Tuesday, November 26, 2019

French Angelfish Facts

French Angelfish Facts French angelfish are part of class Osteichthyes and live in coral reefs in the Western Atlantic, from the Bahamas to Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico. Their scientific name, Pomacanthus paru, comes from the Greek words for cover (poma) and spine (akantha) due to their protruding spines. French angelfish are very curious, territorial, and often travel in pairs. Fast Facts Scientific Name: Pomacanthus paruCommon Names: French angelfish, french angel, angelfishOrder: PerciformesBasic Animal Group: FishDistinguishing Characteristics: Black scales with yellow rims in adults and black scales with yellow vertical bands in juvenilesSize: 10 to 16 inchesWeight: UnknownLife Span: Up to 10 yearsDiet: Sponges, algae, soft corals, ectoparasitesHabitat: Coral reefs in tropical coastal watersPopulation: StableConservation Status: Least ConcernFun Fact: Young French angelfish form symbiotic relationships with bigger fish. They remove parasites from other fish species and receive protection in return. Description French angelfish have thin bodies with protruding lower jaws, small mouths, and comb-like teeth. They have black scales with a bright yellow rim, and their eyes have yellow at the outer portion of the iris. Juveniles have a dark brown or black body with vertical yellow bands. As they mature, the scales begin to develop yellow rims, while the rest of the body remains black. French Angelfish, Pomacanthus paru, in Chichiriviche de la Costa, Venezuela, Caribbean Sea. Humberto Ramirez / Getty Images These fish commonly swim at depths of 15 feet, traveling in pairs in coral reefs near sponges. They are strongly territorial and will fight with neighboring pairs over areas. Due to their small bodies, French angelfish are able to swim into narrow cracks between corals to hunt and hide from predators. They swim by rowing their pectoral fins, and their long tail fins allow them to turn quickly. Habitat and Distribution French angelfish occur in coral reefs, rocky bottoms, grassy flats, and other places that provide coverage in tropical coastal waters. They have been found in the Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of Florida down to Brazil. They also appear in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and occasionally off the coast of New York. French angelfish can survive a wide variety of environments due to their salinity tolerance. Diet and Behavior Juvenile French Angelfish cleaning the tail of a Bar Jack underwater off the Yucatan peninsula. Alphotographic / Getty Images Adult angelfish’s diet mostly consists of sponges and algae. Many sponges have a V-shaped pattern due to French angelfish bites. They also eat cnidarians including zoantharians and gorgonians, as well as other aquatic invertebrate animals such as bryozoans and tunicates. Young angelfish eat algae, detritus, and ectoparasites cleaned off other fish. In reef ecosystems, young French angelfish set up â€Å"cleaning stations† for a variety of fish clients as a way for them to control parasites. They do so by touching the body of fish clients with their pelvic fins to remove parasites. This specialized function rivals other cleaners like gobies and shrimp. Client fish include jacks, morays, surgeonfish, and snappers, among many others. Adults form pairs, staying with their mate for life. These pairs search the corals for food during the day and hide from predators at night in cracks in the reefs. Despite being very territorial, adult French angelfish have been known to be very curious towards divers. Reproduction and Offspring French angelfish reach sexual maturity when they are around 3 years of age and about 10 inches long. Spawning occurs from April to September. They are nest non-guarders and reproduce in pairs via external fertilization. Unlike other fish that spawn in the open, French angelfish mate exclusively with their partner. The male and female will travel to the surface where they release both eggs and sperm into the water. The eggs are only 0.04 inches in diameter and hatch 15 to 20 hours after fertilization. These eggs develop in plankton beds until they can travel down to the coral reef. A hawksbill sea turtle feeds on a sponge while two french angelfish look on. Shot at the dive site Tormentos in Cozumel, Mexico. Brent Durand / Getty Images Conservation Status French angelfish are designated as Least Concern as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The organization found the population of French angelfish to be stable because the current collection for aquarium trade does not impact the global population. French Angelfish and Humans French angelfish are economically important because juveniles are collected using nets to sell to aquariums and are reared in captivity. Due to their high tolerance to environmental changes, disease resistance, and their curious personalities, French angelfish make ideal aquarium fish. Additionally, they are fished for food locally in some countries like Singapore and Thailand, although there have been reports of ciguatera poisoning. This type of poisoning is caused by eating fish that contain ciguatera toxins. Sources French Angelfish. Oceana, https://oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-fishes/french-angelfish.French Angelfish Facts And Information. Seaworld, https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/bony-fish/french-angelfish/.French Angelfishes. Marinebio, https://marinebio.org/species/french-angelfishes/pomacanthus-paru/.Kilarski, Stacey. Pomacanthus Paru (French Angelfish). Animal Diversity Web, 2014, https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pomacanthus_paru/.Pomacanthus Paru. Florida Museum, 2017, https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/pomacanthus-paru/.Pyle, R., Myers, R., Rocha, L.A. Craig, M.T. 2010. â€Å"Pomacanthus paru.