PromptDescribe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what Essay

PromptDescribe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs in the Col - Essay Example The phones, watches and stereos were all under my mercy. I could not get over my mesmerizing into the intricate connection of this device to that and the overall effect. Needless to say the string that followed such activity was endless circling around what is this, how and why. This was my favorite hobby. I suppose this kind of behavior is normal for kids and especially those that are destined to make great discoveries in future. It all starts with a question like why is the sky blue Of course our reaction to the response varies thereby demarcating each child's individuality and uniqueness. In my case the answer to this question was a start to what have become a resilient pursuit of greater knowledge and more answers to natural phenomenon. High school was an eye opener for me after the exposure to the topics on atoms and molecules. It is fascinating to know that here are millions of invisible elements in the atmosphere that cause such real effects in the daily life. (Schmelcher & Schweizer, 15) Physics and astronomy intrigued me and I kept myself enlightened with books such as black holes and time wraps by Kip S. Thome. My relentless questions soon became equally sophisticated to why dark matter exists. There was no turn around for me at this point.

Amateurism in Ncaa football Essay Example for Free

Amateurism in Ncaa football Essay The National Collegiate Athletic Association is corrupted with sneakiness, unfairness and greediness, particularly in division one colleges. In North America, sports play a huge role, especially sports like football, hockey, basketball and baseball. Sometimes this causes us to become vanished of fairness, like are the players being treated right? A great example of injustice in sports is amateurism of football players in division one colleges. Division one and division two athletes must obtain amateurism, which is playing the sport as a hobby rather than for the money, many would define amateurism as worthy but it is really tainted and monopolized! Should NCAA athletes get paid? Numerous of people would easily answer no because college athletes are on scholarships and various athletic departments loses money even with a winning record. Also college athletes have advantages with free tuition, books, living expenses, food, clothing and health. Although all of these features appear wonderful but there are more cons than pros of amateurism. For example the NCAA is a business that are making money out of these athletes basically for free and yes they do receive tuition but that does not compare to the large amount of money the NCAA is making out of them. According the Stanford Review, college athletic is a multimillion-dollar industry with recruiting the best of the best in the nation. So why not pay the best of the best, if they put in all this hard work, then they should be rewarded. Instead the National Colligate Athletic Association is a monopoly because of its limitation of scholarships and other payments to boost its college sports program. Also not all of the athletes receive scholarships. College football players put in more work on the field than they do in the classrooms. For example when in season they have five-hour practices and that doesn’t include lifting for an hour and this is from Tuesday to Friday with game day on Saturday. After the season is over then they begin spring ball which is just only practices and plus they don’t have a summer break because they have to stay for summer ball. We consider college athletes as student athletes but that is such an oxymoron because in realty their sport does come before their schoolwork. When playing in a big division one school, most athletes believe to make it in the big leagues but sadly only about 2% makes it. Colleges should stress more on education for so call student athletes but they don’t because of the athlete’s popularity and how the NCAA is making money out of them regardless if they have a future afterward or not. It’s horrible how the NCAA contract includes that when an athlete commits and decides to transfer to play for another school then they have to sit out a year. This rule is so unfair because coaches don’t have to do that. The NCAA is the biggest monopoly in America according to Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine. When selling college souvenirs and jerseys, videogames, etc and the athlete does not make any money from that, even if they are the main reason for those sales. It is amazing that most players receive a free education but does not compare to what the NCAA is making off of them. The players should receive a cut of these profits or gain a portion of this money after graduation so it can help them financially with their futures. Sadly the NCAA is too considerate of themselves and if an athlete is injure or not performing well then they have no problem wiping their name off the record books. The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a business that makes tons of money from college athletes. Another reason why the NCAA doesn’t pay their athletes is because they will be tax and they can lose a lot of money from that. Well, professional sports obviously pay their athletes and they are tax too but the professional leagues are doing well. College basketball and college football are highly talked about and televised just like the professional sports so it shouldn’t be a problem if college athletes get paid. With amateurism in college sports, athletic programs cheat. They secretly cheat by illegally over paying top players or handing them out free stuff. For instance Cam Newton who was an All-American quarterback playing for Auburn and Mississippi before was secretly offered 120,000 to 18,000 from Mississippi State. Playing in top division one colleges, â€Å"winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing† and if athletic programs will cheat to have the best recruits and this is no surprise. If amateurism didn’t exist, there wouldn’t be any cheating scandals and every player will treated equally from their performance. Brown, Noah. The NCAA Monopoly The Toonari Post News, Powered by the People! The Toonari Post. N. p. , 24 Mar. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. http://www. toonaripost. com/2011/03/sports/the-ncaa-monopoly/.

Computer Access :: Personal Narrative Technology Essays

Computer Access My experience with access to computers has been a roller coaster ride this year at school. At the end of the last year’s school year, when I had to face the scary fact that I would be in charge of producing a 240 page yearbook, I knew that I needed to start planning right then and there. Since I knew the adviser I was taking over for had a TTI laptop on loan from the school and would have to give it back, I wrote the principal a note inquiring how I could get my hands on that precious piece of technology. I knew having an instrument that I could carry with me back and forth to school would make the nightmare of being a yearbook adviser a little bit easier, since I knew I would be devoting a lot of time after school to this second job. Excited about this prospect, I felt like I had been literally punched in the stomach when I got a note back that read "Contact Media Services". After contacting Media Services and asking if I could trade in my TTI IMAC for a laptop, I was told th at the TTI contracts were for three years and I couldn’t make a "trade". I already had my own desktop computer at home, so the IMAC sat next to my computer, only to go unused. What I waste, I thought to myself. But what could I do? I travel to three different classrooms throughout my school day, so I don’t even have anywhere that I can store the IMAC for easy access. Discouraged, one of my fellow English colleagues offered up her TTI laptop, since she had other "access". Excited, I eagerly accepted. I was instantly able to download Adobe PageMaker 7.0 and all of the other yearbook software I would need. Pumped, I still needed to follow up on a proposal that was submitted for an $8,000 technology grant for yearbook computers. I contacted the appropriate person to find out that the grant was approved. Once the check was received at school I contacted a Media Services Specialist from the district who happily helped me pick out computers that would get the yearbook job done. I ended up with four Dell desktops, one of which we call the "Mother Ship" because it has a zip drive, the most memory, and some other bells and whistles.

Life and Debt in the University Essay

Incurring debts while studying is never a pleasant experience. However, today’s increasing tuition and school fees, coupled with rising costs of living, have made indebtedness inevitable for many students. Although there are students who get heavily indebted from living frivolous lifestyles, most of the students I know usually had valid reasons of being compelled to avail of loans such as sickness and financial difficulties in their families. Pursuing higher education also meant independence for most students, and while some continued receiving financial support from their families, there are also those who chose to be completely on their own. Having to live independently and support myself, I usually had to take out a tuition loan during enrollment since I could not afford to pay school fees outright. Unfortunately, a debt is not something you enjoy having—or worse, accumulating—and it can have a tremendous effect on one’s well-being. Unless a student wants to spend his or her university life worrying about increasing debts, he or she must learn to manage his or her finances early on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Indeed, it seems that debts have become a normal part of being a student. Whether a student likes it or not, soaring school fees and skyrocketing costs of living have made debts an inevitable reality. I think most of us have even become comfortable with the thought that we can take out loans from numerous sources like the university loan board, the bank, or even from personal contacts when it becomes necessary, such as when poor students like us run out of money for the rent and other personal needs. Getting into debt under such situations is understandable, but I do know some students who get cash-strapped from living beyond their means and are unnecessarily pushed into debt by their foolishness. Thus, a student should think first about the ways in which he or she will pay for her future debts before he or she starts having grand spending plans for that newly-acquired student credit card.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, students should know that getting into debt is the easy part. Getting out of it would be the difficult part and would certainly add to the stress of one’s university life. It is not as if the experience of a student who is neck-deep in debt would be different from the experience of other people in similar situations. Financial worries, in my opinion, may seem to be easy to solve but they can significantly distract a student from his or her academic responsibilities. I remember, for instance, being burdened by thinking so much about how I was going to pay off the tuition loan last semester that I often forgot my goal of getting good grades. Consequently, worrying about debts can also affect the psychosocial well-being of a student, sometimes even leading to major issues such as depression. Debts can compound other problems that a student may be experiencing, such as alienation from more well-off classmates and friends. There were times that I felt so bitter with my financial situation that I thought of dropping out from my studies and taking up a full-time job instead. Fortunately I had the support of encouraging friends who were either in similar situations or had gone through the same things before and we collectively held on to the belief and determination that we will somehow get over our problems. Thus, it was from these often painful and bitter experiences that I learned the plain and simple truth about debts and in the process of trying to maintain my sanity developed several coping mechanisms to manage debts. For instance, some of us tend to overlook the fact that debts do come with an additional interest on top of the principal and wait until the dreaded collection letter or notice comes instead of trying to settle debt obligations as early as possible. Paying off debts even in small increments saves us a lot of money in the long run since we avoid incurring more penalties. In the same manner, a student should avoid getting into more debts by spending according to a planned budget and within his or her allowance or income limit. A part-time employment can also be helpful in these times as a source of extra income for paying off one’s debts. In the end, there are times when getting into debt is inevitable, especially for students, but it can be an important learning experience in managing one’s finances.

