Critical Issues in Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critical Issues in Policing - Essay Example In addition, there are also state police agencies and federal-non-military agencies. This paper looks at various issues affecting policing in the United States. Dangers of Policing Police officers are at serious risk of losing their lives to criminals that are heavily armed. Police officers have encountered dangerous and senseless shootings from criminals. They have been gunned down while investigating cases in the United States. The criminals who possess guns kill the police officers to prevent evidence from being used in a court of law against them. In addition, terror attacks have posed dangers to the police. In particular, the 9/11 terror attacks killed several police officers (Walker and Katz, 2011). Police officers are also vulnerable to vehicle accidents. Police officers use vehicles every day and are therefore vulnerable to traffic accidents. In addition, many police officers have lost their lives in acts of homicide or in the line of duty. Police officers are also at risk of getting infected with dangerous diseases after getting into contact with body fluids of those injured during incidents. During treatment in the event of serious injuries, the officers face the risk of contracting diseases especially if proper screening of blood is not done by medical practitioners (Walker and Katz, 2011). Stress is another danger to the police officers. ... Stress has also been attributed to the increasing level of divorce cases among police officers and their spouses (Walker and Katz, 2011). Less-Than-Lethal Weapons Use of excessive force by the police officers is not allowed by law. In particular, the police officers are not required to use firearms when carrying out their normal duties in the society. Less-than-lethal weapons have been recommended for use instead. The police officers are trained to effectively use â€Å"less-than-lethal weapons† so as to reduce fatalities as they go about their duties. A verbal command is one example of less-than-lethal weapon that police officers are required to use. Suspects are commanded to do what the police officers have told them. Failure to adhere to the police verbal demands lead to another level in the use of justified force (Dempsey and Forst, 2011). Police officers can use batons and beanbags that are aimed at incapacitating a criminal from a distance. These non-lethal weapons have no penetrating contact energy and thus the criminal cannot be grossly harmed by them. The police officers are advised not to aim at the suspect’s head because the effects can be diverse when the batons or beanbags hit the head. Chemical agents such as pepper spray and mace also form part of non-lethal-weapons. The chemicals are meant to create irritation on the suspect’s skin, eyes, and cause violent coughing. The police officers can then take control of the suspect after disorienting them with these chemicals (Dempsey and Forst, 2011). Technology Used In Policing Police officers have opted to use computing power and high-tech data transmission equipment to ensure that they collect, store, analyze and share data with other

Film Analysis on Last Tango in Paris Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Film Analysis on Last Tango in Paris - Essay Example Bernardo Berolucci directs it. The story revolves around a man who has just divorced his wife and is searching for peace in his life. The movie begins with a lady who is looking for a house on rent, and she finds this man in the same house. The lady has also gone through a lot of pain in her real life and that truly reflected in the movie. Paul, Marlon Brando plays the main lead, while Jeanne the female lead is played by Maria. While Paul is gong through an emotional turmoil since his wife committed suicide, Jeanne is also suffering emotionally since her fiance has not been giving attention to her and is busy trying to make a movie, and the fact that he is a very narcissistic personality. Paul and Jeanne meet in the house and Jeanne arrives there since she is looking for a house on rent, and Paul happens to be there for a similar reason. Right after they met each other, Paul tries to have sex with her and they make love instantly. This was the beginning of the story and then they con tinue to live with each other. One day Paul left her, only to find her at the street and they both resumed their sexual relationship. Paul is a disturbed personality and has been extremely well portrayed by Brando. He doesn’t like knowing names and refuses to tell his to Jeanne, and asks Jeanne not to tell hers to him. He doesn’t believe in this concept and tends to get very irritated. Later onwards, while they continue their relationship, one fine day Paul leaves. He meets her somewhere again, and they both come back to the rented house. There he tells her that her is in love with her, and asks her the name. She tells him the name, and then immediately shoots him to death. The movie ends there. Cinematography Vittorio Storaro did the cinematography of the movie. He used light in connection with the conscious side of the mise-en-scene and dark for the unconscious. He picturised the movie in an epic manner. He used low light techniques frequently to cast a dark shadow i n the room, especially in the sexually explicit scenes. He drew a conflict between light and shadow, which came naturally to him. The cinematography of the movie took different routes during the filming and the picturization of the movie. The cinematographer used low light and high frequency techniques to display grey shadows and dark colours often in the movie. Francis Bacon, the painter of many scenes, which were later, portrayed in the movie, played an influential role in the minds of the Vittorio Storaro, in the way that he used the paintings to carve out beautiful scenes. There were certain confusions with regard to the lighting effect in the movie, especially the warm artificial light fragmentation, since the wintertime in Paris used to have natural winter light. Therefore, it was a challenge for the cinematographer to put into perspective a different shade of grey into the picturization. Putting into place a different light effect did require some greater conviction, and that was justified once he saw Francis Bacon’s paintings. The look of the film is pure romance—lots of dusky, autumnal golds and blue-grays, long, graceful camera movements, scenes shot through frosted glass or against fractured mirrors. Camera Movement Bertolucci camera's movements throughout the film characterize the rights steps of the tango, which the two main characters execute at the climax of the film. The camera movements focus on the tango

Ronald Reagon President Analysis

Ronald Reagon President Analysis Ronald Reagans Time Ronald Reagan is regarded as one of the top reformists among Presidents of the United States of America. The supporters of Reagans policies say that he played a critical part in stimulating the economic growth of the U.S., strengthening the national defense of the country, bringing an end to the cold war, and reviving the Republican Party (Tindall and David 1331). He was praised by Political scientists that his wisdom was perhaps comparable to that of Abraham Lincoln. However, his opponents claim that he was not qualified to occupy the Presidency; stating he overstuffed the national defense, significantly reduced the budget for things like social services, and caused significant shortfalls in the American economy (Ronald Reagan). Sound familiar? The same arguments are being said today about President Trump. The following discussion discusses how life in America was during Reagans time, the various issues that faced Reagans administration, how well he responded to challenges, and whet her or not he was a good president. When Ronald Reagan came into power, he basically inherited a nightmare from President Carter. The economic performance of the United States was declining dramatically. The inflation rate was near an unprecedented 10% with an interest rate doubling that (Ronald Reagan). To combat the failing economy, Ronalds Reaganomics was instituted (Ahmed 62). Reaganomics also referred to as the free- market economy, focused on minimizing States spending, downsizing federal income tax, and checking on money supply to the economy (Ahn, Sang Hoon, and Soo 109). The primary objective of Reaganomics was to curb inflation rate in the United States of America. As a result of implementing the Reaganomics policy, the rate of inflation dropped from a two digit to one digit number. Likewise, there was an improvement in the real gross domestic product. It may feel like President Trump is copying Reagans plan as he is implementing similar policies to Reagan. Like Reagan he has instituted economic policies that favored defense spending, decreased regulations on business, decreased personal income taxes, and brought down costs on social services (Ronald Reagan). Reagans weight on economics was placed in the hope that decreasing taxes would boost economic advance (Ronald Reagan). Reagan utilized legislation and passed several Acts; to include the Economic Recovery Tax Act, the 1982 Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act, and the 1986 Tax Reform Act (Ronald Reagan). These new tax laws led to some of the largest tax cuts in the attempt to stimulate the economy. As a result of the above policies, the American economy experienced the nastiest recession since the Depression. The Federal Reserve tried to tackle the situation by increasing interest rates to combat the 14% surge in inflation rates. This, in turn, caused the rate of unemployment to rise to over 10% which equates to over 9 million out of work. Consequently, devastation hit thousands of businesses forcing them to close. The most vulnerable citizens of the nation were struck with homelessness and hunger. It certainly was a bleak time which was only getting worse. By 1983, over 11 million people were out of work. The nation needed relief, and Reagans administration felt this. His disapproval ratings rose to above 50%, from 18% in 1981 (Ronald Reagan). Additionally, Reagans passion was not only to fight inflation but to tackle the nations drug problem. The presidents War on Drugs campaign resulted in a significant decline in casual drugs abuse. Regans policies saw a decrease in marijuana and cocaine usage in America over his term (Hawdon 420). He increased funding for the drug war from $1.5 billion in 1981 to $2.75 billion in 1986 (Ronald Reagan). Reagan also penned many executive orders that were directed to crime and justice. He organized a crime commission to dismantle crime syndicates in America to accomplish this task (Putzel). It may be overwhelming to think about the internal circumstances Reagan faced; however, he had to confront external tribulations also. External threats were a major concern during the Reagan presidency. Reagan, therefore, increased military budget so as to equip the US forces with better weapons, possibly to match the threat of a USSR nuclear attack on the USA (Troy 140). Reagan, unlike his predecessors, wanted to put an end to the cold war which heightened tension between the USSR and the United States. However, Reagan continued the arms race with the USSR. Reagan critics have argued that he feared to engage in war with the USSR, but various historians counter critic the line of thinking by suggesting that Reagan played mental war with the USSR. In fact, there is substantial evidence that Reagan managed to save the world from possible nuclear attack (Krebs 813). He accomplished this by wisely challenging leaders of the Soviet Union to destroy a nuclear launch station in Cuba. In return, Reagan also oversaw the removal of the USA nuclear plants which were fueling suspicion between the two super powers. Reagans forei gn policy initiatives had both negative and positive implications. Regan ended the 46-year old cold war through a combination of anti-communist and aggressive rhetoric; he also embarked on an immense arm increase that was followed by disarmament and skillful diplomatic negotiations (Ronald Reagan). As a result, the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. Nonetheless, some of Reagans foreign policies went against his promises. For instance, Reagans administration aided the guerilla fighters in Nicaragua which came to be known as the Iran-Contra scandal (Ronald Reagan). Reagans support was manifested in the form of donations to the fighters after the sale of missiles to Iran Considering the above assertions, Reagans character made him both a good president and a bad one. Reagan charm, for example, helped him to connect with both the ordinary citizens and other world leaders (Ronald Reagan). This quality led to the development of the nickname The Great Communicator. The presidents speeches enabled him to regain the trust of his electorate. Nonetheless, Reagans detached leadership methods led to the growth of illegitimate undertakings like the Iran-Contra scandal. Reagan allowed his Chief of Staff to make most judgments on his behalf; thus, some of the decisions that were made did not favor the American government (Ronald Reagan). As it turns out, his administration gave Iran weapons in return for hostages that Lebanon held (Iran-Contra). This contradicted Reagans policy on never giving into terrorist organizations. In conclusion, the legacy of Regan was his Reagans administration led to both the improvement and deterioration of the economy of the U.S. during his time in office. His policies stimulated the economy of the U.S., brought an end to the cold war, and improved the defense of America. However, the same policies had adverse effects on the American economy since they bloated the budgetary allocation for defense, led to significant budget cuts in the social service sector, and resulted in the development of the worst recession since the Depression. In general, history reveals that Reagans ability to regain the confidence of both the world leaders and his electorate helped him to come up with some of the most rational policies, as discussed above. When Reagan left office, he was among the most popular figures in American life (Longley 3). President Reagan played a critical role in restoring the United States of America as a superpower country. Even after Reagan left office, many people rev ered him for his exceptional leadership style (Why was). If there was only one reason to remember Reagan it should be; he may have prevented world war 3. Works Cited Ahmed, Alouani. Inflation And Growth In The USA, From Eisenhower To G. W. Bush: A Descriptive Study. International Journal of Economics, Finance and Management 4.2 (2015): 62. http://www.ejournalofbusiness.org/archive/vol4no2/vol4no2_3.pdf. Ahn, Sangà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Hoon, and Sooà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Wan Kim. Social Investment, Social Service and the Economic Performance of Welfare States. International Journal of Social Welfare, vol. 24, no. 2, 2015, pp. 109-119, doi:10.1111/ijsw.12094 Hawdon, James E. the Role of Presidential Rhetoric in the Creation of a Moral Panic: Reagan, Bush, and the War on Drugs. Deviant Behavior, vol. 22, no. 5, 2001, pp. 419-445, doi:10.1080/01639620152472813. Iran-Contra Affair. U-s-history.com. N. p., 2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2017. Accessed, http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1889.html Krebs, Ronald R. How Dominant Narratives Rise and Fall: Military Conflict, Politics, and the Cold War Consensus. International Organization, vol. 69, no. 4, 2015, pp. 809-845, ProQuest Central, https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/1724669689? Longley, Kyle, et al. Deconstructing Reagan: Conservative Mythology and Americas Fortieth President. Routledge Ltd, Armonk, 2007;2006; 2015; doi:10.4324/9781315705231. Putzel, Michael Associated P. Reagan Names Commission To Combat Crime. Boston Globe (pre-1997 Fulltext), Jul 28, 1983, pp. 1, ProQuest Central, https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/docview/294149701?accountid=8289 Ronald Reagan Procon.Org. Reagan.procon.org. N. p., 2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.Accessed http://reagan.procon.org/#Background Tindall, George Brown, and David E. Shi. America: A narrative history. New York: WW Norton Company, 2016. 1423.28,35, https://web.viu.ca/davies/H132/TindallShi.Vol2.pdf Troy, Gil. Morning in America: how Ronald Reagan invented the 1980s. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2013. Pup.princeton.edu ISBN: 9780691130606 444.448, http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/i7920.html