† The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2010, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165898/6160204.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Definition and Examples of Synathroesmus in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Synathroesmus in Rhetoric Definition Synathroesmus is a  rhetorical term for the piling up of words (usually adjectives), often in the spirit of invective. Also known as  congeries, accumulatio, and seriation. In A  Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory  (2012), Cuddon and Habib offer this example of  synathroesmus from Shakespeares Macbeth:Who can be wise, amazed, temperate and furious,Loyal and neutral, in a moment? See the additional examples below. Also see: AccumulationCongeriesListSeriesSynonyms EtymologyFrom the Greek, collection   Examples Hes a proud, haughty, consequential, turned-up-nose peacock.(Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby)He was a gasping, wheezing, clutching, covetous old man.(Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol)Of all the bete, clumsy, blundering, boggling, baboon-blooded stuff I ever saw on the human stage, that thing last night beatas far as the story and acting wentand of all the affected, sapless, soulless, beginningless, endless, topless, bottomless, topsyturviest, tuneless, scrannelpipiesttongs and boniestdoggerel of sounds I ever endured the deadliness of, that eternity of nothing was the deadliest, as far as its sound went.(John Ruskin, on Richard Wagners Die Meistersinger von Nà ¼rnberg)One viewed the existence of man then as a marvel, and conceded a glamour of wonder to these lice which were caused to cling to a whirling, fire-smote, ice-locked, disease-stricken, space-lost bulb.(Stephen Crane, The Blue Hotel)Lipsmackin thirstquenchin acetastin motivatin goodbuzzin cooltalkin highwalkin fastlivi n evergivin coolfizzin Pepsi.(commercial slogan for Pepsi Cola) [Jimmy Carter] was of the Missionary lectern-pounding Amen ten-finger C-major-chord Sister-Martha-at-the-Yamaha-keyboard loblolly piney-woods Baptist faith . . ..(Tom Wolfe, The Me Decade and the Third Great Awakening, 1977)Talking Right: How Conservatives Turned Liberalism into a Tax-Raising, Latte-Drinking, Sushi-Eating, Volvo-Driving, New York Times-Reading, Body-Piercing, Hollywood-Loving, Left-Wing Freak Show(Geoffrey Nunberg, book title, 2006) Thomas Pynchons Use of SynathroesmusYet at least he had believed in the cars, maybe to excess: how could he not, seeing people poorer than him come in, Negro, Mexican, cracker, a parade seven days a week, bring with them the most godawful of trade-ins: motorized, metal extensions of themselves, of their families and what their whole lives must be like, out there so naked for anybody, a stranger like himself, to look at, frame cockeyed, rusty underneath, fender repainted in a shade just off enough to depress the value, if not Mucho himself , inside smelling hopeless of children, of supermarket booze, or two, sometimes three generations of cigarette smokers, or only of dustand when the cars were swept out you had to look at the actual residue of these lives, and there was no way of telling what things had been truly refused (when so little he supposed came by that out of fear most of it had to be taken and kept) and what had simply (perhaps tragically) been lost: clipped coupons promising savings of 5 or 10 ¢, trading stamps, pink flyers advertising specials at the market, butts, tooth-shy combs, help-wanted ads, Yellow Pages torn from the phone book, rags of old underwear or dresses that already were period costumes, for wiping your own breath off the inside of a windshield with so you could see whatever it was, a movie, a woman or car you coveted, a cop who might pull you over just for drill, all the bits and pieces coated uniformly, like a salad of despair, in a grey dressing of ash, condensed exhaust, dust, body wastesit nauseated him to look, but he had to look.(Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49, 1965) Pronunciation: si na TREES mus or sin a THROE smus Alternate Spellings: sinathroesmus

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Research paper 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research paper 4 - Essay Example Initially, it was planned to look through the sources, which are related to the study of research methods in criminology. Having found the necessary resources, it is important to look through the information, which they contain. The initial plan predetermined the division of the paper into four main sections: the preliminary design of the research, a statement of the data collection methods, the methods of case analysis and the general plan. Writing of these sections required the special knowledge of criminology, which were achieved with the help of the appropriate sources. The next step was the division of these sections into several separate points, which stated one general thought. The hypothesis of the initial plan was that it would look in the following way: Causality and validity formation. This section has