History of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles

History of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles The Soviets, in retaliation for the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, boycotted the 1984 Olympics. Along with the Soviet Union, 13 other countries boycotted these Games. Despite the boycott, there was a lighthearted and happy feeling at the 1984 Olympic Games (XXIII Olympiad), which were held between July 28 and August 12, 1984. Official Who Opened the Games:  President Ronald ReaganPerson Who Lit the Olympic Flame:  Rafer JohnsonNumber of Athletes:  Ã‚  6,829 (1,566 women, 5,263 men)Number of Countries:  140Number of Events:  221 China Is Back The 1984 Olympic Games saw China participate, which was the first time since 1952. Using Old Facilities Rather than build everything from scratch, Los Angeles used many of its existing buildings to hold the 1984 Olympics. Initially criticized for this decision, it ultimately became a model for future Games. First Corporate Sponsors After the serious economic problems caused by the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, the 1984 Olympic Games saw, for the first time ever, corporate sponsors for the Games. In this first year, the Games had 43 companies who were licensed to sell official Olympic products. Allowing corporate sponsors caused the 1984 Olympic Games to be the first Games to turn a profit ($225 million) since 1932. Arriving by Jetpack During the Opening Ceremonies, a man named Bill Suitor wore a yellow jumpsuit, white helmet, and a Bell Aerosystems jetpack and flew through the air, landing safely on the field. It was an Opening Ceremony to remember. Mary Lou Retton The U.S. became enthralled with the short (4 9), exuberant  Mary Lou Retton  in her attempt to win gold in gymnastics, a sport that had long been dominated by the Soviet Union. When Retton received perfect scores in her final two events, she became the first American woman to win an individual gold medal in gymnastics. John Williams Olympic Fanfare and Theme John Williams, the famous composer for  Star Wars  and  Jaws, also wrote a theme song for the Olympics. Williams conducted his now famous Olympic Fanfare and Theme himself the first time it was played - at the 1984 Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Carl Lewis Ties Jesse Owens At the 1936 Olympics, U.S. track star Jesse Owens won four gold medals - the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter, the long jump, and the 400-meter relay. Nearly five decades later, U.S. athlete Carl Lewis also won four gold medals, in the very same events as Jesse Owens. An Unforgettable Finish The 1984 Olympics saw the first time that women were allowed to run in a marathon. During the race, Gabriela Anderson-Schiess from Switzerland missed the last water stop and in the heat of Los Angeles began to suffer from dehydration and heat exhaustion. Determined to finish the race, Anderson staggered the last 400 meters to the finish line, looking like she wasnt going to make it. With a serious determination, she made it, finishing 37th out of 44 runners.