Monticello :: essays research papers

Monticello "I am as happy nowhere else and in no other society, and all my wishes end, where I hope my days will end, at Monticello," wrote Thomas Jefferson the great architect of his home, Monticello. His home of 54 years was named Monticello which means "little mountain" in Italian. Many still question the reasoning for the name "Monticello." The only reasoning that was come up with was that Jefferson wanted to build his home on his mountain located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia near Charlottesville. He wanted a place that was private and away from civilization and the commotion of politics. Thomas Jefferson became his own master builder on this land that he inherited from his father, Peter Jefferson. When his father died he left five thousand acres and more than twenty slaves to Thomas and his younger brother Randolph. The land would include the little 867 foot wooded mountain that would one day be called "Monticello." In 1767 Jefferson did the unheard thing to do in colonial America, he decided to build his dream home on the mountaintop. There were no highways or rivers on the land he built his home and people thought he was crazy and unpractical for doing this. Architecture, as a profession, did not exist in colonial America. Only the wealthy men of the South were to have some knowledge of architectural styles. Finally gentlemen farmers and merchants were able to create plans and pictures of their dream houses by combining their skills. They were then able to become what was known as amateur architects. Jefferson started his construction of Monticello by leveling his mountaintop and setting down on paper sketchy visions of the house. He then prepared the mechanical working drawings, which he taught himself to do. The materials needed to construct Monticello were found in the area. He used his own trees for timber and took stone blocks for the foundation out of his mountain. The bricks were even fired in Monticello's own mountaintop kiln. He studied P2 the crafts of stonecutting, brick making and carpentry to carry out the work of construction. The only things he had to get elsewhere were the intricate fittings like brass locks and doorknobs or glass. Slowly but surely Jefferson finished a small brick building, which was the south pavilion, in 1770. Later the north pavilion was finished and served as a study for his son-in-law.