Carl Sandburg’s Chicago

The poem Chicago by Carl Sandburg is a depiction of how the city really looks like. It is a picture not just of an imaginary location but a total imagery of how everyday Chicago is. There is an attempt to elucidate in the reader’s mind the general description of Chicago, as well as the subtle references to specific elements that govern the whole of the poem. Sandburg also tries to commend Chicago in high reverence, with respect to other cities that the readers may give value to. He uses figures of speech to strengthen his presentation of the poem into an appealing one, something that could easily captivate the attention of the readers. Also, very simplistic and ordinary wordings were used that the poem could be grasped in an almost literal manner. The first three lines of Sandburg’s poem is a call to the citizens of Chicago, specifically the workmen or the so-called proletarians. He refers to the hog butcher, tool maker, wheat stacker, railroad player, and freight handler – all but the men who do the (literally) dirty jobs in the agricultural, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. Why then was he referring to these men who could be considered of â€Å"lower status† in contrast to the doctors, engineers, or lawyers, or the ones with titles before their names? Perhaps this is a symbolism for the physicality of Chicago. Chicago is considered as â€Å"stormy, husky, [and] brawling† (Sandburg 1, line 4). It is called the â€Å"city of the big shoulders† (line 5) because of the people that inhabit it. The rise of industrialization paved way for the generation of many an industries such that the labor force is centralized on what needed strength more – construction work, manufacturing work, and the likes. The big-shouldered are indeed the main characters that make Chicago turn, and Sandburg’s call to these characters makes an analogy of Chicago in a whole. He typifies this call in the context that personifies Chicago in a way as though he was really talking to it. He used several pronouns, like those in the sixth line â€Å"They tell me you are wicked and I believe them† (Sandburg 1) which relate to â€Å"they† as an allusion of an outside persona and is absent in the conversation; â€Å"you† is being referred to the personification of Chicago; and â€Å"I† is used to depict the poet himself. The pronouns were not only used to illustrate personification, but it is also used to differentiate the personas or characters in the poem. Several other characters used in the poem create further imagery, like the painted women (who are prostitutes), the gunman (who killed without being imprisoned), and the women and children (who were marked with hunger) (lines 7, 9, 11). The â€Å"archetypal industrial city in which large numbers of jobs were available† (Koval and Fidel 100) seems not a haven for these people, but still a place for struggle from poverty and its breeds. Sandburg used this irony to give twist to his work: that while there is wickedness, crookedness, and brutality in Chicago, he still considers it as proud, alive, strong, and cunning which cannot possible be paralleled by another city. There is no point in comparing, as Sandburg might mean, in his depiction of Chicago as â€Å"a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities† (line 18). He identifies Chicago as a slugger, a fighter that strikes from side to side in his combat. He also used several words that repeat, if not strengthen, the vividness of Chicago in a macho way: fierce, cunning, â€Å"bareheaded, / shoveling, / wrecking, / planning, / building, wrecking, rebuilding† (lines 21-25). There was a sequence in his words, playfully revolving around the process of building and rebuilding, or making and unmaking, which connotes further to how a strong character (here, Chicago) undergoes a process of growing. Sandburg’s last lines in the poem repeatedly use â€Å"laughing:† â€Å"laughing with white teeth† (26), â€Å"laughing as a young man laughs† (27), â€Å"laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs† (28), â€Å"bragging and laughing† (29), and â€Å"laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth† (30). In essence, the â€Å"laughter† which he repeatedly used, is symbolic of triumph over the city’s languid background. He maintains that there is victory underneath the notions of smoke, burden, and battle. The atrocities felt by Chicago in its experiences of â€Å"dust all over [its] mouth† (line 26) or â€Å"the terrible burden of destiny† (line 27) cannot thwart away the known success it has in its continual fight for everyday survival. Chicago is juxtaposed to its people: the harder their everyday experiences are, the stronger they become. Hawkins-Dady describes Sandburg’s work as a conscious work that relates not merely to aesthetic means but which displays historical, economic, and ideological designs (678). Sandburg repeats his first lines at the end part of the poem, but supplying a complete difference in the tone of the presentation. In the introduction of the poem, there seemed to be a brusque, if not antagonistic, characterization of Chicago and its people. Thus, the last lines prove to be a turnaround in the sense that the poem connects laughter in its personification of Chicago’s working masses. The turnaround is an effective way of ending the poem since it suggests a positivist point of view, a rather agreeable analogy from dimness to light. The poem Chicago by Carl Sandburg is considered as a piece of work that not only illustrates the intermingling of both simple and complex correlations to Chicago’s people, but it also suggests the underlying strength of this city that makes it grow amidst the seemingly muddled background. Sandburg closes his poem in these words: â€Å"Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth, half- / naked, sweating, proud to be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, / Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and Freight Handler / to the Nation. (lines 30-33). With such references to Chicago, Sandburg is definitely saying that he himself is a proud son to the City of the Big Shoulders.

Design For Manufacturer Example

Design For Manufacturer Example Design For Manufacturer – Coursework Example First Sur Process of Manufacturing of Acrylic Signage Acrylic signage refers to a group of artificial plastic signsthat contain derivatives of acrylic acid molded into various commercial and public signs. Acrylic signage is manufactured by reacting a monomer such as methyl methacrylate in the presence of a catalyst. In this process, the suitable catalysts would be an organic peroxide.1 Various acrylic signs are then molded out of the acrylic mass to form signs used for public or commercial purposes. Discussion of Advantages and Disadvantages of the Manufacturing MethodManufacturers usually use bulk polymerization in the process of producing acrylic sheets. The method proves to be the best among others due to its effectiveness. It involves the introduction of the catalyst and the monomer into a mold where the reaction takes place. In this circumstance, two methods may be used; continuous and batch cell. Batch cell is commonly used as it is simple and easily adapted for production. The batch cell technique may also be used to produce tubes and cones. However, the common batch method is costly as it involves extensive loss of material. Additionally, the labor cost is relatively high as there is heavy manpower engaged in introducing the raw materials and in offloading the finished product after the processing of each batch. It is time consuming as much time is spent on-loading raw materials and off-loading finished products. Additionally, it also requires highly skilled labor and highly proficient equipment design and maintenance services. Manufacturers also use the continuous method in the production of acrylic. The continuous process also bears advantages and disadvantages. It has the benefit of utilizing minimal labor. The production cost per unit is relatively lower. There is minimal loss of material in the course of production. The duration of production is lesser than the duration of production in the batch process. The production process requires less-skill ed manpower as compared to the batch process. Use of Acrylic in Signage Manufacturers find acrylic to be one of the best material for manufacturing signs. Acrylic are very versatile plastic sheets that have a glossy finish known as Plexiglas. Acrylic is appropriate for making highly sophisticated signs with high-tech looks.2 Additionally, acrylic is best for use because it is highly durable. It is also available in varied colors. Besides, manufacturers are able to increase the visual effectiveness of acrylic signs and make use of its many ways of displaying it. Therefore, as the best material for use in the manufacture of signage, it has a wide range of usage from purchase signs and the illuminated signs, architectural signs and trade show signs. ReferencesDorman, E, & C Cavette, How acrylic plastic is made - material, making, used, processing, parts, Raw Materials, The Manufacturing Process of acrylic plastic, Quality Control. inMadehow.com, 2015, [accessed 19 February 2015].FASTSI GNS, Acrylic Signs. in  Fastsigns.com, , 2015, [accessed 23 February 2015].

Overview of Amphicoelias

Overview of Amphicoelias Amphicoelias is a case study in the confusion and competitiveness of paleontologists in the late 19th century. The first named species of this sauropod dinosaur is easy to address; judging by its scattered fossil remains, Amphicoelias altus was an 80-foot-long, 50-ton plant eater very similar in build and behavior to the more famous Diplodocus (in fact, some experts believe Amphicoelias altus really was a species of Diplodocus; since the name Amphicoelias was coined first, this may one day occasion a historic renaming of this dinosaur similar to the day when Brontosaurus officially became Apatosaurus). Name: Amphicoelias (Greek for double hollow); pronounced AM-fih-SEAL-ee-us Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Jurassic (150 million years ago) Size and Weight: Up to 200 feet long and 125 tons, but more likely 80 feet long and 50 tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Enormous size; quadrupedal posture; long neck and tail The confusion and competitiveness pertain to the second named species of Amphicoelias, Amphicoelias fragilis. This dinosaur is represented in the fossil record by a single vertebra measuring five by nine feet long, truly enormous proportions that correspond to a sauropod measuring about 200 feet from head to tail and weighing over 125 tons. Or rather, one should say that Amphicoelias fragilis WAS represented in the fossil record since this gigantic bone subsequently disappeared off the face of the earth while under the care of the famous paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope. (At the time, Cope was embroiled in the notorious Bone Wars with his arch-rival Othniel C. Marsh, and may not have been paying attention to detail.) So was Amphicoelias fragilis the biggest dinosaur that ever lived, heftier even than the current record-holder, Argentinosaurus? Not everyone is convinced, especially since we no longer have that all-important backbone to examineand the possibility remains that Cope slightly (or greatly) exaggerated his discovery, or perhaps made a typographical error in his papers under the pressure of constant, long-distance scrutiny by Marsh and others in his antagonistic camp. Like another supposedly enormous sauropod, Bruhathkayosaurus, A. fragilis is only provisionally the world-champion dinosaur heavyweight, pending the discovery of more convincing fossil evidence.

21 Part Time Jobs That Pay More than $20 Per Hour

21 Part Time Jobs That Pay More than $20 Per Hour Need a side gig? Or maybe just a flexible schedule to accommodate your family or other projects, so you can bring in some bacon? You don’t have to settle for a sub-par hourly wage, we promise.   Here are 21- that’s right, 21- part time jobs that pay more than the usual $20 per hour. You can also skip the list, sign up with TheJobNetwork right here to receive the newly posted part time job openings in your location. 1. Freelance Writing: Average ~$26/hrYou can easily make freelance writing a full-time job, or you can take advantage of the good compensation and flexibility and use it as a part-time gig. Start with sites that pay per post if you need a little primary inspiration.2. Landscaping: Average $20+/hrIf you like getting your hands dirty and spending a day doing physical work outside, this can be for you. Start with local one-off gigs on Craigslist, then try to build a word-of-mouth reputation. If you can work specialized machinery, you can make much more- just b e careful to get the necessary licenses and insurance if you start building this into a business.3. Graphic Design: Average $22/hrYou need great computer skills and a keen eye for design, but it’s a great gig if you’ve got what it takes. Make yourself a portfolio of sample work and then make sure you have a website showcasing it, plus any recommendations and rave reviews you’ve won.4. Massage Therapy: Average: $60/hrStrong hands? A desire to help people? Get yourself your Certified Massage Therapist license and start raking in the dough. Work on your own or through health clubs, massage studios, and spas.5. Interpreting/Translating: Average: $23.71/hrIf you’re bi- or multi-lingual, this can be a great way of making some relatively easy money. Work on an on-call basis or by contracting steadier gigs.6. Sign Language Interpreting: Average: $36.50/hrIf you know ASL or another sign language, you can work interpreting in event venues, courtrooms, or classrooms - or even smaller environments like mediations and meetings.7. Tutoring: Average: up to $75/hrBone up on your science and math, specialize in the trickiest of subjects, and you’ll make tons of money. But even vocab and test prep will get you well over $20/hr.8. Test Prep Instruction: Average: $21-$32/hrDepending on the test you’re qualified to teach, this can be a great way to make some extra cash. Work with the SAT, ACT, MCAT, LSAT, GRE or GMAT, and more.9. Personal Shopping: Average: up to $33/hrYou’ll need a decent background in fashion, and a great eye for style, but you’ll make good money and probably have a great time making it.10. Etsy: Depends on what you sell.Are you crafty? Selling your wares on Etsy can be enough to earn a full-time living. Your compensation will depend on what you make, how long it takes you to make what you make, and how much you charge. But the sky’s the limit.11. App Design: Average: $6k/monthAs long as you have the skills and knowledge to develop this kind of software, it can be incredibly lucrative and very flexible work.12. Nannying: Average: $20-$25/hrLove kids? Work daily, weekends, evenings, on-call, you name it- parents have the need and you pocket the cash.13. Personal Chef: Average: $20-$45+/hrStart with pals and friends of friends, and build a reputation by word-of-mouth. Have steady weekly gigs, or cook batches of freezer meals in bulk. If you’re good on the pots and pans, the cold, hard cash is out there for you.14. Catering: Average: $20+/hrIf you don’t mind working evenings and/or weekends, this is a great way to pick up loads of extra money. And good gigs usually open doors for more.15. Bartending: Average: $26/hr (plus tips)You may need certification in your state, and you’ll definitely need skills making cocktails or pouring shots and beer, but no matter what you do, you can make a ton of money if you find the right place and hit on the right schedule. Star t small, rake in the tips.16. Personal Assisting: Average: $25/hrAre you super organized? Don’t mind doing the adult-ing, logistics, and errands for someone else and then getting paid? As long as you’re responsible, discrete, and reliable, this is a great and lucrative gig.17. Serving: TIPSDepending on the volume and the prices of the place, you can make a huge amount of money in tips in relatively few hours. Get your foot in the door and always have this as a fall back side-gig when you need cash fast.18. Yoga Instruction: Average: $24.37-$49+/hrYou’ll need to invest in a Teacher Training series, which takes at least 200 hours and a final assessment, but then you’ll get paid to exercise! You’ll be fitter and richer.19. Fashion Consulting: Average: $50-$500/hrThis is one of those fabled super-high-paying gigs, but if you have a superb eye for fashion and can court the high end clients, it might be for you.20. Dog Walking: Average: $20+/hrFreelance or work with a dog walking company. Get outside, get some exercise, spend time with cute dogs, and†¦ get paid? Start advertising at local pet places- groomers, boarders, vets, pet stores, etc.21. Make-up: Average: $23.50/hrGet brides and celebs and party-goers gussied up for the big event. Have fun while you work. As long as you’re good enough at what you do to keep getting the gigs!