The Truman Show Film Research Paper Example

The Truman Show Film Research Paper Example The Truman Show Film Paper The Truman Show Film Paper Essay Topic: Film In class we have been studying The Truman Show. A film where one man lives under the hands of the media. His whole life has been one lie; everything he stood for was fraud. The Truman show is self-reflexive. This means the content of the film is reflecting the media itself. The Truman Show is about a film within a film, it shows the life of one man- Truman Burbank. Hidden cameras placed within the set monitor every second of his life. Truman inhabits a world similar to Big brother. Wherever he goes he is being watched. The viewer is inspired by Truman and feels sorry for him all the way through. In my essay I will analyse the film and try to explain what I think the whole film stands for. The narrative of The Truman Show is All knowing, this means that the viewer knows more than the characters inside the film. We all know Trumans world is false, but Truman has no idea. Truman Burbanks life is one huge lie; he lives on Seahaven the worlds biggest studio set. From the moment he was born, his life has been on air 24/7 and little does he know that he is the worlds most loved TV star. Apart from this dark secret, his life is practically perfect. He inhabits the most perfect town, with all happy people where everybody knows his name. His life is hunky dory. Of course, everything is so perfect because its all staged, along with all events in his life. The Truman Show also follows Todorovs Theory. The exposition is when Christoff and the characters are talking about the show. At the beginning we are introduced to the show with a sign, which helped us familiarize us with the TV show. The mis-en-scene of the frame was a black screen with white Sans Serif font as the body, the text told us how many days into the show it was. This helped set the scene a little more. When we are introduced to Seahaven and we instantly recognise it as a typical happy American town, such as you would see in a musical. The story develops when Truman meets Lauren (Sylvia) and he falls in love. She takes him to the beach and tells him that everyone can see him. She tells him her name isnt Lauren its Sylvia. Coincidently she gets whisked away to Fiji. From that moment on, Truman starts to get suspicious. This is the complication. A climax is reached when Truman escapes and is out on the boat. In the resolution Trumans boat hits the wall at the edge of the set and discovers the truth. The closure of the film occurs when Truman decides to leave. The story ends with his classic words. Incase I dont see ya, Good Morning, Good Evening and Goodnight. This is a happy ending and it puts a tear to our eye. The audience within the film and us all feel sympathy towards Truman. Jim Carrey plays Truman. Truman Burbank is carefree, happy and venerable, unlike most roles Jim Carrey is likely to play. The TV audience love him because he is so nice. Infact he is so nice it is almost unreal. Most of his personality is constructed and controlled by Christoff. His world is so nice, its like a dream, so cheesy its unreal. We feel sorry for Truman because he is so lovable but has no privacy and his whole life is monitored and on display to the world. Its as if everyone is betraying him. He dresses like the typical American family man. In a woolly v-neck jumper or a suit. We identify with Truman and psychologically become a part of his world. Us as the audience love him and see him as the hero in the show. We sympathise with Truman even more because he thinks he has a wife who loves him and a best friend he can trust. Little does he know he has been cheated on and when he leaves Seahaven he has to re-build his life all over again. Meryl, Trumans wife is the typical blonde American housewife. She often wore an apron or a nurses uniform, which is a general typical job of a woman. Meryl has a tang of arsenic in her syrupy voice Here Jane McDowell is suggesting that she sounds almost too sweet, that her voice is quite intimidating. I agree with him because at times Meryl sounded so nice that she seemed false. Marlon- Trumans best friend is totally controlled by Christoff. In the scene where Truman is reunited with his father, Christoff is dictating to Marlon what to say. Then when Truman goes missing Marlon is under Christoffs instructions and does exactly what Christoff is telling him to do.. He is very loyal to Christoff and seems very puppet like, without a mind of his own. Christoff is represented as a stereotypical director. The Truman show is his life, he is obsessed with the show and is willing to sacrifice anything for it- even Trumans life. As Truman is escaping on the boat Christoff creates a tidal wave in order for Truman not to find out he world is a fraud. Christoff is probably the most powerful character in the whole film. He wears all black, which could signify evil. He shows no emotions towards Truman. Which makes us, as the audience dislike him. He is the villain in the film. Christoff is like a god to Truman. Not in the way of a hero but the word God is more of a metaphor. He has made Trumans life what it is and has the power to do what he wants to him. Christoff designed Trumans world and picked all his family and friends. Toward the end when Christoff tells Truman the truth, all Truman can hear is Christoffs voice. This symbolises Christoff as a God to Truman. Sylvia is almost the only real Character in the movie. Truman adores her, and created a picture of her using cut out from magazines. He carried this around with him. Sylvia is very honest to Truman and tells him everything. When she got chucked off the set. Lauren is seen watching the show. When Truman laughed she laughed with him. When Truman was in trouble she cried. There are two different types of Enigma codes in The Truman Show. One being the clues given to Truman and the second type is given to us- the audience. The first code given to Truman is when a light falls out of the sky at the very beginning. Truman is surprised at first but fails to think anything of it, and he goes on with life as usual. As the film goes on, more enigma codes are given to Truman and eventually leads to his escape. Such codes include Meryl having her fingers crossed, the small amounts of rain that mysteriously follows him, the disappearance of Sylvia, Sylvia telling him the truth and when a part of the set is accidentally revealed. As Truman got more suspicious he took notice of these codes and became more aware of them. One day, he is in his car listening to the radio when the signal interferes and he hears people talking about him and his actions. He starts to notice small things like people hed never met before knowing his name. Another time he runs into the road and the bus stopped straight away, with a spookily quick reaction. Also, Truman starts to notice other things, he predicts a lady with flowers, then a beetle, and then a couple would come around the corner. Truman then goes mad and tries to escape with Meryl. Coincidently theres a leak at the power plant and Truman has to return home. All these clues leave Truman suspicious and he tries to escape. There are also enigma codes given to us as the audience. When Truman sees Sylvia in the library she is wearing a badge saying, How will it end? The camera performs and Extreme Close up on this bade so that we cant focus on anything else. This is so Peter Wier can ensure that weve defiantly seen it and to emphasise the importance of the badge. This makes the audience wonder what does happen at the end. Other camera techniques are used in The Truman Show to convey messages to the audience. During the film the camera take different angles and points of view to vary the scenes and to keep the viewers attention. Without different camera shots the film would seem very plain and unprofessional. Lots of different shots are used for a reason. The camera exerts a low angle and looks up at Christoff symbolically making him look more powerful. When Truman and Meryl are talking the camera switches shots, this is called shot reverse shot. This enables the audience to see both subjects within the scene and makes the conversation more interesting. Also then different camera techniques can be used within each frame. In example, the camera exerts a high angle filming Truman, this makes Truman seem more week and inferior to Meryl who is being filmed at a high angle making her look more superior. Truman is perhaps made to look weaker than Meryl because at this time in the film Meryl and Christoff had allot of power over Truman and perhaps in a way they were controlling him. Throughout the film POV shots are constantly used. The impression given to us, as the audience is that these cameras are stuck onto the actors within Seahaven. For example, when Truman