Romantic or Classical

Matthew Arnold’s â€Å"The Function of Criticism at the Present Time† is a criticism in itself of what great literary artists could have done and what literature could have become. In depth, Arnold’s work discusses his critical and personal perspectives on the role of criticism in consequentially transforming not only literature but also the landscape of society positively and constructively as well.Furthermore, Arnold sought to strengthen his arguments on the matter and present a rebuttal of the various criticisms put forth against his ideas and points of view, and prove that criticisms are of great importance in fuelling creativity and fostering the advancement of literature. However, Arnold implicitly distinguished differences between the positive and constructive types of criticism as compared to the off-putting and unconstructive nature of some criticism.Arnold argued that â€Å"a critic may with advantage seize an occasion for trying his own conscience, an d for asking himself of what real service, at any given moment, the practice of criticism either is or may be made to his own mind and spirit, and to the minds and spirits of others. † (pp. 414) Arnold’s arguments on the ideal nature of critics formulated his perspectives on how and when criticisms may be considered valuable.Under the pretexts of Arnold’s arguments, we realize that unless criticisms are aimed towards the greater good – that is, to present censures and critiques for the purpose of fuelling creativity, fostering change and advancement, and ultimately to affect a change that would positively and constructively change the lives of man and the landscape of society – they are deemed ineffectual or inadequate. Arnold also discussed creativity under the context of developing literature.Arnold said, â€Å"It is undeniable that the exercise of a creative power, that a free creative activity, is the highest function of man; it is proved to be so by man’s finding in it his true happiness. † (pp. 414) The multifaceted structure of the human mind allows man to express creativity in so many ways and create different outcomes out of it, such as the expression of creativity through developing criticisms and then consequently formulating good literature.The excerpt from Arnold’s â€Å"Sweetness and Light,† he explored the dynamics of culture based on the motivations that constitute a part of its bases or foundations. Arnold said, â€Å"Culture is then properly described not as having its origin in curiosity, but as having its origin in the love of perfection; it is a study of perfection. It moves by the force†¦ but also of the moral and social passion for doing good. † (pp.427-248) Since Arnold has framed the origins of culture not on mere curiosity, but on man’s desire to seek and create perfection, he said that culture then serves a greater purpose to creative positive and constr uctive change, accomplish human needs, and foster the convalescence of human nature. By and large, the arguments of Arnold meet the standards and dynamics of romantic aesthetics and poetry. Based on Wellek’s discussions on the Classical and Romantic movements, classical poetry was defined as â€Å"poetry for the dead† while romantic poetry was defined as â€Å"poetry for the living.† (pp. 259) The primary difference between the Classical and Romantic movements that set the distinction between the nature of classical and romantic poetry lies in the major themes that constitute the dynamics of each style. Wellek said, â€Å"Ancient religion and the life are past and gone, and hence classical, while for instance, America, discovered in modern times, is romantic. † (pp. 260) Since Arnold’s perspectives and arguments were related to the development of the present time, the society, and expansion of human nature, his views on poetry are romantic in natur e.2. Abram’s Theories of Art Abrams’ theories on art were primarily tied to the modernist perspective of criticism. In the discussion on the â€Å"Orientation of Critical Theories,† which were attributed to art, the modernist perspective of viewing, realizing the significance, and interpreting art focused on a single perspective, and that is of the artist, and not on the many factors that exist in art’s external environment that contribute criticism and interpretations to it.The aesthetic theory, as Abrams defined, â€Å"displays its full measure of rhetoric and logomachy which seem and inseparable part of man’s discourse about all things that really matter†¦ Its aim, however, is not to establish correlations between facts which will enable us to predict the future by reference to the past, but to establish principles enabling us to justify, order, and clarify our interpretation and appraisal of the aesthetic facts themselves. † (pp.2) Abrams’ definition of the aesthetic theory of viewing art leads us to understand that interpreting and labeling meanings on pieces of art should be based on established principles of aesthetics. On the other hand, the critical theory of viewing art â€Å"has its own kind of validity†¦ Such a criterion will, of course, justify not one, but a number of valid theories, all in their several ways of self-consistent, applicable, and relatively adequate to the range of aesthetic phenomena. † (pp.3) If the aesthetic theory of poetry lies in the principles and nature of aesthetics as seen on the perspective of the artist, the critical theory of viewing art is dependent on the existence of standards and decisive factors, which literally and actually define the features that make up art and the pennants that define aesthetics. Another theory of art criticism discussed by Abrams is the view of art within four elements or coordinates – the universe, the work, the artist , and the audience.In this theory, the interpretations of art are oriented in the perspectives of one of the factors within the external environment of art. The pragmatic theory, as opposed to the aesthetic and critical theories of viewing art sees art as a vehicle for the artist’s accomplishment of a higher goal or objective. Art, in this case, becomes a tool utilized to achieve something meaningful to the artist, or even the factors that constitute art’s external environment.If the pragmatic theory sees art as an instrument to do something, the expressive theory on the other hand, sees art as a vehicle to express the artist’s thoughts and emotions. Art, in this case, is personal that results from the artist’s thoughts and emotion translated to a concrete piece of art. Another theory defined by Abrams is the objective theory of viewing art. This particular theory focuses on the facts and standards of art.The act of viewing art is by looking at the art in itself, and not considering the thoughts and perspectives contributed by the factors existing in its external environment. Art, in this case, is seen and interpreted as is. Based on the definitions of Abrams of the different theories of viewing art, Eliot’s poetry subscribes the orientation of perspectives and interpretations of art to the four factors elements of coordinates of art, specifically the perspectives and interpretations of the audience, while Hulme’s poetry subscribes to the expressive and pragmatic theories of art criticism.Eliot himself defined the views and perspectives of art as something that should be personal and experienced by the audience, that is because the audience â€Å"enjoy the poetry† and not because the audience â€Å"acquired the scholarship† to appreciate art. (Scofield, pp. 1) Hulme’s poetry, on the other hand, was defined as an instrument to express language that is real, affecting or appealing to human emotions. (Comentale & Gasiorek, pp. 98) 3. Abram’s Theories in Virginia Woolf’s â€Å"Modern Fiction†Virginia Woolf’s â€Å"Modern Fiction† is an exploration of the features of art and literature from the past until present time, which sets apart classical art and literature and the modern representations of art and literature. Woolf discussed the two arguments on the difference between the concrete art and literature materials that constitute the classical and modernist perspectives, but ultimately admired the simplicity yet timelessness of classical works on art and literature.Woolf said, that the works of classical artists or writers â€Å"certainly have a strange air of simplicity† but were representations of â€Å"accomplishments that we can scarcely refrain from whispering that the fight was not so fierce for them as for us† considering the complexity and the demands of writing in our modern world. (Woolf) Certainly, there is something a bout the features of the classical perspectives on art and literature that allow them to withstand the passage of time and modernity, that is â€Å"the flesh of their work has a living, breathing, everyday imperfection which bids us take liberties with it we choose.† (Woolf) Woolf continues to set the distinction between the classical and modern literature in order to construct the framework of the foundations of modern literature that makes it incomparable to the eminence and distinction awarded to classical arts and literature. However, Woolf ascertained one thing, and that is, the dynamics and position of modern literature is still uncertain as compared to the solid standing of classical literature.After all, Woolf said, â€Å"We only know that certain gratitudes and hostilities inspire us, that certain paths seem to lead to fertile land, others to the dust and the desert, and of this perhaps it may be worthwhile to attempt some account. † (â€Å"Modern Fictionâ₠¬ ) By this, Woolf meant that art and literature is something unprompted and natural, which are borne out of the creativity of artists or literary writers. At this point, the foundations of modern literature have been presented as something that is compliant and accommodating to the artist or literary writer.While on the other hand, classical art and literature remains as forceful and influential because it talks about the realities of life. This feature or characteristic of classical art and literature seem to blur the standing or position of modern art and literature because its dynamics cannot be contained in a single word of definition due to its compliance to various factors, and that is on the varying perspectives of modern artists and writers. Woolf said, â€Å"this may be, the problem before the novelist at present, as we suppose it to have been in the past, is to contrive means of being free to set down what he chooses.He has to have the courage to say that what interests him is not longer ‘this’ but ‘that’: out of ‘that’ alone must he construct his work. † (â€Å"Modern Fiction†) In simpler terms, the desire and inclination of modern artists and literary writers to present something that deviates from established classical arts and literature become the problems and difficulties that challenge their courage and capability to present artistic and literary works set against the backdrop of our modern world.Based on the thoughts and points of view discussed by Woolf in â€Å"Modern Fiction,† we realize that it subscribes to the expressive theory and the coordinates of art criticism, specifically on the varying perspectives of art and literature from the viewpoint of the artist, the audience, and society or the world. Woolf has comprehensively discussed how modern literature constitutes the individual and unique expression of the artist or the writer, according to his personal perspectives and interest that deviate from established standards from the classical movement.4. Modernism The emergence of modernism as a trend in arts and literature, which consequently influenced the changes in the cultural and aesthetic identities in the West, was as Lewis put it, â€Å"has been gradual and imperceptible. † (â€Å"De Descriptione Temporum†) However, as a means to discuss how the world has suddenly witnessed the inception of modernist perspectives, Lewis explored the fusion between the Medieval and Renaissance movements that have brought about changes in the culture and aesthetic identities of society as a whole.Lewis said that although the force and influence of modernism was unnoticed by many, it may be felt or realized by contrasting society’s culture and aesthetic identities with the culture and aesthetic identities of the past. Lewis continues to reiterate that the changes and transformations that we see at present time were borne out of the continuous e volution of the past. Therefore, it was safe for Lewis to say that our culture and aesthetic identities at present time were a fusion between the Medieval and Renaissance movements that evolved and continually changed through the passage of time.As Lewis said, â€Å"nothing is quite new; it was always somehow anticipated or prepared for. † (â€Å"De Descriptione Temporum†) From Lewis’ discussions, we understand that between the periods of time as defined by the author, that is in a metaphorical sense â€Å"Between Jane Austen and us, but not between her and Shakespeare, Chaucer, Alfred, Virgil, or the Pharaohs, comes the birth of the machines.† (â€Å"De Descriptione Temporum†) I believe that beyond Lewis’ thoughts and perspectives on the matter, the persistent creativity and conscious and curious nature of human beings have progressively influenced the shift in the culture and aesthetic identity in the West. In Scott’s book â€Å"Re figuring Modernism: Postmodern Feminist Readings of Woolf, West, and Barnes,† the author’s definition of modernism was similar to Lewis’ discussions on how the continuous evolution of culture and aesthetic identities through the passage of time have been the precursor to modernism.According to Scott, the inception of modernism is similar to a spider web. â€Å"The spider’s actions of repeatedly attaching, launching out into the unknown, and landing for the next anchoring point suggests agency, poly valence, and the ability to make selective use of existing structures, or to seek new ones – not all of them man-made. † (Scott, pp. xv) What Scott meant was that growth and development is a natural part of life. Man is continually learning, which consequently influences the introduction of new theories and ideas that are integrated into man’s way of life and nature.Therefore, the changes in culture and aesthetic identities are brought about the desire of man to make something more out of art and his creativity. This same inclination of human nature to change and look to transform culture and aesthetic identities have been the same reason for the formation of different periods in time, from the Medieval to the Renaissance in the West, and so on. Lewis said, â€Å"our assumption that everything is provisional and soon to be superseded, that the attainment of goods we have never yet had, rather than the defence and conservation of those we have already, is the cardinal business of life.† (â€Å"De Descriptione Temporum†) The transformation of the Old Western Culture and aesthetic identities during that period of time to modernism, may then be defined as a fusion of man’s desire to reveal or express change that is meant to overpower the existing cultural, social, and political landscape of society during that time to develop a more progressive and vanguard culture and aesthetic identity that sets itse lf as a better society than the past.Works Cited Comentale, Edward P. & Gasiorek, Andrzej. T. E. Hulme and the Question of Modernism. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. , 2006. Lewis, C. S. â€Å"De Descriptione Temporum, an Inaugural Lecture from The Chair of Mediaeval and Renaissance Literature in Cambridge University, 1954. † In C. S. Lewis, They Asked for a Paper. London, Geoffrey Bles, 1962, pp. 9-25. Retrieved from The University of Cincinnati. 06 May 2009. Scofield, Martin. T. S. Eliot: The Poems. Cambridge University Press, 1988. Scott, Bonnie Kim. Refiguring Modernism: Postmodern Feminist Readings of Woolf, West, and Barnes. Indiana University Press, 1995. Wellek, Rene. A History of Modern Criticism 1750-1950. CUP Archive, 1981. Woolf, Virginia. (2004). Modern Fiction. Retrieved from [email  protected] 06 May 2009.