Alice Walker Everyday Use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alice Walker Everyday Use - Essay Example However, a deeper reading makes it clear that becoming â€Å"Wangero Leewanika Kimanjo† is actually a rejection of her roots. The name ‘Dee,’ which has passed down to her through the generations of her family, is more a part of her true heritage than the alien African name she has adopted (Hoel, Para. 17). â€Å"She’s dead,† she says of the old Dee (Walker, Para. 27). Dee â€Å"had hated the house† of her childhood (Walker, Para 10). Dee takes pictures of her mother and sister as if they were curiosities and includes the house and a cow, but not herself. She does not see herself as a part of their world. She takes the churner top and dasher, not as treasured parts of her past life, but as â€Å"mere things or aestheticized objects† (Whitsitt, 8), to be flaunted as artistic curios. Similarly, her desire for the quilts has â€Å"nothing to do with traditions, only with fashion† (Hoel, Para. 16). She desires them as fashion statemen ts and as hand-stitched antiques of considerable monetary value. Dee’s rejection of her family and her contempt for their way of life is a definite denial of her heritage. The modest, stay-at-home Maggie, when compared with the attractive, successful Dee, is not impressive. However, it is Maggie who, like her mother, has â€Å"an inherent understanding of heritage based on her love and respect for those who came before her† (White, Para. 3). To Maggie, the articles of their household are not inanimate objects of idealized art, or curios, but are valued as treasured links â€Å"which represent history and tradition, binding women and men to the past and the past to the present† (Whitsitt, 2). Maggie knows that â€Å"Aunt Dee’s first husband whittled the dash† (Walker, Para.52). Although she shares Dee’s estimate of the quilts, â€Å"But they’re priceless† (Walker, Para. 68), their value to her is based on her love of the people who made them.

Doing business with north Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Doing business with north Americans - Essay Example As a result, the major economic activities in Northern America can be traced back to the historical origins of most inhabitants of this continent. The North American region, which consists of countries such as United States and Canada, opened doors to civilization through diversity brought by the various cultural groups that immigrated into the area. Since then diversification and economic growth has been evident even in the modern day through institutions and trade agreements such as the North America Free trade agreement. Nevertheless, development in North America is gradually being hampered by disparities between North and South America (Moran et al, 514). With regard to Canada, Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, Native Americans who inhabited the region had thrived through their culture since they owned the land. However, most of them currently live below the poverty level since they have lost most of the property to the late inhabitants and the governments in the region (Moran et al, 520). As a result, the government in Canada has been increasing its efforts compensate the affected Native Americans. Moreover, the Priv ate sector has increased its efforts over the years to enhance business with Native Americans in Canada. This has involved enlightening the Native Americans on modern business practices and while allowing them to hold on to their tradition (Moran et al, 520). On the other hand, another business perspective with regard to North America can be based on the United States. United States is centrally located in North America â€Å"south of Canada and North of Mexico† (Moran et al 526). Unlike Canada, the terrain and climate in United States varies significantly among regions. However, the historical influx of inhabitants in America is similar to that of Canada that in this case contributes to the diversity in

Gustave Courbet, Young Women from the Village and John Singer Sargent, Term Paper

Gustave Courbet, Young Women from the Village and John Singer Sargent, The Wyndham Sisters - Term Paper Example The paper "Gustave Courbet, Young Women from the Village and John Singer Sargent, The Wyndham Sisters" compares, in detail, two significant works of art. The first work is Gustave Courbet's Young Women from the Village and the second work is John Singer Sargent's The Wyndham Sisters. The first piece of work is entitled Young Women From the Village. The nature of this piece is extremely organic and elemental. At first glance, one can’t help but notice the greenery in the backdrop which meets a skyline that almost appears to be approaching darkness or the color of a storm. The women in the painting do not seem to notice anything about their surroundings except for the young girl who appears to be a peasant as she is not dressed as formally as the women which surround her. The painting also features several cows along with a spaniel breed of dog. There is a certain serenity in the piece somewhat akin to a still life or what is often found in landscapes. The piece is indicative of the time period as the women are dressed in floor length, casual dresses with hats and parasols. It is as though the women are caught in a perpetual moment of leisure on the outskirts of a pasture which seems to go on until the skyline begins. This piece may be compared to the piece entitled The Wyndham Sisters by John Singer Sargent primarily on the basis of it’s feminine quality. Both of these works feature several woman, all dressed indicative of the time period. The latter of the two works however, depicts three women.

The corrosive nature of social networking websites Essay

The corrosive nature of social networking websites - Essay Example Social networking sites cause loneliness (Boyd d and Ellison: pp. 221). When joining these sites, for instance, Facebook, no one has the intention to get lonely while online. However, most research findings can prove that the more someone uses the internet services, the more the chances of getting lonely and depressed. This is because the sense of being happy rapidly drops after the first day of using the website. The loneliness issue arises because Facebook serves different purposes with everyone using what is meaningful to their social life. Therefore, through the consumption of so much content on such social networking websites, people lose their social bonding thus lowering their self-esteem and feeling which in turn increases loneliness. Social networking websites are creating a false sense of interaction. The society fosters real and meaningful kinds of relationships. They are supposed to be healthy to everyone because they act as role-shaping structures, increases the sense of belonging and the will to conquer problems. However, most of these social networks though created out of a simple idea of promoting social relationships, have been creating a wrong sense of connection (Kennedy, et al.: pp. 110). They are among the fastest growing companies with Facebook being on the lead. They have chat rooms that enable users to communicate with each other. These chat rooms make users glued to their computer screens, as they want to find out more from their online friends.

California Challenges and Future Industry Paper Research

California Challenges and Future Industry - Research Paper Example According to the economic status of California, it has power besides global link that can help to end the challenges it faces despite that it lacks legal attributes and policy makers of a sovereign country to tackle the problems. This has been a key central issue faced by most Californians in recent years. For instance, California people have been experiencing power blackouts without notices besides having neither immediate nor lasting solutions. This power blackout has decimated the State’s budgetary surplus leading to great economic loss, as all major government industries are unable to escape such calamities. This has been bringing about great concerns despite the leaders showing no or less concern where they usually play blame games on each other hence ending up with no concrete solution over the menace. This electricity saga started when an opportunity availed itself for the state to consider restructuring its power system in making it more flexible and responsive to changing the economic conditions (Sweeney 2008). Following the implementation of this restructuring it was imperfect in some way that the state political leadership failed in the year 2000 to implement fully the effectiveness of tight electricity markets. Besides which in the year 2001 they mismanaged the issue making it a major crisis. Thereby this era burdened the state with a hard task of long-term obligation correlated with electricity. Because of this hard period caused by the states governor together with other state leaders the saga continues haunting the state up to date as they still try to recuperate from their past era (Sweeney 2008). The state of California has been experiencing water shortage problems since 19th century. This is because of the many changes caused by human activities over the years. For instance, the growing population in both Mexico and United States has inhabited some of the areas previously occupied by the

The corrosive nature of social networking websites Essay

The corrosive nature of social networking websites - Essay Example Social networking sites cause loneliness (Boyd d and Ellison: pp. 221). When joining these sites, for instance, Facebook, no one has the intention to get lonely while online. However, most research findings can prove that the more someone uses the internet services, the more the chances of getting lonely and depressed. This is because the sense of being happy rapidly drops after the first day of using the website. The loneliness issue arises because Facebook serves different purposes with everyone using what is meaningful to their social life. Therefore, through the consumption of so much content on such social networking websites, people lose their social bonding thus lowering their self-esteem and feeling which in turn increases loneliness. Social networking websites are creating a false sense of interaction. The society fosters real and meaningful kinds of relationships. They are supposed to be healthy to everyone because they act as role-shaping structures, increases the sense of belonging and the will to conquer problems. However, most of these social networks though created out of a simple idea of promoting social relationships, have been creating a wrong sense of connection (Kennedy, et al.: pp. 110). They are among the fastest growing companies with Facebook being on the lead. They have chat rooms that enable users to communicate with each other. These chat rooms make users glued to their computer screens, as they want to find out more from their online friends.

McBride Financial Services Governance Evaluation Essay

McBride Financial Services Governance Evaluation - Essay Example The organization is experiencing many challenges at the initial stage since it is a private and small firm. The chief executive officer, Mr. Hugh, is one of the key impediments to the accomplishment of the firm objective, since he is the proprietor of the firm and, as a result, there is a tendency of putting his own interests first. McBride being the chairman of the board and a chief executive officer will have a considerable manipulation of the decision made by the board of directors as well as the management team (Maimako, 2010). This is because being the head of the two organs he can object to a decision that is unfavorable to his own interest. Commercial analysts have criticized the organization for its inability to comply with the rules of investment and borrowing funds from beltway investment. Beltway investment emphasizes that all the firms that seek any assistance from it must comply with all the requirements of investment, failure to which the application of the assistance w ill be null and void. The management of McBride investment is willing to obey and follow all the requirements of Beltway Investments. The management strategy of beltway investment seems to have some doubtful professional standards though McBride seriously opposes the perception. Beltway investment grants firm the freedom to manage their own style. It emphasizes the universal standards of corporate governance and any equity-based compensation plans in line with the achievement of the firm’s objectives. There should be no any form of discrimination. Even though McBride is seeking to fully comply with beltway investment he insists that his decision on the directors and the management method are to be followed. He further insinuates that the firm will manage their finances in their own way to meet the firm’s objectives. McBride financial services will not entertain interference in its affairs. They think that external entities will jeopardize the firm’s operations a nd thwart the achievement of the set goals, (Tricker, 2009). Challenges of McBride financial services MacBride financial services have many challenges since it is a new firm as well as the brokerage firm. In line with corporate governance, the firm has to comply with the international standards where best practices and the formal laws are to be observed. In a nutshell, the problems of the firm are natural since the management organ of the firm has adopted practices that are not within the global standards of corporate governance. McBride financial services are faced with the problem of personnel recruitment. The organization depends on personnel appointed by McBride. These appointments are of doubtful standards since they are based on personal relationships instead of professional qualifications. The decisions to be made by the management organs are so critical and the people to be employed are supposed to be of immense integrity. This means they should undergo a thorough recruitmen t process to get the best. The policy of Mr. Hugh on appointment is that he appoints individuals who go by what he says, and does what he expects of them. This might not work well for the firm's strategic objectives. In the event that the firm experiences by the administrative problem, it will be extremely difficult for them to solve them internally. (Hirschey, & Makhija, 2004).

