Book report on Xenocide essays

Book report on Xenocide essays The book I read is called Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. This book is the third in a quartet that chronicles the life of a man called Ender and his sister Valentine. In this book, both Ender and Valentine are over 3000 years old thanks to faster-than-light-travel and Einsteins theory of relativity. Ender is known through out the universe as Ender the Xenocide for destroying the Bugger race 3000 years earlier. His sister Valentine is equally famous for her writings under the name Demonsthes. Both are assumed dead for more than obvious reasons. Though soon enough a world in trouble will find out the truth and learn that they are more than lucky these two extraordinary people are still alive to help them through possible annihilation. The book begins with Ender all ready on Lusitania and married to the most prominent scientist there. Valentine is on a distant planet also married and with kids when she finds out that Ender needs her to help and she must come to Lusitania right away. Now this would have to be a most serious problem to uproot a family from there home and travel to a distant world, wasting years through the theory of relativity and close to light speed travel. And it is a very serious problem. Lusitania is a new colony planet that contains the only other sentient life forms every found by humans. The other being the Buggers, though they were destroyed 3000 years before. Therefore strict rules were placed upon the colonist not to associate with these life forms. They broke these laws. This was not the largest threat though. The problem was that the sentient life forms contain a virus in their genetic code that is deadly to all humans who come in contact with it. Even worse, there is no cure. Therefore, Starways Congress has decided to destroy the entire planet with the Dr. D device. This device is a molecular disrupter. Therefore, Valentine leaves right a...

What You Need to Know About Becoming a Dental Assistant

What You Need to Know About Becoming a Dental Assistant Going to the dentist’s office probably isn’t one of your favorite activities. Yet it’s a necessary part of taking care of yourself, and if you’re lucky you’ve found a great dental office and staff that make the process less painful- literally! The dental assistant is an essential member of this team, caring for patients and/or keeping the office running. If you think you might be interested in joining this career path, here’s a snapshot of the dental assisting field. What does a dental assistant do?A dental assistant’s responsibilities may include:Managing patient intakeMaintaining office recordsScheduling appointmentsAssisting the dentist during proceduresSterilizing and maintaining equipmentTaking patient x-rays (additional certification may be necessary)Teaching good oral hygiene and post-appointment care to patientsI’m squeamish about medical procedures. Can I still be a dental assistant?Yes! Many offices hire dental assista nts who primarily manage the office and perform clerical tasks like maintaining records, managing patient appointments, billing, acting as the office receptionist, and ordering and managing supplies. You’ll want to check job postings carefully to make sure that the job doesn’t require hands-on patient care or assisting the dentist during procedures.How do I become a dental assistant?In most cases, becoming a dental assistant doesn’t require a four-year college degree. However, some states require that dental assistant candidates complete a certification program and/or pass an exam, so you’ll want to be aware of your own state’s requirements before you choose this path.You’ll need strong organizational and clerical skills as a dental assistant, as well as solid communication and interpersonal skills. You’d be working with staff and patients (and you may be the first face people see when they visit your dental office), so those customer service skills are especially important in this role.How much do dental assistants make?The median salary for dental assistants is $34,500, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to surveys done by Payscale, dental assistant salaries can vary pretty widely depending on location and experience level at hiring. Payscale also found that salaries tended to be higher for assistants who brought strong office and business skills to their current job.Dental assistants also have high job satisfaction, per the Payscale survey: 5 out of 5 dental assistants polled said they were â€Å"extremely satisfied† with their jobs.Who’s hiring dental assistants?Many dental assistants are employed by independent or small-practice dental offices, but there are also many large firms hiring as well. Among the top corporate employers are:Aspen DentalDental Group LtdFamily Dental CareHeartland Dental CareWhat does the dental assistant career path look like?This field is has great dev elopment potential, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting 25% growth by 2022. Many dental assistants also choose to go on and become Certified Dental Assistants, dental hygienists, or a number of other dental/medical certification areas and administrative roles.Now that you know what it takes to get started in this popular and rewarding field, what do you think? Could this be you in the near future?

What impact did the Crusades have in Europe with respect to the Essay

What impact did the Crusades have in Europe with respect to the relationship between the Christian and the Islamic cultures - Essay Example For the good or bad, crusading movement had a lot of effects to the Muslims and Christians. According to Duiker & Spielvogel and Stearns, they argued that crusades affected the social upheaval. Whereas crusades promoted church authority in Europe, they also raised a lot of social chaos. It was more intense in Holy land than any other place. Between 1090 and 1290, several cities in the Holy land exchanged hands between the Christians and Islamic invaders, usually with a lot of violence involved. For example, in 1099, the crusaders overran the city of Jerusalem and carried out an intensive massacre of children, women and men. The same group went ahead to stir up unrest in the entire continent of Europe. It was then acceptable to persecute and kill Jews, especially those who were against the church. Crusades had also a significant impact on cultural exchange. Although there were fights between the crusades and those against the church, European cultures influenced each other. For instance, Christian invaders came up with European-styled feudal estates within the Holy land to oversee both agricultural production and trade. They also left a significant architectural imprint. They constructed several churches in Jerusalem that enhanced the spread of the gospel. They also built a hospital and a market place where they could trade their products. In making these developments, both the Christians and the Muslims could meet and shared their goods, services or ideas. In the process, there was cultural swap amongst them. However, cultural influence went the other way too. Crusaders were exposed to Arabian products, including dyed cottons, finely-crafted silks and glass. They went with goods of Middle Eastern furniture and some were taken to Europe. Ideological wealth was a significant impact also. They had a lot of impacts on the society that hosted them. Conversely to the common belief, crusades did not

