence, the fans were turned on. In the air-coolers in which water was used as the main cooling thing, the evaporation of water made the space very humid. Michael Faraday as a scientist of British origin who in 1820 made a compressor in which, ammonia was used. The challenge in front of Faraday was to exhaust the fumes of ammonia. This was difficult because of the toxic property of ammonia. Although the cooling agent was unsafe, yet the technology of compressing he introduced is used even today. Compression was later used by John Gorrie who was from Florida. He made ice with it. With this ice, he cooled down the structures. The commercial air conditioner was invented by Willis Haviland Carrier in the year 1902 (â€Å"History of Air Conditioning†). Carrier was a very hard working person. â€Å"I fish only for edible fish, and hunt only for edible game even in the laboratory† (Carrier cited in Bellis). His air conditioner was to be used to lower down the temperature of the machinery that was used in the process of printing. But one thing that Carrier noticed and was very good about his design was that in addition to cooling down the air, his air conditioner also regulated the humidity in the air. This property assisted in calibrating the ink in the printing press and also made the alignment of the papers very good. This was a very wonderful achievement and laid the basis of air conditioning in both the commercial and the industrial sectors. Carrier decided to do good business with his air conditioners, so he opened up

Question of Authorship Essay Example for Free

Question of Authorship Essay For the past five decades, the world of literature has come to venerate the great works of one man. The tremendous contribution of Shakespeare in Literature remains unparalleled. The sheer volume of the plays and sonnets he had written remain unmet, and the quality of its art remains unmatched. So much so, that there is probably no one inhabiting this earth who hasn’t the knowledge of the great writer. No one graduates from school without having the experience of Shakespeare in their education: his plays are celebrated through staging and his works are the subject of study in, and even outside of, Literature classes. Also, the celebration of Shakespeare and his works are not limited to the confines of education. Theatrical companies earn a sizeable proportion of their profits in staging Shakespeare’s five-century old works. Publishing companies benefit largely in the millions of hardbound copies they have printed of Shakespeare’s works, and the literature he and his works have inspired. With the picture that has been painted, we can see how influential and how big a pillar Shakespeare is in Literature. However, with the exception of literary scholars, not many people are aware of the issue that has surrounded Shakespeare’s authorship of the works that have been claimed to be his since the time man can remember. William Shakespeare of Stratford has always been regarded as the man who wrote the immortal plays and sonnets. But ever since speculations have started to arise, various names have also mushroomed through the investigations of scholars who claim that these names are the ones which we should be celebrating, and not that of the businessman William Shakespeare of Stratford. The speculations started when Alexander Pope brought to the attention of readers the authenticity of the attribution to Shakespeare in a number of his works. Pope attacked Shakespeare’s on the genuineness of works that had been excluded from the 1623 Folio, a collection of Shakespeare’s most compelling works. His criticisms made in the 17th century continued to influence the generations that followed with respect to their opinion on the matter. Primarily though, what has unsettled critics are the dissonance in his the experiences and education received by a theater man in Stratford and the quality and content of the works he allegedly produced, as stated by one source, â€Å"The work attributed to Shakespeare shows a knowledge of geography, foreign language, politics, and an immense vocabulary that many find inconsistent with what’s known about Shakespeare’s education,† (Lanciai). Authorship Majority of the investigations were done through a historical point of view. If we take a look back in history during the time Shakespeare wrote his plays, we would find out how authorship was perceived as insignificant, even illegitimate, in the writing of the book. According to another source, traditional narratives that present the Middle Ages as a ‘golden age’ of forgery for which questions of authorship and authenticity were unimportant (King). What triggered this was the inability of novice writers (especially people of rank) to publish their own name in their works under the regime of Queen Elizabeth. A gentleman of rank could not publish under his own name lest he be suspected of having a profession. This policy was followed, and writers of rank either circulated their work privately or they made use of pen-names (Lanciai Christian). Also, the theater industry during Shakespeare’s time was an unsurveyable community (Lanciai). It therefore follows that while theater was an important industry of the era, it is very challenging to examine the works of the industry. These reasons ultimately lead to the graying of the trace to the real authorship of the works attributed to Shakespeare. Why not Shakespeare? It has been mentioned in this essay that the theater industry was an unsurveyable community during Shakespeare’s time. A piece of information that is known though is that the owners of the theaters were communally owned by the actors, according to Lanciai’s article. Only the exceptional rise in the business, and William Shakespeare was one of them, as he was an accomplished capitalist of those times. Therefore, we can surmise that Shakespeare the businessman was a person considered of rank in his age. If we remember the rule that was imposed on writers of rank, another source argued thus: â€Å"If Shakespeare was a gentleman of rank, then William Shakespeare could not he his real name. By contrast, the William Shakespeare who was a play-broker, part owner of an acting company, and resident of Stratford as well as London would have been in a good position to use and appropriate work written by an anonymous high-born author,† (Price, Diana). How Shakespeare was perceived The man’s (Shakespeare of Stratford) social and professional position in question was described by Pope as this: â€Å"He writ to the People; and writ at first without patronage from the better sort, and therefore without aims of pleasing them: without assistance or advice from the Learned, as without the advantage of education or acquaintance among them: [and] without the knowledge of the best models, the Ancients, to inspire him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  From this description, King surmised that Pope regarded the dialogue of the actors in his works as â€Å"bad conversations†, and that he was only able to get away with this because of the Court patronage. Also, he had drawn from the quote that the quality of Shakespeare’s dramatic writing improved in direct proportion to his level of social and linguistic