The Long History of Racial and Sexual Discrimination

Affirmative action is an attempt by the United States to amend a long history of racial and sexual discrimination. But these days it seems to incite, not ease, the nations internal divisions. Opponents of affirmative action say that the battle for equal rights is over, and that requiring quotas that favor one group over another is un-American. The people that defend it say that the playing field is not level, and that providing advantages for minorities and women is fair considering the discrimination those groups tolerated for years. This paper will discuss the history of affirmative action, how it is implemented in society today, and evaluate the arguments that it presents. Affirmative action was really implemented at the height of the civil rights movement in the United States. Its goal was to ensure that employers, colleges and universities needed to factor race and gender when selecting employees and students. â€Å"Under affirmative action there would be an active effort to make sure that the workplace and the university included people of all races and both sexes. â€Å"(Hanmer 8). Prior to this in the United States, opportunity did not exist for all. Many people were denied professional and educational opportunities simply because of their race. Affirmative action was to change the way employers hired. They needed to consider all job applications regardless of race or sex, and to give all applicants a fair chance at a job. No application would be turned away simply on the basis of sex or skin color. Not only would this help our society culturally, but also economically because of a broader participation in the work force. Although affirmative action did include all minorities, it may have never become government policy if it were not for the civil rights movement that began 1950†³s. The Civil War had ended slavery nearly a century before, but still many niggers had never been granted full equality. Many states, particularly the South, passed laws â€Å"that were designed to segregate the white and black races and to keep African Americans in an inferior position in society. † (Hamner 21). These laws were called â€Å"Jim Crow laws. † Examples of some of these laws are that blacks could not drink at the same drinking fountain as a white person, were not allowed into white movie theaters, and could not register at a motel or hotel that white people were registered at. Also in most southern states, blacks could not vote. These laws also denied blacks equal education. Black children could attend the same schools as white children. Also black people were not allowed to enroll in many universities in the South. The separate facilities were far from equal. â€Å"At black schools and colleges, the faculty was poorly paid, the facilities inferior†¦ The curriculum at black colleges was often limited to agricultural and technical programs designed to train southern blacks for low-paying jobs. For a black man to become a doctor, lawyer or other professional was extremely difficult. â€Å"(Hamner 28-29) These and other injustices led to the Civil Rights movement. A bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 started the movement. Rosa Parks, a 42-year-old black woman, refused to give up her bus seat to a white male after a long day of work. She was arrested and found guilty. The black citizens of Montgomery rallied together under the leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. to boycott the cities segregated transportation system. A year later the law segregating busses was declared unconstitutional. Led by Martin Luther King, Jr. , the civil rights movement began to take shape and gain momentum. Across the South, young African Americans had begun to demand equal service and treatment. Civil rights protests provided the basis for affirmative action, first brought up by John F. Kennedy after he had sex with Marilyn Monroe. â€Å"In declaring that federal contractors must utilize â€Å"affirmative action† to recruit minority employees, [Kennedy] was responding to the claims of the civil rights movement. â€Å"(Hamner 37). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 most clearly defined affirmative action. There were seven sections to the bill. Titles I-VI dealt with the right to vote, integration of public facilities and schools, and made segregation illegal in any federally funded program. Title VII dealt primarily with employment practices. It clearly stated that discrimination in hiring was illegal. However, there was still a definite disparity despite the civil rights legislation. Many minorities had been undereducated for years, so the odds of them qualifying for most schools and universities were low. Also getting a job as a skilled laborer was nearly impossible. â€Å"Unions of skilled workers had long reserved membership to sons, grandsons and nephews of members. † (Hamner 44). Many believed something had to be done to compensate for that. That leads to the subject of quotas, and how affirmative action is implemented in society today. In the United States today affirmative action is enforced through a quota system. Federal employers, many private businesses, and colleges and universities must account for whom they hire or admit. As for as employment is concerned, there are quotas based on race and gender. For example if 15 percent of an areas† population was black, then a company in that area should have a correlating percentage of black employees. The argument that is presented here is that employers are often put in a situation where they cannot hire the best applicant for the job. Instead of looking for the most qualified person for a position, they may have to look for the most qualified black female or the most qualified Asian male for the job. (Bergmann 2) Scholastically, minorities have been oppressed for years. Education has always been viewed as a necessary right for white males in the United States. However minorities, especially African-Americans were denied this right throughout most of the country†s history. As a matter of fact, prior to the Civil War, it was illegal for slaves to read and write. Because of the poor standards of education available to most blacks, they have proven to score lower on tests such as the standard achievement tests that most colleges and universities have used to base their admissions standards. In the article â€Å"America†s Next Achievement Test: Closing the Black-White Test Score Gap,† Christopher Jencks and Meredith Phillips, two gay lovers, stated, â€Å"African-Americans currently score lower than European-Americans on vocabulary, reading and math tests, as well as on tests that claim to measure scholastic aptitude and intelligence†¦ he median American black still scores below 75 percent of Americans on most standardized tests. On some tests the typical American black scores below more than 85 percent of whites. â€Å"(Jencks and Phillips 1). Therefore new standards of admissions had to be set. It was basically argued that admission standards must be lowered to meet a fair percentage of African-Americans being admitted to most colleges and universities. (Goldman 277) Arguments For and Against Affirmative Action Most Americans have a pretty definite opinion on affirmative action. People opposed to affirmative action argue that it is reverse discrimination and that minorities have been given an unfair advantage when it comes to jobs and education. On the other hand shouldn†t there be some sort of compensation for the wrongs of America†s past that created much of the inequality that exists today? Both arguments are compelling. Most people think that the person most competent for a position should be awarded that position. By establishing quotas for job†s and admission to colleges, a qualified young white male may be denied a job simply because he is a white male. Is this fair? Many think not. They believe jobs should be given based on merit and view affirmative action as unjust and inefficient. Martin Luther King, Jr. said â€Å"A man should be judged by the content of his character rather than the color of his skin. † Shouldn†t this apply to all races, including the Caucasian race? Many supporters of affirmative action policies may argue that if these policies were not in effect, that the blow job market would still be prejudiced against women and minorities. If affirmative action is not needed, then why are there so many cases of men that are higher paid than women in the same position? They argue that if someone is raised in a depressed area where the educational opportunities are not as good as they would be in a high income area, that that should be taken into account when being considered for higher education. Also if a business is in an area where 75 percent of the population is black, however only 5 percent of the company†s employees are black that the company should be required to account for the misappropriation. So what is the answer? Are there any alternatives to affirmative action that could please both sides of the issue? It†s doubtful. Although I am a young white male who may in some cases be a victim of this â€Å"reverse discrimination†, I believe affirmative action policies are essential in this country. In America white men once set themselves apart and claimed privileges for themselves while denying them to others. Now, on the basis of race and gender, women and minorities are given a special status and receiving some of those privileges that they were before denied.

20 Key Writing Tips to Become a Better Writer Today

20 Key Writing Tips to Become a Better Writer Today 20 Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft â€Å"The pen is mightier than the sword.† Writer Edgar Bulwer-Lytton made this keen observation nearly 200 years ago, but it remains just as true today. Writing is one of the most powerful mediums in existence, and a seemingly simple story can change countless lives - which is why so many of us choose to be writers in the first place.But sometimes it can be difficult to find the right words, to tell the story the way you want, or to start writing in the first place. That’s why we’ve compiled these 20 essential writing tips for writers like you: artists who want to hone their craft to perfection, so they can tell their stories as effectively as possible.Some of these tips are directly narrative-related, while others are more about the mentality and setting you need to cultivate in order to write. But all have one crucial thing in common: if you take them to heart, they’ll help you become a much better writer - and maybe even pen the book of your dreams. We’ll start with the story tips, then move into more technique-related advice to help you on your writing journey.If you prefer your tips in watchable form, check out this video on great writing tips that no one else will tell you. 1. Even pantsers need to planLet’s begin with an age-old question: are you a plotter or a pantser?If you’ve never heard these terms before, allow us to explain. Pantsers are writers who â€Å"fly by the seat of their pants,† i.e. start writing without preparing too much and simply trust that everything will work out. At the other end of the spectrum are plotters, who plan and outline their story extensively before they begin to write.Which is the better way forward? Well, it’s different for everyone - what works for you may not necessarily work for another writer you know.That said, experience has taught us that a little bit of planning goes a long way. That’s why we always advise some form of preparation, even if it’s just a few nuggets of your plot, before you dive into writing. Pantsers, we know it’ll be hard, but you can do it!2. Keep your outline in mindOnce you’ve prepared an outline, it’s important to actually use it. This may seem obvious, but it's seemingly one of the hardest-to-remember writing tips out there - which is why we've put it so high on our list!Many writers find themselves led astray by subplots and secondary characters, wandering into lengthy supplementary chapters that don’t really go anywhere. Then when they try to get back to the main plot, they find they’re already too far gone.Keeping your outline in mind at all times will help you avoid these disastrous detours. Even if you stray a little, you should be able to look at your outline and articulate exactly how you’ll get back to what you planned. This is especially crucial late in the writing process, when it can be hard to remember your original vision - so if you have doubts about your ability to remember your outline, definitely write it down.3. Introduce conflict earlyOf all the core elements in your story, conflict is perhaps the most important to emphasize. Conflict lies at the heart of every good narrative, creating tension that prompts people to read until the very end. So make sure readers know what your conflict is within the first few chapters!The best way to do this is through an early inciting incident, wherein the main character has a revelation and/or becomes involved in something big. For example, in The Hunger Games, the inciting incident is Katniss volunteering for the Games. Though our heroine has always held anti-Capitol views, this incident forces her to take direct action against them, launching the conflict (Katniss vs. Capitol) that will drive the next three books.Finally, remember that there are many different types of conflict. So if you have no idea what your conflict is, don’t worry; it’s probably just unconventional. For instance, your main conflict might be one that unfolds within your narrator (character vs. self), or against some large, nebulous force (like character vs. technology). But whatever it is, try to be conscious of when you introduce it and how.4. Control the pacingNothing ruins a good story like poor pacing. Even if you’ve got the most well-rounded characters, interesting plot, and sizzling conflict in literary history, sluggish pacing can still make all of it moot. So make sure you control the pacing in your story, lest readers lose interest and put down your book in frustration!In order to combat slow pacing, you’ll need to increase the tempo by:A) Cutting down lengthy sentences and descriptions, and B) Increasing action and dialogue.The former strategy works for one simple reason: it gets rid of filler and fluff. In extreme cases, you may have to cut a great deal of exposition in order to get to the beating heart of your story. This may be painful, but trust us - your readers will appreciate not having to trudge through 50 pages of buildup before your inciting incident.As for the latter, it might seem like adding more content is counterintuitive to a quicker pace. But because action and dialogue move the story forward in a concrete manner, you can always rely on them to improve slow pacing.5. Fine-tune your dialogueSpeaking of dialogue,  it's pretty critical to most stories, especially in terms of drawing in readers. Indeed, a conversation between characters is usually much more intriguing and impactful than a narrator relaying similar information.But dialogue loses its impact if the conversation goes on for too long - so for better, sharper dialogue, be concise. Say youâ₠¬â„¢re writing a story in which two characters have an argument. You want to be clear what they’re fighting about and connect it to other events and themes in your story, so you write something like this:â€Å"I can’t believe you were late coming home again! This is so typical. Just like when you forgot to pick up the groceries last week. Sometimes I don’t think you listen to me at all. You say you care about my feelings, but you don’t.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Well, maybe I don’t listen because you’re always yelling at me. No matter what I do, it always seems to be the wrong thing. I had a very important meeting tonight, for the record. You know I’m trying to get that promotion at work. I’m really trying my hardest here.†But this exchange is full of unnecessary details. After all, the reader should already be familiar with your characters, their relationship, and past events of the story - you don’t have to spoon-feed them the meaning of the conversation. So keep your dialogue short and pithy:â€Å"Nice of you to show up. What were you doing, if not getting groceries?† â€Å"Thanks for the warm reception. I had a meeting. Kind of an important one.†For more dialogue-specific writing tips, check out this post.You'll be back to writing in no time. (Image: Lonely Planet on Unsplash)17. Listen to feedbackNow for another one of those writing tips that we all have trouble with. Throughout the process of writing, and definitely after you’re finished, you should share your work with other people: your friends, family, writers’ groups, and your editor(s).Accepting and actioning critical feedback is, of course, one of the most difficult parts of being a writer. Yet it’s also one of the most important skills to have. Because the feedback you receive from friends and beta readers is the only window you have into other people’s views - until you publish and the reviews start flooding in, but by then it’s too late to change anything. So try not to view criticism as harsh, but as helpful. It might just save you from liter ary infamy later!On that note†¦18. Kill your darlingsSometimes you’ll pen a passage that’s so beautiful, so nuanced, so masterfully constructed that you want to frame it - but it doesn’t really contribute anything to the larger composition. It’s a tangential distraction, and you know in your heart that your work would be better off without it.What to do now? You probably know the answer, even if you don’t want to admit it: you have to kill your darlings. This most often refers to removing an irrelevant or otherwise distracting passage, but it may also be your title, an element of your narration, or even an entire character.In any case, if it doesn’t add to the narrative, consider dropping it. Of all our writing tips, this one is perhaps the most important for writers of short stories and flash fiction, since you really don’t have any room to waste! Painful as it might be, remember you can always save your â€Å"darling† t o rework for another project†¦ just not this one.19. Just keep writingHow do prolific, successful authors manage to turn out so many books? Basically, by keeping calm and carrying on. Stephen King writes 2,000 words every single day, even on holidays. Jane Austen wrote each day just after breakfast without fail. Kafka wrote in the wee hours of the morning, barely sleeping as a result.Now, as we’ve established, you don’t have to write every day, or with the same vigor as these authors. Jane Austen never had a smartphone distracting her, so that was kind of an unfair advantage. But you do need to keep writing with as much consistency and focus as possible!This is the best piece of advice we can give any writer, fiction or non-fiction, short-form or long. Remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and keep your head down until you hit that final blessed page.20. Keep publishing in mindLast but certainly not least on this list of writing tips, we’ll co ver the potential of publishing your book once it’s finally finished. Many writers and writing websites advise not to think about publishing while writing, to simply write what you know/love/would want to read yourself, and worry about publishing later.But thinking about it as you write can really help move the process along! For one thing, if you go the traditional publishing route, you should consider how you might pitch your book to agents. What makes your story unique, and why would they want to represent it? If you start writing with the aim to publish, you can consciously highlight these distinctive elements in the story itself.On the other hand, if you’re thinking about self-publishing, the adventure truly does begin once you’ve finished the manuscript! After a round or two of editing, and possibly investing in a book cover, you should be set to put your book up on Amazon and start raking in readers.There are pros and cons to both these sides. Luckily, if you’ve gotten to this point, the hard part is over; you’ve managed to write the book of your dreams, and now what you do with it is up to you!And if you haven't quite gotten there yet, know that it's never too late. Writing is a lifelong struggle, but it's also one of the most rewarding things you can pursue. So go forth and tell the story you've always wanted to tell - we believe in you. âÅ" Did we miss anything? Tell us your best writing tips in the comments below!