Module 3 Case Assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Module 3 Case Assignment - Coursework Example Not only can a manager use linear programming to identify the best mix of products to meet demand while effectively using available resources, or develop a production schedule and inventory policy that meet sales and demand needs. He can also use it to settle for the best distribution plan for shipping products from store to customer. Using linear programming to make quarterly product ordering decisions is referred to as production scheduling. This involves determining how much of each products produced by an organization in order to maximize profits for a given quarter taking into considerations the major constraints which limit feasible decisions (Barlow, & Ebooks Corporation, 2010). Consider Wamboga Limited a company specialized in manufacturing mobile phones. It manufactures two types of mobile phones namely WambogaX30 and WambogaX15.Wamboga limited makes quarterly decision about their product mix. The chief constraints are-: 3. Each mobile phone requires a memory chip WambogaX30 requires 2 chips of 16 GB while WambogaX15 requires a chip of 16 GB. There are 15000 chips available. Each WambogaX30 generates a profit KSH1OOO While each WambogaX15 generates a profit of KSH750. The problem is modeled first. This is done by the use of linear programming. Objectives, decision variables, and constraints are used .The decision variables are a representation of an unknown decision to be made. Each and every linear program has an objective that is either maximize profits or minimize production costs. The object has to be linear in the decision variables, that is, it should be the constraint’s sum times the decision variables. Models are significant since they enable formal description and definition of problems hence allowing simplicity in discovering solutions for optimal decision ideals using a computer. Solutions to models which have only two variables can be found without a computer .This is achieved by drawing the

Ocean carrier Essay Example for Free

Ocean carrier Essay The purpose of this report is to evaluate whether Ocean Carriers Inc. should immediately commission a new capesize carrier that would cost $39 million, and would be completed two years hence, in order to finalize a lease of the ship for a three-year period with a potential charterer in very good faith. The contrasting tax regulations between the two countries where the company locates its office, and the different cost-benefit circumstances under different length of time in service are considered in the analysis. Taking all available information into consideration, we highly recommend that the company should purchase the new capesize carrier, have it registered under the Hong Kong office, and put it on a scheme for a 25-year service. Industry Prospects Capesize carriers are mainly used to carry iron ore and coal worldwide. The daily hire rates are therefore determined by the total exports of iron ore and coal, the distance between the exporting countries and the destinations, and the fleet size of capesizes in service. According to the market trends, in the next few years, Australian production in iron ore is expected to be strong and Indian iron ore exports are expected to take off. However, imports of iron ore and coal are expected to be stagnant in next two years. Therefore, total exports of iron ore and coal will be flat in the coming two years, and will rise remarkably in the following few years. Besides, as East Asia countries absorb the largest portion of the iron ore imports, the joining of India to the iron ore exporting won’t significantly increase travel distance because Australia is almost the same distance away by water. Moreover, in 2001 and 2002, 63 and 33 new capesize vessels would be delivered adding up to about 17% of total capesizes currently in service. Consequently, in the first two years, the supply of capesizes would be greater than the demand, the daily hire rates are expected to decrease. But in the mid-to-long run, the daily hire rates are expected to increase continuously. Revenues and Costs Intuitions Before going into the numbers, we want to discuss some intuitions of this project that support the decision of purchasing the capesize. First, the increasing mid-to-long run daily hire rates will provide basis for promising future cash flows. Secondly, although the daily hire rate for the first two years are expected to be low, the charterer had already offered a rate higher than expected to compensate the company. Thirdly, a great portion of the expenditures come from the preparation for special surveys which should be renewed every five years if the ship needs to stay in the business. The high escalation of costs between the second and third surveys, and the fourth and fifth surveys, indicates that maximum net present value of the project would be achieved when the carrier serves for either 15 years or 25 years. Free Cash Flows In this part, we will discuss the detailed numbers. Some assumptions are made based on the economic outlook and company characteristics when calculating free cash flows. We assume that inflation rate is 3% per annual, and that operation cost would increase 1% above inflation rate per annual. We assume that discount rate is 9%, and will discuss the impact of a rate change later. Provided that the scrape value is estimated to be $5 million at the end of the fifteenth year, we estimate that the value would decrease to $4 million due to more wear in the steel. Please refer to Exhibits 1 to 4 for the calculations of estimated free cash flows and NPVs. We can see that if the company chooses to purchase the capesize, have it registered in Hong Kong instead of USA, and runs it for 25 years, the NPV will be the highest compared to other alternatives. Besides, the Hong Kong option (have the vessel registered in Hong Kong) dominates the USA option (have the vessel registered in USA) because no tax is required in Hong Kong in these operations. Also, the 25-year option dominates the 15-year option because, even if the scrap value is reduced to zero after 25 years, the NPVs for options that keep the capesize for 25 years are still higher than for 15 years. Sensitivity Analysis In the above calculations for the NPVs, we assume discount rate to be 9%. If the discount rate is higher, the NPVs for the projects will be reduced because the benefits from recording depreciation and tax deferring will increase. For example, we found that the USA-25-year option will produce a positive NPV if the discount rate is lowered to 6.67%. However, even if the discount rate is as low as 0.1%, the HK option still dominates the US option, and the 25-year option still dominates the 15-year option. Conclusion To sum up, if Ocean Carriers Inc. purchase a $39 million capesize carrier immediately, register it in Hong Kong, sign the three-year contract with the charterer, and keep the vessel in business for 25 years, based on estimations, it would acquire the largest possible NPV of $3.89 million on the project.

The Pleasure Principle in Perraults Little Red Riding Hood and Brother

Sigmund Freud, commonly referred to as "the father of psychoanalysis", is best known for his studies of sexual desire, repression, and the unconscious mind. Freud came to see personality as having three aspects, all of which work together to produce our complex behaviours: the Id (â€Å"It†), the Ego (â€Å"I†) and the Superego (â€Å"Over-I†). His psychoanalytic theories are used today in many different fields, including literature analysis. â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood†, written by Perrault in the 17th century, as well as in â€Å"The Little Red Cap†, written by the Brothers Grimm in the 19th century, are both famous folktales turned fairy tales about a young girl’s encounter with a cross-dressing wolf. The tale makes the clearest contrast between the safe world of the village and the dangers of the forest. It also seems to be a strong morality tale, teaching children not to â€Å"wander off the path†. However, when applied to both Perrault's and the Grimm Brothers’ tale, we see that these tales are dominated by the Id, the function of the irrational and emotional part in the mind. The authors are trying to show us that being impulsive and basically giving in to your Id is not wise and might eventually lead you to your own doom. This is apparent in both tales, where Little Red Riding Hood gives into her desires and impulses by disobeying her mother and speaking to the wolf, whereas the wolf has more self-control and is able to restrain impulses. At the beginning of the story, the first thing Little Red Riding Hood’s mother tells her is â€Å"Here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. Take them to your grandmother. She is sick and weak, and they will do her well. Mind your manners and give her my greetings. Behave yourself on the way, and do not leave... ...delaying of gratification. Even though the wolf wants to eat the little girl, he realises he will enjoy it later when the time is right, when the risks are lower. After waiting for the right moment and delaying his desires and impulses, the wolf’s Id takes over and he not only eats the little girl, but the grandmother as well. In the end, both Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf are guilty of giving into their Id. The moral of the story warns the reader that there are wolves in the real world that are just like the wolf in the story. These â€Å"wolves† are just preying on young, impressionable young girls in order to fulfill their sexual desires. These little girls are not just victims though. They are also able to act on their desires and be bad little girls. Everyone is capable of giving into temptation as well as what is not necessarily the right thing to do.