contact with ‘the better sort’. With this we can already see how Pope has de-merited Shakespeare from the level of literary genius which has always been associated to his name. It also evident that Pope deemed Shakespeare of this position because of the social position he was in, as according to the same article, Shakespeare’s social contamination by his inferior associates and conversation partners contributed to the de-meriting. An argument from another author supported Pope’s claims when another author said, â€Å"It appears that Shakespeare of Stratford was not much respected (or liked) while Shakespeare the author was† (Price). The other side of Shakespeare of Stratford that Pope pointed out in concurs with the knowledge of the author. According to Price’s book, Shakespeare of Stratford was identified by contemporary documents as a money-lender, play-broker, wheeler-dealer, social climber, and sometime actor. No contemporaries of Shakespeare called him as an author, not even people from his community. What also strengthens this argument is the lack of surviving documents written by him which have any literary significance (Price). Aside from these, what’s also disturbing for scholars is the fact that the will left by Shakespeare did not mention of any books that he owned. In Elizabethan period, books were considered important items and therefore were to be bequeathed to relatives or fellow writers. His passing also spoke of his merit as a celebrated modern playwright in his time. Unlike other playwrights, his death did not stir any public notice. Add to that the issue brought about the will he left behind, these things make a lot of people wonder about his merit as a writer. It seems that his will was the only trace of Shakespeare’s literary works. A man named Reverend James Wilmot was said to have searched all of Warwickshire to look for any piece of evidence that would present Shakespeare’s literary activity. Reverend Wilmot did not find any anecdote, letter, document or any memento (Lanciai). Surely, anyone who is claimed to be a writer will have volumes of writings in his home, or any piece of writing at all. The article also explained that Reverend Wilmot’s discovery led him to conclude that Shakespeare really must have another writer. His education also proved nothing but extraordinary. According to Price’s book also, the businessman from Stratford only acquired a grammar-school education at most. While possible, it is difficult to believe that a person of such educational attainment could produce the level of intellect and cultivation found in his works. It is almost unquestionable when one makes the claim that Shakespeare’s works have shaped the way English dramas are to be written, as put by another source, â€Å"He creates and establishes the English verse drama, he gradually develops the English drama into the form which subsequently and invariably becomes the Shakespeare standard (Leahy, William). † This particular writer is one with the critics who says it is impossible that these works of great quality could have been produced by a man with little educational background. Leahy added in his article, â€Å"It’s not likely that Shakespeare could master this form directly without preparatory work in such an accomplished professionalism which is already evident in the first Shakespeare dramas. † What made him say this is due to his non-existent education and lack of experience of Cambridge, France, and Italy. Aside from this, Price adds how scholars point out that his knowledge of several foreign languages is deemed dubious. The article explained that there is no indication that Shakespeare knew any languages other than English, or that he ever left England. The discrepancy between the images of the two persons has fuelled the debates for the authenticity of the businessman from Stratford’s authorship in the Shakespearian works. The Real Shakespeare Among the numerous strings of allegations and speculations regarding Shakespeare of Stratford’s merit to claiming authorship to a number of literary works, a lot of names have also surfaced. Among these people was Francis Beaumont, a young dramatist who passed away in the same year William Shakespeare died. As death could sometimes speak of the greatness of a person, we could surely say that Beaumont was considered as one of the significant people in English drama. The whole of England mourned for his death and paid tribute to the dramatist. Aside from this young dramatist, another man is claimed to be the real Shakespeare. Ben Jonson, who also completely dominates the preface to the first edition of the complete works of Shakespeare, which appeared in 1623, is also suspected to be the real author of the plays (Lanciai). Lanciai adds that Ben Jonson himself has published his complete works first, which could have led him to think that the Shakespeare dramas should also be published. In addition, Christopher Marlowe has been alleged to be the original Shakespeare. Born in Canterbury, he was a learned man who received his education in the King’s School Canterbury, as well as Corpus Christi College, Cambridge through scholarships. The resonance with the quality of education has convinced many scholars, but what was more convincing was the practice he was able to gain in translations, poetry, and playwrighting (Oleg, et al). Lanciai also mentions another probable author to the works in question. After the discovery of Reverend Wilmot regarding the absence of Shakespeare’s literary work, the Reverend believed that a man named Francis Bacon should be recognized as the authentic author. The Reverend concluded that Shakespeare must have been the protective name for Bacon. According still to Lanciai’s article, Bacon’s education, experience and knowledgeableness could be better reconciled with the intellectual level exhibited by the works. Also, as the authorship clearly indicates that the experience were collected from at least the Cambridge university, Italy, and France, Bacon proved to be a probable candidate to the authorship as he had extensively went to these places. To add, Bacon’s education allowed him a position as an ambassador and to also serve as a member of the House of Commons. He was knighted and moved to higher political positions after the ascension of James VI (Oleg, et. al) In conclusion, the works of Shakespeare are not to be questioned with respect to the contribution in Literature and the quality of art that it contains. While the question of the Shakespeare authorship has been around for hundreds of years and is therefore a very important matter to be settled, it would be more important and more contributory if aspiring writers who are inspired by these works to focus their attention to â€Å"what† and not as to the† who. † Works Cited: King, Edmund G. C.. In the Character of Shakespeare: Canon, Authorship, and Attribution in Eighteenth-Century England Lanciai, Christian. A Summary of the Shakespeare Problems. Research Journal Volume 06 2009 Online Research Journal Article. The Marlowe Society. 2009 Price, Diana. Shakespeares Unorthodox Biography: New Evidence of an Authorship Problem Seletsky, Oleg, Huang, Tiger, Henderson-Frost William. The Shakespeare Authorship Question.