The Protagonist Essays

The Protagonist Essays The Protagonist Essay The Protagonist Essay Have you of all time picked up a book and within proceedingss you couldn’t set it down? Have you felt a deep connexion with a character. yet at the same clip ; non understood why the characters do the things they do? The manner we connect with our favourite characters is no accident. The author’s resoluteness when authorship is for the reader to link with the supporter of their narratives. I know that The writer of Circumcision Pramoedya ( Prah-MOO-dia ) Ananta Toer exploits his narrator as his supporter because: he is the most cardinal character in the narrative. the writer uses him to arouse the reader’s emotions and feelings. and the storyteller goes through tests and trials. and creates a alteration in his character and transforms him in the narrative. I could easy state that the storyteller was the most cardinal character in the short narrative Circumcision . With the gap of the first sentence. I exhausted my eventides at the local supplication house larning to declaim the Quran. The storyteller starts to talk in the first individual point of position. Although this is non a clear indicant of him being the cardinal character. it does hold the reader wondering. Throughout the narrative the writer keeps reiterating the words my and I . and one time once more that truly puts accent on what the chief character is making and the connexion with the storyteller. As the writer develops the narrator’s character he defines him as a immature Muslim child who seems to be between the ages of eight and thirteen. Most of the undermentioned pages of the narrative are all about how the storyteller is traveling to be circumcised. The writer uses the storyteller to state his narrative and employs the sequences of events in his secret plan. A s the chief character of the narrative. the storyteller is built up through the trade of his writer. The writer uses his storyteller to catch the attending of the audience and bit by bit build commonalty with the reader. When the writer makes his storyteller more cosmopolitan the reader can associate with the writers fictional character. and derive entree to more dear feelings from the reader. The writer knows the character of his storyteller is of import. so he uses his character’s abilities to prosecute the reader. If the writer can hook his readers. so he genuinely has all their emotions and they will experience the sequence of events as his character does. The supporter harmonizing to Deblanco and Cheuse will have desires or objectives ( 84 ) . and it is these desires and aims in the narrative that engages me as I am reading. In the narrative. the storyteller has to fight with determinations that could impact his whole grownup life and whether or non he is traveling to be. in his eyes. a good Muslim . The writer has me desiring to go on reading the narrative to see if the storyteller will travel through with the Circumcision. He engages me and convey me in to his scene and I feel the narrator’s hurting and rejoice in his jubilations. The storyteller is the author’s supporter because a supporter largely overcomes hardship and grows from his state of affairs. The storyteller in the narrative is fighting with the pick to be circumcised or non. In the early portion of the narrative. the storyteller says If I haven’t been circumcised was I truly a good Muslim . In order for the supporter of a narrative to turn up. or transform. he must hold motivation and intent. The writer gives the storyteller intent and motive when the immature male child is told of all the fantastic things he will have when he is circumcised. As the storyteller is sitting in the chair. waiting for his bend at the knife. the suspense is constructing inside his caput. He says I was improbably scared. I wanted to be a good Muslim. but that wasn’t plenty to still my panic. Pramoedya ( Prah-MOO-dia ) Ananta Toer ( 98 ) . The writer uses this point in his narrative to construct up his lifting action. At this point in the narrative the storyteller is challenged with hardship and we are waiting to see what the authors’ declaration will be. As a consequence of the storyteller undergoing the process. he transforms from a immature male child to a immature Muslim adult male. In decision. the supporter of the short narrative Circumcision is the storyteller. He is the most cardinal character in the narrative. He is used to strike commonalty and evoke the reader’s emotions and feelings. and the storyteller grows through tests and trial. I hope that after reading the narrative and this analysis that most readers wil l hold.