Back to the Future: the Work and Influence of Filippo Marinetti & Umberto Boccioni

Back to the Future The work and influence of Filippo Marinetti & Umberto Boccioni In Europe the transition from the 19th to the 20th century witnessed the emergence of a number of artistic and social movements which left a great impact on societies, not only in Europe but also worldwide. Movements such as Futurism, Dadaism, Surrealism, and Constructivism played an important role in changing society for the better by using their design and art practices.This era also witnessed a number of ideological and cultural changes in many fields such as psychology, philosophy, arts, and technology. Behind the popularity of Dada, Surrealism, Constructivism, Art Deco, and also Vorticism, there was a strong idea of Futurism which incorporated elements of technology, speed, violence, and mechanical objects such as cars, airplanes, and bicycles. Futurism was largely an Italian based movement, however there were other versions of the movement happening around the world, including Russia, and England. .Most Futurists practiced in various mediums of art. According to Anonymous (2010), sculpture, painting, architecture, ceramics, industrial design, interior design, graphic design, theatre and film, textiles, and literature were all acceptable mediums for The Futurists. Two of the more notorious Futurists were Filippo Marinetti, and Umberto Boccioni. Marinetti’s Manifesto of Futurism and Boccioni’s plastic dynamism and sculpture, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space are two very well known pieces of art which played an important role in the popularity of Futurism.The works of the two futurists inspired many artists of their time and are still well known amongst contemporary artists. When the French newspaper, Le Figaro, published on its front page a manifesto about an artistic group, no one knew about the author. The manifesto was written by an EgyptianItalian named Filippo Marinetti, who was based in Milan and was one of the founding fathers of Futurism. The literary p iece was about Le Futurism, the foundation manifesto of the artistic group which was in the process of forming. Marinetti was a natural born writer he wrote from a very young age.He studied in Paris, where he furthered his love for literature. Marinetti’s rebellious nature caused him some difficulties even at this age. He faced the threat of expulsion when he tried to publish Emile Zola’s scandalous novels through the school magazine. (Harrison 2003, 35) Shortly after the manifesto was published Marinetti was thrust into the public eye, gaining notoriety amongst his contemporaries who saw that he would introduce large changes in the art world. However he was severely criticized by some artists because of his passionate hate for old art and politics.In the article, Marinetti idealized the beauty of modern life and discussed the benefits of machinery, speed, violence, and youth. He talked about the transformation of Italian culture in a new artistic world. According to H enning (2006), Marinetti’s manifesto was not welcomed by most historians who saw it as an attack against history, and historicism. They were of the view that Marinetti joined anti-musuem sentiment with nationalism. Even though the manifesto was published in a French newspaper, it received a large response from Italy. The manifesto was published in the French newspaper Le Figaro, but he emphasized its source -’from Italy’- at the same time as he rejected the museum culture of Italy, and by implication France too, in the effort to pronounce himself of the present, and of the future. Marinetti associated museums with an obsessions with the past which was corrupting and infecting the body of the nation. † (Henning 2006, 39) Marinetti’s manifesto continued to gain popularity from contemporary artists and draw criticism from contemporary historians.His opposition to museums were considered a threat to the connection between ancient art and literature. In 1916, when Marinetti introduced the manifesto ‘The New Religion-Morality of Speed’, it was clear that it had some connection with the past. Though Marinetti adorned this manifesto with technological excitement, he used the parody of religious language, which confused his critics. ‘The New Religion’ has received a strong response from authors over time. For example Blum (1996) see in the manifesto a strong logic for Futurism. The binary structuring of reality is tied to the founding of a new religion. In ‘La nuova religione-role della velocita’ (The New Religion-Morality of Speed; 1916), Marinetti argues that speed, whose essence is ‘the intuitive synthesis of all forces in movement,’ is, by nature, pure. † (Blum 1996, 34) Despite a strict Catholic upbringing, Marinetti was an open opponent of religion, especially the influence of The Vatican in Italy. He was greatly influenced by his fathers interest in the history of religio n. He had great command of the use of religious language, but always with an anti-clerical tone.For example, in his manifesto, ‘Against the Papacy and the Catholic Mentality, Repositories of Every Kind of Traditionalism’, Marinetti launched a campaign for the liberation of Italy from The Vatican. Despite there being clear anti-Catholic tirades in his two manifestos-Against Spain, and Against the Papacy and the Catholic Mentality- one can easily find a solid religious foundation within his writings. Bru and Martens (2006) see a connection between the manifestos. They are of the opinion that despite a gap of over nine years between the publication of the two manifestos, little change is seen in his views of religion. Marinetti expressed his anti-Catholic sentiments in the manifestos, Against Spain (1910) and Against the Papacy and the Catholics Mentality, Repositories of Every Kind of Traditionalism (1919). He was fervently supported by Settimelli, whose brochure Svatican amento: Dichiarazione agli italiani, attacked the Vatican in such strong term that it was sequestered and its author taken to court. † (Bru and Martens 2006, 179) Berghaus (2009) has found genuinely innovative elements in the manifestos of Marinetti. He is of the opinion that Marinetti’s manifestos propagate the futurist reform of lifestyle. Marinetti was opposed to any fetishization of the muscular body and was highly critical of the Fascist adoption of sporting spectacles for the purpose of indoctrination. He was interested in healthy bodies with agile minds. Modern physical culture was an ally in his battle against decadence, materialism, and outdated values. † (Berghaus 2009, 33) Therefore, it can be said that the hidden religious characteristics of Marinetti helped to construct his anti-Catholic and anti-clerical campaign. It is obvious that he developed this quality because of his father’s close connection with religion and religious symbolism.Marinet ti’s role in giving a significant position to Futurism in the