What Came First Thought Or Lan :: essays research papers

Language came after Thought In order to be able to prove the statement 'Language came after thought', the words 'language' and 'thought' first will have to be defined. Language could be described as a system for formulating and communicating information, thoughts and feelings. There is, however, not one adequate definition of thinking, since most definitions do not cover all aspects of thought. It could be defined as a mental activity, but also as the way one's mind perceives one's senses. Having gathered this information, the concepts of language and thought will be looked at, and the relationship between the two concepts will be found. Firstly, a distinction has to be made between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind. There are infinitely more thoughts in our mind than we can ever perceive. The German psychologist Fechner, who lived in the second half of the nineteenth century, compared the mind to an iceberg. This iceberg has only a fraction of all the information and thoughts stored in the mind above the water level, on the surface of consciousness, but by far the biggest part of it is hidden underwater, in the unconscious mind. Recent research has shown that only a very tiny proportion of our unconscious thinking is converted to conscious thinking. This conversion processes like the search engine in a computer: this 'search engine' unconsciously selects the thoughts we want to be available for our conscious mind. Then a small part of the thoughts from the unconscious component of the mind, the part that is aware of, and to a certain extent induces the person's choice of action, is consciously translated i nto language. This means that the meaning a person wishes to express provides the strategy for the proper word. In the conscious mind there are words, whereas in the unconscious mind there are only concepts. Creativity, for instance, can be found in the unconscious mind. Inspirations for paintings or for music compositions are found in the unconscious mind. Human beings, however, do not encounter them in the form of words. Musicians in general are much more likely to think in form of harmony instead of in a melody: they do not think in the form of chords, but in the form of harmony and melody. This harmony is in that musician's subconscious mind, and is expressed through his conscious mind in the form of a melody. Even scientists often do not think in language.