Computer Games Essay Example for Free

Computer Games Essay 1)Computer games do more harm than good to children. † Nowadays, more and more children play computer games because there is a computer at almost every home. Moreover, the number of Internet cafes is increased and playing games becomes easier. Personally, I believe that computer games are not beneficial for children but they have an negative impact on them. To start with, the majority of computer games have violent scenes. They imitate wars and the child takes the role of a soldier who has to kill a lot of people in order to win the battle and consequently the game. That is why many children have violent behavior at school. When they are young, they cannot distinguish the game from reality and sometimes they attack against their classmates. This violent behavior comes definetely from this kind of games. Another reason that I think is worth mentioning is that a lot of children prefer to play computer games rather than to meet they friends. This situation leads to unsociable, unfriendly and shy personalities. When they enter another stage of their life, for instance when they become teenagers or even adults, they find it difficult to communicate with other people. Moreover, being alone leads to depression. This is an important problem that many teenagers experience. Computer games have a strong power over children making them play many hours per day. Thats why they do not have time to do their homework and their grades at school become weaker over time. For example, my cousin who is 15 years old used to play computer games approximately 4-5 hours per day. When his parents got his grades they realized that his performance was not satisfied. My cousins teacher told they parents that he could not concentrate during the lectures and he rarely did his homework. His parents discussed with their son and they agreed that he would play less and do his homework regularly. In final consideration, a child can become addicted to computer games playing many hours per day non stop. This is very serious because it may lead to situations where the child may become unsociable and experience depression. Moreover, children adopt an violent behavior toward their classmates or family members. Finally, they are unable to concentate on their homework and concequently they performance at school becomes poorer over time.