brought the significant changes into the initial plan, as it was reconsidered from practical point of view. Some points, included in the plan were quite large and distracted the attention of the reader from the basic topic. Due to this fact, such issues as stating the examples of the research process, the description of problem formulation and ethical standards during the case investigation were omitted from the text. This caused the significant reduction of the paper volume and helped to maintain its most important parts in the center of attention. Concluding this article, it is necessary to highlight that the preliminary planning of the scientific paper is a long and taking-time process. The structural analysis must always be supported by the literary sources, which makes the work more objective. My proposal research paper was written in accordance with the points of the draft plan, which helped me to take a general view on the whole work process and see if it would be effective or not. The preparation work plays an important role in the representation of the project, as it makes it structurally and

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Adam Smith Inquiry on the Wealth of Nations Essay

Adam Smith Inquiry on the Wealth of Nations - Essay Example As the discussion highlights subject to his arguments, Adam smith is onto something. First, by saying that specialization and division of labor is the key to prosperity, he was indeed very right because the two attributes leads to perfection and high productivity. At the same time, specialization allows for the maximization of technical skills and relevant innovations. This amounts to effective and quality labor that guarantees better performance in all fields. However, to achieve the skills for specialization and division of labor, adequate knowledge is required. This is only transmitted in a structured education system that starts at childhood and hence the need for widespread education for children. Though this trend was not famous at the time, it would be highly effective upon implementation. Indeed, in the absence of specialization and division of labor, innovations, perfection, high quality labor, and improved performance can never surface. Lack of specialization leads to gener alization and lack of specific goals that is detrimental to the economy of any nation. The poor on the other hand develop general skills that are very efficient in their livelihood but have no chances of advancement since there are no innovations. Hence, Adam advocates for widespread education that will improve the skills of the citizens and enhance specialization and division of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Women and Motorcycles Essay Example for Free

Women and Motorcycles Essay Introduction An American tradition can be dated back to 1903 when two young men brought their idea to life and produced the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle. At the time, the motor-driven motorcycle that these young men were inventing was to be for their own personal use. Once it was produced, it became popular with motorcycle enthusiast and having survived some difficult times Harley-Davidson is just as popular today, as it was when if first began (Bolfert). According to the company’s gross revenue in 2010, Fortune 500 list Harley-Davidson at number 430. What keeps Harley-Davidson going strong? Is it the motorcycles, the people who ride these machines, or is it because Harley-Davidson Motor Company is a great American success story (Bolfert)? The story of Harley-Davidson is an interesting story that I hope you will enjoy learning about. The motorcycles are true legends of art, but the people who choose to ride these machines are truly remarkable people. People often judge a group of riders as being a rough and rowdy crowd looking for trouble, but as you will learn through this paper, most of these groups are the friendliest and most helpful people you could find. Harley-Davidson and motorcycles are usually considered a masculine sport intended for men (Mitchel). However, there are women out there who enjoy the freedom of riding their own Harley. So, when did women become so passionate for the open road and begin riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles? What does Harley-Davidson Motor Company do to attract women to the sales of its products and services? Let the story of Harley-Davidson and women riders begin. History Although there had been steam powered tricycles and gasoline bicycles in the 17 and 1800’s, the story of Harley-Davidson begins in a small shed of a neighbor. William Harley and Arthur Davidson were neighbors and boyhood friends that worked at a Milwaukee manufacturing company as an apprentice draftsman and pattern maker with dreams of their own. They set out to build a motor-driven bicycle for their own personal use. Having built their own bike in 1902, they were not satisfied that the engine didn’t take all the work out of cycling and soon sought the help of Arthurs’ brother Walter, who was a skilled mechanic, to help produce a more powerful engine. They also needed a toolmaker to help with the development of the motorcycle and asked their brother William to join the team (Bolfert). Later, the same year the first true Harley-Davidson engine was completed and Bill Harley and the three Davidson brothers were ready to put their idea into production. Needing more space to produce their creation, the Davidson brothers’ father built a 1015-foot building