Oedipus The King Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oedipus The King Research Paper - Essay Example ouses in us both pity and fear, Aristotle explains: â€Å"For pity is aroused by someone who undeservedly falls into misfortune, and fear is evoked by our recognizing that it is someone like ourselves who encounters this misfortune.† (51) That powerful combination of emotion made the story so popular that John Dryden, writing in the mid-1600s, said that the story had â€Å"worn so threadbare by the pens of all the epic poets† (170) that â€Å"people so soon as ever they heard the name of Oedipus, knew as well as the poet, that he had killed his father by a mistake and committed incest with his mother, before the play; that they were now to hear of a great plague, an oracle and the ghost of Laius.† (171) And, indeed, modern critics have echoed these opinions: Jennifer Lewin’s aptly titled â€Å"Oedipus Rex: Possibly the Greatest of all Tragedies† argues that the play represents the apex of dramatic achievement for tragedies. Even the chorus of the pl ay itself reflects the tragedy of Oedipus: Even the Freudians acknowledge the tragedy of Oedipus, even as they psychoanalyze his experience. In the 1950s, Charles Rado read the Oedipus myth in Freudian fashion, revealing it to be a battle between Oedipus and his own unconscious urges, culminating in self-destruction. Rado, of course, makes much of the incestuous relationship between Oedipus and his mother Jocasta, pointing to the riddle of the Sphinx as a metaphor for that union: â€Å"The riddle of the Sphinx is thus interpreted: four refers to the primal scene (four parental legs), the result of which is two, the legs of the child, who later develops a third leg, the penis. The Sphinx personifies the mother in her aspect of Medusa; the child splits her into mother and whore.† (233) Still, there appears to be no question that Rado views the conflicted hero who gave his name to the Freudian’s pet complex with sympathy. Still, the insistence on viewing Oedipus the King as a tragedy leaves a very real space of

Czechoslovakia Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Czechoslovakia Crisis - Essay Example Wilson pushed for inclusion of his fourteen Points especially the League of Nations. Many of his proposals however, clashed with the secret treaties and territorial rearrangements already made by the other three European powers. They found it difficult to hide their contempt for what they saw as Wilson's naivet and superior attitude. The political wrangling became intense. Finally, agreement was reached and a treaty presented to the German representatives on May 7, 1919. The terms were harsh. Germany was stripped to approximately 13% of its pre-war territory and all of its over-seas possession. The Ruhr-Germany's industrial heartland - was to be occupied by allied troops. The size of Germany's military forces was drastically reduced. The treaty further stipulated that Germany would pay for the devastation for the devastation of the war through annual reparation payments to its European neighbors. The victors ignored the bitter complaints of the German delegation. On June 28, two rather German representatives signed the treaty. Ever since the treaty was signed it brought bitterness to Germans but they had no other choice other than facing it. The latter years were spent to pay the debts. Ever since Hitler came to power in 1933 he had made successive assaults on the restrictions that had been placed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. He had begun secretly the process of rearmament and felt confident enough to announce the program in 1935, the same year in which he introduced conscription to the new German army. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THE CRISIS Since the public announcement of German rearmament in 1935, in defiance of the treaty of Versailles, there had been apprehension among the European states, large and small, as to Germany's intentions. That they would not be pacific was made clear in the following year with the remilitarization of the Rhineland zone that had been permanently demilitarized by the same treaty (2). Thus, it was felt that it would only be a question of time as to when Hitler would proceed to realize the pan-German dream of German-Austrian unity (i.e., Anschluss): after all, Hitler himself had been born in Austria. Inasmuch as the earlier aggressive moves had produced no serious retaliation from either Britain or France, it was not to be expected that the absorption of Austria under threat of invasion on March 12 (soon to be endorsed by referendum of the Austrian people) would be met by other than words of protest from the Western powers. The gravest implications of Hitler's action, however, now pointed to Czechoslovakia (3), France's vulnerable ally now that hope of French assistance had been dealt a death blow by the earlier remilitarization of the Rhineland zone along the Franco-German border. RHINELAND CRISIS On March 7, 1936, in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles, troops of the German army entered the demilitarized buffer zone along the River Rhine. Earlier, in 1925, the then German government, in order to facilitate its entry to the League of Nations and regain its status of a great power, had signed an Agreement (the Locarno Pact) with France that provided, under an Italo-British guarantee, for mutual acceptance of their existing border, including

Emergence of Critical and Cultural Theories Essay Example for Free

Emergence of Critical and Cultural Theories Essay Culture : the learned behavior of members of a given social group. Cultural studies: Focus use of media to create forms of culture that structure everyday life. Political economy theories: Focus on social elites use of economic power to exploit media institutions. 2 There are microscopic interpretive theories that focus on how individuals and social groups use media to create and foster forms of culture that structure everyday life. These theories are referred to as cultural studies theories. There are macroscopic structural theories that focus on how social elites use their economic power to gain ontrol over and 3 Cultural Theory: Theories openly espousing certain values and using these values to evaluate and criticize the status quo providing alternate ways of interpreting the social role of mass media. Those who develop critical theories seek to initiate social change that will implement their values. Political economy theories are inherently critical but some cultural studies 4 Critical theories often provides complex explanations for this tendency of media to consistently do so. E. g: some critical theorists identify constraints on media practitioners that limit their ability to challenge established authority. They charge that few incentives exist to encourage media professionals to overcome these constraints and that media 5 Critical theory often analyzes specific social institutions, probing the extent to which valued objects are sought and achieved. Mass Media and the mass culture have been linked to a variety of social problems, they are criticized for aggravating or preventing problems from being identified or addressed. A common theme in critical theories of media is that content production is so constrained 6 Consider for example, the last time you read news about members of a social ovement that strongly challenged the status quo? Why were the college students who protested against the Communist Chinese government in Tiananmen Square heroes of democracy and those in American anti-war hippies and radicals? Stories about movements imply problems with 7 controntation. Movement leaders demand coverage ot their complaints and they stage demonstrations designed to draw public attention to their concerns. Elites seek to minimize coverage or to exercise spin control so that the coverage favors their position. How do Journalists handle this? How should they handle it? Existing research indicates that this coverage almost always degenerates movements and supports elites. 