Monday, September 30, 2019

Masonry History

Masonry Brick and cement have been important construction materials for centuries, and an experienced mason is an essential part of almost any construction crew. Masonry is a growing career that requires knowledge of history, materials, and techniques. Masonry consists of a lot of different things such as laying brick, block, or rock. It also consists of pouring concrete slabs such as foundations, driveways, or even pouring concrete walls. These skills require specialized training and practice to perfect. Masonry is the process of constructing a building from individual bricks laid in a specific pattern and bound together† (What is Brick Masonry? ). This specific pattern that is bound together is called a course. â€Å"Masonry is considered a durable construction method and brick is one of the most common types of masonry used in industrialized nations† (What is Brick Masonry? ). Concrete masons and concrete finishers work outside together and complete the long process o f pouring concrete such as foundations, slabs, or steps (Porterfield).Concrete is everywhere: on highways, bridges, sidewalks, or driveways, just about all ways of traveling (What is Brick Masonry? ). A variety of skills is required to be an experienced mason. â€Å"Keys to success are hand eye coordination, manual deterring, good balance, physical fitness, solid math skills, and team playing ability† (What is Brick Masonry? ). Masonry has existed for centuries. â€Å"The Egyptian pyramids, coliseum in Rome, India’s Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and some of the world’s most significant architectural achievements have been built with masonry† (Mason Contractors).Artistic, strong, and durable masonry structures have withstood the normal wear and tear for centuries (Mason Contractors). â€Å"Ancient records and excavations show that brick construction dates back more than 5000 years† (Master Masonry). For centuries, before technology came out, th e mason would have to hand form his brick that he was to lay in the wall later (Master Masonry). â€Å"Many of the brick used in construction in the early American settlements were brought from England† (Master Masonry).Records show that the first brick ever made in the United States were made in Virginia in 1611 and in Massachusetts in 1629 (Master Masonry). â€Å"In 1666 a great fire changed London from a city of wooden buildings to a city of brick construction† (Master Masonry). Because the English had first built everything in London out of wood, it acted such as a chain reaction and burnt the whole city down (Master Masonry). The British realized that brick was a better material for their needs, and so did many other civilizations. Through civilization, architects and buildings have chosen masonry for its beauty, versatility, and durability† (Mason Contractors). Masonry is used to stop disasters such as the London fire because it is resistant to fire, earthq uakes, and sounds (Mason Contractors). Since masonry is so popular, American masons can get expect to be paid well. On average a brick mason gets paid $30. 50 an hour (Bricklayers). â€Å"Bricklayers who work full time may receive benefits such as health insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, and retirement plan† (Bricklayers).However bad weather or downturns in construction activity can reduce hours (Bricklayers). Fifty percent of brick masons make $22. 56 with an annual wage of $46,000 a year (Brick masons and Block masons). Earth’s expanding population does provide masons some job security. â€Å"As the population grows more schools, homes, factories, and other structures will be needed† (Bricklayers). This growth will contribute to the demand for bricklayers and stonemasons. â€Å"Employment of bricklayers and stone masons is sensitive to the economy; if the economy slows down, then so does construction† (Bricklayers).Demand may also come from those wh o are renovating existing masonry buildings to maybe open a new business or make a new home to live in (Bricklayers). â€Å"With a crumbling infrastructure throughout the country the demand for cement masons who can repair and build highways, bridges, and other structures will be high in the coming years† (Porterfield). New concerns over the cost of heating and cooling buildings workers mean that workers will need to build energy efficient buildings in the coming years also (Bricklayers). The demand for terrazzo workers brick layers and stone masons is also expected to succeed the supply of skilled workers† (Porterfield). One is not required to go to college to be a mason, yet it is good to take courses such as construction trades or business classes. â€Å"There are also helpful high school classes that [one] can take such as carpentry, algebra, or physics† (Bricklayers). These classes can help in other careers too, not just masonry. â€Å"Since there are no co llege requirements some companies may require [one] to be at an experienced level before they will hire [one] on† (Porterfield).They may require one to two years experience to come on as a layer, or they may not require any experience to come on as a laborer who only mixes mud or takes brick to the layers. â€Å"Apprenticeship programs do four years of on-the-job; training, [one is] paid for the time [one spends] on the job and [one receives] at least 144 hours of classroom training† (Bricklayers). Bricklayers start out on the job by examining the blueprint or structure to see what work needs to be done, and then they start to unload the supplies for the job (Bricklayers). Bricklayers then lay the foundation, then they spread the mortar, then they tap the brick into place† (Bricklayers). Masons measure the distance from the reference points using levels or plumb lines (Bricklayers). â€Å"Bricklayers mark guides to follow as they lay the material† (Bricklay ers). Bricklayers start at corners because they are most difficult. The more experienced masons do the corners and the less experienced fill the corners in to form the wall (Bricklayers). There are a variety of ways to lay brick, and there are many designs and formats masons use.With all that is going to be said, people interested in masonry will need to know that a course is a row of brick, a header is when the short side of the brick faces out, and a stretcher is when the long side of the brick faces out (Bradshaw). The first and most basic type of brick pattern is a running bond; this is where the bond alternates instead of being stacked upon one another (Bradshaw). A common bond occurs when a header is laid so that the small end only appears on the face of the wall. A stretcher is a brick laid such that the long, narrow side only appears on the face of the wall.Brick laid in common bond with sixth course headers will have five rows of stretchers, one row of headers, then five mo re rows of stretchers, and one more row of headers(Bradshaw). Then there is the stack bond, which is where the brick is stacked right on top of each other (Bradshaw). There is also an English bond, which has one full course of stretchers and another full course of headers that alternate as such (Bradshaw). A Flemish bond is where every course is made of alternating headers and stretchers.Then there is the herringbone bond, in which every course is laid at an angle with the angle depending on the direction of the course. The Flemish and herringbone bonds are the most difficult ones to lay because the style is so detailed. A mason must measure and level the work exactly because imperfections show easily in both these styles (Bradshaw). The chart below is contains pictures of the six most common types of masonry bonds. These bonds are used in most commercial masonry jobs. Different types of bonds are used depending on issues like customer preferences and the types of structure being co nstructed. Six Types of Masonry Bonds Running Bond |Common Bond | |[pic] |[pic] | |Stack Bond |English Bond | |[pic] |[pic] | |Flemish Bond |Herringbone Bond | |[pic] |[pic] | Source: Brickwork GuideMasonry is a very important part of construction throughout the world. It has been around for hundreds of years and has grown and changed a lot since it was originated, which makes it a good construction method. The pay for a more experienced mason it outstanding, and the pay for an inexperienced one is still way above average. The demand for masons has gone down a whole lot in the past years, but I think that it will start to rise in the coming years. One better thing about the career is there is no schooling required; one just needs experience. These great reasons are why anyone able should get into masonry to start a great career for the rest of his or her life.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Pursuing Happiness Essay