in their backyard. It was here that a legend was born with the boys painting â€Å"Harley-Davidson’s Motor Company† on the door and producing three motorcycles in 1903 (Bolfert). Harley-Davidson’s reputation of being durable and dependable began with the very first produced motorcycle. This motorcycle had been bought and sold to several different men, who performed very low maintenance to the bike, and accumulated 100,000 miles with its original bearings (Bolfert). To meet the demand for stronger engines and better performance, Harley and the Davidson brothers produced the first V-twin engine in 1909. However, the first 27 manufactured V-twin motorcycles were recalled and destroyed, with the exception of one which resides in the Harley-Davidson museum today. In 1910 no V-twin models were produced because they wanted to make sure they developed an engine that would â€Å"measure up to the Harley-Davidson reputation for power, dependability and performance† (Bolfert). The V-twin model was reintroduced in 1911 and the Harley-Davidson low, deep rumble sound known today roars on (Bolfert). From the beginning, women have had the same enthusiasm as men for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Photos from the early years of 1900 show advertisements of women posing on the legendary Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In 1910 one of the first articles published of a woman riding a motorcycle is in, The Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review, who wrote about Miss Leda Leslie and her Harley-Davidson (Harley-Women). Another early article of a woman on a Harley-Davidson is about Della Crewe and her dog named â€Å"Trouble. † Having only ten days of riding experience this lady and her dog set out to see America on her V-twin that had an attached sidecar. They left Waco, Texas in the summer of 1915 and by November they had made their way to Ohio traveling through rain and snow. When they finally reached their destination of New York City, they had traveled 5,378 miles and Della stated, â€Å"I had a glorious trip. I am in perfect health, and my desire is stronger than ever to keep going. † It wasn’t long before this pair was making their way to tour the South (Bolfert). The Enthusiast dubbed Vivian Bales as â€Å"The Enthusiast Girl† for her 5000 mile trip on her Harley-Davidson. During the Depression, Dot Robinson competed in endurance races right along with the men and in 1940 would win the Jack Pine Endurance sidecar race. During this time, another avid motorcycle rider contacted Dot Robinson to help form an organization for women riders. It was in 1940 that Dot Robinson and Linda Dugeau formed the first motorcycle riding club for women called â€Å"Motor Maids. † The first African-American to travel cross-country through 48 states in the 30 and 40’s was Bessie Springfield, who often had to sleep at filling stations on her motorcycle. She later joined a motorcycle dispatch unit for the army and rode across America delivering documents for the U. S. Army. During her life she owned 27 different Harley-Davidson motorcycles and continued to ride long after the doctors advised her not to (AMA Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame). These brave and bold women paved the way for women today, to enjoy the pleasure of riding out on the open road on their own motorcycle. Geographical Scope While the Harley-Davidson headquarters are still located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where it first originated, the company has grown and has other areas across America that helps with the production of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The company has testing and evaluation centers located in Meza, Arizona and Naples, Florida. In Franklin, Wisconsin is a distribution center is that is accountable for materials going from suppliers to warehouses. Harley-Davidson Dealer Systems that provides software, hardware, training and customer support to dealerships is located in Valley View, Ohio. Ann Arbor, Michigan holds the plant that protects the trademarks of Harley-Davidson. Wouwatosa, Wisconsin is home to the facility that produces â€Å"middleweight† engines for the Sportster models. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin known as â€Å"Home of the Big Twin† produces engines and transmissions for the larger model motorcycles. The Product Development Center is located in Wouwatosa, Wisconsin and is responsible for the development, testing, and styling of new products. Talladega, Alabama is home to a testing site for Harley-Davidson. Tomahawk Operations in Tomahawk, Wisconsin is responsible for fiberglass body parts, windshields, and saddlebags. Kansas City, Missouri is home to the plant that produces the Sportster, Dyna, and V-Rod models. While York, Pennsylvania produces the Touring, Softail, and factory custom motorcycles such as the Screamin Eagle (Harley-Davidson). Products and Services The number one product of Harley-Davidson is its line of motorcycles with the Screamin Eagle editions being the most popular. The Screamin Eagle models have a limited number manufactured and come with all the chrome and custom work already done. The service departments can do anything from a simple service to rebuilding an engine. Need body work done to your ride? Harley-Davidson service departments can rebuild your ride for you (Harley-Davidson). Harley-Davidson offers a large variety of products for men, women, and children. Most men and women will ride out in full leather gear