cultural history of the twentieth century cannot be ignored. Italian painter and sculptor Boccioni is considered to be one of Italy’s most important Futurists. He laid a strong foundation for the concept of Futurism in Italy. Boccioni, who studied art in Rome’s Scuola Libera del Nudo a the Accademia dil Belle Arti, launched a campaign in 1914 to transform Italy, and introduce Plastic Dynamism. His encounter with Futurism came after many years of studying the psychology of artistic dilemmas.He used powerful plastic forms to convey a concept of movement both intrinsic and relative to the object’s environment. After studying the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists in Paris. Boccioni played a very important role in the establishment of Futurism in Italy in 1911. This was time when Futurism had formed an idiosyncratic and vibrant style, with earl stages of pointillism giving way to a softer, less distinct neo-impressionisitic aesthetic. Smith (1997) says that because of Boccioni’s stern anti-traditional notions, researchers often find a similarity between himself and Marinetti’s ideologies.The response of the two Futurists towards tradition and the influence of religion on society in Italy is very similar indeed. However, according to Smith, Boccioni is differs slightly in his ideas about modernism. â€Å"Although most writers on Futurism accept that Boccioni was caught up by Marinetti’s ideology, most have isolated his work from his proto-Facist politics. His work is thus discussed primarily in terms of his use of the formal devices for the representation of modernity that the Futurists advocated in their manifesto; theories of modernism and various forms of contemporary philosophy are also invoked. (Smith 1997, 111) Like Marinetti, Boccioni audaciously attacked traditional values in his book ‘Pittura e scultura futuriste (dinamismo plastico)â⠂¬â„¢. He announced that his ideas n Plastic Dynamism would function as an anti-traditional idea, and revive not only Italy, but the whole world. In plastic dynamism, Boccioni tried to find a connection between plastic form, and it’s surrounding space. Boccioni has received great attention from Hays (2000) who has closely researched the development of Plastic Dynamism.The author gives credit to Boccioni in the development of new theories in the genre. â€Å"A more essential evolution of these problems, and one closer to the scientific movement that emancipated physical theory from the old notion of matter and its correlative space, is the basis of the new plastic theories developed by the Futurist Umberto Boccioni in his writings on Plastic Dynamism. † (Hays 2000), 592) Boccioni, in his writing severely criticized the traditional aesthetic taste of a democratic states, and said they were largely comprised of pseudo-intellectuals, anarchists, and socialists.He held Enri co Ferri, the socialist editor of L’Avanti in high regard, but was also supportive of Enrico Corradini, the nationalist novelist and journalist. Despite Boccioni’s criticism of the Italian Nationalist Association for it failure to assist the futurists in promoting the movement politically, he was of the view that Corradini’s nationalist beliefs were a beacon of hope in a corrupt society. Boccioni studied closely both the nature of an object in motion and its visual revolution in relation to the environment through which it travels.Contrary to traditionalists, his plastic dynamism was a regeneration of plastic consciousness which rejected the devastating effects of democratic-rationalist education. (Kwinter, 2001, 61) Therefore it would not be wrong to say that the aesthetics of Plastic Dynamism which Boccioni highlighted in his writing was anti-democratic as well as anti-traditional. According to Harte (2009), Boccioni, despite his inspiration from the Avant Gar de art movements of Picasso and Braque, presented his ideas in a different style. Unlike the cubists, Picasso and Braque, who fragmented the painted object with little regard for its relationship to the surrounding world, Boccioni and his fellow futurists emphasized an aestheticised object’s interaction with that world, regarding this interaction as critical to a successful expression of rapid movement on the static canvas or through three dimensional, sculpted forms. † (Harte 2009, 18) Boccioni’s understanding of the fourth dimension successfully bound the theory of space to a temporal idea of revolution.This understanding makes Boccioni prominent amongst other Futurists. The study of the work and writings of both Boccioni and Marinetti make it clear that without an understanding of these two figures, it is difficult to understand the concept of Futurism itself. These two Futurists played an important role in sparking people’s interest in the Futurist mov ement, created a template not only for artistic ideas, but also for cultural and social disobedience and a fundamental opposition to traditional aesthetic, moral and political opinions.They each attempted to clarify the Futurist’s ideals and their work left a great impact on society. Smith (1997) provides further evidence of the ideological connection between Boccioni and Marinetti. â€Å"Boccioni and Marinetti founded a movement based on speed. With the death of it’s leading artists, Boccioni, Futurism died fast. † (Strickland and Boswell 2007, 139) References Anonymous (2010) Futurism: Futurist Manifesto, Suite Vollard Enrico Prampolini, General Books LLC, New York Anonymous Berghaus, G. 2009) Futurism and the Technological Imagination, Rodopi, Amsterdam Blum, C S. (1996) The Other Modernism: F. T. Marinetti’s Futurist Fiction of Power, University of California Press, California Bru, S. , and Martens, G. (2006) The Invention of Politics in the European Avant-garde, Rodolphi, Amsterdam Harrison, A. (2003) D. H. Lawrence and Italian Futurism: A Study of Influence, Rodopi, Harte, T. (2009) Fast Forward The Aesthetics and Ideology of Speed in Russian Avant-Garde Culture, University of Wisconsin Press, Wisconsin Hays, M. 2000) Architecture Theory Since 1968, MIT Press, Cambridge Henning, M. (2006) Museums, Media, and Cultural Theory. McGraw-Hill International, London Smith, T E. (1997) Invisible Touch: Modernism and Masculinity, University of Chicago Press, Chicago Strickland, C. , and Boswell J (2007) The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post Modern. Andrews McMeel Publishing, Riverside, NJ Figure 1. Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913, Umberto Boccioni From: http://www. octorhugo. org/synaesthesia/art/ Figure 2. Dynamism of a cyclist, painting, 1913, Umberto Boccioni From: http://artsforhealthmmu. blogspot. com/2011/08/blog-post. html Figure 3. Futurist Manifesto, newspaper article, 1917, F ilippo Marinetti From: http://www. collezioni-f. it/marinetti01. jpg Figure 4. Parole in Liberta, book illustration, 1917, Filippo Marinetti From: http://blanchardmodernart. blogspot. com/2010/10/cubism-and-futurism. html Back to the Future: the Work and Influence of Filippo Marinetti & Umberto Boccioni Back to the Future The work and influence of Filippo Marinetti & Umberto Boccioni In Europe the transition from the 19th to the 20th century witnessed the emergence of a number of artistic and social movements which left a great impact on societies, not only in Europe but also worldwide. Movements such as Futurism, Dadaism, Surrealism, and Constructivism played an important role in changing society for the better by using their design and art practices.This era also witnessed a number of ideological and cultural changes in many fields such as psychology, philosophy, arts, and technology. Behind the popularity of Dada, Surrealism, Constructivism, Art Deco, and also Vorticism, there was a strong idea of Futurism which incorporated elements of technology, speed, violence, and mechanical objects such as cars, airplanes, and bicycles. Futurism was largely an Italian based movement, however there were other versions of the movement happening around the world, including Russia, and England. .Most Futurists practiced in various mediums of art. According to Anonymous (2010), sculpture, painting, architecture, ceramics, industrial design, interior design, graphic design, theatre and film, textiles, and literature were all acceptable mediums for The Futurists. Two of the more notorious Futurists were Filippo Marinetti, and Umberto Boccioni. Marinetti’s Manifesto of Futurism and Boccioni’s plastic dynamism and sculpture, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space are two very well known pieces of art which played an important role in the popularity of Futurism.The works of the two futurists inspired many artists of their time and are still well known amongst contemporary artists. When the French newspaper, Le Figaro, published on its front page a manifesto about an artistic group, no one knew about the author. The manifesto was written by an EgyptianItalian named Filippo Marinetti, who was based in Milan and was one of the founding fathers of Futurism. The literary p iece was about Le Futurism, the foundation manifesto of the artistic group which was in the process of forming. Marinetti was a natural born writer he wrote from a very young age.He studied in Paris, where he furthered his love for literature. Marinetti’s rebellious nature caused him some difficulties even at this age. He faced the threat of expulsion when he tried to publish Emile Zola’s scandalous novels through the school magazine. (Harrison 2003, 35) Shortly after the manifesto was published Marinetti was thrust into the public eye, gaining notoriety amongst his contemporaries who saw that he would introduce large changes in the art world. However he was severely criticized by some artists because of his passionate hate for old art and politics.In the article, Marinetti idealized the beauty of modern life and discussed the benefits of machinery, speed, violence, and youth. He talked about the transformation of Italian culture in a new artistic world. According to H enning (2006), Marinetti’s manifesto was not welcomed by most historians who saw it as an attack against history, and historicism. They were of the view that Marinetti joined anti-musuem sentiment with nationalism. Even though the manifesto was published in a French newspaper, it received a large response from Italy. The manifesto was published in the French newspaper Le Figaro, but he emphasized its source -’from Italy’- at the same time as he rejected the museum culture of Italy, and by implication France too, in the effort to pronounce himself of the present, and of the future. Marinetti associated museums with an obsessions with the past which was corrupting and infecting the body of the nation. † (Henning 2006, 39) Marinetti’s manifesto continued to gain popularity from contemporary artists and draw criticism from contemporary historians.His opposition to museums were considered a threat to the connection between ancient art and literature. In 1916, when Marinetti introduced the manifesto ‘The New Religion-Morality of Speed’, it was clear that it had some connection with the past. Though Marinetti adorned this manifesto with technological excitement, he used the parody of religious language, which confused his critics. ‘The New Religion’ has received a strong response from authors over time. For example Blum (1996) see in the manifesto a strong logic for Futurism. The binary structuring of reality is tied to the founding of a new religion. In ‘La nuova religione-role della velocita’ (The New Religion-Morality of Speed; 1916), Marinetti argues that speed, whose essence is ‘the intuitive synthesis of all forces in movement,’ is, by nature, pure. † (Blum 1996, 34) Despite a strict Catholic upbringing, Marinetti was an open opponent of religion, especially the influence of The Vatican in Italy. He was greatly influenced by his fathers interest in the history of religio n. He had great command of the use of religious language, but always with an anti-clerical tone.For example, in his manifesto, ‘Against the Papacy and the Catholic Mentality, Repositories of Every Kind of Traditionalism’, Marinetti launched a campaign for the liberation of Italy from The Vatican. Despite there being clear anti-Catholic tirades in his two manifestos-Against Spain, and Against the Papacy and the Catholic Mentality- one can easily find a solid religious foundation within his writings. Bru and Martens (2006) see a connection between the manifestos. They are of the opinion that despite a gap of over nine years between the publication of the two manifestos, little change is seen in his views of religion. Marinetti expressed his anti-Catholic sentiments in the manifestos, Against Spain (1910) and Against the Papacy and the Catholics Mentality, Repositories of Every Kind of Traditionalism (1919). He was fervently supported by Settimelli, whose brochure Svatican amento: Dichiarazione agli italiani, attacked the Vatican in such strong term that it was sequestered and its author taken to court. † (Bru and Martens 2006, 179) Berghaus (2009) has found genuinely innovative elements in the manifestos of Marinetti. He is of the opinion that Marinetti’s manifestos propagate the futurist reform of lifestyle. Marinetti was opposed to any fetishization of the muscular body and was highly critical of the Fascist adoption of sporting spectacles for the purpose of indoctrination. He was interested in healthy bodies with agile minds. Modern physical culture was an ally in his battle against decadence, materialism, and outdated values. † (Berghaus 2009, 33) Therefore, it can be said that the hidden religious characteristics of Marinetti helped to construct his anti-Catholic and anti-clerical campaign. It is obvious that he developed this quality because of his father’s close connection with religion and religious symbolism.Marinet ti’s role in giving a significant position to Futurism in the