Human beings can give up many things to achieve happiness, sometimes they could be only be beneficial to themselves and be harmful for others. In the book, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth shows how he can do wrongful deeds such as committing murder to achieve his own happiness. Only after killing Duncan does he realize that he might have done something wrong and unjustful for the people around him, but later he murders yet another friend to keep his own happiness while disturbing others. William Shakespeare makes a great example of how people can become darker to fulfil their happiness and desires. Throughout the story Macbeth faces on Prophecies and encounters guilt but instead of embracing it he ignores it and becomes a darker person. By killing Duncan Macbeth is named king of Scotland and achieve what he always wanted, later on he becomes suspicious of his best friend Banquo and murders him as well. Macbeth keeps on becoming darker and darker and would do anything to keep his happiness and people from interfering with him. After killing Duncan Macbeth feels guilt for his actions and that â€Å"no ocean could ever watch off his bloody hands†. Only later on he kills his best friend Banquo because he thinks he know the truth behind King Duncan’s death. The author empires how Macbeth would go really far to keep the way things are including murdering everyone that interferes in his path. At this state Macbeth finally puts his guilt and enters his dark stage and starts to kill anyone of suspicion, as a result, Macduff’s family. Unfortunately Macbeth at this point has given up and thinks he’s lived a good enough life and wouldn’t mind to be laid to rest. William Shakespeare shows how Macbeth who was once honored to beside King Duncan has now committed great sins for his own selfishness. At the end Macbeth finally realises that he was wrong doing and only taking advantage of other people. One of the main reasons Macbeth felt it was necessary to kill King Duncan was because of Lady Macbeth. He loved her and felt she also needed to be happy and the only way was to kill Duncan. Although skeptical, Macbeth did the deed and felt terrible about it, Lady Macbeth taking advantage of Macbeth convinces Macbeth that it wasn’t actually a big deal. William Shakespeare shows how Macbeth can misguided and persuaded easily for his wife, and willing to go far enough to murder to give happiness and selfish desires for his loved one, Lady Macbeth. When Macbeth had ordered the murderers to kill Banquo, he wanted to stay happy with his wife but didn’t want her to get involved. This showed how Macbeth was willing to take the blame for his wife if he were to get caught. Although he was murdering Banquo for his sake of not getting caught he was also doing it for Lady Macbeth not getting anymore involved. Macbeth became a darker person so that Lady Macbeth could stay happy with him as King and Queen of Scotland. Through the end of the novel, Macbeth starts to realize who he has become because of his own selfishness, he realizes the how many people he has murdered to keep himself happy for his own sake and Lady Macbeth’s. Until the point where Macbeth just gives up on himself, â€Å"I have lived long enough.  My way of life Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf, And that which should accompany old age. † Macbeth states that he has living long enough and wouldn’t mind dying because he has nothing more to live for. Shakespeare shows how Macbeth who was willing to do anything for happiness and has now become ill of it and had enough of the pointless slaughter. Once you have done everything to get happiness it isn’t happiness anymore because if you have all the sacrifices Macbeth had made. We all strive to achieve happiness doing either good or bad things to receive it. Macbeth had no ill intentions in killing King Duncan but for the sake of his wife he committed the crime. Until the end Macbeth only wanted happiness for himself and to achieve it he took a different path which lead to his downfall. Once we achieve happiness we frown upon it and think of it as always there but eventually you will lose it, nothing will be here forever. After Macbeth found out his wife had died, he didn’t care anymore because his time of happiness was gone, there was nothing left for him, he had lived a good enough life and if he was ready to die if he had to.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Animals In Our Society