8 Critical theory: Strengths: 1. Is politically based, actionoriented. 2. Uses theory and research to plan change in the real world. 3. Asks big, important questions about media control and ownership. 9 Weaknesses: 3. When subjected to scientific verification, often employs innovative but controversial research methods. 0 Rise of Cultural Theories in Europe: Despite its long life in American Social Science, the Limited Effects Paradigm never enjoyed great popularity in europe. European social research has instead been characterized by what U. S. Observers regard as grand social theories. Grand Social Theory: Highly ambitious, 1 1 In Europe, the development of grand social theory remained a central concern in the social s ciences and humanities. Mass society theory gave way to a succession of alternate ideas. Some were limited to specific nations and others spread across many countries. Some of the most widely accepted have been based on the writings of Karl Marx. Marxist theory influenced even the theories that were created in reaction against it. Marxist ideas formed a foundation or touch stone for most postworld War II european social theory and research. 12 Cold War politics colored much of the U. S. Response to it. Ironically, in the 1970s and 1980s, at the very time that Marxist failed as a practical guide for politics and economics in Eastern Europe, grand social theories based on Marxist thought were gaining increasing acceptance in Western Europe. 3 MARXIST THEORY: Marxist Theory: Theory arguing that the hierarchical class system is at the root of all social problems and must be ended by a revolution of the proletariat. Karl Marx developed this theory in the latter part of the nineteenth century during one of the most volatile periods of social change in Europe. In some respects, his theory is yet another version ot mass society theory- but witn several ve ry important alterations and additions. 14 He identified industrialization and urbanization as problems but argued that these changes were not inherently bad. Instead, he blamed ruthless robber baron capitalists for exacerbating social problems because they maximized personal profits by exploiting workers. Marx argued that the hierarchical class system was the root of ll social problems and must be ended by a revolution of the workers or proletariat. He believed that elites dominated society primarily through their direct control over the means of production (i. e. , labor, factories, land) which he referred to as the base of society. 15 But elites also maintained themselves in power through their control over culture, or the superstructure of society. He saw culture as something that elites freely manipulated to mislead average people and encourage them to act against their own interest. He used the term ideology to refer to these forms of culture. To him, ideology operated much like a drug. Those who were under its influence fail to see how they are being exploited. In worst cases, they are so deceived, that they actually 16 undermine their own interests and do things that increase the power of elites while making their own lives even worse. Marx concluded that the only hope for social change was a revolution in which the masses seized control of the base the means of production. Control over the superstructure -over ideology would naturally follow. He saw little possibility that reforms in the super structure could ead to social evolution, or if it could, that -that transformation would be very slow in coming. Elites would never willingly surrender POWER. Power must be taken from them. Little purpose would be served by making minor changes in ideology 17 without first dominating the means of production. Neomarxist Theory: Contemporary incarnation of Marxist theory focusing attention on the super structure. The importance that Neomarxists attach to the super structure has created a fundamental division within Marxism. Many neomaxists assume that useful change can begin with peaceful, ideological reform rather than violent revolution in which he working class seizes control of the means of production. 18 Some neomarxists have developed critiques that call for radically transforming the superstructure while others call for modest reforms. Tensions have arisen among scholars who base their work on Marxs ideas over the value of the work being done by 19 the various neomarxist schools. Textual Analysis and Literary Criticism: Modern european cultural studies theories have a second, very different source a tradition of humanist criticism of religious and literary texts that is referred to hermeneutics. Hermeneutics: the interpretation f texts to identify their actual or real meaning. 20 -humanists who worked to identify and preserve what came to be known as the literary canon a body of the great literature. The literary canon was part of what was referred to as high culture, a set of cultural artifacts including music, art, literature, and poetry that humanists Judged to have the highest value. 1 the level of culture to enable even more people to become humane and civilized. Over the years, many different methods for analyzing written texts have emerged from hermeneutics. They share a common purpose: to criticize old and new cultural ractices so that those most deserving of attention can be identified and explained and the less deserving can be dismissed. This task can be compared with that of movie critics who tell us which films are good or bad and assist us in appreciating or avoiding them. The primary difference is that movie critics are typically not committed to promoting higher 22 cultural values; they only want to explain which movies we are likely to find entertaining. THE FRANKFURT SCHOOL One early prominent school of neo-marxist theory developed during the 1930s at the University of Frankfurt and became known as the Frankfurt School. 3 Two of the most prominent individuals associated with the school were Max Horkheimer, its long time head, and Theodor Adorno, a prolific and cogent theorist. Horheimer and Adorno were openly skeptical that high culture could or should be communicated through mass media. Adorno argued that radio broadcasts or records couldnt begin to adequately reproduce the sound of a live symphony orchestra. He ridiculed the reproduction of great art in 24 magazines or the reprinting of great novels in condensed, serialized form. He claimed that mass media reproductions of high culture were inferior and diverted eople from seeking out (and paying for) the real thing if bad substitutes for high culture were readily available, he believed too many people would settle for them and fail to support better forms of culture. The Frankfurt School has been criticized along with other forms of traditional humanism for being too elitist and paternalistic. By rejecting the possibility of using media to disseminate 25 high culture, most ot the population was ettectively denied access to it Many ot the schools criticisms of media paralleled those of mass society theory and had the same limitations. The Frankfurt School eventually had a direct impact on American social research because the rise of the Nazis forced its Jewish members into exile. 