Does Internet Enhance or Reduce Social Interaction Essay

Papers like HomeNet publications have been following the effects, positive or negative of Internet on its users. The findings are interesting as it reports both positive and negative results. Initially the effect was negative on those who relied heavily on internet for communication. However that scenario has changed with time. Current studies no longer show the overall negative effects of the past. Using internet to communicate with families and friends as well as being involved in community activities has been on the rise. Negative effects are generally experienced by people with less support economically and introverts and positive effects experienced by people with good social resources and extraverts. Some people who have integrated internet into their ordinary lives have generally benefited, but they now experience new social problems. These problems are highlighted in this discussion in depth and a summary made in a table. Those internet users who find communication important, have good reason to expect that Internet has positive social impact on their lives. For such people communication, including contact with neighbors, friends, and family, and participation in social groups, improves their level of social support. To them interacting with internet gives them fulfilling personal relationships, a sense of meaning in life, and commitment to social norms with their communities. Their psychological and physical well-being (Diener et al. 1999; Cohen and Wills 1985; Mirowsky and Ross 1989;). They think through the use of internet for communication, they could have important positive social effects on individuals (McKenna and Bargh 2000), groups, organizations (Sproull and Kiesler 1991), and communities (Hampton and Wellman 2000), including society at large (Dertouzos 1997; Hilts). Just like the telephone did, they think broad social access could increase people’s social involvement, and facilitate formation of new relationships (Fischer 1992; Wellman 1996). People who are generally isolated could find new social identity and commitment (Katz and Aspden 1997). Isolated members of communities could participate in group organizations at a distance (Sproull and Kiesler 1991). Internet is also handy for political mobilization (Bonchek 1997). Whether Internet has positive or negative social impact depend upon the quality of the people online, their activities and what they give up to spend time online. Stronger social ties generally lead to better social outcomes than do weaker ties (Wellman and Wortley 1990). As we go through the discussion we find that the ease in communication that internet offers has encouraged people so much that they now spend more time alone, talking online with strangers and very little time with their communities. Increasingly people are connecting to each other through the internet, and looked at positively, one would say internet has increased the frequency of communication among its users. There are pertinent issues to look at today regarding our social interaction compared with the past: †¢ Has our social relation one-to-one improved or diminished? †¢ Has it provided more evidence of the difference between our virtual self and real self? †¢ Has our group interaction improved or diminished? Users of internet are socially withdrawn because they are most of the time lonely and hooked onto the net. Research has found that the more people are online, the more they become socially isolated ( James E. Katz). The study further shows that people who are constantly online the more they become isolated from social life and that there is a relationship between depression, stress and strength in social ties created by extensive use of the internet. This on the extreme can weaken the social ties that people normally have. Robert Kraut who is a researcher in the field and professor in the Department of Communication at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N. J. is the leading author of the study. However the finding has been seriously challenged as inadequate and lacking in rigor. The critiques say there needed to have been a control group used for comparison purposes and that the sample size was too small. On the contrary, computer experts are quoted as saying internet has greatly increased their human interaction. They say that they can now meet more people than ever before. But sociology experts say this is more a manifestation of people in a state of denial than the truth. But the truth is that there are two divergent views about computers and its social effect on people. Hoffman and partner Tom Novak at Vanderbilt University’s Project 2000 have for example have conducted a collaborate research with Georgia Institute of Technology in which they find many web users find the net browsing enriching and satisfying and that they are usually left in a happy state of mind far from being depressed. Philip Aspden, executive director of the Center for Research on the Information Society, surveyed 2,500 Internet users and found no evidence of social withdrawal. The study found that online participants are no less likely to join religious, leisure or any community organized activities than people who aren’t online. Virtual