Role Of 3d Animators In Motion Capture Film Studies Essay

Role Of 3d Animators In Motion Capture Film Studies Essay In the world of upcoming technologies and innovations it has become hard for traditional techniques to withstand. Same is the case here in terms of 3d animation which is become an integral part of the film industry here for a long time and the motion capture which is upcoming and is here to stay. Motion capture being the favourite of every live action movie director is gaining attention in the film industry. In producing entire feature films with Computer animation, the industry is currently split between studios that use Motion Capture, and studios that do not. Out of the three nominees for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, two of the nominees (Monster House and the winner Happy Feet) used Motion Capture, and only Pixars Cars was animated without Motion Capture. In the ending credits of Pixars latest film Ratatouille, a stamp appears labelling the film as 100% Pure Animation No Motion Capture! For 3D animations, objects are built on the computer monitor and 3D figures are rigged with a virtual skeleton. Then the limbs, eyes, mouth, clothes, etc.of the figure are moved by the animator on key frames. The differences in appearance between key frames are automatically calculated by the computer. To gain more control of the interpolation, a parameter curve editor is available in the majority of the 3D animation packages. The parameter curve editor shows a graphical representation of the variation of a parameters value over time (the animation curve). Altering the shape of the curve results into a change in interpolation and therefore into a change in the speed of motion. By changing the interpolation it is possible to avoid surface interpenetration (such as fingers intersecting each other) when transitioning from one hand shape to the next. The realism of keyframe animations depends largely on the animators ability to set believe keyframe (realistic hand shapes) and on his abil ity to control the interpolation between the keyframe i.e., the speed and fluidity of motion. Rendering takes place in the animation finally. History of 3D animation In the year 1824 Peter Roget presented his paper The persistence of vision with regard to moving objects to the British Society. In 1831 Dr.Joseph Antoine Plateau (a Belgian scientist) and Dr.Simon Rittrer constructed a machine called a phenakistoscope. This machine produced an illusion of the movement by allowing a viewer to gaze at a rotating disk containing small windows; behind the windows was another disk containing a sequence of images. When the disks were rotated at the correct speed, the synchronization of the windows with the images created an animated effect. Eadweard Muybridge started his photographic gathering of animals in motion. Zoetrope (series of sequential images in a revolving drum) when the drum is revolved the slits in the drum creates the illusion of motion and becomes first movie- similarly film creates this illusion by having one image then black then image then black again. Thaumatrope twirl it and the two images superimpose on each other. Two frame animation . In 1887 Thomas Edison started his research work into motion pictures. He announced his creation of the kinetoscope which projected a 50ft length of film in approximately 13 seconds. Emile Renynaud in 1892 combining his earlier inventions of the praxinoscope with a projector opens the Theatre Optique in the Musee Grevin. It displays an animation of images painted on long strips of celluloid. Louis and Augustine Lumiere issued a patent for a device called cinematography capable of projecting moving pictures. Thomas Armat designed the vitascope which projected the films of Thomas Edison. This machine had a major influence on all sub-sequent projectors. J.Stuart Blackton made the first animated film which he called Humorous phases of Funny faces in 1906. His method was to draw comical faces on a blackboard and film them. He would stop the film, erase one face to draw another, and then film the newly drawn face. The stopmotion provided a starting effect as the facial expressions changed b efore the viewers eyes. Emile Cohl makes En Route the first cut-out animation. This technique saves time by not having to redraw each new cell, only reposition the paper. Winsor McCay produced an animation sequence using his comic strip character Little Nemo. John R Bray applies for a patent on numerous techniques for animation. One of the most revolutionary is the process of printing the backgrounds of the animation. In 1914 Winsor McCay produced a cartoon called Gertie. The trained Dinosaur which amazingly consisted of 10,000 drawings. In 1914 Earl Hurd applies for a patent for the technique of drawing the animated portion of an animation on a clear celluloid sheet and later photographing it with its matching background (Cell animation). Cell and Paper Animation Technique: By the mid-1910s animation production in US already dominated by the techniques of cell and paper. Cell animation was more popularized in America than in Europe because of Assembly line Taylorism that had taken America by storm. Cell Animation was most appropriate to the assembly-line style of manufacturing because it took a whole line of persons working on very specific and simple repetitive duties. On the other hand, in Europe where the assembly-line style of work was not encouraged, clay animation and other forms of animation that required only a few individuals working on the set at a time was more popularized. Because the actual set could only afford a limited amount of individuals working at one time together and no more this style and other alternative forms of animation became more widely accepted. Disney-cell animation draw each image one at a time using onion-skinning technique. Traditional cell animation drawings created one by one animators create the keyframe and assistances create in-betweens; onion skinning process used to make easier the reference drawing of each additional image. The international feature Syndicate realised many titles including Silk Hat Harry, Bringing up Father and Krazy Kat. In 1923 the first feature-length animated film called El Apostol is created in Argentina. 1923 saw the discovery of Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio by Walt and Roy Disney. Walt Disney extended Max Fleischers technique of combining live action with cartoon characters in the film Alices Wonderland. Warner Brothers released The Jazz Singer which introduced combined sound and images. Ken Knowlton working at Bell Laboratories started developing computer techniques for producing animated movies. University of Utah, Ed Catmull develops an animation scripting language and creates an animation of a smooth shaded hand. Ref: E.Catmull,A system for computer generated movies, Proceedings of the ACM National Conference, 1972. Beier and Neely, at SGI and PDI respectively publish an algorithm where line correspondences guide morphing between 2d images.Demo is Michael Jacksons video Bla ck and White.Ref: T.Beier and S.Neely,Feature-Based image metamorphosis. Computer Graphics July 1992. Chen and Williams at the apple publish a paper on view interpolation for 3d walkthoughs.Ref: S.E.Chen and L.Williams,View Interpolation for image Systhensis. Computer Graphics Proceeding, Annual Conference Series1993. Jurassic Park uses CG for realistic living creatures. The stars of this movie directed by Steven Spielberg were the realistic looking and moving 3d-dinosaurs, created by Industrial Light and Magic. With each new step into the next generation of computer graphics comes new and more believable CGI characters such as those found in Dinosaur. In Dinosaur the creation and implementation of realistic digital hair on the lemurs is included. After seeing it, George Lucas, director of the Star War series, concluded the time was there to start working on his new Star Wars movies. In his opinion 3d-animation was now advanced enough to believably create the alien worlds and characters he already wanted to make since the early late seventies. In the year 1995 Toy Story the first full length 3D CG feature film. The first CGI feature-length animation and Pixars first feature film. The primary characters are toys in the room of this six-year-old boy Andy, and is mostly told from their point of view. On entrance of computers and 3d driven software feature length films of high polish can be created virtually in 3d. Toy Story is considered to be a first animated feature ever generated completely on computers. Disney and Pixar partnered up to create this film. Star Wars, almost every shot of this movie is enhancing with 3d-animation. It features very realistic 3d-aliens and environment. Lord of the Rings: Two Towers was the first Photorealistic motion captured character for a film; Gollum was also the first digital actor to win an award (BFCA), category created for Best Digital Acting Performance. MOTION CAPTURE Motion capture, motion tracking, or mocap are terms used to describe the process of recording movement and translating that movement onto a digital model. For medical applications and for validation of computer vision and robotics, and it is used in military, entertainment, sports too. To recording actions of human actors, and using that information to animate digital character models in 2d and 3d computer animation is how it is termed in film making. Performance capture is referred when it includes face, fingers and captures subtle expressions. Movements of one or more actors are sampled many times per second, although with most techniques motion capture records only the movements of the actor, not his/her visual appearance, in motion capture sessions. This animation data is mapped to a 3d model so that the model performs the same actions as the actor. Although there are many different systems for capturing motion capture data, they tend to fall broadly into two different categories: One contains optical systems, which employ photogrammetry to establish the position of an object on 3D space based on its observed location within the 2d fields of a number of cameras. Data is produced by these systems within 3 degrees freedom from each marker, and rotational information must be inferred from the relative orientation of the sensors with respect to a transmitter. Collecting of motion data from an image without using photogrammetry or magnetic equipment is referred to as motion tracking. In The Lord of the Rings in 1978, animated film where the visual appearance of the motion of an actor was filmed, then the film used a guide for the frame by frame motion of a hand-drawn animated character; the technique is comparable to the older technique of rotoscope. The camera movements can also be motion captured so that a virtual camera in the scene will pan, tilt, or dolly around the stage driven by a camera operator, while the actor is performing and the motion capture the camera and props as well as the actors performance. By doing this, it allows the computer generated characters, images and sets, to have the same perspective as the video images and sets, to have the same perspective as the video images from the camera. The actors movements are displayed through the computer process, providing the desired camera positions terms of the objects in the set. Match moving or camera tracking is referred to retroactively obtaining camera movement data from the captured footage. History of Mocap: The mocap technology of the modern day has been developed by the led in the medical science, army, and computer generated imagery (CGI) where it is used for a wide variety of purposes. Mocap had successful attempts long before the computer technology had become available. Early attempts: The invention of zoopraxiscope was because a of a bet of $25,000 on whether all four feet of a horse leave the ground simultaneously or not. Endeared Muybridge (1830-1904) who invented the zoopraxiscope was born in England and became a popular landscape photographer in San Francisco. Muybridge proved the fact that all four feet of a trotting horse simultaneously get off the ground. He did so by capturing a horses movement in a sequence of photographs taken with a set of one dozen cameras trigged by the horses feet. The earlier motion capture devices are considered to be zoopraxiscope. This technology was perfected by Muybridge himself. His books, Animals in motion (1899) and The Human Figures in Motion (1901) are still used by many artists, such as animators, cartoonists, illustrators, painters as valuable references. Muybridge is a pioneer of a mocap and motion pictures. In the same year a physiologist and the inventor of a portable sphygmograph was born in France and his name is Etienne Jules Marey. Sphygmograph is an instrument that records the pulse and blood pressure graphically. Modified versions of his instruments are still used today. Marey met Muybridge in Paris in the year 1882 and is the following year he invented the chronophotographic gun to record animal locomotion but quickly abandoned it, this invention was inspired by Muybridges work. He invented a chronophotographic fixed-plate camera with a timed shutter that allowed him to expose multiple images on a plate in the same year. The camera initially captured images on a glass plate but later he replaced glass plates with film paper, by this way film strips where introduced to the motion picture. Mareys subject wearing his mocap suit shows striking resemblances to skeletal mocap data in the photographs. Research subjects of Marey included cardiology, experimental physiology, instruments in physiology, and locomotion of humans, animals, birds, and insects. Marey used one camera in motion capture comparing to Muybridge who used multiple cameras. After the year in which Muybridge and Marey passed away Harold Edgerton was born in Nebraska. In the early 1920s Edgreton developed his photographic skills as a student while he studied at the University of Nebraska. While working on his masters degree electrical engineering at the Massachusetts in 1926 at the Institute of Technology(MIT), he realized that he couldnt observe the a part of his motor which is rotating as if the motor were turned off by matching the frequency of the strobes flashes to the speed of the motors rotation. Stroboscope was developed to freeze fast moving objects and capture them on film by Edgerton in 1913. Edgreton became a pioneer in high-speed photography. The first successful underwater camera in 1937 was designed by Edgreton and made many trips abroad the research vessel Calypso with French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. The design and building of deep sea flash electronic equipment in 1954 was done by him. Edgreton passes away in 1990 where his long career as an educator and researcher at MIT. Rotoscoping: Max Fleisher and art editor for Popular Science Montly who was born in Vienna in 1883 who moved to the U.S with his family, he came up with an idea of producing animation by tracing live action film frame by frame. Fleisher filmed David his brother, in the year 1915 in a clown costume and they spent almost a year making their first animation using rotoscope. He obtained a patent for rotoscope in 1917.In the year 1918 when World War I ended he produced the first animation in the Out of the Inkwell series and he also established Out of the Inkwell,Inc.,which was later renamed as Fleischer Studio. In this series the animation and the live action was mixed and Fleischer himself interacted with animation characters, Koko