26 During the period of exile, however, Frankfurt School Theorists remained prodductive. They devoted considerable effort, for example, to the critical analysis of Nazi culture and the way it undermined and perverted high culture. In their view, Nazism grounded on a phony, artificially constructed folk culture that had been cynically created and manipulated by Hitler and his propagandists. 27 Nazism helped them envision the Germany they longed to see a unified, proud ation with a long history of achievement and a glorious future. As they rose to power, the Nazis replaced high culture with their pseudofolk culture and discredited important forms of high culture, especially those created by Jews. 8 DEVELOPMENT OF NEOMARXIST THEORY IN BRITAIN: Dunng the 1960s and 1970s , two important schools of neomarxist theory emerged in Great Britain. British Cultural studies and political economy theory. British cultural studies combines neomarxist theory with ideas and research methods derived from diverse sources including literary criticism, linguistics, anthropology, and history. This theory has attempted to trace historic elite domination over culture, to criticize the 29 social consequence of this domination and to demonstrate how it continues to be exercised over specific minority groups or subcultures. British cultural studies criticizes and contrasts elite notions of culture, including high culture, with popular, every day forms practiced by minorities. The superiority of all forms of elite culture including high culture is challenged and compared with useful, valuable forms of popular culture. Hermeneutic attention is shifted from the study of elite cultural rtifacts to the study of minority grouped Lived culture. 30 Graham Murdock(1989) traced the rise of British cultural studies during the 1950s and 1960s. Most important theorists came from the lower social classes that were the focus of the movies. The British cultural studies critique of high culture and ideology was an explicit rejection of what its proponents saw as alien forms of culture imposed on minorities. They defended indigenous forms of popular culture as legitimate expressions of minority groups/ A dominant early theorist was Raymond Williams, a literary scholar who achieved 31 Notoriety with his reappraisals of cultural development in England. Williams ideas were viewd with suspicion and skepticism by many of his colleagues at Cambridge University. Toward the end of 1960s and into the 1970s, Williams turned his attention to mass media. He was more broadly concerned with issues of cultural change and development as well as elite domination ot culture. 3 repackaged as popular, mass media content. If there were to be genuine progress, he felt, it would have to come through significant reform of social institutions. The first important school of cultural studies theorists was formed at the University of Birmingham, during the 1960s and was led by Stuart Hall. Hall (1982) was especially influential in directing several analyses of mass media that directly challenge limited effects notions and in introducing innovative alternatives. Building on ideas developed by Jurgen Habermas(1971 , 1989) and Williams, Hall argued that mass media liberal -democracies can be best understood as a pluralistic public forum in which various forces struggle to shape popular notions about social reality. Pluralistic Public Forum: In critical theory, the idea that media provide a place where the power of dominant lite can be challenged. British Cultural Studies: Strengths: 1 . Asserts value of popular culture 2. Empowers Common Man 34 3. Empowers minorities and values their culture. 4. Stresses cultural pluralism and egalitarianism. Weaknesses: 1. Is too political; call to action is to subjective 2. Typically lacks scientific verification; is based on subjective observation. 3. When subjected to scientific verification, often employs innovative but controversial research methods. 35 Unlike traditional Marxists, Hall did not argue that elites can maintain complete control over this forum. In his view, elites dont need that power to advance their interests. The culture expressed in this forum is not a mere superficial reflection of the superstructure but is instead a dynamic creation of opposing groups.

Input Output And Storage Devices Computer Science Essay

Input Output And Storage Devices Computer Science Essay To interact with a computer we use external devices called input-output or peripheral devices, this is the way a computer has to receive and give information to the user, and without it a computer is practically useless, so the need of input and output devices are the first path to computer organization. First is the input, input device was there for humans to communicate the data to the computer in various ways and therefor give a task to be processed into output. After, when the input of data is done the computer need to store it to be able to process it into output, because of the less amount of storage capacity of the CPU (Central Processing Unit), storage devices was there for the purpose of storing a large amount of data so that the CPU can access these data easily and faster. Output is the final step, the result of input-storage-process-output is given through output devices and before that the computer also need to re-store it in the storage device. We will see in details, what are the main uses of these devices? And the way it operates with human and computer. Input Devices: Definition: An input device is a peripheral or hardware device, generally external, that is connected or remotely connected to the computer or information appliance. Input devices are used to provide input which can be understood by the computer such as: raw data, information, command, order, signalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ To process input, computer absolutely need an input device, it is the most important part of computers. Categories: Input device can be categories into four categories: Typing devices Pointing devices Optical devices Audio devices These categories represent the way to communicate with computers and the first path to the input-process-output phase. Typing Devices: Typing devices are essentially keyboard, used to insert text or command via button. They are the most effective way to input data to the computer. it use the method of binaries code to input data. Typing devices are very reliable for text and numbers data input. But they can be ergonomically unsafe if not properly used, inaccurate and difficult for bad typist or paralysis and handicapped users Basically all computers possess keyboard so it is the primary input of computer system. Pointing Devices: Pointing devices are used to input data by movement, here are some example of pointing devices: mouse, joystick, stylus, touch screen. They are usually used to operate with screen or movement based information, all of them are manually used so easy to manipulate due to simple movement, like the mouse who just consist of pointing and clicking. One of the main disadvantages is that they are limited in task, mouse and joystick means that you are limited in your work, and touch screen can be less responsive compared to keyboard. Optical Devices: Optical devices are mostly used in recognition or video and image capture, in the field of recognition there is the OMR (optical mark recognition) and the OCR (optical