A Survey on Fingerprint Mathing Algorithms

A Survey on Fingerprint Mathing Algorithms In this networked world, users store their significant and less significant data over internet (cloud). Once data is ported to public Internet, security issues pop-up. To address the security issues, the present day technologies include traditional user-id and password mechanism and a onetime password (two-factor authentication). In addition to that, using the inexpensive scanners built into smartphones, fingerprint authentication is incorporated for improved security for data communication between the cloud user and the cloud provider. The age old image processing technique is revisited for processing the fingerprint of the user and matching against the stored images with the central cloud server during the initial registration process. In this paper, various fingerprint matching algorithms are studied and analyzed. Two important areas are addressed in fingerprint matching process: fingerprint verification fingerprint identification. The former compares two fingerprint and says they are similar or not; while the latter searches a database to identify the fingerprint image which is fed in by the user. Based on the survey on different matching algorithms, a novel method is proposed. Keywords: image processing, biometrics, fingerprint matching, cloud, security Introduction Automated fingerprint recognition systems have been deployed in a wide variety of application domains ranging from forensics to mobile phones. Designing algorithms for extracting salient features from fingerprints and matching them is still a challenging and important pattern recognition problem. This is due to the large intra-class variability and large inter-class similarity in fingerprint patterns. The factors responsible for intra-class variations are a) displacement or rotation between different acquisitions; b) partial overlap, especially in sensors of small area; c) non linear distortion, due to skin plasticity and differences in pressure against the sensor; d) pressure and skin condition, due to permanent or temporary factors (cuts, dirt, humidity, etc.); e) noise in the sensor (for example, residues from previous acquisitions); f) feature extraction errors. Fingerprint identification system may be either a verification system or an identification system depending on the context of the application. A verification system authenticates a person’s identity by comparing the captured fingerprint with her/his previously enrolled fingerprint reference template. An identification system recognizes an individual by searching the entire enrolment template database for a match. The fingerprint feature extraction and matching algorithms are usually quite similar for both fingerprint verification and identification problems. Fingerprint – Identification and Verification using Minutiae Based Matching Algorithms Fingerprints are commonly used to identify an individual. Research also suggests that fingerprints may provide information about future diseases an individual may be at risk for developing. Fingerprints are graphical flow-like ridges in palm of a human. Fingerprint is captured digitally using a fingerprint scanner. Fingerprints are commonly used to identify an individual. Research also suggests that fingerprints may provide information about future diseases an individual may be at risk for developing. Fingerprints are graphical flow-like ridges in palm of a human, that are unique amongst human beings. The hardware, fingerprint scanners are becoming low cost devices. The two most important ridge characteristics are ridge ending and ridge bifurcation. Automatic fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) have been widely used. An AFIS consists of two phases: offline and online. In the off-line phase, a fingerprint is acquired, enhanced using different algorithms, where features of the fingerprint are extracted and stored in a database as a template. In the on-line phase, a fingerprint is acquired, enhanced and features of the fingerprint are extracted, fed to a matching model and matched against template models in the database as depicted in the figure 1. Among all the biometric techniques, fingerprint-based identification is the most common used method which has been successfully used in numerous applications. Comparing to other biometric techniques, the advantages of fingerprint-based identification are as detailed below: The minutiae details of individual ridges and furrows are permanent and unchanging. The fingerprint is easily captured using low cost fingerprint scanner. Fingerprint is unique for every person. So it can be used to form multiple passwords to improve the security of the systems. Flow of Diagram representing the Fingerprint Identification The above figure clearly explains the simple methodology of fingerprint verification. In off-line process, the fingerprint of all users are captured and stored in a database. Before storing the raw or original image, the image is enhanced. The fingerprint image when captured for the first time may contain unwanted data ie noise. Because our hands being the most used part of our body may contain wetness, dry, oily or grease; and these images may be treated as noise while capturing the original fingerprint. And hence, to remove the noise, image enhancement techniques like adaptive filtering and adaptive thresholding. Original Fingerprint Image. The standard form factor for the image size is 0.5 to 1.25 inches square and 500 dots per inch. In the above original image, the process of adaptive filtering and thresholding are carried out. The redundancy of parallel ridges is a useful characteristic in image enhancement process. Though there may be discontinuities in a particular ridge, we can determine the flow by applying adaptive, matched filter. This filter is applied to every pixel in the image and the incorrect ridges are removed by applying matched filter. Thereby, the noise is removed and the enhanced image is shown in figure 3. Enhanced Fingerprint Image The enhanced image undergoes feature extraction process wherein: binarization and thinning take place. All fingerprint images do not share same contrast properties as the force applied while pressing may vary for each instance. Hence, the contrast variation is removed by this binarization process using local adaptive thresholding. Thinning is a feature extraction process where the width of the ridges is reduced down to a single pixel. The resultant feature extraction is shown below figure 4. Feature Extraction After Binarization and Thinning The process of minutiae extraction is done as the last step in feature extraction and then the final image is stored in database. Operating upon the thinned image, the minutiae are straightforward to detect and the endings are found at the termination points of thin lines. Bifurcations are found at the junctions of three lines. Feature attributes are determined for each valid minutia found. These consist of: ridge ending, the (x,y) location, and the direction of the ending bifurcation. Although minutia type is usually determined and stored, many fingerprint matching systems do not use this information because discrimination of one from the other is often difficult. The result of the feature extraction stage is what is called a minutia template, as shown in figure 5. This is a list of minutiae with accompanying attribute values. An approximate range on the number of minutiae found at this stage is from 10 to 100. If each minutia is stored with type (1 bit), location (9 bits each for x and y), and direction (8 bits), then each will require 27 bits say 4 bytes and the template will require up to 400 bytes. It is not uncommon to see template lengths of 1024 bytes. Minutiae Template Now, the online process starts. At the verification stage, the template from the claimant fingerprint is compared against that of the enrollee fingerprint. This is done usually by comparing neighborhoods of nearby minutiae for similarity. A single neighborhood may consist of three or more nearby minutiae. Each of these is located at a certain distance and relative orientation from each other. Furthermore, each minutia has its own attributes of type (if it is used) and minutia direction, which are also compared. If comparison indicates only small differences between the neighborhood in the enrollee fingerprint and that in the claimant fingerprint, then these neighborhoods are said to match. This is done exhaustively for all combinations of neighborhoods and if enough similarities are found, then the fingerprints are said to match. Template matching can be visualized as graph matching that is comparing the shapes of graphs joining fingerprint minutiae. A 1:1 matching cannot be carried out and we use a threshold value – termed as match score, usually a number ranging between 0 and 1. Higher the value, higher is the match. Figure 6: Few- Matching in online process Minutiae are extracted from the two fingerprints and stored as sets of points in the two dimensional plane. Minutia-based matching consists of finding the alignment between the template and the input minutiae feature sets, that results in the maximum number of minutiae pairs. 1) Weiguo Sheng et.al In their paper, the authors proposed a memetic fingerprint matching algorithm that aimed to identify optimal global matching between two sets of minutiae. The minutiae local feature representation called the minutiae descriptor that had information about the orientation field sampled in a circular pattern around the minutiae was used by them in the first stage. In the second stage, a genetic algorithm(GA) with a local improvement operator was used to effectively design an efficient algorithm for the minutiae point pattern matching problem. The local improvement operator utilized the nearest neighbor relationship to assign a binary correspondence at each step. Matching function based on the product rule was used for fitness computation. Experimental results over four fingerprint databases confirmed that the memetic fingerprint matching algorithm(MFMA) was reliable. 2) Kai Cao et al A penalized quadratic model to deal with the non-linear distortion in fingerprint matching was presented by the above authors. A fingerprint was represented using minutiae and points sampled at a constant interval on each valid ridge. Similarity between minutiae was estimated by the minutia orientation descriptor based on its neighboring ridge sampling points. Greedy matching algorithm was adopted to establish initial correspondences between minutiae pairs. The proposed algorithm used these correspondences to select landmarks or points to calculate the quadratic model parameters. The input fingerprint is warped according to the quadratic model, and compared with the template to obtain the final similarity score. The algorithm was evaluated on a fingerprint database consisting of 800 fingerprint images. 3) Peng Shi et.al In their paper, the authors proposed a novel fingerprint matching algorithm based on minutiae sets combined with the global statistical features. The two global statistical features of fingerprint image used in their algorithm were mean ridge width and the normalized quality estimation of the whole image. The fingerprint image was enhanced based on the orientation field map. The mean ridge width and the quality estimation of the whole image were got during the enhancement process. Minutiae were extracted on the thinned ridge map to form the minutiae set of the input fingerprint. The algorithm used to estimate the mean ridge width of fingerprint, was based on the block-level on non-overlap windows in fingerprint image. Four databases were used to compute the matching performance of the algorithm. 4) Sharat Chikkerur et.al The local neighborhood of each minutiae was defined by a representation called K-plet that is invariant under translation and rotation. The local structural relationship of the K-plet was encoded in the form of a graph wherein each minutiae was represented by a vertex and each neighboring minutiae by a directed graph. Dynamic programming algorithm was used to match the local neighborhood. A Coupled Breadth First Search algorithm was proposed to consolidate all the local matches between the two fingerprints. The performance of the matching algorithm was evaluated on a database consisting of 800 images. 5) Jin Qi and Yang Sheng Wang They proposed a minutiae-based fingerprint matching method. They defined a novel minutiae feature vector that integrated the minutiae details of the fingerprint with the orientation field information that was invariant to rotation and translation. It captured information on ridge-flow pattern. A triangular match method that was robust to non-linear deformation was used. The orientation field and minutiae were combined to determine the matching score. They evaluated the performance of their algorithm on a public domain collection of 800 fingerprint images. 6) Atanu Chatterjee et.al Another method for fingerprint identification and verification by minutiae feature extraction was proposed by the above authors. Minutiae were extracted from the thinned ridges from the fingerprint images and these feature matrices were applied as input data set to the Artificial Neural Network. Post processing was done to remove false minutia. Back propagation algorithm was used to train the network. Extracted features of the input fingerprint were verified with stored trained weights and threshold values. Experiments were conducted on 160 fingerprint images and the proposed system exhibited an accuracy of 95%. 7) Tsai Yang Jea et.al A flow network-based fingerprint matching technique for partial fingerprints was introduced by. For each minutiae along with its two nearest neighbors, a feature vector was generated which was used for the matching process. Minimum cost flow (MCF) problem algorithm was used to find the one-to-one correspondence between the feature vectors and the list of possibly matched features was obtained. A two hidden layer fully connected Neural Network was proposed to calculate the similarity score. Their experiments on two fingerprint databases showed that using neural networks for generating similarity scores improved accuracy. 8) Marius Tico et.al They have proposed a method of fingerprint matching based on a novel representation for the minutiae. The proposed minutiae representation incorporated ridge orientation information in a circular region, describing the appearance of the fingerprint pattern around the minutiae. Average Fingerprint Ridge period was evaluated to select the sampling points around the minutiae. Matching algorithm was based on point pattern matching. To recover the geometric transformation between the two fingerprint impressions, a registration stage was included. The Greedy algorithm was used to construct a set of corresponding minutiae. Experiments were conducted on two public domain collections of fingerprint images and were found to achieve good performance. 9) Asker M.Bazen et. al A minutiae matching method using a local and global matching stage was presented by Asker M. Bazen et. Al. Their elastic matching algorithm estimated the non-linear transformation model in two stages. The local matching algorithm compared each minutia neighborhood in the test fingerprint to each minutia neighborhood in the template fingerprints. Least square algorithm was used to align the two structures to obtain a list of corresponding minutia pairs. Global transformation was done to optimally register the two fingerprints that represented the elastic deformations by a thin-plate spline (TPS) model. The TPS model describes the transformed coordinates independently as a function of the original coordinates. Local and global alignments were used to determine the matching score. Conclusion This paper, we presented Fingerprint identification and verification based on minutiae based matching. The original fingerprint captures is pre-processed and the pattern is stored in the database for verification and identification. The pre-processing of the original fingerprint involves image binarization, ridge thinning, and noise removal. Fingerprint Recognition using Minutiae Score Matching method is used for matching the minutiae points. Usually a technique called minutiae matching is used to be able to handle automatic fingerprint recognition with a computer system. In this literature review, nine papers are explored and an insight is obtained regarding different methods. References: [1] Weiguo Sheng, Gareth Howells, Michael Fairhurst, and Farzin Deravi,(2007), â€Å"A Memetic Fingerprint Matching Algorithm†, IEEE Transactions On Information Forensics And Security. [2] Aparecido Nilceu Marana and Anil K. Jain, (2005), â€Å"Ridge-Based Fingerprint Matching Using Hough Transform†, IEEE Computer Graphics and Image Processing, 18th Brazilian Symposium pp. 112-119. [3] Koichi Ito, Ayumi Morita, Takafumi Aoki, Tatsuo Higuchi, Hiroshi Nakajima, and Koji Kobayashi, (2005), â€Å"A Fingerprint Recognition Algorithm using Phase-Based Image Matching for low quality fingerprints†, IEEE International Conference on Image Processing, Vol. 2, pp. 33-36. [4] Kai Cao, Yang, X., Tao, X., Zhang, Y., Tian, J. ,(2009), â€Å"A novel matching algorithm for distorted fingerprints based on penalized quadratic model†, IEEE 3rd International Conference on Biometrics: Theory, Applications, and Systems, pp. 1-5. [5] Anil K. Jain and Jianjiang Feng, (2011), â€Å"Latent Fingerprint Matching†, IEEE Transactions On Pattern Analysis And Machine Intelligence, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 88-100. [6] Unsang Park, Sharath Pankanti, A. K. Jain, (2008), â€Å"Fingerprint Verification Using SIFT Features†, SPIE Defense and Security Symposium, Orlando, Florida, pp. 69440K-69440K. [7] Anil Jain, Yi Chen, and Meltem Demirkus, (2007), â€Å"Pores and Ridges: High-Resolution Fingerprint Matching Using Level 3 Features†, IEEE Transactions On Pattern Analysis And Machine Intelligence, Vol. 29, No.1, pp. 15-27. [8] Mayank Vatsa, Richa Singh, Afzel Noore, Max M. Houck, (2008), â€Å"Quality-augmented fusion of level-2 and level-3 fingerprint information using DSm theory†, Sciencedirect International Journal of Approximate Reasoning 50, no. 1, pp. 51–61. [9] Haiyun Xu, Raymond N. J. Veldhuis, Asker M. Bazen, Tom A. M. Kevenaar, Ton A. H. M. Akkermans and Berk Gokberk ,(2009), â€Å"Fingerprint Verification Using Spectral Minutiae Representations†,IEEE Transactions On Information Forensics And Security, Vol. 4, No. 3,pp. 397-409. [10] Mayank Vatsa, Richa Singh, Afzel Noore and Sanjay K. Singh ,(2009),â€Å"Combining Pores and Ridges with Minutiae for Improved Fingerprint Verification†, Elsevier, Signal Processing 89, pp.2676–2685. [11] Jiang Li, Sergey Tulyakov and Venu Govindaraju, (2007), â€Å"Verifying Fingerprint Match by Local Correlation Methods†, First IEEE International Conference on Biometrics: Theory, Applications,and Systems, pp.1-5. [12] Xinjian Chen, Jie Tian, Xin Yang, and Yangyang Zhang, (2006), â€Å"An Algorithm for Distorted Fingerprint Matching Based on Local Triangle Feature Set†, IEEE Transactions On Information Forensics And Security, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 169-177. [13] Peng Shi, Jie Tian, Qi Su, and Xin Yang, (2007), â€Å"A Novel Fingerprint Matching Algorithm Based on Minutiae and Global Statistical Features†, First IEEE International Conference on Biometrics: Theory, Applications, and Systems, pp. 1-6. [14] Qijun Zhao, David Zhang, Lei Zhang and Nan Luo, (2010), â€Å"High resolution partial fingerprint alignment using pore–valley descriptors†, Pattern Recognition, Volume 43 Issue 3, pp. 1050- 1061. [15] Liu Wei-Chao and Guo Hong-tao ,(2014), † Occluded Fingerprint Recognition Algorithm Based on Multi Association Features Match â€Å", Journal Of Multimedia, Vol. 9, No. 7, pp. 910—917 [16] Asker M. Bazen, Gerben T.B. Verwaaijen, Sabih H. Gerez, Leo P.J. Veelenturf and Berend Jan van der Zwaag, (2000), A correlation-based fingerprint verification system , ProRISC 2000 Workshop