interaction is the norm in internet activities. People using portable computers can work in one office, one project without necessarily being physically in a place. They could be several kilometers away and do everything together that they could do in one environment, one office, and location. They can talk and hold meetings and discussions together. Internet has made the world look like a one local village. The issue is what is the social implication of this arrangement? Is it positive or negative socially? The answer is positive because the physical location can be anywhere most convenient for the individual. It can be your house / study room, supermarket; or inside your car. People work better when they operate from premises of their liking. Negative because supervision, control, co-ordination and monitoring becomes difficult. People find such arrangements new and odd though not necessarily bad socially. With time we shall be used to it and our sense of belonging will change. In this discussion we try to bring into focus the positive and negative social impact of internet. However we seem to agree that internet users have more social problems than usual. They are among other things withdrawn from normal social life and in virtual solitude as is commonly known. It is interesting to hear what some of these people say. Please allow me to quote some experiences from people who use internet. â€Å"Every time I go through the process it seems more and more like a religious ritual. When I reflect that I am connected to thousands or millions of people across the world, I forget that I am seated in a solitary confine of my computer room. I admit it is a strange feeling, one that I really like to the extent that I forget the social pleasure I normally find socializing with people outside there. Sometimes I also get frightened that I am beginning to like my computer mediated communication (CMC) better than talking with most real people with whom I come into daily contact face to face. Though I find it sad to say, I have never enjoyed serious discussions before where people say what is in their heart. Social opportunities and even academic opportunities for such discussions are dwindling. Our culture has become more and more trivial and superficial. † Through CMC people can find intellectual stimulation. It is easily available and comfortable. But the human touch is more natural and more satisfying. We are social animals and we need to meet and chart. Intellectualism has its time just as social life also has its time. The other negative aspect of internet is privatization which was introduced by Marshall McLuhan. This theory states that as entertainment and information becomes readily available to people, they are less likely to seek them outside their homes. As that happens, social interaction is becoming less and less frequent. We can select the people to talk to and use special words and mode of communication. Soon we shall be out of touch with the real world where we have different type of people needing different types of communication. My entertainment, amusement, and even communication have become private rather than public. Family people have very little time for each other because they spend all that time on the net. The young ones are the most affected. During the day, they are out in school and their parents are out for work. When they come home they cannot meet either, because everybody is busy with internet. When will they talk or learn from the parents one would ask? All that they imitate are programs from the internet, some very weird indeed. As parents we might overlook and despise the experience we got through social interaction with our peer groups and communities while we were young. It taught us to be at peace with our environment. In this environment there is richness found in diversity. The diversity found in behavior and culture of its people. We come to be more informed that the world is made of both order and disorder and become equipped to handle both occurrences. That is how we have been molded to be strong and resilient. The world of internet is denying our children that freedom and experience. Children never play together at home and very little in school. Computer mediated communication CMC is a new phenomenon in the computer world. There are other technologies more commonly used such as e-mail and interactive chat on the internet. These modes of communication have both bad and good sides. They have made communication, fast, easy and affordable. The physical location of the people we communicate to is no longer a barrier. We talk to people anytime anywhere by a mere touch of a button. When we play with our peers and join social clubs we meet people and friends and that is healthy for our body and mind. We are able to do some exercise which our body needs to avoid aging. We use our bodies more than our minds. To conclude my analysis on the effects of the internet talking about pornographic ideologies is no new phenomena as it is one of the high condemned vices of the internet as it is being used in all ways. Income generating activities, a source of employment to others but highly exploitative and seriously abusive in all ways, it ranges from child pornography to adult pornography.