character recognition), and many others optical devices like: barcode reader, scanner, handheld scanner, digital camera, webcamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The OMR reader is used in barcode reader, it scan a mark which indicate the data or information input that is send to the computer to be processed, it is also used in face recognition, finger print scanner, retina scanner and so on. The OCR is for text and character recognition when scanning a text document. Basically, optical devices are faster than other devices because of a high-speed reading, and are more used by security mean due to their accuracy and reliability. The disadvantage lies in the raw data, for instance if there is a single change in it, the optical devices may not recognize and therefor give a wrong output to its user Audio Devices: Audio devices like his name indicate, is mainly to input an audio data. The devices are: microphone, headset, MIDI keyboardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ its process is analogue to digital data convertor. It allows a user to send audio signals to a computer for processing, recording, or carrying out commands, sometimes the main purpose is to transfer input audio to output audio. The disadvantage is if the source of audio have a bad signals then all the process are wrong. Output Devices: Definition: Like the input, the output device is also a peripheral and hardware device used to receive the result of the processing date that comes from its input. All computer or information system absolutely need output devices. Output devices are also known as the way that the computer communicates with human. Types of Output: There are three principal types of output devices based on the way they deliver the output data: Display output Physical output Audio output Display Output: They are commonly monitors, screen or light based devices called Visual Display Unit (VDU). It is the primary output devices and it can also be used as a input device, the computer will display the contents of the information on the screen to permit the users read or see what are the processes done to the input data, that is called soft copy which mean temporary data copy. Display output devices is also the wall between computer-language and human-language, without it human cant understand what the computer try to communicate. Usually, display outputs are called video displays or 2 dimensional displays, like: Television sets Computer monitors Head mounted display But there are also called segments displays, composed of several segments that switch on and off to give appearance of desired output, they are display that can only show numeric numbers or alphanumeric character, like calculators or digital watch and so on. The advantages of display device is that you can see the output of a computer program and also use your computer easily by giving it commands from a Command Line Interface or use your Pointing device such as Mouse to point and click to do a task from a Graphical User Interface (GUI). It is fast to acquire, more economical and easily transmittable. In another hand, disadvantages are that the output is temporary because of the need of power supply and can cause visual problem for users. Physical Output: Physical output or hard copy is the permanent output; the most common way to get it is the printer. There are two type of printer: Impact printer: use the typewriter approach, impact of between the ink ribbon and the paper. E.g. dot-matrix printers. Non-impact printers: use electro-static chemicals and ink-jet technologies, can produce colour printing. E.g. laser printer, ink-jet printer So, printer is the principal output devices in terms of physical output; it can produce high-quality printing, can produce a large amount in short time. The disadvantages are the cost; printing is expensive due to its hard copies compared to soft copies that just need to be displayed. Audio Output: Audio output devices refer to any devices that are attaches to a computer for the purpose of playing sound, such as speech or music. It can also refer to the sound of a computer sound card. Here are some examples of audio output devices with their uses: Speakers: it is the most common type of audio output device; they can be attached to a computer using variety of audio plugs. It requires a separate energy supply to be operational. Headphones: they are another type of audio output device. Variations on the headphone concept include ear buds, which fit inside the ear, and headsets, which include both headphones and a microphone. It doesnt requires a separate power supply. Sound card: it is a computer component that converts information from digital audio files into electronic sound signals. These signals are then passed on to an audio output device, such as speakers or headphones. Although sound cards do not themselves play sound, they do output audio signals. For this reason, they can be considered audio output devices. Without an audio output device, you will miss audio cues from the computer such as error beeps and other important system messages alerting you to system problems. This keeps you in sync with your computer, allowing you to more effectively recognize and identify issues. There are no real disadvantages for audio output devices, just it need some additional hardware such as sound card and additional power supply, and the possibility of making noise. Storage Devices: There are primarily three types of storage a computer possess, first the primary storage, which is more popularly called simply memory; the secondary storage, which is more popularly referred to as simply storage, and finally the offline storage referred as movable storage. Primary Storage: Primary storage is where a computer stores data on a temporary basis so it can process the data. Think of primary storage as short term memory. Primary storage is a type of memory that is directly accessible to a computer processor and it is volatile because it is temporary in nature and is erased when the power is turned off. The main primary storages are: RAM (Random Access Memory) ROM (Read Only Memory) Data the computer is currently processing or data which the computer knows it is about to need for processing is stored in primary storage. Memory in primary storage can be accessed quickly by the CPU. Its storage capacity, however, is much smaller than what can be stored in secondary or tertiary storage. Computers need just enough primary storage to function and temporarily hold anticipated amounts of data for processing. Secondary Storage: Secondary storage is where a computer stores data it is not currently processing but which it may need at some later time. Secondary storage can be thought of as long term memory, or storage, and it is non-volatile in nature because data remains intact even when power to a computer is turned off. Operating systems, documents, music files and so on are typically stored in a secondary storage device. They can also be external for movement and transport. The main device for secondary storage is the hard disk drive (HDD). The computers largest secondary storage location is its hard disk drive, or just hard drive. Hard drives are platters like dishes which are stacked top, middle, and bottom to make one unit. Hard drives are mechanical devices which store data magnetically. They are considered permanent storage. Among the advantages of a hard disk drive is its storage capability, from Megabyte to Terabyte. Hard disk drives are durable, with metal casings built around their inner