was trying to escape there was coincidentally a nuclear leak. One of the supposed workers of the plant had a camera placed inside his Mask. While this worker was spraying Truman to knock him unconscious we saw all this from the view of the worker. These point of view shots make us feel even more the atmosphere of a TV set. I could tell when there was a POV shot because the corners of the frame were faded. This helped me familiarise myself with a POV camera so I could tell the difference between an ordinary camera and a hidden one. During the scene where Truman is reunited with his father a variation of shots are used. A close up of Trumans crying face is used, this brings out Trumans emotions and makes both audiences feel sorry for him. A long shot of Truman and his father hugging is used to show the audience their actions. Also a medium shot is used where we can see the fathers back and Trumans face, yet again this reminds the audience of the trauma Truman is going through. Also many Mini- Cams are used around the set of Seahaven. These are hidden cameras around the set such as security cameras or hidden cameras in cupboards or in paintings etc. An example of this would be when Truman is in the hospital and he is being spied on by a security camera. We hear the mechanics within the camera as it moves. This non-diagetic sound informs us that the camera is that of a hidden camera within the set. At the beginning Truman is looking directly at the audience, it appears that his is talking to us. This is a direct mode of address. This infact is a hidden camera hidden in the mirror in the bathroom. This sets the scene well because we realise Truman isnt talking to us but instead he is being spied upon. There were 6 key moments for me. First two were at the beginning in the jolly happy morning scene where everyone was saying greeting him and everything was really cheesy and jolly. Around that time a light fell out of the sky and gave Truman the first hint that something was wrong. Other Key moments we time such as when Meryl had her fingers crossed on the wedding photo, when Truman met up with his father and when Truman fell in love with Lauren. The Key moment for me in the whole film was when Truman escaped at the end. This was very significant to me because it shows Truman conquering all the people that had lied to him and beating them at their own game. Non-diagetic and diagetic sounds are used in almost every scene in the Truman show. In one scene you can hear the diagetic sound of tweeting birds, which is a stereotypical sound of a peaceful happy village. It is hard though to say whether this is diagetic or non diagetic. This is because Christoff might have placed these sounds into the set of Seahaven therefore making them non-diagetic sound FX. Though the dialogue by Truman and all the characters is defiantly diagetic sound. When Truman is out on the boat Christoff adds in Non- diagetic sound effects to build up tension for the audience within the film. He plays fast tragic music to go with the scene. When the moment in the film is more jolly, i. e. when Truman goes out in the morning the music played is more happy and cheesy. This makes the viewer feel more relaxed and tells us that everything is fine and dandy. When Truman was re-united with his father slow sad music is played to make the viewer feel sad. Without music added into the film the reader wont feel the emotions that they do. When Truman escapes the whole town is searching for him. Diagetic FX are used to show the marching of the town. This loud sound can symbolise a threat to Truman or signify the marching of the drums during a war. There are three audiences that watch the Truman show. The audience that Christoff has attracted, the TV crew that are creating the show, and then theres us. The audience that watches the film that Peter Weird created. The audience that watches the Truman show in the film is totally obsessed with Truman. They are there watching with amazement in all the key moments in the film. When Truman Meets up with his dad, they are there crying. When Truman escapes they are there mystified. When Truman nearly dies they are there crying, and when Truman leaves the show they are there cheering. This TV audience is active and are most likely linked to the uses and gratifications theory. They seem to evolve their life around Truman and watch him as much as they possible could. When they are out with friends their main topic of conversation is likely to be about the Truman show. They are probably addicted to the show and will forever watch it to find out what will happen next. It could be said that some of the audience are passive, and are affected by the hyperdermic needle effect; because they watch Truman so much they are likely to copy him. They might go out and say the things he says. Such as Incase I dont see ya, good morning good evening and goodnight. This audience is from Adults up. Those who havent got much to do during the day. Also I would guess the audience is mainly older because they would have been watching the show from Trumans birth so they would have followed it. Using the Registrars General scale I would say the class of this audience is from C E. This is because they are most likely to be unemployed so they watch the show during the day. People of a higher class or children are usually at school during the day so they wouldnt be able to catch on to the show so easily. In general I would say the audience is dominantly white because the actors in the show are mainly white (apart from the bus driver). Also Truman is a typical white American Man and other races are less likely able to link with him so well. Having said that I wouldnt say it was specifically aimed at any particular race. Both male and females watch the film in the show. The TV crew audience rely on Truman to give themselves a successful show. They watch him with wonder and hesitation in order to see if the scene they had tried to create had gone to plan. Then they congratulate themselves if a scene goes well. They are there watching Truman constantly, monitoring his every moment. It was the TV audience that first spotted Truman was missing. We relate to this audience the least because we dislike them for what they are doing to Truman. The audience that watches the film (us) is different to the audience within the film. We arent likely to be addicted to the show because it doesnt have any more episodes following it. I would say the target audience is to be of age 10+, anyone who will understand the story and grasp whats going on inside. The film is a certificate PG but it may be too complicated for a 6 yr old. I would say it is ideal for people of any lifestyle. I would say it could be for the middle class lifestyle for many reasons. The world Truman inhabits is quite complicated and middle class people are more likely to grasp the concepts of it all. Lower classes (D and E registrars general scale) are less likely to appreciate the film as much because they might not understand it, they might find it cheesy or could find it boring. Also in the film allot of classical music is played which in general would appeal to a higher-class audience. The audience of this film is again probably dominantly white. I get this idea because the film is based on more of a white culture. The Truman show makes its audience value the importance of privacy. After watching the film the audience thinks twice about whether there life is like Trumans. We also start to wonder who we can trust. Its not fair that Truman has his life controlled and by watching the film people might learn to treat other people better. Peter Weir gives off many messages during the Truman Show, He is laughing at the media all the way through and portrays them as a very powerful, untrustworthy organisation. The whole show symbolises real life. Many people have their lives followed and monitored by the media and have no privacy, for example Posh Spice and David Beckham. In the Truman show, Trumans life was perfect. Everything he wanted it to be. Everything he heard was exactly what he wanted to hear. When he started getting clues to his life being a lie he denied them at first but after a number of strange events he discovers that what he used to believe was one big lie. This show also conveys that people cant keep a huge secret from someone because eventually theyd find out and it will all end in tears. I enjoyed watching the Truman Show. Its a very interesting film and it made me think twice about life. My favourite part was when Truman found out the truth, I felt really pleased for Truman and it was a really emotional ending. It was great that Truman finally defeated the media, and re-united with the only honest person in his life. It would love it if a Truman show 2 was made and I could find out how Truman coped with living after a lie.