You may want to understand animals deeper than pop culture but to understand them based on their experience, words, emotions and explain them in a social, historical, cultural context It is impossible to understand animals to understand that we hold a mirror for ourselves when we look at animals (Corbett, 176). In most cases, they do not sell you a mousse, but what does Moose mean to you - the nature and quality of the relationship between you and most people. Recent advances in animal rights movement have brought greater visibility, compassion and behavioral opportunities to animals of every location, our society and the future. Reinterpreting the obsolete definition of control from dominant animals to responsible stewards stewarders - to protect, respect and respect lucky animals that we share on the earth - We give all our valuable careers .. fight. I have heard about the cruel act against Cecil 's lion, now infamous, Minnesota, and meaningless murder. This is a beautiful and affe ctionate temptation away from his family, slaughtered by people already known and trusted by him. His corpses remained rotten as if he were just a prize. I really do not want to. We live in a society that seems to be very worried about animal welfare. However, the actual handling of animals in our society is in sharp contrast to that statement about our concerns about their moral status. As one scholar said, He is incompatible with a kind of care and moral society, in which empathy is a good qualification. Higher standards for improving the lives of animals. One of the biggest obstacles to the protection of animals in the legal system is that they have historically been regarded as personal property under law. Animals are deemed to be the goods we own and are not worth the value we value them as property owners. This means, inter alia, that the law does not recognize animals as victims of crime, so that suffering and injuries of animals are not considered compensable. The legal defi nition of atrocities against animals reflects our social ethics in animal rights. In particular, these definitions reveal general attitudes towards animal suffering. The abbreviation of the law permits the atrocities of animals without legal sanctions and indicates that society accepts such abuse by default. Although our society recognizes the need for animal protection, animal welfare is often not the real focus of these statistics. The basic motivation of such a law is people's interest in protecting property and preventing malicious behavior. Specific statutory exemption that leads to the lack of statutory standards on activities such as anti-cruel legislation, courtly interpretation of these laws, and animal laboratory experiments shows inevitable conclusions: animals are I prefer protection of species, but I do not have legal rights. Animals In Our Society You may want to understand animals deeper than pop culture but to understand them based on their experience, words, emotions and explain them in a social, historical, cultural context It is impossible to understand animals to understand that we hold a mirror for ourselves when we look at animals (Corbett, 176). In most cases, they do not sell you a mousse, but what does Moose mean to you - the nature and quality of the relationship between you and most people. Recent advances in animal rights movement have brought greater visibility, compassion and behavioral opportunities to animals of every location, our society and the future. Reinterpreting the obsolete definition of control from dominant animals to responsible stewards stewarders - to protect, respect and respect lucky animals that we share on the earth - We give all our valuable careers .. fight. I have heard about the cruel act against Cecil 's lion, now infamous, Minnesota, and meaningless murder. This is a beautiful and affe ctionate temptation away from his family, slaughtered by people already known and trusted by him. His corpses remained rotten as if he were just a prize. I really do not want to. We live in a society that seems to be very worried about animal welfare. However, the actual handling of animals in our society is in sharp contrast to that statement about our concerns about their moral status. As one scholar said, He is incompatible with a kind of care and moral society, in which empathy is a good qualification. Higher standards for improving the lives of animals. One of the biggest obstacles to the protection of animals in the legal system is that they have historically been regarded as personal property under law. Animals are deemed to be the goods we own and are not worth the value we value them as property owners. This means, inter alia, that the law does not recognize animals as victims of crime, so that suffering and injuries of animals are not considered compensable. The legal defi nition of atrocities against animals reflects our social ethics in animal rights. In particular, these definitions reveal general attitudes towards animal suffering. The abbreviation of the law permits the atrocities of animals without legal sanctions and indicates that society accepts such abuse by default. Although our society recognizes the need for animal protection, animal welfare is often not the real focus of these statistics. The basic motivation of such a law is people's interest in protecting property and preventing malicious behavior. Specific statutory exemption that leads to the lack of statutory standards on activities such as anti-cruel legislation, courtly interpretation of these laws, and animal laboratory experiments shows inevitable conclusions: animals are I prefer protection of species, but I do not have legal rights. Animals In Our Society You may want to understand animals deeper than pop culture but to understand them based on their experience, words, emotions and explain them in a social, historical, cultural context It is impossible to understand animals to understand that we hold a mirror for ourselves when we look at animals (Corbett, 176). In most cases, they do not sell you a mousse, but what does Moose mean to you - the nature and quality of the relationship between you and most people. Recent advances in animal rights movement have brought greater visibility, compassion and behavioral opportunities to animals of every location, our society and the future. Reinterpreting the obsolete definition of control from dominant animals to responsible stewards stewarders - to protect, respect and respect lucky animals that we share on the earth - We give all our valuable careers .. fight. I have heard about the cruel act against Cecil 's lion, now infamous, Minnesota, and meaningless murder. This is a beautiful and affe ctionate temptation away from his family, slaughtered by people already known and trusted by him. His corpses remained rotten as if he were just a prize. I really do not want to. We live in a society that seems to be very worried about animal welfare. However, the actual handling of animals in our society is in sharp contrast to that statement about our concerns about their moral status. As one scholar said, He is incompatible with a kind of care and moral society, in which empathy is a good qualification. Higher standards for improving the lives of animals. One of the biggest obstacles to the protection of animals in the legal system is that they have historically been regarded as personal property under law. Animals are deemed to be the goods we own and are not