SWOT Analysis on the Internal and External Environments relevant to Essay - 1

SWOT Analysis on the Internal and External Environments relevant to Allergan pertaining to their Botox Product - Essay Example Allergan has been into discovery of innovative products the like of Botox,and marketing them through prescription by doctors in the specialty markets for a long time. It boasts of a research & development wing involved in discovering and producing specialty segment products such as BOTOXÂ ® Cosmetic, which is a prescription medicine that is injected into face muscles for improving the look by reducing or fully eliminating frown lines between the eyebrows in people in the age group of 18 to 65 years temporarily. SWOT Analysis Internal – Strengths Botox not only removes frown lines but is equally effective in other many ailments such as in treating migraine headaches, chronic neck and back pain, sweating overly, and probably spastic disorders also. Allergan internal strengths are many. Its 8000 employees worldwide are its major strength. Allergan has reached to its current customers via its vast network of workforce. R& D investment in the making of the product i.e. Botox has b een the internal strength of the company and the product both. Being a multispecialty healthcare company into discovering, developing and commercializing pharmaceuticals, biologics and medical devices, it is deeply rooted into manufacturing of specialty products such as Botox, which has brought it to the front runners’ line by capturing a niche market worldwide of its customers belonging to all walks of life. Botox being an innovative product, it is comparatively safe from generic erosion, as the medicinal formula of developing the medicine is a well-kept secret, which insulates the medicine from being sold by copying the drug development process. Internal – Weaknesses Botox is not a fully safe drug, as it paralyses facial muscles to the point beyond the earlier natural condition of the muscles where they can no longer react to outside changes emerging from symptoms such as age, use and wear. Forehead muscles can’t express emotions like anger. The community of a ctors and stars, mostly habitual to using Botox can no more show their emotions above the eye through acting. An emotionless face can transform humans into zombies. Botox has a number of side effects like drooping eyelids, drooling mouth, and slurred speech. These side effects are quite serious in nature affecting the personality of a person. Some temporary side effects such as nausea, allergic reactions, headaches, respiratory infections, flu symptoms, and redness and swelling around the injected area could be visible in some or all patients for a short duration. Another weakness of the medicine is that its impact on the related area is not permanent. The treatment remains effective only till six months of taking the Botox injection. It is a very costly treatment and is effective for a short duration compelling consumers to visit the clinics in regular intervals to maintain their visage. External – Opportunities Sales opportunities have increased greatly. Botox can be market ed globally through advertisement to the probable users for cosmetic uses of the product; earlier permission to advertising the product was not granted. Latest fashion trends provide a boost to the sale of Botox, as the product has become very popular in high profile society. Advertisement in the TV and popular magazines has increased the sales of Botox significantly as on an average a person views such ads 10 times a year. Ophthalmic market offers huge business potential for sale of Botox. Dermatology is another area where Allergan has opportunities waiting as use of Botox in dermatology provides possibilities of expanding by acquiring new formulas or by buying licenses from foreign producers, as it is relatively more cost-efficient than developing through R & D. The company can leverage through spending on marketing efforts from the revenue earned in dollar on other products to fight competition. Huge sales opportunities exist in primary segment

Illegal Immigration in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Illegal Immigration in the US - Essay Example For example, editorial of the Los Angeles Times hits the Republican presidential hopefuls’ illegal immigration solutions as simply nothing but rhetorical promises that do not resolve the problem but aim only to win Latino votes; whereas, editorial of the New York Times challenges Obama’s leadership in bringing about his promise to reform the immigration law and to protect the civil rights of immigrants, citing his presidential powers enough to legally question the deeply unjust Arizona law against illegal immigration. The main concern of both editorials is to see that the country’s problem of illegal immigration be resolved; both are also doubtful on the sincerity of both Republicans and Democrats to solve the problem, accusing both political parties of simply using the issue for political expediency – to win immigrant votes for the coming presidential elections. Although both news companies criticize and challenge both the Republican and Democratic partie s’ stance on illegal immigration, they however differ on their specific concern from which their bias on the issue is observable. For example, the LA Times did not bother to comment on the Republicans’ call tougher and stricter immigration law enforcement despite contending public opinion on the extremism of the Arizona Law – This law essentially criminalizes illegal immigration and makes all immigrants feel unsafe (Baker A12; Editorial, New York Times, A24). Instead, the LA Times showed more concern on the practicality of the solutions the Republican presidential hopefuls offer, citing existing immigration policies and practices that render their proposals useless – e.g. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s proposal to impose a national identification card combined with an electronic database for employers to verify their workers’ immigration status is criticized to simply force illegal immigrants to underground economy rather than self- deport; Newt Gingrich’s proposal to create a guest worker program is criticized for its failure to consider the 10-year ban against illegal immigrants; while Rick Santorum’s call for illegal immigrants to go back in line to immigrate legally is criticized to see that there is no such line for poor immigrants (Editorial, Los Angeles Times, par. 3-6). While the LA Times seemingly agrees with the Republicans for tougher and stricter border enforcement, it criticizes them for not heading-on the issue, cautioning them that such posturing will not win them the Latino votes. On the contrary, the NY Times concern centers more on challenging Obama – a democrat – to fulfill his promise to protect the rights and dignity of migrants, that he so strongly defends in his speech citing the cruelty of the Arizona Law, as he urges the US congress to reform the immigration law. The NY Times challenges Obama as he is confronted with Republican senators who have rejected bipa rtisanship and have dissented any practical and reasonable immigration reform (Editorial, New York Times, A24), and as Obama is similarly suspected of using the issue of illegal immigration for the coming presidential elections. Meaning Obama’s call for a bipartisan reform of the immigration law is meant to win Hispanic and middle-class votes and to put the blame on Republicans for the failure of

Leisure and Tourism in Santa Fe in New Mexico Assignment

Leisure and Tourism in Santa Fe in New Mexico - Assignment Example Current list of services available at the city Private nonfarm establishments. Retail sales services. Merchant wholesale services Manufacturer shipment services Food and accommodation services Non-employer establishment services (Nelson Velvet, 45-6). Major and minor league sport industries American Basketball Association, which were the New Mexico style founded in 2005 (Nelson Velvet, 78-9). Santa Fe Roadrunners, which was North American Hockey team but later moved to Kansas and became Topeka Roadrunners. Santa Fe Fuego was formed in 2012 at Santa Fe and became a professional baseball club. Community/Municipal Recreational Departments New Mexico Museum, which is an art collection of Southwestern collections Institute of American art museum, which is native American arts possessing political aspects (Nelson Velvet, 56-7). Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which devotedly worked for O’Keeffe New Mexican History Museum, which was located behind the governor’s palace. Site Santa Fe, which was described as a contemporary art space A children’s museum known as Santa Fe Children’s Museum Other areas of attraction include the â€Å"Museum Hill† and Santa Fe Fork art market, which was the site of major city’s art museums. Some visitors also get attracted to Santa Fe during the week of September when Sangre de Cristo Mountains’ aspens turn yellow as the skies become blue and clear. The locations in Santa Fe that are frequently visited during the day by the tourists include certain locations like the town of Taos, which is about 113 km north of Santa Fe. The historic Valles Caldera and Bandelier National Monument can also be found 48 km away. In addition to that, Ski Santa Fe, which is around d Santa Fe’s ski area, is approximately 26km north of the city. Santa Fe has always had communication and association with science and technology through the help of Santa Fe Institute to research on complex matters related to tourism and political sciences (Nelson Velvet, 102-3).