Managing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Managing strategy - Essay Example In this particular study different strategic frameworks shall be incorporated so as to analyze external environmental and internal conditions of Netflix. These tools will not only help to identify key resources and competencies but even facilitate determining critical success factors. In broader context these factors are highly responsible for acquiring sustainable competitive advantage. Michael Porter states that a strategy provides valuable and unique market position to a firm. A strategic fit needs to be achieved by a company in order to align business activities with overall business strategy. Business strategy can be defined as developing, finding and formulating a doctrine so as to ensure long-term success. Strategic thinking and strategic planning approaches are closely knitted with the framework of strategic management. Netflix is an organization founded in 1997 and providing Internet streaming media on demand to wide base of viewers. It has its viewers located across South a nd North America, and certain parts of Europe such as Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, France, Ireland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Luxembourg. The company is even involved in sending DVD by mail at flat rate in various locations of United States. Netflix has implemented a subscription based model within its system. Members are able to choose from wide range of subscription plans encompassing option of unlimited streaming movies or media. This study shall not only highlight current strategies been followed by the firm but even would focus on available strategic options for future development. Netflix is a well-known organization operating in movie rental industry. The company is subjected to political, social, technological, economic, environmental and legal conditions. In legal and political context, the

Quantitive analyse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quantitive analyse - Essay Example There appears very strong linear relationship between income and age, as the data points lie (cluster) around a straight line. There appears very week (or no) linear relationship between income and degree. However, the scattergraph is inconclusive, as there are two values for degree Arts (0) and Science (1), only. In a bivariate regression, R2 is a measure of the correlation coefficient r. Correlation coefficient value near 0 indicates there is little (or no) association between the two variables and a value near 1 indicates a strong association between the two variables (Lind, Marchal and Wathen, 2009). Using correlation coefficient, R2 can be calculated as below The regression slope coefficient of 0.771 suggests that every year increase in fulltime-employed adult’s age increases income by about  £771, on average. The regression intercept coefficient of 4.860 is not meaningful in the context of this problem because there will be no employee with 0 years age. The value of coefficient of determination, R2 is 0.9797. This suggests that fulltime-employed adult’s age explains about 97.97% variation in income. Only 2.03% variations in income remains unexplained. The regression slope coefficient of -2.35 and intercept coefficient of 37.71 suggests that Science degree decreases fulltime-employed adult’s income by about  £2,350 as compared to Arts degree. Arts fulltime employed adult’s income is  £37,710, on average. The value of coefficient of determination, R2 is 0.0183. This suggests that fulltime-employed adult’s degree only explains about 1.83% variation in income and 98.17% variations in income remains

Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide for Unit 2 Essay Example for Free

Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide for Unit 2 Essay 1) What are the parts of an atom? Where are the subatomic particles found? Protons, neutrons, and electrons. In the nucleus and on the orbitals and sub-orbitals of the atom. 2) How does the Atomic Mass # differ from the Atomic #? Atomic mass # is the sum of all protons and neutrons in the atom’s nucleus. The atomic # is equal to the number of protons in an atom. 3) What is an isotope? Give an example (show how it is an isotope). An isotope is a radioactive form of an element or a form of an element with the same atomic # and the same amount of protons but a different atomic mass and a different amount of neutrons. An example would be deuterium. Its atomic number is 1 and it has 1 neutron. Its atomic mass number is 2 and it is an isotope of hydrogen. 4) Compare and contrast the 3 basic types of chemical bonds and give an example of each. Ionic, Covalent, and Hydrogen. Ionic bonds form between atoms with opposite electrical charges. An example of an ionic bond is sodium chloride. Covalent bonds occur when atoms share forming molecules. Carbon dioxide is an example of a covalent bond. Hydrogen bonds are weak attractions between the positive, hydrogen side of one polar molecule and the negative side of another polar molecule. DNA is effected by hydrogen bonds. 5) Why is pH important in Anatomy? Low pH damage cells and tissues, alters proteins and interferes with normal physiological functions. High pH also causes problems, but occurs rarely. pH is highly important to anatomy because they intertwine with the internal maintenance of the body 6.9) Name the 4 main Organic Molecules in Biochemistry. Describe each one, and provide an example. What are the â€Å"building blocks† of each molecule? For example, protein = Amino Acid. The 4 organic molecules in biochemistry are proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. The building blocks of the 4 molecules are as followed: Proteins = Amino Acids. Lipids= fatty acid and glycerol. Carbohydrates= monosaccharides, polysaccharides, disaccharides. Nucleic acids = nucleotides. 10) There are 4 levels of protein structure. What are the levels? How do the levels of a protein differ in structure and  function? The 4 levels of protein structure are: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. The levels of proteins differ in structure in function as followed; Primary- the order of amino acids Secondary- hydrogen bonds form Tertiary- folds the secondary structure Quaternary- several tertiary structures together 11) Describe the structure of ATP and why it is important? Cells require energy to function. Energy is stored in high-energy bonds connecting a phosphate group to an organic molecule. Adding a third phosphate group to ADP and produces the high-energy-compound adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Breaking off ATP’s third phosphate releases the stored energy of the phosphate bond, providing energy for work. 12) Why is the plasma membrane important to cells. Plasma membrane is important to cells because it provides the support and protection that the cell needs and it also shapes the cell. 13-17) Name 5 cell organelles and their functions. Nucleus- the control center of the cell. Mitochondrion- converts nutrients into energy that the cell can use Chloroplasts- converts radiant energy into chemical energy Ribosomes- synthesize proteins  Lysosomes- responsible for the digestion of materials that are brought into the cell. They also break down old or non-functioning organelles. 18) Describe the structure of DNA.   DNA is a double helix resembling a spiral staircase, with sugars and phosphates as the side rails and nucleotide pairs as the steps. The two halves of the DNA spiral are complementary strands. 19) How does DNA differ from RNA? DNA stays within the nucleus of the cell while RNA travels. DNA has thymine and RNA has uracil. 20) Describe transcription and translation in your own words. Transcription is changing DNA to RNA. Translation  is changing mRNA to a protein. 21) How are mitosis and meiosis similar†¦..different? The result of mitosis is 2 cells while meiosis results in 4 cells. Meiosis deals with sexual reproduction while mitosis deals with asexual reproduction.