worth the value we value them as property owners. This means, inter alia, that the law does not recognize animals as victims of crime, so that suffering and injuries of animals are not considered compensable. The legal defi nition of atrocities against animals reflects our social ethics in animal rights. In particular, these definitions reveal general attitudes towards animal suffering. The abbreviation of the law permits the atrocities of animals without legal sanctions and indicates that society accepts such abuse by default. Although our society recognizes the need for animal protection, animal welfare is often not the real focus of these statistics. The basic motivation of such a law is people's interest in protecting property and preventing malicious behavior. Specific statutory exemption that leads to the lack of statutory standards on activities such as anti-cruel legislation, courtly interpretation of these laws, and animal laboratory experiments shows inevitable conclusions: animals are I prefer protection of species, but I do not have legal rights. Animals In Our Society You may want to understand animals deeper than pop culture but to understand them based on their experience, words, emotions and explain them in a social, historical, cultural context It is impossible to understand animals to understand that we hold a mirror for ourselves when we look at animals (Corbett, 176). In most cases, they do not sell you a mousse, but what does Moose mean to you - the nature and quality of the relationship between you and most people. Recent advances in animal rights movement have brought greater visibility, compassion and behavioral opportunities to animals of every location, our society and the future. Reinterpreting the obsolete definition of control from dominant animals to responsible stewards stewarders - to protect, respect and respect lucky animals that we share on the earth - We give all our valuable careers .. fight. I have heard about the cruel act against Cecil 's lion, now infamous, Minnesota, and meaningless murder. This is a beautiful and affe ctionate temptation away from his family, slaughtered by people already known and trusted by him. His corpses remained rotten as if he were just a prize. I really do not want to. We live in a society that seems to be very worried about animal welfare. However, the actual handling of animals in our society is in sharp contrast to that statement about our concerns about their moral status. As one scholar said, He is incompatible with a kind of care and moral society, in which empathy is a good qualification. Higher standards for improving the lives of animals. One of the biggest obstacles to the protection of animals in the legal system is that they have historically been regarded as personal property under law. Animals are deemed to be the goods we own and are not worth the value we value them as property owners. This means, inter alia, that the law does not recognize animals as victims of crime, so that suffering and injuries of animals are not considered compensable. The legal defi nition of atrocities against animals reflects our social ethics in animal rights. In particular, these definitions reveal general attitudes towards animal suffering. The abbreviation of the law permits the atrocities of animals without legal sanctions and indicates that society accepts such abuse by default. Although our society recognizes the need for animal protection, animal welfare is often not the real focus of these statistics. The basic motivation of such a law is people's interest in protecting property and preventing malicious behavior. Specific statutory exemption that leads to the lack of statutory standards on activities such as anti-cruel legislation, courtly interpretation of these laws, and animal laboratory experiments shows inevitable conclusions: animals are I prefer protection of species, but I do not have legal rights.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Democracy and capitalism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Democracy and capitalism - Research Paper Example More importantly, it was argued, this entrepreneurial class would enforce democratic structures in the localities in which they operated. In other words, â€Å"by producing economic wealth and an entrepreneurial class, capitalism inevitably produces democracy. And since democracies don't start wars or have expansionist proclivities--forget, for the moment, Theodore Roosevelt and imperialist Britain--capitalist-democratic development contributes to security and to world peace.† (Foulkes, 2006, p.22) There is evidence from recent political history to support this benign linkage of capitalism and democracy. For example, â€Å"Entrepreneurial capitalism became more dominant in the America of Ronald Reagan than it had been before, and job growth and record-breaking prosperity followed. In Britain, Margaret Thatcher reversed almost four decades of socialism and changed her country from the sick man of Europe into one positioned for long-term, non-inflationary growth. Meanwhile, the Soviet economy was shown to be like the Wizard of Oz--an imposing facade, but impotent and powerless at its core. Put these events together and you have an unassailable proof that capitalism produces a level of economic welfare that a planned economy simply cannot emulate.† (Stelzer, 1994, p.32) And, when we scan the performance of capitalist regimes in other parts of the world, the links between capitalism, prosperity and democracy becomes incontestable. After all, in recent times, capitalism in countries such as Chile, Taiwan and South Korea have resulted in both economic progress as well as democracy establishment. In the newly remodeled Russian political system too, we see the formation of glasnost (democratization) and perestroika (economic restructuring) marching hand in hand. (Friedman, 2007, p.46) Nothing exemplifies the successes of capitalism than the recent developments in India and China. By participating in financial globalization, countries with abundance of che ap labour such as India and China are primed to assume leadership position in another 10-15 years. While Mao Zedong was the father of the Communist China, his successor Deng Xiaoping must be credited for the nation’s progress toward prosperity. It was under his leadership that the party ratified and implemented the ‘Four Modernizations’ program that would propel China onto the global stage, where it is fast approaching leadership position. This ambitious program of sweeping economic reforms opened China to the outside world in more than strictly economic sense. In the case of India, it’s huge pool of skilled workers, who have the added advantage of proficiency in English language, have been the engine of economic growth. The re-election of Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister is also a positive development from an economic perspective, for it was he who initiated India as a participant in globalization in 1991. China, on the other hand, started participati ng in the process of globalization much before India did. As a result, its economy is more than twice that of India and is catching up fast with that of the United States and Japan. Some of the South American countries such as Venezuela and Russia (rich in oil resources) and Brazil (rich in natural resources) also pose a threat to American domination of global economy. In fact, American media believes that the threat