which includes gloves, chaps, bandanas, helmets, and jackets. Most people think bikers wear all this to look tough, but truth be known, all the leather is protection for your skin in the event of a fall on asphalt (Harley-Davidson). Harley-Davidson offers a full line of apparel and jewelry for women, men, and children. In 2010, Harley-Davidson came out with the Pink Label collection with a percentage of the proceeds going to the Y-me National Breast Cancer Organization. Even men wore shirts with the pink ribbon and slogan reading â€Å"On This Road, No One Rides Alone (Harley-Davidson). † One service that Harley-Davidson offers to attract women riders is the â€Å"Riders Edge† course that teaches a person how to handle and ride a motorcycle safely. Upon completion of this course one can go to the DMV to take the motorcycle written test and with a passing score can receive a motorcycle endorsed license. Harley-Davidson will even take off the amount paid for the course toward a purchase of a new motorcycle. That’s three hundred dollars off a new bike before any other discounts. Subsidiaries. Harley-Davidson has two subsidiaries in Italy, MV Augusta and Cagiva. Both of these companies sell motorcycles that are used in racing and what is known here as â€Å"crotch rockets. † Buell, an American made motorcycle, is another subsidiary of Harley-Davidson that was founded in 1994, but sadly closed in 2009 (Subsidiaries of H-D). Due to being lighter and easier to handle and maneuver, Harley-Davidson uses these bikes to teach riders how to operate a motorcycle safely through the â€Å"Riders Edge† course. Harley-Davidson has a subsidiary known as H. O. G. which stands for Harley Owners Group, for people who own Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Anyone who buys a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle is automatically enrolled for a one year membership. By being a H. O. G. member you can receive discounts on insurance and Harley-Davidson products. H. O. G. even recognizes women riders by giving them a special â€Å"Ladies of Harley† patch and pin. The H. O. G. chapters are in nearly every city and form rides to get owners on their bikes (Harley-Davidson). Finance In 1995 women represented only about 2% of the motorcycle sales. With more women learning to ride, women represent about 12% of the motorcycle sales in 2010 (Clothier). For the year of 2010, the Harley-Davidson homepage reported income from continuing operations being 259. 7 million dollars, with Harley-Davidson Financial services contributing 181. 9 million dollars to that income. Dealerships world-wide sold a total of 222,110 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles at retail with the U. S. selling 143,391 of these new bikes. A total of 210,494 Harley-Davidson motorcycles were shipped from the company in 2010. The following table breaks down each quarter income and losses with the last column showing the total for the year (Harley-Davidson). HARLEY-DAVIDSON, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOMEUnaudited YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2010 (IN THOUSANDS) Q1Q2Q3Q4TOTAL Net Revenue from motorcycles and related products$1,037,335$1,135,101$1,087,115$917,076$4,176,627 Gross Profit379,547396,984379,806271,0661,427,403 Selling, administrative and engineering expense205,204208,952210,828260,153885,137 Restructuring expense48,23630,12567,47617,671163,508 Operating income from motorcycles related products126,107157,907101,502(6,758)378,758 Financial services revenue169,837173,705172,845166,322682,709 Financial services expense143,155112,860121,977122,844500,836 Operating income from financial services26,68260,84550,86843,378181,873. Operating income152,789218,752152,37036,720560,631 Investment income8671,5511,2391,7765,442 Interest expense23,45523,59123,10220,20990,357 Loss on debt extinguishment85,24785,247 (Loss) income before income taxes130,210196,712130,507(66,960)390,469 (Benefit from) provision for income taxes61,46957,42536,790(24,884)130,800 (Loss) income from continuing operations68,71139,28793,717(42,076)259, 669 Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax(35,416)(68,130)(4,888)(4,690)(113,124) Net income$ 33,325$71,157$88,829(46,766)146,545. At the end of the fiscal year, Keith Wandell (President and CEO of Harley-Davidson) states: â€Å"We feel good about our 2010 results. † â€Å"While there is still hard work ahead and we remain cautious in our outlook, I am confident we are positioning Harley-Davidson to succeed and deliver value for all our stakeholders into the future. † â€Å"For 2011, we plan to build on our position as one of the strongest brands in the world through our continued focus on customer led products and experiences. † Future Trends To help boost sales in 2011, Harley-Davidson will allow customers to design a Sportster 1200 Custom on-line, order it from their local dealer, and Harley-Davidson will build it at the factory and ship it to you (Harley-Davidson). Another trend for 2011 is Bike Builder, which is an online tool that allows customers to visualize different options on their motorcycle as they are building it (Harley-Davidson). This will allow customers to get the real look of the bike with their choice of custom work before spending the money on the bike and not being satisfied with the outcome. By listening to the customers and giving them what they want, Harley-Davidson will continue to be leader in motorcycle sales. Miscellaneous Freedom and America being a part of