cultural history of the twentieth century cannot be ignored. Italian painter and sculptor Boccioni is considered to be one of Italy’s most important Futurists. He laid a strong foundation for the concept of Futurism in Italy. Boccioni, who studied art in Rome’s Scuola Libera del Nudo a the Accademia dil Belle Arti, launched a campaign in 1914 to transform Italy, and introduce Plastic Dynamism. His encounter with Futurism came after many years of studying the psychology of artistic dilemmas.He used powerful plastic forms to convey a concept of movement both intrinsic and relative to the object’s environment. After studying the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists in Paris. Boccioni played a very important role in the establishment of Futurism in Italy in 1911. This was time when Futurism had formed an idiosyncratic and vibrant style, with earl stages of pointillism giving way to a softer, less distinct neo-impressionisitic aesthetic. Smith (1997) says that because of Boccioni’s stern anti-traditional notions, researchers often find a similarity between himself and Marinetti’s ideologies.The response of the two Futurists towards tradition and the influence of religion on society in Italy is very similar indeed. However, according to Smith, Boccioni is differs slightly in his ideas about modernism. â€Å"Although most writers on Futurism accept that Boccioni was caught up by Marinetti’s ideology, most have isolated his work from his proto-Facist politics. His work is thus discussed primarily in terms of his use of the formal devices for the representation of modernity that the Futurists advocated in their manifesto; theories of modernism and various forms of contemporary philosophy are also invoked. (Smith 1997, 111) Like Marinetti, Boccioni audaciously attacked traditional values in his book ‘Pittura e scultura futuriste (dinamismo plastico)â⠂¬â„¢. He announced that his ideas n Plastic Dynamism would function as an anti-traditional idea, and revive not only Italy, but the whole world. In plastic dynamism, Boccioni tried to find a connection between plastic form, and it’s surrounding space. Boccioni has received great attention from Hays (2000) who has closely researched the development of Plastic Dynamism.The author gives credit to Boccioni in the development of new theories in the genre. â€Å"A more essential evolution of these problems, and one closer to the scientific movement that emancipated physical theory from the old notion of matter and its correlative space, is the basis of the new plastic theories developed by the Futurist Umberto Boccioni in his writings on Plastic Dynamism. † (Hays 2000), 592) Boccioni, in his writing severely criticized the traditional aesthetic taste of a democratic states, and said they were largely comprised of pseudo-intellectuals, anarchists, and socialists.He held Enri co Ferri, the socialist editor of L’Avanti in high regard, but was also supportive of Enrico Corradini, the nationalist novelist and journalist. Despite Boccioni’s criticism of the Italian Nationalist Association for it failure to assist the futurists in promoting the movement politically, he was of the view that Corradini’s nationalist beliefs were a beacon of hope in a corrupt society. Boccioni studied closely both the nature of an object in motion and its visual revolution in relation to the environment through which it travels.Contrary to traditionalists, his plastic dynamism was a regeneration of plastic consciousness which rejected the devastating effects of democratic-rationalist education. (Kwinter, 2001, 61) Therefore it would not be wrong to say that the aesthetics of Plastic Dynamism which Boccioni highlighted in his writing was anti-democratic as well as anti-traditional. According to Harte (2009), Boccioni, despite his inspiration from the Avant Gar de art movements of Picasso and Braque, presented his ideas in a different style. Unlike the cubists, Picasso and Braque, who fragmented the painted object with little regard for its relationship to the surrounding world, Boccioni and his fellow futurists emphasized an aestheticised object’s interaction with that world, regarding this interaction as critical to a successful expression of rapid movement on the static canvas or through three dimensional, sculpted forms. † (Harte 2009, 18) Boccioni’s understanding of the fourth dimension successfully bound the theory of space to a temporal idea of revolution.This understanding makes Boccioni prominent amongst other Futurists. The study of the work and writings of both Boccioni and Marinetti make it clear that without an understanding of these two figures, it is difficult to understand the concept of Futurism itself. These two Futurists played an important role in sparking people’s interest in the Futurist mov ement, created a template not only for artistic ideas, but also for cultural and social disobedience and a fundamental opposition to traditional aesthetic, moral and political opinions.They each attempted to clarify the Futurist’s ideals and their work left a great impact on society. Smith (1997) provides further evidence of the ideological connection between Boccioni and Marinetti. â€Å"Boccioni and Marinetti founded a movement based on speed. With the death of it’s leading artists, Boccioni, Futurism died fast. † (Strickland and Boswell 2007, 139) References Anonymous (2010) Futurism: Futurist Manifesto, Suite Vollard Enrico Prampolini, General Books LLC, New York Anonymous Berghaus, G. 2009) Futurism and the Technological Imagination, Rodopi, Amsterdam Blum, C S. (1996) The Other Modernism: F. T. Marinetti’s Futurist Fiction of Power, University of California Press, California Bru, S. , and Martens, G. (2006) The Invention of Politics in the European Avant-garde, Rodolphi, Amsterdam Harrison, A. (2003) D. H. Lawrence and Italian Futurism: A Study of Influence, Rodopi, Harte, T. (2009) Fast Forward The Aesthetics and Ideology of Speed in Russian Avant-Garde Culture, University of Wisconsin Press, Wisconsin Hays, M. 2000) Architecture Theory Since 1968, MIT Press, Cambridge Henning, M. (2006) Museums, Media, and Cultural Theory. McGraw-Hill International, London Smith, T E. (1997) Invisible Touch: Modernism and Masculinity, University of Chicago Press, Chicago Strickland, C. , and Boswell J (2007) The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post Modern. Andrews McMeel Publishing, Riverside, NJ Figure 1. Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913, Umberto Boccioni From: http://www. octorhugo. org/synaesthesia/art/ Figure 2. Dynamism of a cyclist, painting, 1913, Umberto Boccioni From: http://artsforhealthmmu. blogspot. com/2011/08/blog-post. html Figure 3. Futurist Manifesto, newspaper article, 1917, F ilippo Marinetti From: http://www. collezioni-f. it/marinetti01. jpg Figure 4. Parole in Liberta, book illustration, 1917, Filippo Marinetti From: http://blanchardmodernart. blogspot. com/2010/10/cubism-and-futurism. html