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Psychological Theories in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Psychological Theories in Education - Essay Example In recent years, the focus has been on creating a socialization process which assists the novice educators in understanding and applying general insights relating to teaching and learning. Thus, it can be seen that various theoretical approaches and practices were suggested by several psychological theorists in the history of education. In the 20th century, one most prominent researcher in developmental psychology has been Jean Piaget (1896-1980) who was mainly interested in the biological influences on how people come to know or learn and considered himself a genetic epistemologist. He is one of the most significant education theorists who has dealt with the cognitive as well as constructivist strategies of learning and contributed heavily to the various aspects of education through his significant theories. The Piagetian theory of cognitive development and constructivist learning theory have both had a significant impact in the field of education. Jean Piaget is the central contrib utor of Cognitive constructivism which is mainly based on his work. The two major aspects of his theory are the process of coming to know and the stages one moves through as one gradually acquires the ability to know. In an analysis of Piag... to the physical and mental stimuli is of significant value for human beings to survive in any kind of environment and this process of adaptation incorporates both assimilation and accommodation. According to Piaget, every individual holds mental structures. It is through assimilation of external events, and conversion of these events to suit one's mental structures that one gains the ability to adapt to the physical and mental stimuli. Furthermore, it is important to realize that the mental structures themselves lodge to new, strange, and frequently changing aspects of the outer environment. The second principle of Piaget, termed as organization, is concerned with the nature of the adaptive mental structures which he explained through the first principle. According to Piaget, the organization of the mind is in multifarious and integrated ways. It is important to understand the theories of Piaget in relation to the mental development of the child. "Piaget's theory has two major parts: an "ages and stages" component that predicts what children can and cannot understand at different ages, and a theory of development that describes how children develop cognitive abilities." (Cognitive Constructivist Theories). Piaget's theory of cognitive development is the major foundation for cognitive constructivist approaches to teaching and learning. According to his theory of development, humans cannot be 'given' information which they immediately understand and use, but instead, they must 'construct' their own knowledge. They build their knowledge through experience which facilitates them to create schemas which can be understood as mental models. Through the complimentary processes of assimilation and accommodation, these schemas are changed, engorged, and made more sophisticated.