Life, its problems, the good and the bad of human experience, are major concerns of Simon Armitage’s poetry

There are three poems I have chosen to help me discuss and write about my thesis ‘Life , its problems, the good and the bad of human experience, are major concerns of Simon Armitage's poetry'. They are the Untitled poem â€Å"I am very bothered†, â€Å"Poem† and â€Å"It Ain't What You Do, It's What It Does To You†. â€Å"Poem† is one of Armitage's life problem poems When You don't remember the good things a person has done but the bad things a person has done you remember. This poem has many lines which start with ‘and' which is a sort of list of things this person has done. Also he starts off the poem with â€Å"And if it snowed and snow covered the drive† which is like the poem is the second part of another poem or he has left out the beginning and got to the important part. There are three verses describing things he did. Mostly everything is good things about him for example â€Å"And for his mum he hired a private nurse† apart from the last sentence which describes him doing bad things for example â€Å"And twice he lifted 10 quid from her purse† (Mother). This made the reader only remember the bad things because it was the last thing the reader remembers about him from the whole paragraph. The last verse is about how people rated him as a bad person who he was only occasionally like everyone else in the world. There was one sarcastic part of the poem when he said â€Å"every week he tipped his wage† and soon after said â€Å"what he didn't spend he saved† because he would not have nothing to save if he spent half on alcohol. I think Armitage's poems puts in these sarcastic bits and bad or wrong doings spread over the poem so you are al ways reminded he is a bad person but he is clearly an average person but people judge you on all the things you do so you should be careful on what you do. â€Å"I am very bothered† is a poem of the bad of human experiences. It's about what you do to try to attract attention which has good and bad consequences. Simon Armitage shows how he feels about his experiences when he looks back on them. He feels very troubled when he remembers a time when he was in school as a child in a science lab. He put a pair of plastic handled scissors over a hot Bunsen burner until it was soft and melting slowly and gave it to a female pupil. When she held it around her fingers he described the scene as â€Å"O the unrivalled stench of branded skin as you †¦Ã¢â‚¬  meaning it was so bad no other bad smell could compete with it and that it left a mark of dull, dark, black, burnt skin. There was a burnt ring around one of her fingers and one of her thumbs that were marked for life. He described his feelings of this horrific atrocity by saying â€Å"Don't believe me if I say that was just my butterfingered way at thirteen, of asking you if you would marry me† butterfingered way meaning not really meaning it, not seriously so he means don't believe be if I said I was only joking when I said will you marry me. Finally, the poem â€Å"It Ain't What You Do It's What It does To You† is about human experiences which are mainly good. It starts off with him not have gone to America with hardly anything but then say he has lived with thieves in Manchester which are both bas experiences in the first verse. In the second verse he talks about only one thing he hasn't done which is gone to the quiet, peaceful Taj Mahal â€Å"padded through Tag Mahal, barefoot†. In the third verse he talks about only one thing he has done. Which is skimmed a flat stones across Black moss on a day so still he could hear every sound which is normally unheard of â€Å"hear each set of ripples†. In the fourth verse he starts off with him not have sky dived from an aircraft but he says â€Å"I held the wobbly head of a boy at a day centre, and stroked his fat hands† which has a really big effect on your life to see someone in a bad state. All these examples shown of things done or things he hasn 't done means he is saying our experiences effect our behaviour and ways of thinking and makes us more wiser on the things we do. Like In the final verse he describes the feelings of doing all those things inside of us as a â€Å"sense of something else† which I believe it's a feeling so out of this world that you have to do it to find out. All these poems we have studied show that Simon Armitage thinks deeply about humans and how they react to life experiences. Whether life experiences bring problems or happiness we all have to deal with them in the right way. For example from the poem ‘Poem' the problem of the man only remembered by the bad points and that man has to deal with that in the right way by defending himself and the people who rate him also have to be careful on what they say about people. We have to try and live through it all without it bringing us down and making us feel miserable. For example ‘The untitled poem about him very bothered about the girls burnt fingers we have to deal with the fact that it happened and to let it go and get on with our lives. We also have to make sure we don't make wrong decisions just to make ourselves feel happy and don't care about the others. For example again to the untitled poem Simon should of thought of the consequences and the pain of others but he didn't he was only seeking attention for himself. Now I hope you now know Simon Armitage poems are based on life's good and bad experiences.