John Locke and Land Ownership

John Locke and Land Ownership John Locke in The Second Treatise of Civil Government makes several key arguments about what makes land ownable, these ideologies differ from how land ownership works in America but it is easy to see how America’s early days could have aligned with this ideology. In this paper I will focus on two key principles that Locke believed in that are basic requirements for land ownership.The first of these is that land ownership is obtained through labor and that items on the land have no value until labor is applied and the second describes government’s role in land ownership as simply being that the labor applied to land precedes government and government cannot dispose of the estates of the subjects arbitrarily and instead should be limited to securing the life and property of its citizens, and is only necessary because in an ideal, anarchic state of nature, various problems arise that would make life more insecure than under the protection of a minimal state.These two principles allow for the easy identification of claimed lands. While at the same time provide the motivation and encouragement to individuals so that they will want to find land that they can then harness through labor and thus make their own land. It is because of these reasons and more that land ownership through labor is a must for a successful society and a functioning government. In order to ensure that these principles are being viewed and judge from the same sense of meaning a few key words need to be defined as used in this paper.The term land ownership is vital to this paper and its meaning will be defined as, â€Å"the owner of contiguous property that has been improved upon from nature to provide for one’s living†. The term labor will only be used in reference to labor upon an individual’s land and will reference, â€Å"human time and effort put in to a particular task†. The term government will reference only the actua l ruling body that â€Å"influences daily life based on policies and procedures they enact†. At the last term reward will refer to, â€Å"an item or exchange of labor promised or normally expected given in exchange for labor or with no expectation of any kind of return.The principle that labor is a prerequisite to land ownership fits in perfectly with the needs and situation of the early American nation. Outside of key city areas a majority of this nation’s land was unclaimed and unused bearing none of the fruits of labor and essentially leaving all of its value unclaimed and untouched. With a bounty of land larger than anyone person could actually work and apply labor to, it made sense to encourage land expansion. With land expansion individuals could claim land through labor and the value and goods on that land would no longer go to waste as unused items that could have benefitted society as a whole.The second principle helps to place limits on what the government c an do once a parcel of land is owned by an individual. It is safe to say that any reasonable person would not like to see their possessions and livelihood wiped away with one fell swoop, but if governments have no restrictions in the use of their power it would be all too easy to force someone from their land, effectively robbing them of all their possessions and the livelihood that past labor has brought them.This is why Locke insisted that the government role in land owner ship remain limited in scope only to the extent that is needed to ensure this doesn’t happen. Without this assurance from governmental takeover acts similar to his could become standard practice. An unjust government might routinely perform these actions, unjustly claiming the land. This would result in a diminishment of the value of labor and would remove the incentives to work land and would result in a decrease in goods.Because of this looming threat it is clear that government must have some restricti ons on acquiring land to avoid unjust actions and encourage a general sense of trust and security in the government. A government that is without citizens that have some sort of trust and security provided by having a reliable, continual and trustworthy shelter is bound to fail since this is a basic need of humans in general. Modern science can help prove the stress and additional energy expenditure humans endure if they can’t find a sense of comfort, safety and belonging a study performed by Dr.Gilman while at Princeton University showed, â€Å"humans that are in constant fear of loss of shelter expend an average of 2900 calories daily† (Gilman 03/01/2012), along with this extra energy expenditure a lack of shelter creates stress that in turn creates a reduction in productivity. This stress can actually change the human brain reaction method resulting in it , â€Å"going from more sophisticated but slower modes to the faster behaviors of the older brains when we are under stress† (Gilman 03/01/2012).This change in brain behavior limits creative thinking and essentially devolves human thought to a lower state this combined with the increased calories expenditure creates a vast pool of diminished talent that when viewed in a large scale population level, results in a huge waste of resources that could be easily reduced by the assurance of land ownership and security. The easiest way for a government to meet this need is to let individuals provide additional goods to society by applying labor to their land thereby reducing their energy requirements and providing goods for the benefit of all.With all the complications that are possible when it comes to providing for the needs of the many, it only makes to allow individuals the freedom of land ownership that will help reduce their needs while simultaneously benefitting others. This notion of having some sort of fruit from your labor is fundamental to increasing one’s value and having a desire to perform work that can be beneficial to all. A study from Yale University performed by Dr.Greene helps to illustrate just how deeply rooted this concept is into human psychology, an individual will work perform work equivalent to their valuation of a reward. The study was meant to determine the amount of work an individual would perform without a reward versus the amount of work performed for a reward. The study concluded that, â€Å"any individual who was assigned a tasked performed that task to completion with more detail and more efficiently when rewarded as compared to no reward† (Mark et al. 1978).This study helps to demonstrate that human psychology insists that any individual will perform more work and therefore be a more productive member of society if only that individual receives something for the labor they put in. As mentioned earlier if an individual lives under constant threat of having everything taken from them it is essentially making them perform la bor on their land without a reward resulting in less work being performed and less goods for all of mankind, the only solution that removes this fear is placing limits on when and if a government can take someone’s land from them.With removal of this fear an individual can and likely will utilize labor to its fullest extend thereby adding value to the land. It is clear that the benefits of land ownership as defined through the use of labor allows for the creation of the best society possible, one that can help to provide for mankind as a whole, increase the value and abilities of its citizens that actively partake and utilizes the resources at hand to the best of its abilities without waste and undue stress. A society that is free of these constraints and provided with the best ossible reward for work and sense of security can only flourish and enjoy the fruits of their labor helping to create the best future possible.Works Cited: Gilman, Robert. Context Institute, â€Å"The Inside Story Understanding the structure of the brain. † Last modified 03/01/2012. Accessed September 22, 2012. Mark, Lepper, and Greene David. Lawrence Erlbaum, â€Å"The Hidden costs of reward : new perspectives of the psychology of human motivation. † Last modified 1978. Accessed September 22, 2012.

Dale Earnhart essays

Dale Earnhart essays This biography is based on the life of one of the greatest drivers of all times in NASCAR history known as Dale Earnhardt, also known as The Intimidator. Leigh Montville, one of Dales greatest fans, wrote this book. Its about a life on the fast lanes going through so much business and hard times. How someone can be promoted with so many sponsors that he just forgets where hes from and go through so much hard times not just driving, but also so much business. How it comes down to the greatest race of the season and losing a life. Dale Earnhardt was born on April 29, 1951 in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He was an inspired driver from his father Ralph Earnhardt who was a stock car racer on the dirt track. Seeing his father win so many races as racer Dale wanted to be just like him, like any boy would think. From that point on Dale dropped out of the ninth grade and started racing as a hobby. His father died in 1973 of a heart attack while working on his car on the track. Thats when it started getting serious when Dale joined the NASCAR league in the Winston Cup series in 1975 as a back-up driver and married a women by the name of Teresa and had four children. He started racing as a permanent driver to race his first full season in 1979 in the same series and was a racer for his career. In the next 2 decades he started working his way up to the top of the chart. He inspired a lot of people by winning some of the greatest races of his times. He was the only Winston driver to win Rookie of the Year and the Championship successive years and won 7 Winston cup championships. He won much more other awards like the NMPA driver of the year, The Winston award, Busch Clash Winner, IROC champion. It came to the point where for 20 years he set out his goal to win the biggest race of the season and that was the Daytona 500. He accomplished that goa ...