Research Paper on literary canon and authors place in that canon

On literary canon and authors place in that canon - Research Paper Example His stories also illustrate the use of science fiction blended with horror and mysterious plots. Poe’s work became great source of inspiration and guidance for the coming writers in the genre of detective fiction and even the detective stories of today use the ideas first introduced in his detective fiction stories (Sova, p221). Poe occupies most prominent space in the detective fiction and even after several decades his work is still great source of inspiration for the writers of detective fiction genre. He paved the ways for ghosts and mysterious murdered in the American literature and illustrate the depiction of different fiction as well as scientific phenomenon in the stories. He introduced some detective characters to solve the mysteries of the stories. Before Poe the use of detective was not very common in the stories and there was no use of detectives for solving the mysteries (Ackroyd, p165). The history of detective and science fiction and detective fiction writing in America is marked with the names of several prominent and renowned fiction writer however, it is a fact admitted by the literary critics that the detective fiction writing was introduced and made popular mainly by two prominent writers including Nathaniel Hawthorne and Allan Poe that give space to ghosts and gore in their stories and pave the way of depiction of different factious objects in the stories. ... re in 1748, The rector of Veilbye by Steen Blicher in 1829, The murder of engine maker Rolfsen by Mautrits Hensen in 1839 and Das Fraulein von Scuderi by Hoffmann in 1819 (Bittner, p76) however, the literary critics and historians believe that detective fiction actually began in the English literature with the publication of The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Allan Poe in which the first ever detective character was impressively introduced by Poe. In his later stories, Poe further refined the idea of detective and illustrated the construction of the story plots using the eccentric and brilliant detective character (Harold, p143). Later in 1843 another story The Mystery of Marie Roget was published followed by The Purloined Letter in 1844 in which Poe strengthened the idea of detective fiction and played vital role in the creation of detective fiction genre in English literature. Unlike the earlier mysterious stories Poe added the essence of fiction and emotions that made his work disti nct and his story formulas were widely followed by the detective fiction writers. The work of Poe became great source of inspiration for the writers in Unites States and all over the world. Several other science fiction writers like Jules Verne also adopted the styles and guidelines provided in Poe’s work and based their writing upon the writing style introduced by Poe (Edward Farah, p132). Poe was a versatile writer as he played important role in the evolution of several types of writing genre like detective stories, adventures, horror, science and fiction. His work in all of these genres successfully worked for his recognition as a pioneering writer of certain writing styles (Bittner, p76) however, his writing focusing upon science and detective fiction possess special place in all of

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

IT Legistilation and Ethics. Cloud Computing Based MIS Essay

IT Legistilation and Ethics. Cloud Computing Based MIS - Essay Example I believe that working in a competitive environment will definitely help me develop a high level of confidence, as well as a professional attitude. I have also planned to get membership of Association for Information Systems (AIS) which is a professional body related to the field of information technology. The goals of AIS include becoming the leader of the information system research, education, and professional practice, promoting excellence in IT education, promoting information system as the world’s best professional career, and helping information system professionals and related communities in improving their professional skills and abilities. Some of the main benefits which I will get from that membership include access to world’s best information system professionals, opportunity of knowledge sharing with IT experts, career placement services, access to world-class information systems conferences, exclusive right to use to the AIS library, and opportunity to get monthly newsletters about the latest updates regarding information technology services. I believe that this membership will help me become a well-informed and competent information system professional. Task 2: 1. Chosen Technology: Cloud Computing Based MIS Information technology is the most rapidly expanding field of technology that has influenced almost every business. In this report, we will talk about a modern technology associated with the information technology. The technology we are talking about is Cloud Management Information System (Cloud MIS). Cloud MIS involves using cloud computing services to manage information and data that companies put into their information management systems. Cloud based management information systems... Some of the most considerable benefits of using Cloud based MIS include improved efficiency, greater flexibility and storage, lower initial capital expenditure, secure data management, improved management of the system, and lower operational expenditure. The basic concept of using this technology to manage MIS was developed in the recent years. However, with the passage of time, more and more developments are taking place that are making this technology a reliable choice for companies to store and manage their data. 2. Cloud Computing Talking about cloud based MIS, let us first get an understanding of what cloud computing actually is. Cloud computing is a network based online service that assists people in using a wide range of software applications on their personal computer systems using internet. Internet is the main requirement for using cloud services because of its network orientation. As Schauland (2011, p. 1) states, â€Å"Surfacing in late 2007, cloud computing is used to allow services used in everyday practice to be moved onto the Internet rather than stored on a local computer†. Cloud computing also helps companies in managing their data management tasks. Cloud services help businesspeople in such a way that employees and managers or any other user of the system do not need to be at some particular place to be able to use cloud services, rather they can carry out their data management activities being anywhere in the world. The only thing they need to do is to have a computer system and an inter net connection to access the cloud services. Cheow (2010) states that the users can make use of cloud computing applications as along as they have an access to the internet services.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Emergency Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Emergency Management - Assignment Example The author is also keen to present the seven standards that define critical thinking in a bid to enlighten the reader. In the last chapters of the book, the author presents a review of the process involved in critical thinking. One of the concepts described in the definition of critical thinking. Using the SEE-I process it is possible to break down the definition of critical thinking ((Nosich 40). For example, certain political situations compel a leader to indulge in critical thinking. This is common when nations face economic recessions and a leader must think critically in a bid to identify effective strategies for addressing the issue. The globe is facing a new Ebola threat, which has proven to be more severe than those experienced in the past. West African countries have been adversely affected by the Ebola epidemic with a registered mortality of over 1000. This situation compels nations to indulge in critical thinking as they identify potential strategies of combating the spread of the disease. This may translate to a rigorous process of critical thinking that identifies the most effective solutions that leaders can adopt in their fight against Ebola (Frieden et al). Such critical thinking should consider the eight elements of reasoning highlighted in the assigned reading discussed

Monday, September 23, 2019

Economic Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Economic Development - Essay Example He challenges traditional economic theories to justify a more aggressive, humane and generous funding formula to benefit the worlds poorest nations. As rightly quoted in his book Development as Freedom; Freedom is both constitutive of development and instrumental to it. Instrumental freedoms include political freedom, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency, and security, which are all different but inter-connected. Economic needs are considered by some to be more important than political freedoms, but the opposition is, Sen argues, mostly illusory. He also reminds us that democracy, as well as being an end in itself, plays an instrumental role in giving people a voice and a constructive role in shaping values and norms. "Political rights, including freedom of expression and discussion, are not only pivotal in inducing social responses to economic needs, they are also central to the conceptualization of economic needs themselves." (Amartya 2001) Amartya Sen views the ultimate goal of development as maximising people’s freedom to lead the lives they wish within the context of society. Political freedom and civil rights have importance of their own. Their value to the society does not have to be indirectly established in terms of their contribution to economic growth or other such economic or social achievements. Politically unfree citizens are deficient in freedom even if they happen to enjoy a very high level of income. Freedoms can be of many different kinds. In Development as Freedom, he tried to make the task more manageable by classifying diverse freedoms into five different categories, namely: economic empowerment, political freedoms, social opportunities, protective security and transparency guarantees, There is nothing particularly sacrosanct about this classification, but it does cover the ground. Political freedoms and transparency guarantee particularly in the form