London Dispersion Force Definition

London Dispersion Force Definition London dispersion force is a weak intermolecular force between two atoms or molecules in close proximity to  each other. The force is a quantum force generated by electron repulsion between the electron clouds of two atoms or molecules as they approach each other. The London dispersion force is the weakest of the van der Waals forces and is the force that causes nonpolar atoms or molecules to condense into liquids or solids as temperature is lowered.  Ã‚  Even though it is weak, of the three van der Waals forces (orientation, induction, dispersion), the dispersion forces are usually dominant. The exception is for small, readily polarized molecules (e.g., water). The force gets its name because Fritz London first explained how noble gas atoms could be attracted to each other in 1930. His explanation was based on second-order perturbation theory. Also Known As: London forces, LDF, dispersion forces, instantaneous dipole forces, induced dipole forces. London dispersion forces may sometimes be loosely referred to as van der Waals forces. What Causes London Dispersion Forces? When you think of electrons around an atom, you probably picture tiny moving dots, spaced equally around the atomic nucleus. However, electrons are always in motion, and sometimes there are more on one side of an atom than on the other. This happens around any atom, but its more pronounced in compounds because electrons feel the attractive pull of the protons of neighboring atoms. The electrons from two atoms can be arranged such that they produce temporary (instantaneous) electric dipoles. Even though the polarization is temporary, its enough to affect the way atoms and molecules interact with each other. London Dispersion Force Facts Dispersion forces occur between all atoms and molecules. It doesnt matter whether they are polar or nonpolar. The forces come into play when the molecules are very close to each other. However, London dispersion forces are generally stronger between easily polarized molecules and weaker between molecules that are not easily polarized.The magnitude of the force is related to the size of the molecule. Dispersion forces are stronger for larger and heavier atoms and molecules than for smaller and lighter ones. This is because the valence electrons are further away from the nucleus in large atoms/molecules than in small ones, so they are not as tightly bound to the protons.The shape or conformation of a molecule affects its polarizability. Its like fitting together blocks or playing Tetris. Some shapes will naturally line up better than others. Consequences of London Dispersion Forces The polarizability affects how easily atoms and molecules form bonds with each other, so it also affects properties such as melting point and boiling point. For example, if you consider Cl2 and Br2, you might expect the two compounds to behave similarly because they are both halogens. Yet, chlorine is a gas at room temperature, while bromine is a liquid. Why? The London dispersion forces between the larger bromine atoms bring  them close enough to form a liquid, while the smaller chlorine atoms have enough energy for the molecule to remain gaseous.

Substance Abuse and Prostitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Substance Abuse and Prostitution - Essay Example The situation can escalate quickly when someone is under the effects of Ecstasy, often needing to rush them to the bathroom and purge their bodies with water so they don't dehydrate. It also becomes difficult to prevent people influenced under many of these drugs from having unprotected sex, which is another major health indicator. The two go hand in hand. But this is not the only problem with drug abuse around the state. According to a study done about the use of tobacco within the University of Minnesota, those who smoke regularly (which is roughly 25% of the current population of the university) are 6.3 times more likely to use marijuana 5. Part of the problem with marijuana too is the fact that it is easy to get a hold of. Through personal experience and people I know, even though I don't use the drug myself, there are roughly about ten or so people I could talk to who could get me some marijuana within a couple of days, and for fairly cheap as well. With only $20, a person can get significant amount. Part of the problem is the rising prostitution and drug traffickers around the Metro Area. It is a little known fact that the Twin City Area harbors some of the highest levels of prostitution. Even more alarming is the fact that most prostitutes within Minnesota start at the young age of 14, and that there are approximately 1,000 prostitutes who are under the legal age in the Metro Area 6. Not only that, but the Yellow Pages lists over 140 escort services.

Constantine and Christianization Research Paper

Constantine and Christianization - Research Paper Example His mother was a Christian and it is assumed that her influence may have been a factor in his conversion, although this is based on speculation since there is no record relating to the reasons for his faith. He was undoubtedly a man of conviction who changed his spiritual allegiance out of sincere motives, but his individual beliefs do not explain the gradual consolidation of the Christian place which took place during his lifetime. In order to explore this fascinating period of history and explain the rapid process of Christianization in this period it is necessary to look at the political and economic conditions of the time as well as some of the religious and philosophical debates which were carried out in clerical and academic circles. Constantine became emperor of the whole Roman Empire in 324 at a time when most of the Roman authorities were convinced that the stability of the empire depended upon persecuting Christians and promoting the traditional polytheistic religion of Roman antiquity, while admitting some secular and philosophical debate drawn from the widely popular Greek culture of the time. According to Gill (1) Constantine’s conversion to Christianity was one major contribution to Western history but it is matched by his creation of the illustrious city of Constantinople, which became a model for other cities to follow and a rival to the glory of Rome. His massive building plan gave greater credibility to the Christian faith, particularly as he was interested in Church architecture and devoted significant sums of money to Christian projects. Constantine was a remarkably generous patron to the arts and architecture, leaving his mark on the history of European culture in the form of many ambitious buildings which together characterise what came to be known as Byzantine culture. Some important