Harley-Davidson history Harley-Davidson has formed a Harley’s Hero tour that honors and supports Disabled American Veterans. Harley-Davidson pledged one million dollars to this foundation in 2006 and another one million dollars in 2010 to support the Nations Heroes. â€Å"Through this foundation Harley-Davidson provides free access to benefits for all veterans,† and shows them our appreciation for our freedom (Harley-Davidson). Local Harley-Davidson dealerships hold benefit rides to raise money for various cancer organizations such as Relay for Life, Bikers for Boobs, and for individuals who needs help paying medical expenses. Harley riders love to come out and support these benefits with as many as 400 to 500 bikes in one ride. It not only gets us out to raise money for cures, but gives us a chance to ride. Conclusion By attracting women into the sport of motorcycling, Harley-Davidson has now launched May as Women’s month. During May, Harley-Davidson will hold garage parties, and rides for women to help attract even more to the sport. So women like Dot Robinson and all women riders today have helped make Harley-Davidson a success. The motorcycles being dependable and reliable, the people who choose to ride these machines, and the fact, that it is a great American success story have all made Harley-Davidson legendary. Harley-Davidson has faced many difficulties over the last 108 years and is still going strong, so when we are having a bad day and going through difficult times, let’s do as the Harley-Davidson slogan states: â€Å"Screw it, let’s ride. †

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Gender Inequality in Hollywood Essay -- stereotypes, media, gender ine

Stereotypes in our society are not uncommon. We come across them every day without realizing it. It is in our human nature to create expectations of the people around us, which could be based upon their ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or other factors. Stereotypes help us categorize a vast group of people that we may not know anything about, to think that they are smaller and less intimidating. I believe that the blame for these cookie-cutter patterns can lead directly back to the media in every sense of the word. Media is all around us, and affects our opinions and ability to think for ourselves. Whether it’s the latest box office hit or the headlining news, we are getting assumptions from every point of view, which makes it hard to form our own. But I personally think that the biggest influence of our time are in the cinematic arts. Movies have been a huge part of the American culture since the motion pictures were first invented. Since the late eighteenth century, families have been going to the movie theater to spend quality time together. But as the action packed western thrillers soon turned to risque dramas, the idea of Hollywood made filmed changed drastically. In the early nineteen fifties, when televisions were becoming quite popular in the average American home, it was considered provocative to broadcast a married couple sitting in bed together. But today it would be considered a G rated program if it didn’t at least imply sexeul interests. This topic can be traced back to the stereotypes of Hollywood’s employees and how they influence us today. From Actors to Actresses or even just the director’s assistant, everybody in Hollywood has an expectation from someone else. When people think about the q... ... a child's life than motherhood. The interpretation is up to the audience, and sexist or not there still hints in the story by common belief of Hollywood critics. Both these movies, although vastly different, are examples of implied male dominance. A term more commonly referred to is gender inequality, which sounds more staid but at the same time is also taken more seriously. Works Cited Castillo, Monica. "You Can Win an Oscar, but You Can't Win Respect." B Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. Gianoulus, Tina. St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Vol. 4. Detroit [u.a.: St. James, 2000. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. "Roundtable: Five Casting Directors on Crazy Auditions and Industry Sexism." The Hollywood Reporter. THR Staff, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. "Film Facts." WMM | RESOURCES | FILM FACTS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

One’s definition of society Essay

â€Å"Context is all† a statement found in the award winning novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. At first it seems to make sense but upon closer investigation it raises the question, Is there no such thing as truth? To be able to answer this question it is important to find the appropriate definitions of truth and context. Then it is necessary to explore the depth of the relationships between the two concepts. Only after these conditions have been met is it possible to answer the question, Is there no such thing as truth? To be able to understand the concept of truth is very difficult but it is possible. Dictionary.com gives ten different definitions of truth, each acceptable in its own sense. For the purpose of this essay the definition that is best is â€Å"truth is an obvious or accepted fact†. The Constructivist theory as well as the Consensus theory also support this idea of truth. The constructivist theory views our knowledge as constructed because it does not reflect any external realities. Basically proponents of this theory believed that truth can be