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Battered Women as Court Defense Essay Example for Free

Battered Women as Court Defense Essay One of the theoretical frameworks present, which is explains the rationale for battered women killings as a supplement to a self-defense court appeal is the condition of battered woman syndrome (Ogle and Jacobs, 2002 p. 51). Battered women who kill are often limited to pleading incapacity or provocation because the circumstances of the homicide do not fit into the narrow confines of self-defense law. Even when permitted to go forward with a self-defense claim, many women do not succeed. However, using the battered woman syndrome as a defense has troublesome implications. In practice, the battered woman syndrome defense echoes the old incapacity defense – she was acting out of learned helplessness rather than necessity – and fails to adequately consider the terrible experiences and choices these women face (Forrell and Matthews, 2001 p. 203). The cycle of battering theory posits that battering involves an identifiable pattern, which possess three phases as according to Walker (1979) (Ogle and Jacobs, 2002 p.51-52): (1). Tension building, in which the batterer seeks to create tension through intimidation, degradation, and threats in order to build a case for his next episode of violence and during this time, the victim is attempting to forestall the next battering incident; (2) acute battering incident, in which the batterer becomes violently abusive toward the victim in order to make his point, regain complete control of both the relationship and the victim, and prevent the victim from tying to leave; lastly, (3) contrition, in which the batterer, early in the relationship, makes gestures of apology, promises desistance, asks for forgiveness, and seeks reconciliation in order to keep the victim from fleeing (Ogle and Jacobs, 2002 p. 52). The proportionality, imminence requirements and the mare standards by which they are measured virtually preclude traditional self-defense for most battered women who kill their violent partners. For example, a 1995 U. S Department of Justice study, Spouse Murder Defendants, determined that 44% of women accused of murdering their husbands had been threatened with a weapon or physically assaulted at or around the time of the murder; of these, 56% were convicted. Not surprisingly, in states that relax the imminence and equal-force requirements when battered women kill and admit evidence on domestic violence and its consequences, more women are found to have killed n self-defense (Forrell and Matthews, 2001 p. 203). Battered Woman Syndrome does not explain how a woman suffering from learned helplessness (resigned to dying, hopeless, sure that nothing she does will have any influence on the outcome) suddenly becomes proactive and defends herself lethally. Learned helplessness creates a psychological and behavioral stereotype of the battering victim that can then be turned around and used against her in court if she does not exactly fit the typology of a battered woman suffering from this psychological problem. When such condition occurred, the battered woman is often not permitted to present certain testimony on the battering since she is believed not to be battered woman. In other words, if psychologists, through interviews and testing, cannot make a diagnosis of learned helplessness, then the woman does not fit the typology of a battered woman and cannot use that as a supplement to self-defense (Ogle and Jacobs, 2002 p. 52-53). Battered woman syndrome has been used for purposes beyond supporting the claim of self-defense. Such syndrome testimony has been admitted as relevant evidence into a broad range of criminal cases, such as fraud, drug running, child homicide and homicide of an adult other than the batterer. As part of the defense in these criminal cases, battered woman syndrome testimony has been offered to accomplish one of these three things: (a) to bolster the woman’s claim that she engaged in a criminal act under the duress/coercion of her abusive partner; (b) to support the notion of mitigation for the woman at the time she pleads guilty; or (c) to bolster a claim of diminished capacity in the sentencing phase of case (Freedheim et. al. , 2003 p. 485). Today, despite the concerns of a number of legal scholars, most jurisdictions permit testimony in criminal court about battered woman syndrome and a number actually guarantee its legitimacy through legislation. Twelve states provide for battered woman syndrome testimony by statutory law. In 1992, President George Bush signed the Battered Women’s Testimony Act, which specifically authorized a study of this type of testimony and required training materials to be developed to assist the courts. Moreover, this act also strongly encouraged state officials to accept battered woman syndrome testimony based on recognition that many women are victims of physical violence (Freedheim et. al. , 2003 p. 485). The conditions of battered women are still at risk knowing the fact that self-defense is still not considered as ground consideration of homicide; instead, the individual needs to be diagnosed with psychological defect before granting any possible excuse from the crime committed. The Case of Court Defenses. Probably, the most famous case of postpartum psychosis is that of Andrea Yates, a Texas woman who, in 2001, downed her five children – including a six-month old – in a bathtub (Cassidy, 2006 p. 242). Ms. Yates chased the last victim, her 7-year-old boy, as he tried to run away; however, she caught him and submerged him in the tub as she had done with the others. After wrapping the five bodies in sheets and placing them on the bed, she called the Houston Police and, upon their arrival, confessed (Dorne, 2002 p. 122). Prosecutors called for the death penalty, arguing that as long as she could distinguish between right and wrong, having postpartum psychosis is no excuse for murder. Since Yates testified that she knew it was a crime to kill her children, a jury convicted her of capital murder in 2002, triggering debate about whether the standard for mental illness was too rigid and whether the courts understood the nature of postpartum mental illness. However, an appeals court overturned that conviction die to erroneous testimony, and after a new trial in 2006, a jury found her not guilty by reason of insanity. Rather than sending her to prison for life, the judge committed her to be locked mental hospital until she deemed no longer a threat (Cassidy, 2006 p. 242). In response to the second verdict, legal experts said that, in the four years since the Yates case had been in court, the American public had become more understanding – even forgiving – of postpartum depression (Cassidy, 2006 p. 242-243). In Indiana, the case of Judy Kirby attracted national attention to the post-partum defense. Ms. Kirby, a 31-year-old mother of 10 had recently given birth. With four of her children in her car, she drove down a one-way highway the wrong way. Driving against traffic, she passed 16 â€Å"Do Not Enter† signs. Her vehicle eventually hit a minivan head on, killing the driver and his two teenage children. The four Kirby children, ages 5 to 12, were also killed; however, Ms. Kirby survived the crash. A distress note written by Ms. Kirby was found in her vehicle indicating that she was having problems coping and was experiencing relationship problems with her ex-boyfriend, who was also the father of two of her children. She was charged with seven counts of homicide, aggravated battery, and child neglect causing bodily injury, and was sentenced in 2001 to 215 years in prison (Dorne, 2002 p. 122). Another case that depicts the situation of battered women in the sense of self-defense includes the confrontation case of Commonwealth v. Stonehouse (Pa. 1989). Carol Stonehouse killed William Welsh after a series of events that the appellate court characterized as bizarre but believable because they were corroborated by disinterested witnesses. Stonehouse reported many instances of abuse, battery, assaults and threats to the authorities, but with no response issued. With all the efforts provided by Stonehouse; however, she was still charged with criminal homicide, convicted of third degree homicide, and sentenced to seven to fourteen years imprisonment (Ogle and Jacobs, 2002 p. 97). Conclusion The law provides absolute rule in terms of homicide and criminal offenses, although, certain conditions are granted with exemptions. Postpartum depression is one of the psychological defects that can be used ion order to excuse one’s self from committed murder granted the fact of evidence and reliable basis, such as with Yates. On the other hand, the case of Stonehouse’s battered experience was not excused despite of cruel and brutal experience that led her in killing for sake of self-defense. References Cassidy, T. (2006). Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born. Open City Books. Dorne, C. K. (2002). An Introduction to Child Maltreatment in the United States: History, Public Policy and Research. Criminal Justice Press. Forrell, C. A. , Matthews, D. M. (2001). A Law of Her Own: The Reasonable Woman as a Measure of Man. NYU Press. Freedheim etal, C. K. (2003). Handbook of Psychology. John Wiley and Sons. Ogle, R. S. , Jacobs, S. (2002). Self-Defense and Battered Women Who Kill: A New Framework. Greenwood Publishing Group. Schwartz, L. , Isser, N. (2007). Child Homicide: Parents Who Kill. CRC Press. Spinelli, M. G. (2003). Infanticide: Psychosocial and Legal Perspectives on Mothers Who Kill. American Psychiatric Pub, Inc.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Comparison Of Building Vulnerability Assessment Methods Engineering Essay