the clown and Fitz the dog. Before Disneys Steamboat Willie, in the year 1924 thats 4 years before he had a synchronised soundtrack. Characters such as Popeye and Superman were all animated characters from Fleischers studio. Betty Boop first appeared in Fleischers animati on and later became a comic strip character. In 30s early animations were filled with sexual humour, ethnic jokes, and gags. When the Hays Production Code (censorship) laws became effective in 1934 it affected Fleischer studio more than other studios. Betty Boop lost her garters and sex appeal as a result. After almost after 4 years of production Walt Disney presented the first feature length animation, Snow White and Seven Dwarfs. Snow White was a huge success. The distributer of Fleischers animation Paramount pressured Max and David Fleischer to produce feature length animations. The two feature films Gullivers Travel (1939) and Mr. Bugs Goes to Town (1941) were produced by the money borrowed from Paramount. Both of the films were a disaster in the box office. The failure of Mr. Bug made Paramount fire the Fleischer brothers and changed the studios name from Famous Studios. Max Fleischer sued Paramount over the distribution of his animations. He signed a Betty Boop merchandising deal for King Features, a unit of the Hearst Corporation before he died in the year 1972. The use of Rotoscoping can be seen in the Disney animations, starting with Snow White. Later Disney animations characters were highly stylized and Rotoscoping became a method for studying human and animal motions. Comparison between film footages and the corresponding scenes in the animations reveals skilful and selective use of Rotoscoping by Disney animators. They went above and beyond Rotoscoping. Snow Whites can be attributed to Walt Disneys detailed attention to the plot, character development and artistry. Both Max Fleischer and Walt Disney were highly innovative individuals; however, it is said true that Disneys memory belongs to the public; Maxs to those who remember him by choice (Herald son, 1975). Beginning of Digital Mocap: In the 1970s the research and development of digital mocap technology started in pursuit of medical and military applications. In 1980s CGI industry discovered the technologys potentials. In the 1980s there were floppy disks that were actually floppy and most computers were equipped with monochrome monitors; some with calligraphic displays. To view color images, for example rendered animation frames, images had to be sent to a frame buffer, which was often shared by multiple users due to its cost. Large computers were housed in ice cold server rooms. Offices were files with the noise of dot matrix printers. In the 1980s ray tracing and radiocity algorithms were published. Based on these algorithms renderers required a supercomputer or workstations to render animations frames in a reasonable amount of time. Personnel computers werent powerful enough. CPUs, memories, storage devices, and applications were more expensive than today. Wavefront technologies developed and marketed the firs t commercial of the shelf 3D computer animation software in 1985. At that time only a handful of animation production companies existed. Most of the animations that they produced were flying logos for TV commercials or TV programmes opening sequences. The pieces were 15 to 30 seconds long. In the 1980s the readers who saw Brilliance probably still remember the astonishment of seeing a computer generated character, a shiny female robot, moving like a real human being. Brilliance being the first successful application of mocap technology in CGI,Total Recall was the first failed attempt to use mocap in a feature film. The post production companies contracted to produce effects for the 1990 science fiction film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone, Metrolight Studio being one of them. Metrolight decided to use mocap to create an animation sequence of moving skeletons for the scene in which Schwarzeneggers character goes through a large airport security X-ray machine, along with other people and a dog. Operator from an optical mocap equipment company was sent out to a location with mocap system. A team from metrolight followed the operators instruction while capturing performances by Schwarzenegger and other performers. They went home believing that the capture session had gone well and the mocap company would deliver the mocap data after cleaning and processing. What so ever metrolight never received usable data and had to give up using mo cap for the scene. Metrolights unfortunate experience teaches us one lesson that we should hire only a service provider with a good track record and references. In 1995 FX Fighters released its first real-time fighting with 3D characters in 3D environments. Its also one of the first video games that used mocap technology to give realism to 3D characters movements. By the user input using a set of motion captured actions, game characters are animated in real time. The pieces of actions are played in such a way that the player does not notice the transition from one action to another giving an impression that the player is fully in control of a game characters movement. Seeing the success of the game, other game companies were encouraged to use mocap in their games. In the 1980s and 1990s these pioneering efforts have shown remarkable development and achievement in digital mocap. In the recent years, in addition to medicine, and entertainment, mocap applications have been found in many other fields. Mocap is used by various sports to analyze and enhance the athletes performances and prevent injuries. Designers use mocap to understand users movements, constrains, and interactions with environments and to design better products. Mocap is used by engineers to analyze human movements and design robots that walk like us. Mocap is also used by art historians and educators to archive and study performances by dancers and actors. For instance, in 1991 an intricate performance by legendary French mime Marcel Marceau (1923-2007) was captured at the Ohio State University to preserve his arts for future generations. 3D ANIMATION PRODUCTION PIPELINE Sales pitch Convincing the big jobs to work on the story. Story plot solid summary What the films about, what happens in it and extra variations that may or may not appear in the final product. Storyboards Basic sketches of the scenes. (Time usually taken = 6 months) Voice recording At first the artists themselves do the voice acting to put a connection from the story board to the script to give an idea of the film, later on celebrities are paid to be the character voices. Storyboard reel Pictures in a timescale with voice recordings playing in conjunction, basically a really basic film. Concept art Artists try to create the look and feel of the scenery and the characters from the scripts, voice talent and the basic drawings, the artists get first crack at how lighting sets the mood too Modelling The characters, props and landscape have started to be created in 3d; hinges have been added to them to give them movement. Everything is still in frame form, no textures have been added yet (think skeletons). Dressing The models and props are skinned according to the mood and feel the team wants for the film to portray. Shot layout The Basically skinned objects and characters are set into positions to work out camera angles and movement, nothing is truly animated or skinned yet, the recordings of these final cuts are passed onto the animation team. (Time Usually taken = 4 weeks) Animation The models are animated, everything such as the skeleton is already there so they are basically choreographers (think puppeteers). They move the mouth and ligaments according to the sounds and the scripts. (Time usually taken 4 weeks) Shading shading changes surfaces according to the lighting on it, it affects the models colour depending on the lighting situation e.g. light bouncing off a shiny metal surface is successfully done thanks to a shader. Shaders are added to the landscapes, models and props. Lighting Lighting is added to the scenes, Lighting is what actually makes everything look great. Lighting is based on the mood scripts. (Time usually taken = 8 weeks) Rendering The final product is rendered; this can take a hell of a lot of time to render one frame depending on the quality of the graphics put into. Touch-ups Things such as music scores, special effects and sound effects are added, the film is also recorded to an appropriate format. MOTION CAPTURE PRODUCTION PIPELINE Pre-Production Storyboard development Shot analysis It is important to work out exactly what action is needed at this stage, plus any restrictions which may impede the actor. There are several factors which need to be addressed: Does the actors size correspond to that of the character. Should the actor have any props, or costume (for example having the actor where horns for your demon character in your mocap session, will prevent the arms going through the horns at the implementing stage) The spatial surrounding should be a factor. Will the motion need to be blended (e.g. A running motion, as the motion capture studio will only capture a fragment of the run). Character Rigging Develop a character rig, which involves the following: Matching the actors size as much as possible. Constraining the joints. Problems may include exporting out of your animation package into the correct format (e.g. .xsi into fbx) Several different export formats should be tested to realize which suites best with the character rig (e.g. .bvh, .fbx, etc). Actual Motion Captured This can be viewed on a rig in real time. There are several different forms of Motion Capture devices. The most commonly used are: Mechanical, Optical, and Electromagnetic (magnetic) Cleaning Data This involves several data manipulators being applied to the motion capture data. In optical motion capture systems, for example, after you capture the movements of your actors, the data is stored as raw 2D data. Reconstruction process will convert it into continuous 3D trajectories. Label process will label all the trajectories and so on. Additional processing may be needed when there are data gaps, jitters and other data-noises. Implementing data This is simply the process of applying your data to your skeleton rig provided at the initial stages. There can be several problems at this stage depending on the formats and animation package chosen. For example there is an issue with UVs, materials, scaling etc. It is suggested you follow each package pipeline to minimize these issues. APPLICATIONS OF MOTION CAPTURE The process of recording movement and translating that movement onto a digital model is called as motion capture, motion tracking or mocap. Its applications are used in the military, entertainment, sports, medical applications and for validation of computer vision and robotics etc. Games The largest market for motion capture is game development. Games are drawing as much revenue as movies; it is easy to see why game development often calls for enormous quantities of motion capture. There are basically two types of 3d character animation used in games: real time playback vs. Cinmeatics. Real-time allows the game player to choose from pre-created moves, by controlling the characters moves in real-time. Cinmeatics are the fully rendered movies used for the intros and cut-scenes. Often the last part of game production, or a process that is sub-contracted to a separate studio,cinematics are generally not essential to game-play, but do add a lot of appeal to the game, and help immensely with story development and mood generation. Video and TV Performance animation In live television broadcasts real-time motion is becoming popular. Using motion capture we can place a virtual character within a real scene, or to place live actors within a virtual scene with virtual actors, or virtual characters with a virtual scene. For real time broadcasting mocap requires mocap-up of any non-standard physiology to keep the performers motion from causing the characters limbs to interpenetrate its body. Joints limits on the shoulders and knees also help maintain believability of the character. A real-time adaptation feature such as motion builders real-time motion mapping is essential when the character body is very different from the actors body. While combining live elements with virtual elements the real and virtual cameras must share the same properties otherwise the illusion looks strange. Daily features Producing daily 3d animated features becomes easy with use of the phasespace optical motion capture system combined with motionbuilder.,allowing TV stations to keep their content fresh and exiciting,and giving viewers yet another reason not to touch that dial. Post-Production for ongoing series using motion capture for ongoing series is gaining popularity. The result of creating a weekly show without motion capture invariably causes shows to be late or production studios to go bankrupt. Having an efficient motion capture pipeline is essential to the success of an ongoing character animation based series. Film The use of motion capture in the films is increasing day by day. For creating character based animation motion capture is essential that move realistically, in situations that would be impractical or too dangerous for real actors.eg. Titanic were characters falling down off the ship. Motion capture was used extensively in Titanic for filler characters. Many of these shots would have been difficult or impossible to do with real cameras and a real ship, or real models, so virtual models, actors, and cameras were used. Some film characters require the use of motion capture, otherwise their animation seems fake. More and more independent companies are starting to put together desktop studios-the idea of two or three people creating an entire movie are not far off, if motion capture is used correctly. Motion capture animation can be done very quickly and inexpensively, without scheduling expensive motion capture sessions in a studio. Web Motion capture is ideal for the web, whether used to create virtual hosts or greeting cards. Motion capture brings a human element to the web as the web becomes more sophisticated and bandwidth increases, in the form of characters that viewers can relate to interact with. Live events Motion capture generated performance animation can be thought of as Improvisation meets Computer Graphics (CG). A good improviser acting through a CG character in real-time can create a very intriguing lass sting experience for the viewer at trade shows, meetings or press conferences. Integrating with live actors father helps create a fascinating experience. Scientific research While doing perceptual research motion capture is useful. By presenting test subjects with abstract movements, distilled from motion capture data, repeatable experiments can be developed that provide insights into human perception. Biomechanical analysis Motion capture is relied by biomechanical analysis for rehabilitation purposes. Motion capture can be used to measure the extent of a clients disability as well as a clients progress with rehabilitation. Motion capture can also help in effective design of prosthetic devices. Engineering For producing ergonomically practical product designs motion capture is essential, as well as designs for physical products that are comfortable and appealing. When it comes to working in an enclosed space, the gypsy has tremendous advantages over optical or magnetic systems, such as a car inter