socially constructed. Karl Marx also claimed the existence of objective truth but he was able to distinguish between true knowledge and knowledge that had been distorted through power or ideology. The consensus theorists had a similar view. They believed that truth is whatever is agreed upon or might come to be agreed upon by some specified group. Both theories coincide with the definition of truth provided above but the constructivist theory also makes a clear distinction between objective truth and truth that is socially accepted. In order to answer the question above it is important to define objective truth as well as truth that is socially accepted. Truth can classified further into two subcategories which are objective truth and truth that is socially accepted. Objective truth is very much like a universal truth which is a fact or a statement that is accepted by everyone and is proven using more than one area of knowledge. An example of universal truth would be that gravity causes all objects thrown in the air to fall back to the ground. This statement would be considered a universal truth because it has been proven using more than one area of knowledge (science and mathematics) and it is a fact that most people accept. Truth that is socially accepted is depends on one’s definition of society. My definition of society is that it is an organized group of persons associated together for religious, cultural, political, patriotic or other purposes. An example of such a truth would be the fact that honour killings are accepted in certain parts of the world but are rejected in others. This shows how people’s perceptions of truth differ based on societal rules and regulations. The distinction between objective truth and truth that is socially accepted is also clearly defined and provides us with a platform to compare both of these to context. To be able to compare the concepts of context and truth it is important for us to define context. To me context means the part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning. According to Wikipedia â€Å"Context includes the circumstances and conditions that surround an event†. Ironically it also provides at least twelve different definitions of context giving an excellent example of the word itself. Upon further analysis of the definition of context it is clear to see how truth and context fit together. The definition of context states that it is part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning. The text or statement to which it is referring can be replaced by the truth. Thus, context refers to the information surrounding the truth. Context is also very important in understanding the truth because misinterpretation of the context could lead to a false impression of the truth. So, after defining both context and truth it seems to me that both of these aspects go hand in hand and each relies on the other to convey its true meaning. To be able to further investigate the relationship between truth and context, I decided to first compare objective truth and truth which is socially acceptable. I defined objective truth as a universal truth or a fact that is well accepted. The example of objective truth mentioned above is a good example of misinterpretation of truth when the context is changed. Such a fact was not known in the middle ages and one would be considered crazy if they believed in such theories. Such a statement is only considered a universal truth in today’s world and context. But if the context around the fact were changed then the fact itself would be considered untrue. Thus, the context around the truth is equally as important as the truth. Another way to view the context from the truth is to see them as two separate identities. The context provides the reader background information about the truth and if the context is misinterpreted then the truth gets distorted providing the reader with a false impression. Thus, objective truth can also be misinterpreted depending on its context. There is also a relationship between truth which is socially acceptable and context. It is quite similar to the relationship between objective truth and context. Something that is considered truth in one society may be viewed as false in another. An example of this is the different views on arranged marriages held in different societies. For example in western society this practice is very uncommon but in most eastern societies arranged marriages are encouraged and it is a very common practice. Thus, society’s different views on such a topic would elicit different versions of truth from different people. This would occur because of the different societal views that people have been raised in. The context in this case would be the views of the society which in turn would influence their views on arranged marriages. Therefore, truth that is socially acceptable also depends on its context. Therefore, context and truth are both terms that rely on each other to be understood. Without context it would be difficult to understand the truth. Objective truth as well as socially acceptable truth both rely on context to be understood and depend on each other to provide the reader with the clear meaning. Since, truth can not be understood without context then I believe that no such thing as truth exists. A fact that is considered true now may not be considered true later because of different contexts. Therefore, it is safe to say that the context determines the truth so, no such thing as truth exists.