How to Use the NORM.INV Function in Excel

How to Use the NORM.INV Function in Excel Statistical calculations are greatly sped up with the use of software. One way to do these calculations is by using Microsoft Excel. Of the variety of statistics and probability that can be done with this spreadsheet program, we will consider the NORM.INV function. Reason for Use Suppose that we have a normally distributed random variable denoted by x. One question that can be asked is, â€Å"For what value of x do we have the bottom 10% of the distribution?† The steps that we would go through for this type of problem are: Using a standard normal distribution table, find the z score that corresponds to the lowest 10% of the distribution.Use the z-score formula, and solve it for x. This gives us x   ÃŽ ¼ zÏÆ', where  ÃŽ ¼ is the mean of the distribution and  ÃÆ' is the standard deviation.Plug in all of our values into the above formula. This gives us our answer. In Excel the NORM.INV function does all of this for us. Arguments for NORM.INV To use the function, simply type the following into an empty cell: NORM.INV( The arguments for this function, in order, are: Probability – this is the cumulative proportion of the distribution, corresponding to the area in the left-hand side of the distribution.Mean - this was denoted above by ÃŽ ¼, and is the center of our distribution.Standard Deviation - this was denoted above by ÏÆ' and accounts for the spread of our distribution. Simply enter each of these arguments with a comma separating them. After the standard deviation has been entered, close the parentheses with ) and press the enter key. The output in the cell is the value of x that corresponds to our proportion. Example Calculations We will see how to use this function with a few example calculations. For all of these, we will assume that IQ is normally distributed with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. The questions we will answer are: What is the range of values of the lowest 10% of all IQ scores?What is the range of values of the highest 1% of all IQ scores?What is the range of values of the middle 50% of all IQ scores? For question 1 we enter NORM.INV(.1,100,15). The output from Excel is approximately 80.78. This means that scores less than or equal to 80.78 comprise the lowest 10% of all IQ scores. For question 2 we need to think a little before using the function. The NORM.INV function is designed to work with the left portion of our distribution. When we ask about an upper proportion we are looking at the right-hand side. The top 1% is equivalent to asking about the bottom 99%. We enter NORM.INV(.99,100,15). The output from Excel is approximately 134.90. This means that scores greater than or equal to 134.9 comprise the top 1% of all IQ scores. For question 3 we must be even more clever. We realize that the middle 50% is found when we exclude the bottom 25% and the top 25%. For the bottom 25% we enter NORM.INV(.25,100,15) and obtain 89.88.For the top 25% we enter NORM.INV(.75, 100, 15) and obtain 110.12   NORM.S.INV If we are only working with standard normal distributions, then the NORM.S.INV function is slightly faster to use. With this function, the mean is always 0 and the standard deviation is always 1. The only argument is the probability. The connection between the two functions is: NORM.INV(Probability, 0, 1) NORM.S.INV(Probability) For any other normal distributions, we must use the NORM.INV function.

Electric Field Simulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Electric Field Simulation - Essay Example Through COMSOL Multiphysics we discovered the results after simulating an electric field by using 2D and 3D of the electrostatic module. These modules provided many kinds of movement in the electric field for the three electrodes, which were energised with +1V, 0V, and -1V electrical voltages. Also, the strong and weak points are posted between the three electrodes and show the electric potential of the field. Finally, this paper will show the form of the distribution of electric potential and electric field between the three electrodes for the above mentioned conditions. Introduction: After Michael Faraday discovered the electric field, he developed electricity into something practical that could be used in many technologies, especially microsystem devices. According to James Clear Maxwell, â€Å"the portion of space in the neighborhood of electrified bodies† is called an electric field [1]. At present, there are several applications used that are related to microtechnology a nd are beneficial to our lives. A good application in medicine is biology cells within medical laboratories. In this way, application is applied to the electric field to move cells and separate or analyze cells via impact electric forces. The movement, separation, and analyzing is done through a technique known as AC electrokinetics. This technique occurs when an electric field interacts with dipoles, but it depends on forces between repulsion and rotation by altering the nature of the dynamic field [2]. This new technique is beneficial in biotechnology because of the electric field [3]. Also, the AC electrokinetics technique depends on a delicate process known as dielectrophoresis. This is â€Å"the migration of uncharged particles towards the position of maximum field strength in a non-uniform electric field† [4]. The basic principle operation of dielectrophoresis is by deference of electromagnetic and dielectric properties. For example, the separation of cancer cells is be hind the electrodes, while the natural cells move away from the electrodes due to variations of the electric field [5]. Figure 1 shows the forces of attraction and repulsion between cancer cells and normal cells. Fig.1. Basic Principle of Dielectrophoresis An electric field is a region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other charged particles or objects. It is defined as an area between two charges and then there is a force (positive or negative) exerted [6]. The forces exerted on the test charge will be directly proportional to another charge according to Coulomb’s law [7]: Fe ? q1 q2 If divide the forces on the test charge: E=Fe /q ' Where E = electric field (N/C) and F = force (N) and q' = charge on test charge (C) Also, according to Coulomb’s law, we can find E where: = the permittivity of free space Then we can calculate the electric flux by using Gausses’ law [8]: Q = ? E.d There is a relationship between the elec tric field and electric potential if the electric potential is identified in an action area, then we can calculate the value of the electric field by: dV = - E.d. However, the electric potential consists of lines called equipotential lines. There is a direct correlation between the electric field lines and the energy of electric potential because the first one always puts the electric potential of direction that causes dropping electric potential [9], whereas, in this case, we are dealing with an accelerometer that