I Will be an Agent for Social Change Essay -- Education Teaching Essay

I Will be an Agent for Social Change I arrived at Harvard eager for the world of experiences ahead. Yet as an Air Force Reserve Officer's Training Corp (ROTC) student, much of my academic world had been set up over the summer. My roommates poured over course guides, but my schedule was already laid out before me: math, economics, chemistry, Spanish and ROTC. My first college dilemma wasn't to find the right professor or class size, but to put together my uniform correctly. This being the case, I have had less time to stumble, but more time to focus on my other life choices. Despite working on a thesis, taking social studies tutorials, attending four-hour long weekly drill practices, doing Physical Training at dawn, and holding leadership positions within the Air Force, my calling has been community service. Through Education 4 Action (E4A), a social justice organization, I have facilitated discussions on race relations, led rallies to bring union picked grapes to campus, and engaged speakers to discuss gender issues. Also, through the First-Year Urban Program, I led incoming first-years and introduced them to public service in Boston. I derived great satisfaction from these projects and realized I wanted to do more. Community service has become my passion and is an activity I want to pursue further. So far, my journey has been twofold in nature: as an agent for social change through various nonprofits, and as an agent for my country's needs through Air Force ROTC. Today I face a choice. I must decide whether my upcoming Air Force commitment should be geared towards a lifetime career, or should be a stepping stone to the world of nonprofits. I believe the Michael C. Rockefeller Fellowship would provide the perfect oppor... ...tion of domestic abuse, and create an educational program we will implement in the community. I would also like to create an educational booklet on organizing with members of the ELC. I will use it to introduce similar youth based education programs in the other halfway houses across Trinidad and Tobago. I am committed to making this project work. With my practical background in social action and community education, I am excited for the chance to further grow, mature, and change. I want to become a public servant, but that will only be possible after I resolve my own uncertainties about my career decisions and cultural heritage. Because of the circumstances in my life, because of my experiences in college, and because of my desire to serve, I am certain that working in Trinidad under the Rockefeller Memorial Fellowship would help illuminate my future endeavors.

Nighthawks – Creative Writing

The night is velvet black. The streetlights are switched off; a would be cold dank street is illuminated by the fluorescent beam of the all-night diner, which watches the street, glancing through my window, an apartment above the hardware store. It could've disturbed my slumber but I wasn't in. I hadn't been in for a long time and tonight, I sat in the diner, a safe haven for vagrants and nomads. I'm alone. There are two other customers in the diner and a bartender but I'm alone. My body needs sleep but my mind won't allow it; it's been a long day. I must have travelled for several hours but I can't recall a second on the road. My head is a train station of thoughts, coming and going. As I peer upwards I'm forced to squint; the vibrant light burns my eyes from under my hat. From what I can see of the place's inhabitants, it's the most alive thing in here tonight, dancing along the oak veneer counter and blazing into the bottom of my cup, creating a reflection. I gaze into my own eyes. The man I see is not the man I am; he's grotesque with vile features and battle scar-like wrinkles. He's definitely not the man who woke up the previous morning in Baltimore in a fully occupied double bed. I've had countless Irish coffees but my mind still feels sober. The kid behind the counter looks at me tentatively for the usual impersonal small talk, attempting to catch my empty eyes. I resist, he doesn't remember me. His mother used to run this place but she's probably long dead. Besides, I'm not here to remember. I'm here to forget. It was a rough Manhattan neighbourhood but the street was as clean as any up town, to me this was largely because of the diner. It protected a once dim noisome street and brought together the community. Back when I was just an ignorant wiseacre before it all started, before the epiphany that was meeting her. I am awoken back to consciousness by the hushed whispers of the couple opposite, who look uneasy and not just because this apparent hobo is eyeballing them, there was something else, something deeper. I guess they too must have their reasons for not being at home, tucked up in bed. The man was young and handsome with wired caffeine-powered eyes; I'd seen him a thousand times before waltzing around up town in a suit. I can't tell whether he's paying for his company or not, I'm guessing not because if I was I'd demand a refund, she seems more interested in her hands than his voice, gazing intensely as if reading her palms, deeply occupied in her thoughts. She feels my stare. I'd better look away and play it cool but I can't. Even as she gazes back, I'm lost. She sends me a plaintive smile but I remain emotionless. I can tell she's still thinking hard of other things, half-heartedly raising a cigarette to her rouged lips, barely bothering to inhale. I watch its lacklustre droop for what feels like hours. She's entranced me. They always do this. She always does this. I bring my refilled cup back to my lips not letting anything slip to the broad. I remain motionless, my insides decomposing; she's not scared of me but childishly curious. She's attractive in obvious ways but her true beauty is esoteric, only I who have known her for so long could understand. We both maintain this level of equanimity as my eyes are starting to leak. I can't tell whether it's for lack of sleep or that I haven't blinked in many minutes. It's neither; I realise as that pain in my stomach that urged me to drive all this way home is becoming more tolerable. The drink only shielded me temporarily but my emotions are now releasing themselves all over the counter and into my half empty cup. She either doesn't mind or notice but I terminate my tears anyway. The suit next to her grabs her coat. â€Å"D'you wanna' get outta' here?† He can't have seen me. She'll make a fool out of him. She humours these lowlifes but I always know she'll be mine at the end of the night even if she makes me doubt it sometimes. â€Å"Yeah, sure. I've just been waiting for you.† I don't understand. â€Å"Why didn't you say so?† â€Å"Because I didn't want you following me home.† Of course, always one step ahead of me. He storms passed me muttering vulgar terms, I hear â€Å"slut† and would hurt him but I've long since learnt that's not what she wants. I look back to her. She is now standing. In a matter of seconds she's brushing passed my chair ignoring me, she's changed her perfume; she's changed her appearance. She's left me again but I still love her. I've loved her from the moment I set eyes on her in this very diner. I loved her when we settled down near her parents in South Baltimore, Maryland. I loved her when she told me why we weren't physically intimate and I loved her for years until the inevitable happened today. Until it happened today. I see her face on every blonde I've seen since and I don't doubt I will for a while. The barman looks suggestively at the clock. I've overstayed my welcome. My sojourn is over; tomorrow I must return to my new home. I glance up at the old apartment and the lights inside are on. I can still make out the other two figures on opposite sides of the street but I'm alone. I feel even together in the diner, we were all alone.