The Yellow Wallpaper -- essays research papers

The Yellow Wallpaper: In the 19th century, mental illness was an uncommon issue to be discussed. The public would treat the illness only by avoiding the matter and forcing the sick to feel helpless. At that time, the medical profession had not yet distinguished between diseases of the mind and diseases of the brain. Neurologists such as Dr. Silas Mitchell treated the problems that would now be treated by psychiatrists, such as depression. The most accepted cure was Mitchell's â€Å"Rest Cure,† which required complete isolation from family and friends. It forbid any type of mental or physical energy, and required total bed rest. The harsh results of the â€Å"Rest Cure† are easily seen in the story titled â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1891. The main character was given the â€Å"Rest Cure† and soon began to descend deeper into the traps of insanity. Before fully understanding mental illnesses her actions would be linked to â€Å"hysteriaâ₠¬ . Hysteria was the term given to women with signs of depression. (Showalter, p. 127) Embedded largely in women's discouraged ambitions and limited opportunities, a reaction of supposed hysteria cases occurred during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Due to rise in this type of mental illness, the period became known as the â€Å"Golden Age of Hysteria.† Authorities of the time defined the problem in terms of femininity and female sexuality. Coming from the Greek term hysteron, meaning womb, hysteria was known as a strictly female illness that was caused by women's delicate constitutions and emotionality. Many doctors believed the uterus caused it, which was why they concluded that men could not become hysterical. (Showalter, p. 129) Hysteria was assumed a largely self-created or imagined illness. People did not generally take it, or mental illness seriously. Though hysteria became a focal point of study by physicians throughout the world. Symptoms included fainting, vomiting, choking, sobbing, paralysis, and temperamental fits. Reflecting the belief that women were prone to hysteria because they were less rational and stable than men. Dr. Edward Tilt, in a typical Victorian textbook definition, wrote: â€Å"mutability is a characteristic of hysteria, because it is characteristic of women† (Showalter, p. 129). As more studies were conducted, however, some doctors began to link hysteria with restricted activity and sexual ... ...ut you.† Her response is â€Å"I don’t weigh a bit more.† She proves him wrong and he avoids the response by saying â€Å"But now let’s improve the shining hours by going to sleep, and talk in the morning.† She overlooks his true intentions and focuses back on the wallpaper. She almost revels to herself and John that the â€Å"Rest Cure† isn’t working as expected. and actually show that he doesn’t care. â€Å" begins to interpet the yellow wallpaper, as having many life like similarity tries to resorts to reasoning with herself so that she may feel husband keeping he away from any outside world her minds wanders into insanity. Her husband doesn’t know any better than to restrain her from exerting energy. He feels that he must keep her in bed to better her health. This in the end is the reason she goes insane. He must feel a bit ashamed being a doctor and not knowing of any other cure to The signs of metal illness are evident when the main character resorts to ripping at the wallpaper to release some built up anxiety. Work Cited Page Rena Korb An overview of The Yellow Wallpaper, in Exploring Short Stories, Gale Research, 1998. Showalter, Elaine. The Female Malady. New York: Random House, 1985. The Yellow Wallpaper -- essays research papers The Yellow Wallpaper: In the 19th century, mental illness was an uncommon issue to be discussed. The public would treat the illness only by avoiding the matter and forcing the sick to feel helpless. At that time, the medical profession had not yet distinguished between diseases of the mind and diseases of the brain. Neurologists such as Dr. Silas Mitchell treated the problems that would now be treated by psychiatrists, such as depression. The most accepted cure was Mitchell's â€Å"Rest Cure,† which required complete isolation from family and friends. It forbid any type of mental or physical energy, and required total bed rest. The harsh results of the â€Å"Rest Cure† are easily seen in the story titled â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1891. The main character was given the â€Å"Rest Cure† and soon began to descend deeper into the traps of insanity. Before fully understanding mental illnesses her actions would be linked to â€Å"hysteriaâ₠¬ . Hysteria was the term given to women with signs of depression. (Showalter, p. 127) Embedded largely in women's discouraged ambitions and limited opportunities, a reaction of supposed hysteria cases occurred during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Due to rise in this type of mental illness, the period became known as the â€Å"Golden Age of Hysteria.† Authorities of the time defined the problem in terms of femininity and female sexuality. Coming from the Greek term hysteron, meaning womb, hysteria was known as a strictly female illness that was caused by women's delicate constitutions and emotionality. Many doctors believed the uterus caused it, which was why they concluded that men could not become hysterical. (Showalter, p. 129) Hysteria was assumed a largely self-created or imagined illness. People did not generally take it, or mental illness seriously. Though hysteria became a focal point of study by physicians throughout the world. Symptoms included fainting, vomiting, choking, sobbing, paralysis, and temperamental fits. Reflecting the belief that women were prone to hysteria because they were less rational and stable than men. Dr. Edward Tilt, in a typical Victorian textbook definition, wrote: â€Å"mutability is a characteristic of hysteria, because it is characteristic of women† (Showalter, p. 129). As more studies were conducted, however, some doctors began to link hysteria with restricted activity and sexual ... ...ut you.† Her response is â€Å"I don’t weigh a bit more.† She proves him wrong and he avoids the response by saying â€Å"But now let’s improve the shining hours by going to sleep, and talk in the morning.† She overlooks his true intentions and focuses back on the wallpaper. She almost revels to herself and John that the â€Å"Rest Cure† isn’t working as expected. and actually show that he doesn’t care. â€Å" begins to interpet the yellow wallpaper, as having many life like similarity tries to resorts to reasoning with herself so that she may feel husband keeping he away from any outside world her minds wanders into insanity. Her husband doesn’t know any better than to restrain her from exerting energy. He feels that he must keep her in bed to better her health. This in the end is the reason she goes insane. He must feel a bit ashamed being a doctor and not knowing of any other cure to The signs of metal illness are evident when the main character resorts to ripping at the wallpaper to release some built up anxiety. Work Cited Page Rena Korb An overview of The Yellow Wallpaper, in Exploring Short Stories, Gale Research, 1998. Showalter, Elaine. The Female Malady. New York: Random House, 1985.

How Nirvana Changed the World Essay

In the late eighties music was going through a big change. People wanted something new, something exciting, especially the younger generation. No more soft melodies and pop music like Duran Duran and Madonna. In these changing times a very special band called Nirvana came on the music scene. Three young man from Seatlle, Washington – Kurt Cobain on vocals and on guitar, Krist Novoselic on bass and Dave Grohl on drums – they were everything people yearned for, but didn? t even knew it. With long hair, washed-up jeans and ? I don’t give a f†¦? ttitude people wanted to see more. They defied authority with rough sound later defined as Grunge – a mixture of metal and punk rock. Their lyrics gave a whole generation meaning, hope and something to aspire to. If you look at most of the bands and singers of the eighties, you see a certain type of look; very polished, man with top buttons of their shirts opened – kind of a macho look. The girls had big hair and small, tight outfits that don’t leave much to the imagination. But in the end of the decade there was a new look, changing the standards. Really long, neglected hair, light jeans full of holes and so washed-up that it was hard to recognize their color. In around the year 1989 this look became known as the Grunge look. Nirvana looked and acted like they were nothing important, just three regular guys and if it weren’t for that image they would have never got such a sensation as they did. Completely different from their look was their sound, their music. Well played choruses combined with excellent long solo? s, this was something to hear. According to Cobain, the sound came first and the lyrics followed. With songs containing lyrics like ? Here we are now, entertain us? , ? I? m so ugly, but its okay ? cause so are you? and ? When I swear that I don’t have a gun? you would think people wouldn’t relate. But they did and sung along from the top of their lungs on concerts. One of the things that made them sound so good is the fact that Kurt, who wrote most of the bands music and lyrics poured his heart and soul into every song. When their second album Nevermind came out in 1991, the band became an instant global success story. They changed from an underground band playing in bars and small halls to an international sensation that booked big tours all around the world. Although they were famous now, had a lot of money and fans something was still missing for Kurt. If you compare their early years to the year 1993 or 94 you can see Kurt? s transformation. From an enthusiastic and charming person became a sad, lonely individual who had seemed to lose his spirit and was in a lot of pain. Many people believe that was due to drugs he was using, but I think there were many contributing factors to his fading character. It is recognized that his marriage to Courtney Love, who was also a musician, just less successful one, had a lot to contribute to his state of mind. Love is a person who craves constant attention and the finest things in life like expensive clothes and jewelry, big houses and non-stop excitement, partying. People say that opposites attract (and so did Kurt in Milk It), but that was one strange couple with a stormy marriage filled with public disputes and scandals. I? m starting to believe that such different people shouldn’t be together despite their attraction towards one another. Due to all these factors and many more Kurt ended his life with a shotgun to the head in April of 1994. For a short time of five years Nirvana was on the top and had the world in its palms. Most people agree that they inspired a whole generation with their music and their charisma. Only every once in a while comes a band like this, which has the complete package that just looks and sound perfect. It is sometimes said that Kurt was a spoiled child, who couldn’t take the circus that comes with fame, so he took the cowards way out and ended his life, leaving his loved ones behind. In my opinion he was a great man who suffered from problems like everyone else and being in the constant spotlight just made things worse. People who liked them will always remember that funny trio that did a difference on the music scene. When I listen to their records, I get the feeling that I can do great things, everything I want and much more. It doesn’t matter where you come from or how you look, you are something special, something unique. At least, that is how I understand and interpret their message towards the world.