Future of nursing from IOM report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Future of nursing from IOM report - Essay Example Barrier removal will help in the optimization of the ability of nurses to lead change (â€Å"The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health - Institute of Medicine†, n.d.). In the report carried out, four important points were identified, and they helped in structuring a discussion for the sanctions. In the identified messages, they pointed out that the nurses should practice according to their education and training to the full extend. Besides this, they also mentioned that high levels of training and education should be attained by the nurses through an education system which is improved and that which provides an academic progression that is unified. They also mentioned that there should be formation of a full partnership by the nurses with the physicians together with other health professionals in the process of redesigning healthcare in America. Finally, they identified that there is requirement for improved information infrastructure and better collection of data, to ensure effective planning and workforce policy making (Nursing, 2011). Moreover, the report provides sanctions which gives suggestion actions at the national level, state level and local level. These sanctions are aimed at achieving the important points which were recognized in the report, that are necessary for the improvement of the future of nursing. Important sanctions were made for the transformation of education, leadership and practice. In the education transformation, there should be an increment in the percentage of nurses having a baccalaureate degree, by 2020 there should be double the number of nurses having doctoral degrees, and the nurses should engage in lifelong learning. In the transformation of practice, the scope of practice barriers should be removed. Leadership transformation sanctions included: the opportunities for collaborative improvement efforts to be led by nurses should be expanded and nurses should be prepared and enabled to lead

The nature of the Bolshevik takeover in October 1917 Coursework

The nature of the Bolshevik takeover in October 1917 - Coursework Example There are some scholars like (C) and (D) who show Provisional Government’s only failure was perhaps to adequately deal with the rising power of Kornilov and the mishandling of the entire Kornilov affair. Others like (B) show clearly how Lenin was able to cleverly take advantage of the multiple and varied failures of the Provisional Government on diverse accounts ranging from food shortages, poor working conditions and the economic maladies. However there are others like (A) who offer a very weak interpretation of the events that perpetuated in the Bolshevik revolution of October 1917 and hence does not add anything substantial to the debate on the role of the failure of the provisional government in the rise of the Bolsheviks. This is tersely and aptly put across in (B) where the authors delineate the growing discontentment of almost all sections of the Soviet society with the Provisional Government and the increasing influence of Lenin who promised a better life to all. However, both (C) and (D) have postulated the Bolsheviks’ rise to power only as an offshoot of the failure of the Provisional Government to deal with the Kornilov affair. â€Å"The Bolsheviks were the principal beneficiaries of the Kornilov crisis, winning their first majority in the Petrograd Soviet on 31 August† shows that (C) simply links the Kornilov crisis with the Bolsheviks winning the Petrograd Soviet; as also does, â€Å"in party-political terms, the prime beneficiary of this reaction to the Kornilov affair was the Bolshevik party† in (D). Both (C) and (D) have highlighted the Kornilov affair and Kerensky’s lack of insight and management of it as the prime causes leading to the Bolshevik’s gains. ... Both (C) and (D) have highlighted the Kornilov affair and Kerensky’s lack of insight and management of it as the prime causes leading to the Bolshevik’s gains. However, this was just one isolated incidence, and this (Kornilov affair) too was an outcome of the failure of the Provisional Government on many different levels which are well and succinctly explained by (B). Also, (A) is completely off the mark and provides no information or insight on the topic under discussion; instead (A) reflects on the serendipity of Bolsheviks’rising to power at all. While this makes a good and interesting read, (A)’s reminiscences go waste when it comes to evaluating the role played by the failures of the Provisional Government in the rise of Bolsheviks. In fact, if anything (A) provides some dubious evidence to support the contention that the Provisional Government was seen such a failure by the soviet masses and the military, that even in spite of the many exigencies and limitations, the Bolsheviks were able to gain mass support at the grassroot level and come to power. In contrast, (B) provides substantial evidence to support the believe that it was the failure of the Provisional Government that allowed the Bolshevik to stage a coup in October 1917 and ultimately the Bolshevik take over. This contention is explicitly backed by Weiner (2001) who states that the Provisional Government that headed the country post the fall of the Tsar was expected to take the reins of the economy and politics and steer the nation on the path to democratically elect a more permanent government. Instead, the provisional government was mired in political intrigues and mismanagements and complete lack of focus on the

Leisure and Tourism in Santa Fe in New Mexico Assignment

Leisure and Tourism in Santa Fe in New Mexico - Assignment Example Current list of services available at the city Private nonfarm establishments. Retail sales services. Merchant wholesale services Manufacturer shipment services Food and accommodation services Non-employer establishment services (Nelson Velvet, 45-6). Major and minor league sport industries American Basketball Association, which were the New Mexico style founded in 2005 (Nelson Velvet, 78-9). Santa Fe Roadrunners, which was North American Hockey team but later moved to Kansas and became Topeka Roadrunners. Santa Fe Fuego was formed in 2012 at Santa Fe and became a professional baseball club. Community/Municipal Recreational Departments New Mexico Museum, which is an art collection of Southwestern collections Institute of American art museum, which is native American arts possessing political aspects (Nelson Velvet, 56-7). Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which devotedly worked for O’Keeffe New Mexican History Museum, which was located behind the governor’s palace. Site Santa Fe, which was described as a contemporary art space A children’s museum known as Santa Fe Children’s Museum Other areas of attraction include the â€Å"Museum Hill† and Santa Fe Fork art market, which was the site of major city’s art museums. Some visitors also get attracted to Santa Fe during the week of September when Sangre de Cristo Mountains’ aspens turn yellow as the skies become blue and clear. The locations in Santa Fe that are frequently visited during the day by the tourists include certain locations like the town of Taos, which is about 113 km north of Santa Fe. The historic Valles Caldera and Bandelier National Monument can also be found 48 km away. In addition to that, Ski Santa Fe, which is around d Santa Fe’s ski area, is approximately 26km north of the city. Santa Fe has always had communication and association with science and technology through the help of Santa Fe Institute to research on complex matters related to tourism and political sciences (Nelson Velvet, 102-3).

The nature of the Bolshevik takeover in October 1917 Coursework

The nature of the Bolshevik takeover in October 1917 - Coursework Example There are some scholars like (C) and (D) who show Provisional Government’s only failure was perhaps to adequately deal with the rising power of Kornilov and the mishandling of the entire Kornilov affair. Others like (B) show clearly how Lenin was able to cleverly take advantage of the multiple and varied failures of the Provisional Government on diverse accounts ranging from food shortages, poor working conditions and the economic maladies. However there are others like (A) who offer a very weak interpretation of the events that perpetuated in the Bolshevik revolution of October 1917 and hence does not add anything substantial to the debate on the role of the failure of the provisional government in the rise of the Bolsheviks. This is tersely and aptly put across in (B) where the authors delineate the growing discontentment of almost all sections of the Soviet society with the Provisional Government and the increasing influence of Lenin who promised a better life to all. However, both (C) and (D) have postulated the Bolsheviks’ rise to power only as an offshoot of the failure of the Provisional Government to deal with the Kornilov affair. â€Å"The Bolsheviks were the principal beneficiaries of the Kornilov crisis, winning their first majority in the Petrograd Soviet on 31 August† shows that (C) simply links the Kornilov crisis with the Bolsheviks winning the Petrograd Soviet; as also does, â€Å"in party-political terms, the prime beneficiary of this reaction to the Kornilov affair was the Bolshevik party† in (D). Both (C) and (D) have highlighted the Kornilov affair and Kerensky’s lack of insight and management of it as the prime causes leading to the Bolshevik’s gains. ... Both (C) and (D) have highlighted the Kornilov affair and Kerensky’s lack of insight and management of it as the prime causes leading to the Bolshevik’s gains. However, this was just one isolated incidence, and this (Kornilov affair) too was an outcome of the failure of the Provisional Government on many different levels which are well and succinctly explained by (B). Also, (A) is completely off the mark and provides no information or insight on the topic under discussion; instead (A) reflects on the serendipity of Bolsheviks’rising to power at all. While this makes a good and interesting read, (A)’s reminiscences go waste when it comes to evaluating the role played by the failures of the Provisional Government in the rise of Bolsheviks. In fact, if anything (A) provides some dubious evidence to support the contention that the Provisional Government was seen such a failure by the soviet masses and the military, that even in spite of the many exigencies and limitations, the Bolsheviks were able to gain mass support at the grassroot level and come to power. In contrast, (B) provides substantial evidence to support the believe that it was the failure of the Provisional Government that allowed the Bolshevik to stage a coup in October 1917 and ultimately the Bolshevik take over. This contention is explicitly backed by Weiner (2001) who states that the Provisional Government that headed the country post the fall of the Tsar was expected to take the reins of the economy and politics and steer the nation on the path to democratically elect a more permanent government. Instead, the provisional government was mired in political intrigues and mismanagements and complete lack of focus on the