In the Romanesque Church the Interior Decoration Was More Important Than the Architecture. Do You Agree

Romanesque art and architecture we can see that there are many points for and against the statement ‘in the Romanesque church the interior decoration was more important than the architecture’. There are many surviving Romanesque churches throughout Europe which we can look to when discussing topics like this particular one. However, many of these churches have been redecorated, restored, extended in later periods or even just left in disrepair, but from looking at a wide range of buildings from different regions and countries we can get a general sense of what the buildings would have looked like at the time.In my essay I will discuss points in favour of the above statement, points against the above statement and also my own opinion on the subject. I will firstly discuss a few of the points in favour of the topic ‘interior decoration was more important than the architecture’. Looking at many Romanesque churches and buildings we can see that the interior deco ration is more important than the architecture. The first point, and example, is that the architecture was plain and basic, more about being structurally sound than aesthetically pleasing the viewers, and we can see this at Cuddesdon Church, in Oxfordshire.This church in England, even though the architecture and interior decoration are both modest compared with many other Romanesque churches, shows us that the interior decoration is more important than the architecture. The exterior stone walls are thick and undecorated. The architecture is exclusively for functional reasons, not decorative. There is a tower, west portal and south portal off this cruciform shaped church.However the interior decoration in this church was more elaborately considered and carried out than the architecture. One example to show this is the tower crossing, which has richly ornamented Norman arches. All the outer faces of the arches have two orders with angle half-rolls, except for the arch facing the nave. This has a hood with doghead stops, an outer order of zigzag, and an inner order with roll-moulding. In many of the Romanesque churches the interior decoration is elaborate, intricate and sophisticated.The patrons, architects and designers in the Romanesque period may have had the notion that the interior decoration was more important as that was where people would have worshipped, prayers would have been said and where ceremonies were held. Examples of this elaborate interior decoration can be seen in places such as the Cappella Palatina (Palermo), the Santa Maria in Trastevere (Rome) and the Eglise Notre-Dame de l'Assomption (Gourdon). These buildings have interior decoration features such as decorated capitals, fluting, vaulting, frescoes, arches, round blind arches and sculptural decoration.There are many other features of Romanesque interior decoration that add to the point that architecture was less important than the interior decoration. Maybe if the architecture really had been more important than the interior decoration, the Gothic style of architecture would have emerged sooner replacing the plain and basic architecture that was associated with the Romanesque style. The second point to discuss is that the interior decoration was not, in truth, more important than the architecture.The architecture of the Romanesque style could also be seen as carefully designed, well thought out and engineered. Even the most architecturally simple buildings would reinforce this point, because if the architecture was not considered as important, the exterior would be plain, different types of stones would not have been used, there would be no vaulting, no arches or any other structurally yet decoratively relevant features. The buildings would not be able to support towers, there would not have more clerestories or upper levels.There are then the Romanesque buildings where the architecture is startlingly intricate, elaborate and detailed. An example of this is the Egli se Notre-Dame-la-Grande, Poitiers. The west front of Notre-Dame-la-Grande is one of the finest Romanesque facades in France. It is flanked by turrets topped with conical spires, which, along with the rich sculpture, are the hallmarks of Poitou Romanesque architecture . The plan of the church consists of a central nave with aisles which is a common plan in Romanesque architecture of the province of Poitou.The sculpture of the West Front depicts many scenes; saints, prophets, creatures, foliage, the story of Jesus, the word of God spread by apostles and Christ in Glory. The inside of the church consists of a dim, barrel-vaulted nave with no clerestory, more narrow side aisles, a transept crossing capped with a tower, a diminutive choir, and a groin-vaulted ambulatory with radiating chapels. Other examples of buildings where the architecture is clearly not less important than the interior decoration are St. Martin's Cathedral (Mainz), Abbaye aux Hommes (Caen), Winchester Cathedral (Ham pshire) and LyonCathedral (Lyon). Some of the architectural features in these buildings include Romanesque towers, vaults, intricate exterior sculpture, high rising towers and outer buildings, ample windows and strong walls capable of reaching significant heights (without the use of buttresses). From looking at several buildings and different points of view regarding the statement ‘in the Romanesque church the interior decoration is more important than the architecture’, I can discuss my ideas and opinions regarding the above statement.In my opinion neither the architecture nor the interior decoration has priority or more importance over the other. I would say there is a parallel between the two aspects. The architecture allows for the interior decoration to be created, as it structurally supports the whole building and constructs features for the interior decoration to be created on, for example sculpture on columns and arches, mosaics and frescoes on ceilings and wall s, and stained glass windows which are structurally able to be placed there because of walls (and later buttresses).An example, in my opinion, of a Romanesque building where architecture and interior decoration are parallel in terms of importance is the Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire. Off the south aisle of the nave is the Prior's Door, which has a magnificent example of 12th-century Romanesque carvings. Dating from about 1150, its tympanum depicts Christ in Majesty held aloft by archangels and blessing the creatures of the universe. Two human heads peer down from the corners and the pilasters on the sides have medallions populated by various beasts and humans .This massive scale cathedral shows how both architecture and interior decoration were equally important, as both features were sophisticatedly designed. In conclusion, we can see that there are many different ideas about the statement ‘in the Romanesque church the interior decoration was more important than the architect ure’. In my opinion both features are equal, however the whole subject is open to debate for academics and art historians. Architecture can seem plain and incomplete without interior decoration, and interior decoration cannot exist without architecture.The fact that many buildings still survive help us to understand the Romanesque period and the art and architecture from that time. Yet as we have no firsthand experience with the buildings at that time we cannot characterize what the architects and engineers, or even just the viewers of the buildings, were thinking in regards to architecture versus interior decoration. ?Bibliography †¢http://www. sacred-destinations. com/reference/romanesque-architecture †¢http://www. wordiq. com/definition/Romanesque †¢http://www. sacred-destinations. com/categories/romanesque