The Arab Spring: Implications for US Policy and Interests

Introduction The political uprisings in the Arab world during 2011 undeniably transformed the Middle East and the North of Africa (MENA) (Dalacoura, 2012: 63). An explosive mix of deepening political grievances and a series of socio-economic problems, such as: high unemployment, especially among youth, corruption, internal regional and social inequalities, and the deterioration of economic conditions were the common causal factor behind all the uprisings (ibid: 66-67). Internationally, these uprisings have had profound consequences for the pursuit of long-standing United States (U.S.) policy goals and interests in the region, with regard to: regional security, energy supplies, military access, bilateral trade and investment, counter-proliferation, counterterrorism, and the promotion of human rights (Arieff et al. 2012). The profound changes in the region may alter the framework in which these goals are pursued and challenge the basic assumptions that have long guided U.S. policies in the international system (Keiswetter, 2012: 1). Regionally, the contagious nature of the uprisings, which started in Tunisia in December 2010 and later on spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain or Syria (Dalacoura, 2012: 63), led either to the overthrow of dictators or to internal fracturing (ibid: 66). While Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Tunisia underwent troubled transitions away from authoritarian regimes, in Jordan, Morocco, and Oman, modest protests produced tentative steps toward reform (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 41). In view of such differences, policy makers in the U.S. have adopted case-by-case (and highly unequal) approaches, which range from tacit support to outright military intervention (Shore, 2012). For instance, in countries such as Yemen or Saudi Arabia, the U.S. has turned a blind eye to governmental corruption and human rights violations. In non-allied countries, however, like Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, the U.S. has condemned dictatorial practices, issued sanctions and even wars in the name of democracy (Shore, 2012). It could be argued, thus, that the U.S.’ response to the events of the Arab Spring has been cautious and contradictory at the same time. On the one hand, Obama’s Administration has been criticized for its apparent lack of a coherent approach, and its willingness to talk of democratic ideals while protecting national interests. On the other hand, supporters have praised both the pragmatism and principle as a smart approach to international affairs (Kitchen, 2012: 53). Within this framework, this paper will assess the impact of the so-called Arab Spring on the US objectives regarding political and economic reform prospects for the Middle East peace negotiations, energy issues, and security concerns. The main hypothesis of this paper is, thus, that as part of the current international system, where the concept of security acquires multiple and more complex dimensions that go beyond military terms, the U.S.’ policies in the Middle East are extremely â€Å"shy† and cautious. This paper argues that this obvious â€Å"cautiousness† and what many call a contradictory foreign policy of the U.S. is the result of a series of economic interests to maintain oil-flows and global security concerns that cannot be forgotten in the political international arena. The U.S., thus, faces the difficult position of supporting its ideal of democracy and values on the one hand, and its long-term interests and security concerns on the other. This essay, thus, is divided in two main sections. On the one hand, a brief theoretical background on International Relations (IR) theories will serve as a basis to understand the motivations and approaches of the U.S. foreign policy in the region. On the other hand, an analysis of the old and current U.S.’ interests and policies in the Middle East will reveal the contradictions and concerns of the current U.S. Administration and the possible outcomes.Foreign Policy through the Lenses of International RelationsIn order to understand the U.S. foreign policy in the international system and more specifically in the Middle East, with its wide encompassing spectrum of foreign policy decisions, this paper shall approach the issue from the theoretical framework of International Relations (IR) (Vale, 2012: 6).The International SystemThe international system, driven mainly by states, power, and anarchy, has had a profound effect on the United States since its inception (Vale, 2012: 8). It could be said that there are three main different forms of the international system: the multipolar, the bipolar and the unipolar system. Tin the multipolar system, there are several great powers influencing international politics and competing for dominance (Vale, 2012: 10). Bipolar systems, could be described as a battle of titans of sorts –as it happened between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War-, namely, where two major powers oppose one another for dominance in the system. Finally, the unipolar system, is when there is one superpower and no other major powers in the international system –such as the Roman Empire or the United States after the fall of the Soviet Union until arguably the beginning of the 2003 War in Iraq (ibid: 10). It can be said that contemporary international politics does not fit any of these models. Nevertheless, during the last decade a new structure seems to have appeared: the uni-multipolar system. This system has a single world superpower but with several major powers around it in the system which constrains the superpower so that it cannot act as if it were within a unipolar international system (Vale, 2012: 10). Some authors, like Huntington, argue that this scenario is closest one to the current international system; where the settlement of international issues requires action by the single superpower, the United States, but always with some combination of other major states (1999). Indeed, 21st century scholarship within IR moves away from the primacy of the state and second order analyses towards the relationship that individuals have within the international system. This intellectual movement reflects experiences in international history that diminish the role of the state and reinforce the humans and humanity into the heart of a discipline whose origins lie in the motivation for action. This change is a 21st century phenomenon with experiential roots in the terror attacks of 9/11, the Global Financial Crisis, the Arab Spring uprisings, and the rise of hacktivism. These global, historical experiences are fostering the rise of cutting-edge and revolutionary IR theory that embraces complexity and multidisciplinarity (Oprisko, 2013). In other words, â€Å"the trend within IR theory is mirroring the shared experiences of the 21st century: renewed emphasis on terror, revolutions against inequality and social-immobility, and the success of hacktivism† (ibid. ). According to the Neoclassical Realism theory of IR, the international system determines how states act and behave towards each other because the international system is anarchic and states compete for status quo power (Rose, 1998:146). In other words, â€Å"the scope and ambition of a country’s foreign policy is driven first and fore most by its place in the international system and specifically by its relative material power capabilities† (ibid.). The 21st Century, however, is marked not with the political maneuvering of great states with competing visions, but with the elite few accumulating power, on the one hand, and the general public, rejecting such elitism, on the other. The first movement toward a revision of the status quo interpretation of the international system was the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The reaction against this â€Å"new kind of enemy† and the â€Å"war on terrorism† exemplified â€Å"an important reengagement with the social contract ; the state, the sovereign authority of the people, was no longer the only independent actor in the international political arena† (Oprisko, 2013). Closely related to the emergence of the above-mentioned â€Å"new enemies† there is the change of the security concept during the last decades. Authors such as Ole Waever or Barry Buzan were some of the most predominant constructivists who define security after the Cold War, which included non-traditional elements such as human rights (Layman, 2012: 4). The place of human rights in security is widely debated. Although before the Cold War security was traditionally defined in military terms, since Realism was the main school of thought, Constructivism argued for different perspectives, permitting the most thorough definition for security and national interests due to its ability to allow for change in the perception of what defines threats (Layman, 2012: 6). Indeed, as Barry Buzan argues, social norms and cultural phenomena dictate what is a security threat (Layman, 2012: 6). Waever and Buzan define security â€Å"as perceived threats to anything such as the traditional view of a state to non-traditional views of threats† (Buzan et al. 1998: 7) which include society, the environment, and economic laws. Threats are, thus, divided into different sectors: the military sector, concerned with the armed capabilities of a state; the political sector, concerned with the stability of a state; the economic sector, concerned with the accessibility to resources and the market; the societal sector, concerned with the security and sustainability of culture; and the environmental sector, concerned with the security of resources (Layman, 2012: 8). Thus, the Financial Crisis in 2008 and the subsequent austerity endured by common citizens hit a breaking-point with the suicide of Tarek al-Tayeb Mohammed Bouazizi in Tunisia in 2010. â€Å"Dignity-filled rage erupted across four continents as the Arab Spring spread across the Middle East and North Africa and Occupy protests engulfed Europe and North America† (Oprisko, 2013). As we progress from the competing idealist traditions of the 20th Century, the emphasis from structural impositions are waning (ibid.). â€Å"Human social agents and social structures are mutually constitutive, and social change can proceed causally in both directions [simultaneously] from agents to structures and from structures to agents† (Bennett, 2003: 489)U.S. Contradictory Approach to the Middle EastBearing in mind the previously described theoretical framework, the core American national interests at stake in the Middle East over decades should not come as a surprise; namely: protecting the U.S. homeland from the threats international terrorism and weapons of mass destruction; ensuring the free flow of oil, vital to the U.S., regional, and global economies; ensuring the security of Israel (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 48); discouraging interstate conflict that can threaten allies and other interests; ensuring transit and access to facilities to support U.S. military operations; countering terrorism; and stemming the proliferation of weapons (Arieff et al., 2012: 1). Over the years, these interests have resulted a series of U.S. policy objectives – advancing Arab—Israeli peace, protecting key oil-producing states, limiting the spread of regional conflicts, or ensuring U.S. military access and freedom of action within the region. Consequently, to ensure these objectives, the US has usually behaved as a status quo power in the Middle East, prioritizing the regional balance of power and a certain order over backing political change (ibid). During the past 50 years, â€Å"the U.S. has played two dueling roles in the Middle East, that of a promoter of liberal ideals, willing to wage war to build democracy, and that of a supporter of dictators who adhere to American interests and ensure stability† (Shore, 2012). It can be said, thus, that the U.S. reaction to the Arab Spring uprisings has exemplified these two opposing policies. While the US was quick to defend the peaceful protesters in Egypt and oppressed citizens of Libya, taking any necessary measures to prevent gross humanitarian crimes, the U.S. has issued little more than formal warnings to the fact that Syrians are being killed under Assad’s rule, Bahrain is cracking down on protestors, and Yemen is moving towards disaster (ibid.). However, the U.S.’ commitment to stability and the status quo partly sustained the regional stagnant economic, political and social systems, leading to the rise of Islamism and Salafism. After failing to overthrow the authoritarian regimes of the region, from the 1990s, terrorism came to focus. Thus, and particularly after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the hegemonic interest in the Saudi monarchy -as the largest oil producer- came into conflict with American national security priorities (Kitchen, 2012: 54). However, after 9-11 the U.S.’ determined that the region’s authoritarian regimes were actually the root of the terrorist problem, prescribing, thus, democracy as the solution to the Middle East’s socio-economic issues (Kitchen, 2012: 54). Thus, in 2003, the Bush Administration launched the ‘Freedom Agenda’, asserting that stability could not be purchased at the expense of liberty, emphasizing that promoting democracy was not just about promoting American values, but was in the American national interest, since oppressive regimes created the conditions for radicalization and terrorism (ibid). However, the â€Å"Freedom Agenda† as part of the wider â€Å"war on terror† had obvious contradictions. While on the one hand the US was seeking short-term counter-terrorism measures through the security apparatus of allied authoritarian regimes, on the other hand, it was prioritizing the long-term emancipation of Middle Eastern societies to address the deeper roots of marginalization and underdevelopment (Kitchen, 2012: 54). It could be argued that these contradictions were the background to the US’ response to the events of the Arab Spring (Kitchen, 2012: 55).The Obama Administration and the U.S. Strategy In The Middle EastEven though the uprisings and political change in the Arab world have challenged many of the assumptions that have long informed U.S. policy makers, it can be said that many long-standing U.S. goals in the region endure (Arieff et al. 2012: 1). The Bush administration’s response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, overturned this preference for the status quo. The invasion of Iraq created a power vacuum in the Gulf that Iran tried to fill. The war exhausted the U.S. military, spread sectarianism and refugees throughout the region, and unleashed a civil war. The ‘‘Global War on Terror’’ also brought the US into far more collaboration with Arab security services (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 48). The Bush administration failed to match its rhetoric on democracy with meaningful support for democratic change (ibid). The legacies of Obama’s predecessor’s war on terror had to be addressed, in order improve the US’ credibility and standing in the MENA region (Kitchen, 2012: 55). Thus, during President Obama’s first term, the U.S. announced its desire for a fresh start with the Muslim world, which started by withdrawing the U.S. military presence from Iraq and scaling down the worst excesses of the War on Terror, while maintaining a lower-key counter-terrorism campaign. While the administration has not managed to resolve the Iranian nuclear challenge, it has assembled an international consensus and rigorous sanctions to pressure Tehran. Obama also made the peace process a top priority, although his efforts proved no more successful than his predecessor’s. Then the Arab Spring erupted, reshaping the regional agenda (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 49). It has been said that the events of the Arab Spring took Obama’s Administration by surprise and underprepared (Kitchen, 2012: 55). While the political reform was in the overarching interests of the US, and was both sustainable in the region and compatible with America’s other priorities (ibid: 56), the White House, however, was worried that over-enthusiastic American support could undermine the revolutions’ authenticity. Thus, Obama’s rhetoric in public was cautious, as he sought to balance competing interests in the context of uncertain events, while at the same time the administration used its long-developed relationships in the region to try to shape developments (ibid.). Egypt constitutes a clear example of this delicate situation. While the clear win for the Muslim Brotherhood did not fall within the U.S. ‘s â€Å"expectations† and interests in that country in particular, the following military coup, although morally questionable (at least in the 21st Century), has hardly been challenged. Indeed, having a military regime that wants to maintain the peace with Israel, is probably the most comfortable option for the U.S. in a region where nothing is settled so far. Despite the massive changes across the Middle East ever since 2011, there are still several rapidly evolving dynamics that any viable U.S. strategy must account for. First, the so-called Arab Spring has altered key regional dynamics, regime perceptions of internal and external threats, and the role of different political actors, whereby a mobilized public opinion has an unprecedented role in regional politics. Second, Iranian nuclear and hegemonic ambitions continue to worry its neighbors, Israel, and the West. Third, while al-Qaeda has suffered organizational and political setbacks, its affiliates have adapted in disconcerting ways. Fourth, the Israeli—Palestinian issue continues to be a core element of regional instability and a source of potential violence (Khal and Lynch, 2013: 41).The Arab Spring and the US Interests; Challenges and OpportunitesIn response to the Arab uprisings, the Obama Administration has taken a reactive approach, trying to adjust U.S. regional pol icies while coping with multiple ongoing crises (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 49). In 2011, when addressing the impact of the Arab Spring on U.S. interests, Obama admitted the unsustainability of the status quo and advocated relations based not only on mutual interests and mutual respect but also on a set of principles, including: opposition to the use of violence and repression; support for â€Å"a set of universal rights; and support for political and economic reform in the MENA region that can meet the legitimate aspirations of ordinary people throughout the region (Keiswetter, 2012: 4). However, contradictions were again inevitable. Although the administration recognized the importance of seeking to change in Egypt and across the region, it was quickly pulled up at the prospect of confrontation with Saudi Arabia over a possible political transformation in Bahrain (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 49). Similarly, while the administration recognized the need for democratic change in the region, allowing, thus, the democratic process to develop even when elections produced Islamist victors (as it happened in Tunisia and Egypt), it always resisted calls for a more costly and risky intervention in Syria (ibid.). Despite the Administration embracing democratic reform and public engagement, a workable strategy to implement these principles has yet to be put in place (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 49). Indeed, even when sensible policies were pursued, they have frequently not been communicated strategically, which transmits uncertainty about American priorities in the region. Given the current environment in the Middle East, any attempt to draw a more coherent approach must consider five strategic dilemmas: First, maintaining the free flow of oil may require robust security ties with Gulf regimes, which would increase the U.S. dependence on the least democratic and iron-fist ruling governments in the region. This dependence would undermine the U.S. soft power with the Arab public and may contribute to the emerging Sunni—Shiite Cold War in the region (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 51). The Saudis, among others, have been able to compensate for the disruptions caused by the Libyan events. Thus, a strong US commitment to the security of the Gulf will be vital to oil market stability in the future (Keiswetter, 2012: 2). It could be said, thus, that the main challenge for the U.S. here will be being able to maintain traditional allies while supporting the democratic values it has been forever defending. Second, while a U.S. presence throughout the region and close cooperation with partner governments’ security services may be necessary for combating terrorism, this American military presence in the Arab world will continue to provide extremists with propaganda and recruitment opportunities (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 51). The Arab Spring uprisings, based on universal values and rooted in the demand for jobs, justice and dignity, highlight the bankruptcy of Islamic extremism sanctioning violence as the only way to obtain societal changes (Keiswetter, 2012: 2). While none of the 2011 uprisings in the Middle East was led by Islamist movements or had an Islamist agenda (Dalacoura, 2012: 74), Islamist movements have proved to benefit from them politically (ibid: 75). Indeed, the upheavals provide opportunities, as it happened in Yemen, for Islamic extremists to gain ground (Keiswetter, 2012: 2). As exemplified before with the case of Egypt, the U.S. faces the challenge of having Islami st regimes freely elected in stagnant countries, whereby radical movements are like to mushroom, or take an active role in the future political direction of the region, which will probably lead to international criticism. Third, tilting toward Israel in the Palestinian conflict may be essential to reassure Washington’s commitment to Israel’s security (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 50). However, Israeli leaders argue that the wave of unrest in the Arab world is endangering Israel’s security by potentially replacing relatively friendly neighboring governments with Islamist and potentially hostile governments (Arieff et al., 2012: 3). Fourth, a forceful military U.S. intervention in Syria could hasten the demise of Assad’s regime, reduce humanitarian suffering, demonstrate leadership, and weaken Iran. However, such intervention would also require a major investment of military resources, returning the US to the protracted commitment that it just escaped in Iraq, and consuming resources necessary to deal with Iran and other global contingencies (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 50). Fifth, the unclear prospects for democratic change. The consensus in Washington from the 1990s has been that democratization will lead to the emergence in the Middle East of regimes which are supportive of the U.S. (Dalacoura, 2012: 78). However, the Middle East has been described as immune to the waves of democratization which have transformed other regions. Moreover, focusing attention on democracy in the Middle East has been criticized for reflecting the priorities of western and in particular American political science (ibid: 71). On political and economic reform, the nature of the democratic political systems in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya remains to be seen (Keiswetter, 2012: 2). Indeed, one of the U.S.’ greatest fears is credibility in what â€Å"new† Middle East will emerge from the current turmoil (Shore, 2012). Sixth, it can be said that Iran’s nuclear and regional hegemonic aspirations are one of the major ‘‘pre-Arab Spring’’ concerns for the US. It is feared that â€Å"a nuclear-armed Tehran would increase its support for militancy, terrorism, and subversion in the Levant, Iraq, and the Gulf, which would further destabilize the region† (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 43). Thus, Iran’s nuclear program could have a decisive impact on regional politics (ibid.). Seventh, the Arab Spring has shown the limits of American power in the Middle East. Both the U.S. and Europe are missing the necessary financial resources to shape prospects in the Arab Spring countries. Thus, investment will also have to come from countries, such as the Gulf states or China, who do not share to the same extent the Western interest in reinforcement of democratic values (Keiswetter, 2012: 2). In any case, the ultimate strategic effects of these changes are not clear. â€Å"Many fear the emerging power of Islamist movements, elected or violent† (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 43). The anti-American protests in September 2012 in response to a YouTube video, and the uneven governmental responses to the crisis were a clear sign of the underlying turbulence which might complicate future U.S. policy in the region. In other words, the emerging regional order combines a complex array of contradictory new trends (ibid.). In light of the Arab uprisings, it is highly important to prioritize political and economic reform. However, pushing reform complicates ties with key autocratic partners, may cause a nationalist backlash in some democratizing states, and may also risk empowering Islamist groups less inclined to cooperate with the US (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 51).ConclusionA major question that remains to be answered is whether the uprisings will eventually lead to the democratization of the Middle East and the end of the authoritarianism that has undermined its political life (Dalacoura, 2012: 79). On the one hand, the most immediate prospects for the Arab Spring are: continuing instabilities as states try to solve their political and economic situations, as well as their relations with other countries; rising influence for those countries with the necessary resources to back up their policies; and the continuation of a visible but attenuated role for the U.S. (Keiswetter, 2012: 2). The long-term prospect, on the other hand, includes also the possibility Middle East with a much higher degree of freedom, more democratic, prosperous and accountable, less abusive of human rights, and thus a net positive outcome for U.S. interests (ibid.). With the dramatic rise in popular activism empowered by the new technologies, it is clear that long-term stability in the region will require meaningful steps by all governments towards a genuine political and economic reform (Kahl and Lynch, 2013: 42). The U.S. has had to tread a fine line between support for its values and long-term interests à ¢â‚¬â€œ represented by political reform in the region-, and the protection of its core regional interests (Kitchen, 2012: 57). If the U.S. is serious about turning off its Middle detour, then in the Middle East and North Africa the US needs to prioritize long-term trends over short-term concerns, which may not always mean pushing for revolutionary change in support of democratic values in the region (Kitchen, 2012: 58). The recent revolutions pose an opportunity to establish a new status quo in the Middle East, free an oppressed and jobless youth, increase economic standing and trade, and give democracy a chance to flourish. While the U.S. remains limited in the impact it can have in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, it has an opportunity to change its negative standing in the Middle East; an opportunity to change a stoic, ineffective foreign policy (Shore, 2012).References Andrew Bennett, (2003) â€Å"A Lakatosian Reading of Lakatos: What Can We Salvage from the Hard Core?,† inProgress in International Relations Theory: Appraising the Field, ed. Colin Elman and Miriam Fendius Elman. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 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