components. Hard disk drives are read/write. They can be read over and over and they can be modified, or written to, over and over. Offline storage: Offline storage is storage media which can be inserted into the computer and used but which can then be removed from the computer and stored elsewhere. It can also be external sources which are connected to the computer and then disconnected, like floppy drives, CD drives, DVD drives, USB flash drive, and Blu-ray drives. Floppy drive is an old form of storage, its capacity is very few up to 1 or 2 Megabytes so it isnt used nowadays, but it is categorised as offline storage because they are non-volatile and be able to read or written to over and over again. CD drive (Compact Disk) and DVD drive (Digital Video Disc) store data on shiny discs, the capacity of CD drive is up to 700 Megabytes and the DVD drive is 4.7 Gigabytes and 8.5 Gigabytes on a double layer DVD, they are very compact and portable storage with a good amount of storage, so it is the primary commercial storage device, used for video, audio, software, games and so on. But the disadvantages are that it can be infected by virus if used with bad intention, also if the layer of the disk gets damaged like scratch the computer will not be able to read anymore so a loss of data. USB flash drive, which is the most portable storage device with a great amount of storage, they can support 128 Megabytes to 256 Gigabytes, and it is the easiest way to carry data from place to place due to its connectivity via USB port. Unfortunately, USB flash drive is very fragile, easily breakable, and can be easily get corrupted or infected by viruses, so basically used for a short amount of time before it is useless. Conclusion: After describing and explaining input, output, and storage devices, we can see that the utilisation of computer in operations, functions, and processes are based within these devices, without just one of them work cant be done. These are all interaction between computers and humans that are necessary to achieve the perfect use of computer, it is studied in a field called human-computer interaction. Nowadays these interactions are appearing more and more frequent in daily life, with better speed and accuracy due to the evolution of technologies, and human are becoming more reliable in computers than before.

Evolution Is :: Science Biology Essays

Evolution Is Has the narrative of Mayr and his fellow naturalists—those evolutionists who include natural selection in their explanations and who comprise a strong majority of evolutionist voices today—now entered a sort of evolutionary stasis? Not yet. For example, consider Mayr's central theory of speciation as it applies to a creative species such as humans. There are cultural and creative aspects of our so-called "higher level" species that have the potential to perturb whether and how new species taxa might evolve from homo sapiens: mobility and its effect on isolation, technology applied to environmental and physiological conditions, artificial constraints on reproduction, social cultures, and our creative abilities. Whether our species is better equipped to survive or more likely to accelerate towards extinction may, in part, be determined by these factors and their interactions. Evolution is. Therefore, we are. The human species is an infinitesimally improbable out-come of countless, unrepeatable iterations of a process that itself is a fluke. To paraphrase the late naturalist Stephen J. Gould, erase the tape, have one player move a few feet to the left for good measure, do a retake, do a trillion trillion retakes, and nothing akin to homo sapiens is likely to emerge. Evolution is not intuitive, nor would any sane gambler bet on its odds. There are no "proofs," no conclusions based upon experimentation and testing. What we know about evolution derives from historical narrative—the evolutionary biologists' reconstruction of what might have happened. Their scenario has also evolved through iterations of accumulating, adapting, and eliminating ideas according to new findings, new observations, and new knowledge. In the process, the narrative's woof and warp have tightened. Gaps narrowed to the point that, in "What Evolution Is," biologist Ernst Mayr coul d proclaim, "Evolution is not merely an idea, a theory, or a concept, but is the name of a process in nature, the occurrence of which can be documented by mountains of evidence that nobody has been able to refute...It is now actually misleading to refer to evolution as a theory, considering the massive evidence that has been discovered over the last 140 years documenting its existence. Evolution is no longer a theory, it is simply a fact" [Mayr 275]. Central to this "simple fact" is the concept of speciation, which was developed in the 1930s by Dobzhansky and Mayr. According to them, allopatric speciation is contingent upon the spatial and temporal integrity of a population, a species taxon. Evolution Is :: Science Biology Essays Evolution Is Has the narrative of Mayr and his fellow naturalists—those evolutionists who include natural selection in their explanations and who comprise a strong majority of evolutionist voices today—now entered a sort of evolutionary stasis? Not yet. For example, consider Mayr's central theory of speciation as it applies to a creative species such as humans. There are cultural and creative aspects of our so-called "higher level" species that have the potential to perturb whether and how new species taxa might evolve from homo sapiens: mobility and its effect on isolation, technology applied to environmental and physiological conditions, artificial constraints on reproduction, social cultures, and our creative abilities. Whether our species is better equipped to survive or more likely to accelerate towards extinction may, in part, be determined by these factors and their interactions. Evolution is. Therefore, we are. The human species is an infinitesimally improbable out-come of countless, unrepeatable iterations of a process that itself is a fluke. To paraphrase the late naturalist Stephen J. Gould, erase the tape, have one player move a few feet to the left for good measure, do a retake, do a trillion trillion retakes, and nothing akin to homo sapiens is likely to emerge. Evolution is not intuitive, nor would any sane gambler bet on its odds. There are no "proofs," no conclusions based upon experimentation and testing. What we know about evolution derives from historical narrative—the evolutionary biologists' reconstruction of what might have happened. Their scenario has also evolved through iterations of accumulating, adapting, and eliminating ideas according to new findings, new observations, and new knowledge. In the process, the narrative's woof and warp have tightened. Gaps narrowed to the point that, in "What Evolution Is," biologist Ernst Mayr coul d proclaim, "Evolution is not merely an idea, a theory, or a concept, but is the name of a process in nature, the occurrence of which can be documented by mountains of evidence that nobody has been able to refute...It is now actually misleading to refer to evolution as a theory, considering the massive evidence that has been discovered over the last 140 years documenting its existence. Evolution is no longer a theory, it is simply a fact" [Mayr 275]. Central to this "simple fact" is the concept of speciation, which was developed in the 1930s by Dobzhansky and Mayr. According to them, allopatric speciation is contingent upon the spatial and temporal integrity of a population, a species taxon.