Free Essays on Legaliztion of Marijuana

Attention material: Picture in your mind, a young girl that is almost done with her freshman year of high school. These next few years are supposed to be some of the best years of this girl’s life. But now she has to worry about side effects of chemotherapy. The chemo that this girl has transfused into her has many side effects that come with it. The chemo basically kills a person in order to kill the cancer cells. These side effects include nausea, intense pain and a loss of appetite. There is only one drug that exists today that has the potential to cure all of the above side effects, and that is marijuana. That s right, the illegal drug marijuana. The only thing stopping the doctor to prescribe it to her is the fact that the government has refused to legalize marijuana, despite its medical benefits. Main body One reason why the government should legalize marijuana is because the bad effects of marijuana have been greatly exaggerated. While some people say that marijuana has harmful side effects, there has been n proof for these theories. For instance, some have said that marijuana leads to violence, crime, memory damage, and damage to the immune system, but they have n proof to back p these theories. The government cannot rely n theories, if they, don’t have a solid basis. Another problem with these theories is that many of the studies showing these bad effects have been performed only on animals, and not on humans. It is impossible to tell how a drug will act on a human, with the only examples being animals. n addition to the exaggeration of the bad effects, the government should legalize marijuana because it is doing more harm now than it would if it were legal. One reason why marijuana would be better off legal is because it is a source of violence. Gangs make a large profit from the selling of drugs such as marijuana. ... Free Essays on Legaliztion of Marijuana Free Essays on Legaliztion of Marijuana Attention material: Picture in your mind, a young girl that is almost done with her freshman year of high school. These next few years are supposed to be some of the best years of this girl’s life. But now she has to worry about side effects of chemotherapy. The chemo that this girl has transfused into her has many side effects that come with it. The chemo basically kills a person in order to kill the cancer cells. These side effects include nausea, intense pain and a loss of appetite. There is only one drug that exists today that has the potential to cure all of the above side effects, and that is marijuana. That s right, the illegal drug marijuana. The only thing stopping the doctor to prescribe it to her is the fact that the government has refused to legalize marijuana, despite its medical benefits. Main body One reason why the government should legalize marijuana is because the bad effects of marijuana have been greatly exaggerated. While some people say that marijuana has harmful side effects, there has been n proof for these theories. For instance, some have said that marijuana leads to violence, crime, memory damage, and damage to the immune system, but they have n proof to back p these theories. The government cannot rely n theories, if they, don’t have a solid basis. Another problem with these theories is that many of the studies showing these bad effects have been performed only on animals, and not on humans. It is impossible to tell how a drug will act on a human, with the only examples being animals. n addition to the exaggeration of the bad effects, the government should legalize marijuana because it is doing more harm now than it would if it were legal. One reason why marijuana would be better off legal is because it is a source of violence. Gangs make a large profit from the selling of drugs such as marijuana. ...

Thought Paper Essays

Thought Paper Essays Thought Paper Paper Thought Paper Paper Like I mentioned before, gender roles for an example exist only because society chooses to accept them for what they are. Viewers must be aware of what the media is trying to push on them, especially females. For example, most women when appearing with their male actors on screen constantly are portrayed in roles that are supportive and dependent on their partner especially financially. Its as if our society only knows of two gender roles, masculine and feminine. Women in the media, in my opinion are the ones who are portrayed in a ay that influences young women and teens more negatively. In advertisements females are most commonly shown as sex objects. In television shows females usually play roles of the housewife. Showing men and women that the perfect women is one who: doesnt work, stays home and takes care of the household, has dinner ready when their man gets home, is always done up from head to toe, has the perfect body, doesnt think for herself and is supportive and submissi ve. What message does that send teen girls who dont think thats how it should be? Or who dont fully fit that description? The media is just corrupting the minds of young teen girls and turning them into something that maybe they dont want to be, but feel they have to because its what is socially acceptable. As far as the work place in television shows and reality, there is definitely a lot wrong there too. Why dont women get as much respect and recognition from men when getting a promotion to a managerial or C. E. O type position? Because the media shows you that only men are fit for that position so to men, women cant do the job right. Mean Cmon, theres probably tons of young girls out there who have dreams to be the next president and even the drive to try and make it happen, but wont even try because the media says its wrong to want something other than just a family. There is roles out there that actually do portray the woman lead as an independent strong woman with a great job and a family, but they also show her as a pitch whos constantly away from her family and is only about work. Never an independent strong woman with a great job and a family who can balance both, even though it is possible in ell life. No wonder most young women dont strive to be the best they can be, theyve been taught that if you do nothing positive comes out of it family wise. Now for men in advertising thieve portrayed negatively too, in my eyes at least. Theyre portrayed as masculine and dominant sometimes as sex objects too depending on what the ad is for. As for television shows men usually play the role of a dominant man, who should be the only bread winner in the home and that his woman needs him for everything and should do everything for him as in take care of the household and the hillier because thats the role that is portrayed by women in television shows. Therefore most males believe thats how it should be in real life as well. Thankfully, not all men believe in that way of living. Some men believe in being equal with their spouse, not minding if they wanted a job or to think for themselves and also not minding helping out around the house or with the children. Unfortunately, most men like that are rare because most of the one who actually do agree with it wont show it in fear of getting teased for their lack of masculinity. Its not wrong to accept these said gender roles. You could be just following what youve been personally taught, it could have nothing to do with the media. You couldve been raised that way because it was how your parents were brought up. It was the life you couldve seen when you were growing up. For example, some women actually do want to b. Stay-at-home moms. And it is possible that it is and was a personal choice, that it wasnt forced on them. But the problem with gender roles is that they an reach a certain point and become unfair. Lets say a young woman wants to become C. E. O of a huge company, is it society responsibility to judge them and look down at them for it? No, if a C. E. O can complete all the duties and responsibilities correctly, what does the persons gender matter? If the job is getting done the right way it shouldnt matter their gender. Thats the thing with gender roles, they are just that, ROLES. It is completely up to you etc decide whether or not you are going to follow through them. All in all the mint I am trying to get across in this paper is to make sure when it comes down to it that you are living the life of a role you want to be living, regardless: of whether or not it is socially acceptable. Others opinions on what you personally choose to do with your life is and always should be irrelevant. If youre a young women and you want to run for office, you should do so. If youre a young man and you want to be a stay at home dad, you should do so. Regardless of what the media or anyone else has to say about it. It affects them in no way.

Hip-hop Cubano Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hip-hop Cubano - Assignment Example In the vicinity of all these factors, people in some way lose sight of the reality that Cubans create, work, and live there. People also assume the fact that Cubans do have a world view and culture that in actual sense exists; not a retort against the United States, not a retort against anybody, just Cuban. Jacobs-Fantauzzi has created the documentary with respect and love for the Cubans he features. These are youthful hip hop musicians who express their standpoints in consideration to the broader societal context. These artists have a nearly significant identity that is devoid of falsehood or peculiarity. The documentary simply follows these artists in their everyday lives of discussion, performance and production of hip hop in Cuba. The documentary then proceeds as these Cuban artists go to the US to record an album and perform for the first time. Cuban Hip hop is a movement. It is an awakening for youths and a discussion place for the realities of their livelihood. The scene is informal; performances occur on the stage with several microphones, or someone’s backyard, and the style used is old-fashioned (Fernà ¡ndez, p.4). For that reason, Hip Hop Cubano is visualized as a social documentary that highlights occurrences that people put into focus presently. For instance, these issues include identity, poverty, development, world politics, globalization and certainly the USA. Behind all this, on the other hand, is a documentary that concerns a faction of youthful individuals well-informed and certain of themselves. These are musicians with complete faith in whatever they do, and their potential results in a change in the society. Just as the United States’ Hip Hop started as a form of imaginative articulacy that brought awareness to harsh social situations, Cuban Hip Hop reveals the indestructible and inventive spirit created from a populace suppressed by the United States ban on Cuba. Hip Hop Cubano acts as a reminder of the

A Contrastive Study between English and Arabic Prepositional Phrases Essay

A Contrastive Study between English and Arabic Prepositional Phrases - Essay Example This problem also has pedagogical implications, as a better understanding of the problems faced by students during translation can enable teachers to better address the problem. This study could therefore prove useful in the field of language education, particularly for teaching EFL to Arab students.Ho-Abdullah & Hasan’s (2009) study also examined issues concerning English prepositions when translated into Arabic and vice versa. However, it was concerned solely with the preposition explaining how its translation reflects the use of different conceptual mapping domains. Moreover, this study only involved 75 Iraqi secondary school students, so it was focused on the translation difficulties faced by Arabic speaking students when translating from English into Arabic. In Habash’s (1982) earlier study on the use of English prepositions by Arab students, the errors made in using prepositions were categorised according to their number of occurrences. While this is useful, agai n the focus was on teaching English to Arabic students in order to improve their English. Moreover, the analysis of translations was based on existing and formal written work rather than under experimental conditions.This study attempts to compare and analyze English and Arabic prepositional phrases in terms of their functions, uses, order and meanings. It also attempts to illustrate similarities and differences between English and Arabic prepositional phrases as not every prepositional phrase.... This includes difficulties related to pronunciation (Al-Saidat, 2010), various reading difficulties (Patil, N.d.), and so on. This study will be concerned with difficulties encountered in translating prepositional phrases. The preposition is a key component of the prepositional phrase so the difficulty in translating the latter is often due to difficulty with the preposition itself. The difficulty of translating prepositions from English into Arabic can be illustrated by the contrast between and . Whereas suggests a position, suggests a movement, but in Arabic, would be used in both cases, so Arabs may find it difficult to differentiate between them. The Arabic thus has a much wider domain for its usage, and it can also be used for expressing , , , etc. On the other hand, Arabic prepositions are purely spatiotemporal prepositions whereas English prepositions actually function as either proper prepositions, substantive-derived locative (directional) adverbs, or as particles (Lindstrom berg, 2010, p. 23). Hence, the English concept of a preposition is wider in scope than in Arabic. The nature of the errors tends to be errors of omission, substitution, or redundant usage. Prepositions also pose a problem for machine translations in translating English noun phrase into Arabic (Shaalan et al., 2004) so the problem is not unique to human translation. Also, the problem is by no means peculiar to Arab students. English prepositions are notorious for being problematic for many EFL students. As Pittman (1966 in Mickiewicza, 1993, p. 181) remarked, â€Å"Among those who teach or learn the English language, prepositions have earned a reputation for difficulty if not downright unpredictability†. The main