Essay on Art as a Reflection of Life in Death in Venice -- Death in Ve

Art as a Reflection of Life in Death in Venice      Ã‚  Death in Venice explores the relationship between an artist, namely Gustave von Aschenbach, and the world in which he lives. Aschenbach, destined to be an artist from a young age, represents art, while his surroundings represent life. As the story unfolds, Aschenbach endeavors on a journey in an attempt to relinquish his position in society as an artist. Aschenbach wants to experience life, as opposed to merely reflecting upon it, as he has done for so many years. This attempted change of lifestyle can also be interpreted as a transition from the ways of Apollo to those of Dionysus, an archetype dating back to Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy. Aschenbach's journey throughout Death in Venice can be seen as an artist's attempt to live life free from artistic interpretations. In the end, however, Aschenbach fails and his death shows that art is transient. Because of Aschenbach's failure to step down from his position as an artist and to become a part of life, it can be concluded that art is purely a reflection of life. Aschenbach's journey commences upon his encountering a stranger on a portico. "He was obviously not Bavarian." (Mann, 4) Aschenbach, never having ventured far from home, is intrigued by this foreigner who fails to give him the respect and reverence that he is used to as a renowned artist. For the first time in his life, Aschenbach is challenged. "So now, perhaps, feeling, thus tyrannized, avenged itself by leaving him, refusing from now on to carry and wing his art and taking away with it all the ecstasy he had known in form and expression." (Mann, 7) Aschenbach, acknowledging the challenge, resolves to travel. The new territory upon which he is to embark, t... ...be an artist is shown throughout his life, including in his last moments on the beach when he fears Tadzio's death. The irony of Ashenbach's demise emphasizes that art, as a reflection of life, is transient. "And before nightfall a shocked and respectful world received the news of his decease." (Mann, 73) Aschenbach has earned his place in history as an artist. But like all artists, he is replaced by his successors. Aschenbach's transition from an Apollonian way of life to a Dionysian one shows that art reflects life. In his case, art is nothing more than a reflection, and although beautiful and appreciated, it is not an essential element of life itself.    Works Cited "Mann, Thomas." Microsoft(r) Encarta(r) 98 Encyclopedia. 1993-1997. Mann, Thomas. Death In Venice. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. http://philos.wright.edu/Dept/CLS/wk/204/DV.html

Cafr Instructions

ACC 4043/6043 Governmental Accounting CAFR CASES Instructions: Obtain a copy of a recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). You are to answer the attached questions for CAFRs 1 to 5. You do not have to do the other ones. In responding to the questions, recognize that yes and no answers are generally not sufficient. I am allocating significant points to these cases, and I want your answers to indicate that you have read and understood the information presented in your CAFR.For example, in question (d) in Chapter 1, don’t just say yes the CARF does contain an organizational chart, a table of contents, a list of principal officials, and so on, but list them and be descriptive of what you find. If you run into terms that you are not familiar with, check the index at the back of the book to find where it is discussed, or you can ask me. I am available to help if you have questions or run into difficulties. CAFR 1 Obtain a copy of a recent Comprehensive Annual Financial R eport.If I don’t have sufficient numbers for everyone, these may be obtained by writing or calling the director of finance in a city or state of your choice. You will have questions related to the annual report dealing with a number of the chapters in the textbook. Answer the following questions related to your CAFR. a. What are the inclusive dates of the fiscal year? b. Write the name and address of the independent auditor. Is the auditor’s opinion unqualified† If not, describe the qualification.Is the opinion limited to the basic financial statements, or does the opinion include combining and individual fund statements? c. Is the report separated into the three distinct sections: introductory, financial, and statistical? Does the report have a â€Å"single audit† section at the end? (A few CAFRs include their single audit report in the CAFR—see Chapter 13 for more detail of the single audit requirements. ) d. Does the report contain an organizatio n chart? A table of contents?A list of principal officials? A letter of transmittal? Is the letter of transmittal dated and signed by the chief financial officer? List the major items of discussion in the letter of transmittal. e. Does the report include a Management’s Discussion and Analysis? List the major items of discussion. f. Does the report include the government-wide statements (Statement of Net Assets and Statement of Activities)? g. Does the report reflect fund financial statements for governmental, proprietary, and fiduciary funds?List those statements. List the major governmental and proprietary funds (the funds that have separate columns in the governmental and proprietary fund statements. ) CAFR 2 Using your CARF, answer the following questions: a. Compare the items discussed in the MD&A in your CAFR with the list of items in this chapter. Which topics listed in this chapter are not in your CAFR? Which topics are in CAFR that are not listed in this chapter? Do y ou think your CAFR has a reasonably complete discussion? b.From the MD&A in your report, write a short summary of (1) the financial condition of your government, (2) a comparison of revenues compared with the prior year, (3) a comparison of expenses compared with the prior year, and (4) a comparison of budgeted and actual activity. c. From the Statement of Net Assets, write down the following: (1) unrestricted net assets—governmental activities; (2) unrestricted net assets—business-type activities; (3)restricted net assets by restriction—governmental activities; (4) restricted net assets by restriction—business-type activities; and (5) unrestricted and restricted net assets—component units. . From the Statement of Activities, write down the following: (1) net program expense (or revenue)—governmental activities; (2) net program expense (or revenue)—business-type activities; (3) net program expense (or revenue)—component units; (4) change in net assets—governmental activities; (5) change in net assets—business-type activities; and (6) change in net assets—components units. Do the ending net asset figures in this statement agree with the net asset figures in the Statement of Net Assets? e.From the Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Fun Balances for Governmental Funds, identify the names of the major governmental funds. CAFR 3 A. ) Look at the Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Fund Balances for the governmental funds. List the revenue source classes. Do they agree with those sources discussed in this chapter? Are expenditures reported by character? List the functional classifications under the current character classification. Do those classifications agree with those listed in the example shown in this chapter? Are Other Financing Sources and Uses presented separately?Does your report show transfers in? Transfers out? Capital leases? Proceeds of bonds? B. ) Look at the Budgetary Comparison Schedule in the RSI section of your annual Report (or Budgetary Comparison Statement, if that is used by your government) for the General Fund. Is the budgetary format used, or is the schedule in the format used for the Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Fund Balances? Does the report reflect the original budget, revised budget, and actual figures? Are variance columns presented comparing the actual with the revised budget? Comparing the original with the revised budget?Is a reconciliation between the budgetary basis of accounting and GAAP presented on the budgetary comparison schedule or in a separate schedule? What are the major differences, if any? Are budgetary comparison schedules (or statements) presented for special revenue funds? Are all special revenue funds included? C. ) Look at the note that describes the basis of budgeting (usually in the Summary of Significant Accounting Policies). Is the budget prepared on the GA AP basis or some other basis? Are the differences, if any between the budgetary basis and GAAP clearly explained?Do unexpected encumbrances lapse at year-end? If unexpected lapse, are they normally expropriated in the following year? Do the notes describe the budget calendar (a separate note may have this information)? Do the notes describe the legal level of budgetary control and the levels at which certain budget revisions might be made? Were budget revisions necessary during the year? CAFR 4 A. ) Look at the General Fund column of the Balance Sheet for governmental funds. What are the major assets? Liabilities? What reserves have been established for fund balance? Are any designations shown?Are taxes receivable offset by Deferred Revenues? Are the amounts the same? (If so, this would indicate cash accounting for property taxes. ) B. ) Look at the General Fund column of the governmental funds Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Fund Balances. Prepare a schedule sho wing percentages of revenues by source. Prepare a schedule showing percentages of expenditures by function. Does your government have significant transfers in or out? Can you identify the fund that provide or receives these resources? Does your government have any other financing sources or uses?Special and/or extraordinary items? C. ) Does your government report any special revenue funds as major funds in the governmental fund statements? What are they? What are the major revenue sources? Expenditure functions? D. ) Review the notes to the financial statements to determine the measurement focus and basis of accounting used to prepare the governmental fund financial statement. Do the notes describe modified accrual accounting in a manner consistent with this book? Which revenue sources are subject to accrual? Are expenditures generally recognized when goods and services are received?Which specific modifications to accrual accounting are mentioned in the notes? E. ) Look at the Gener al Fund column of the governmental fund statements from the point of view of a financial analyst. Is the Fund Balance as the balance sheet dater larger or smaller than at the beginning of the year? Are reasons for the change apparent from the statements? Compute a ratio of fund balance/general fund revenues and compare it with your class member’s. CAFR 5 A. ) Look at the governmental fund financial statements. Are any major capital projects funds included? If so, list them.Attempt to find out the nature and purpose of the projects from the letter of transmittal, the notes, or MD&A. What are major sources of funding, such as bond sales, intergovernmental grants, and transfers from other funds? Were the projects completed during the year? B. ) Again looking at the governmental fund financial statements, are any major debt service funds included? If so list them. What are the sources of funding for these debt service payments? C. ) Does your report include supplemental informati on including combining statements for nonmajor funds? If so, are any capital projects and debt service funds included?If so, list them. Indicate the major revenue and other financing source categories for these funds. D. ) Look at the governmental fund Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Fund Balances, specifically the expenditure classification. Compute a ratio of capital outlay/total expenditures. Again compute a ratio of debt service/total expenditures. Compare those with your classmates’ ratios. Comment on the possible meaning of these ratios. E. ) Look at the notes to the financial statements, specifically the note (in the summary of significant accounting policies) regarding the definition of modified accrual accounting.Does the note specifically indicate that modified accrual accounting is used for capital projects and debt service funds? Does the note indicate that debt serve payments, both principal and interest, are recorded as an expenditure when du e? F. ) Does your government report capital lease payable in the government-wide Statement of Net Assets? If so, can you determine if new capital leases were initiated during the year? Can you trace the payments related to capital leases? G. ) Does your government report permanent funds, either major or nonmajor? If so, list them.What are the amounts of the permanent resources available for governmental purposes? What is/are the governmental purpose(s)? CAFR 6 A. ) Find the Statement of Net Assets for the proprietary funds. Is the Net Asset or the Balance Sheet format used? List the major enterprise funds from that statement. Is the statement classified between current and noncurrent assets and liabilities? Are net assets broken down into the three classifications shown in your text? Is a separate column shown for internal service funds? B. ) Find the Statement of Revenues, Expenses, and Changes in Net Assets for the proprietary funds.Is the â€Å"all-inclusive† format used? Are revenues reported by source? Are expenses (not expenditures reported by function or by object classification? Is depreciation reported separately? Is operating income, or a similar title, displayed? Are nonoperating revenues and expenses shown separately after operating income? Are capital contributions, extraordinary and special items, and transfers shown separately? List any extraordinary and special items. C. ) Find the Statement of Cash Flows for the proprietary funds. List the four categories of cash flows. Are they the same as shown in the text?Are interest receipts reported as cash flows from investing activities? Are interest payments shown as financing activities? Is the direct method used? Is a reconciliation shown from operating income to net cash provided by operations? Are capital assets acquired from financing activities shown as decreases in cash flows from financing activities? Does the ending cash balance agree with the cash balance shown in the Statement of Net Assets (note that restricted assets may be included)? D. ) If your government has a CAFR, look to any combining statements and list the nonmajor enterprise funds.List the internal service funds. E. ) Look at the financial statements from the point of view of a financial analyst. Write down the unrestricted net assets balances for each of the major enterprise funds, and (if you have a CAFR) the nonmajor enterprise funds and internal service funds. Look at the long-term debt of major enterprise funds. Can you tell from the statements or the notes whether the debt is general obligation or revenue in nature? Write down transfers for each of the funds. Compare these numbers with prior years, if the information is provided in your financial statements.Look at the transfers. Can you tell if the general government is subsidizing or is a subsidized by enterprise funds? CAFR 7 A. ) Look at the Statement of Fiduciary Net Assets. Which fund types are included? Is the Statement prepared in a fo rmat in which Assets – Liabilities = Net Assets? Are net assets shown as being held in trust for employee benefits and other purposes? Look at the Statement of Changes in Fiduciary Net Assets. Has the government refrained from including agency funds in that statement? Are increases and decreases shown as additions and deductions, rather than revenues and expenses?What are the main additions? What are the main deductions? B. ) Are agency funds included in the Statement of Fiduciary Net Assets? If so, look to the notes or combining schedules and list the individual agency funds. Has the government limited itself to agency funds that are held for individuals, organizations, or other governments—not for other government funds? Do agency funds report only assets and liabilities, not net assets? Does the government report a Statement or Schedule of Changes in Assets and Liabilities for agency funds? C. ) Does the government have private-purpose funds?If so, list them. Descri be the purposes for which they exist. Can you tell if any of those funds are endowments, and have resources permanently restricted? How much income was generated by each of the private purpose funds, and how much was released for use? Does the government report escheat property as private-purpose funds? Is so, indicate the nature of the process by which property is released and for what purpose. D. ) Does the government report investment trust funds? If so, describe the nature of the external investment pool. Which other governments are included?Has your government refrained from including its own investments in the investment trust funds? E. ) List the pension funds included in the financial statements. From the notes, list the other pension plans that are available to employees of your governmental unit. Are those plans agent plans or cost-sharing plans? Defined contributions or defined benefit? Are required disclosures made in the notes for all pension plans, whether or not the p lans are included as trust funds? Are the two RSI Schedules included in your report (when defined benefit plans are reported)?Look at the actuarial status of the plans and comment about the potential impact of pensions on the financial condition of the government. F. ) Look at the note disclosures regarding investments. Are investments reported at fair value? Do the notes disclose the realized gains or losses on investments? Do the notes categorize investments based on risk? When the government created internal investment pools for management purposes, does the government report the individual investments and income from those investments in the funds that provided the resources?CAFR 8 A. ) Find the reconciliation between the governmental fund balances and the governmental-type activities net assets. This might be on the governmental fund Balance Sheet or in a separate schedule in the basic financial statements. List the major differences. What is the amount shown for capital assets ? How much is due to the incorporation of internal service funds? Was an adjustment made for deferred property taxes or any other revenue? What is the adjustment due to the inclusion of long-term liabilities? What other adjustments are made?B. ) Find the reconciliation between the governmental fund changes in fund balances and the governmental-type activities changes in net assets. This might be on the governmental Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Fund Balances or in a separate schedule. List the major differences. How much is due to the difference between depreciation reported on the Statement of Activities and the reported expenditures for capital outlays on the Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Fund Balances?How much is due to differences in reporting expenditures versus expenses for debt service? How much is due to the incorporation of internal service funds? How much is due to differences in reporting proceeds versus gains on sale of capital assets? How much is due to additional revenue accruals? How much is due to additional expense accruals? What other items are listed? C. ) Look at the Statement of Net Assets, especially the net asset section. Attempt to prove the Net Assets Invested in Capital Assets, Net of Related Debt figure from the information in the statement or the notes.List the individual items of net assets that are restricted; this might require examination of the notes to the financial statements. D. ) Look at the Statement of Activities. List the net exenses (revenues) for governmental activities, business-type activities, and component units. List the change in net assets for governmental activities, business-type activities, and component units. Attempt to find from the notes the component units that are discretely presented. E. ) Look throughout the annual report for disclosures related to capital assets.This would include the notes to the financial statements, any schedules, and information in the MD&A. Summarize what is included. What depreciation method is used? Are lives of major classes of capital assets disclosed? F. ) Look throughout the annual report for disclosures related to long-term debt. This would include the notes to the financial statements, any schedules in the financial and statistical sections, and the MD&A. Summarize what is included. Are the schedules listed in this chapter included? What is the debt limit and margin? What is the direct debt per capita? The direct and overlapping debt per capita?