Comparison Of Building Vulnerability Assessment Methods Engineering Essay A review of vulnerability assessment methods for buildings is conducted out with a view to evaluate their appropriateness for use in seismic risk assessment. A ranking scheme has been developed to score each vulnerability assessment method. The ranking considers general description of vulnerability, building response factors, variance in output, applicability and ease of use, which are the major characteristics for vulnerability assessment tools used in seismic risk assessment. A case study in the older portion of Dhaka city, Bangladesh has been conducted to investigate the efficiency of some state-of-the- art vulnerability assessment methods. The hybrid vulnerability scale, which uses a FEMA 310 and IITK GSDMA approaches score high in the ranking, whilst the other scales based on the Rapid Visual Screening FEMA 154, Euro Code 8, New Zealand Guidelines, Modified Turkish Method and NRCC perform differently in various weighting scenarios. However, it is found that none but the hybrid ( which includes the local site specific issues as well as the results from non destructive testing and experimental data) method effectively suits all the criteria essential for their use in seismic risk assessment, especially emphasis on physical vulnerability factors, applicability and variances in output. Keywords vulnerability assessments, physical vulnerable parameters, seismic risk assessment 1. Introduction Seismic risk assessment is a vital tool to manage the growing risk in the face of the ever-increasing exposure in highly seismic regions. Due to the changes in the built environment and continuously evolving seismic sciences, it is essential to refine the risk assessment modeling continuously. In particular, vulnerability of buildings to ground shaking is recognized as a key element in any seismic risk model (Spence et al. 2008). Therefore, seismic vulnerability assessment is an essential tool for governments and individuals to mitigate the consequences of earthquakes. Existing vulnerability assessment methodologies vary with various postulations proposed for the characterization and prediction of earthquake hazard and the methodology used to evaluate building regarding the hazard (FEMA 1999; Bertogg et al. 2002). The development of a region-wide seismic vulnerability assessment framework, such as FEMA 310 for the US (FEMA 1999), requires a unique vulnerability assessment tool to acc ommodate all the above mentioned issues. Within this paper, a comparison and critical review of existing vulnerability assessment methodologies for buildings is conducted out, with a view to their utilization in a region-wide seismic risk assessment. A hybrid method consisting of FEMA 310 (FEMA 1999) and IITK GSDMA (Durgesh 2005) has been set up to evaluate vulnerability, combining an analysis of building typologies with expert judgment. Background information on the most significant vulnerability assessment methods are provided in the paper together with their advantages and disadvantages for use in seismic risk assessment. Moreover, the seismic vulnerability for contemporary and historical 93 buildings in old Dhaka City, Bangladesh has been assessed as a case study to show the spatially distributed qualitative risk within the area with the help of different vulnerability assessment tools. Finally, a scoring method is proposed to qualitatively represent the relative rankings of the selected vulnerability assessment tools t o find out a suitable uniform approach to be used for seismic risk assessment. 2. Selection of suitable building classification system Vulnerability can be defined as the susceptibility of buildings to damage in presence of seismic ground motion (Hill and Rossetto 2008). The evaluation of building vulnerability is a basic part of any risk assessment methodology. An accurate, transparent and conceptually sound algorithm for assessing the seismic vulnerability of the building stock is one of the main ingredients in a seismic risk model and indeed over the past 30 years many tools and methodologies have been proposed for this purpose. This study takes an overview on some of the most noteworthy contributions in the field of vulnerability assessment and the key advantages and disadvantages of these procedures have been identified in order to distinguish the main characteristics of an ideal methodology (Calvi et al. 2006). In vulnerability studies, it is essential to differentiate various building types, since, different types of buildings tend to respond in a different way under similar ground motions (Tesfamariam and Sa atcioglu 2008). Hence, the buildings should be classified according to their similar dynamic properties, before the conducting a vulnerability assessment of an urban area. The parameters that influence the dynamic response of a structure to ground motion are well recognized, for example, in Euro code 8 (BSSC 2003; CEN 2004), and embrace the structures geometrical and material properties. A building classification system that considers a high-degree of segregation in vulnerability studies and an enhanced estimate of the financial losses, has been expressed elsewhere (Carvalho et al. 2002). This study focuses on the dominant building types of the Indian region (Alam et el. 2010), which comprises mainly of reinforced concrete buildings and masonry buildings. 3. Existing seismic vulnerability assessment methodologies: an overview Table 1 in Appendix A briefly describes each vulnerability assessment tool selected and the rationale for their selection. It is obvious that the review is not extensive; however, the tools have been selected for the predominant building classes as well as to the contemporary practices in seismic vulnerability assessment of buildings. From the literature, it is evident that, there is a lack of unified vulnerability assessment technique, which covers the entire local as well as the global parameters. To cover the location-specific physical components present in both the developed and the developing countries, a hybrid method has been formulated for the vulnerability assessment of existing structures incorporating FEMA 310 (FEMA 1998, 2003, ASCE 1998) and IITK GSDMA (Durgesh 2005) methods. Other vulnerability assessment tools are chosen from a wide range of published and peer reviewed papers in seismology, structural vulnerability, and earthquake engineering fields. Since, most of the tools have been developed for some particular circumstances, such as vulnerability assessment in the field, for structural analysis etc. they may not contain some of the uniqueness specified in the scoring structure. However, they are included in this study, as either elements of these guidelines or tools have been used in past seismic vulnerability assessment of buildings or they illustrate a distinctive characteristic, which is essential in a tool for the seismic vulnerability assessment. 4. Investigation of the suitability of different vulnerability assessment tools: a case study A case study of 93 buildings of older portion of Dhaka city-the capital of Bangladesh (Alam et al. 2010) has been selected to evaluate the suitability of various vulnerability assessment tools for seismic risk assessment. The predominant structural types, specially associated with medium to high seismicity, present in South Asian countries have been presented in the building classification system. After considering building inventories of different countries of South Asian region, it was found that South Asian building inventory is primarily composed of reinforced concrete buildings and masonry buildings. The study includes Bangladesh (CDMP 2009), Nepal (AUDMP 2007), and India (Durgesh 2005) for classifying major building classes for the area. There exist some other types, such as adobe (mud house), tin-shed housing, timber and steel structures etc, which contribute a very small proportion of the existing inventory with moderate to high seismicity. The premier resolutions of relevant building type sub-categories for the vulnerability assessment are the reinforced concrete frames with and without masonry infill as well as the unreinforced masonry buildings for the study area. The seismic vulnerability of buildings in the stock varies widely with different vulnerable factors (Hugo 2002). The principal vulnerability factors used in the categorization of buildings in the study area are structure type (the main lateral force resisting system of buildings), number of story, and code level (seismic design standard applied in the design of buildings). Moreover, architectural features which are the parameters for defining geometry of buildings such as story height, span length, presence of open first-storey etc. act as factors for the vulnerability assessment. Several structural features may be considered as the factor affecting vulnerability of buildings. These factors include soft story, heavy overhang, short column, pounding possibility between adjacent buildings, and visible ground settlement. During this study a number of vulnerable factors were identified that are comprehensively discussed here. According to Turkish method (Bommer et al. 2002, Tesfamariam a nd Saatcioglu 2010), the level of building damage during earthquakes depends on the apparent building quality which is, in turn, related to the quality of construction materials, workmanships and building maintenance. Well-trained observers can classify a buildings quality roughly as good, moderate, or poor. Many building collapses during seismic events may be ascribed to the absence of the bracing elements (e.g. available walls in the upper floors) in the ground floor, and hence develop a ground floor soft in the horizontal direction. The plastic deformations at the plastic hinge points of the columns can develop an undesirable sway mechanism with a large concentration of the plastic deformations at the column ends (Hugo 2002). Hence, the soft story buildings exhibit a less safe behavior than the similar regular structures during moderate and severe earthquake. Normally, this situation can be resulted from the building that locates along the side of the main street as the first sto ry is being used for a commercial space that has opening between the frame members for customer circulation. Figure 1 shows some of the examples of soft story (ground floors being used as shop) in Shakhari Bazar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. In addition to soft stories, another vulnerable factor, termed as heavy overhanging floors in multistory buildings lead to irregularity in stiffness and mass distributions (Hugo 2002). From the earthquake engineering view point, these irregular plan shapes are undesirable as they cause inappropriate dynamic behaviors when subjected to horizontal earthquake ground motion. Typical heavy overhangs found in the old part of Dhaka City are shown in figure 2. Moreover, the shear failure of short columns is another major cause of building collapse during a seismic event (Hugo 2002). It is also termed as squat columns, i.e. columns having relatively high thickness compared to their height, and most of the cases are fixed in strong beams or slabs. By unintentional addition of parapet infill in frame structures, slender columns can also be converted into short columns. In case of short columns with significant bending capacity, enormous moment gradient can develop a large shear force under horizontal actions of a seismic event, which generally leads to a shear failure before the plastic moment capacity is being reached (Hugo 2002). It was observed after the August 17th, 1999 earthquake in Turkey (Mw=7.4) that a large number of buildings were damaged due to the presence of short columns (Saatcioglu et al. 2001). Damage due to pounding can also be observed after almost every earthquake events. Different vibration periods and non-synchronized vibration amplitudes cause the close buildings to knock together. Buildings subjected to pounding receive heavier damage on higher stories (NZSEE 2000, 2003). Topographic amplification may also increase ground motion intensity on hilltops during earthquake; hence, this factor should be taken into account in the seismic risk assessment. In the last not the least, building shape and elevation are major factors affecting buildings during an earthquake. It was evident from the experience of different seismic events, that the buildings with irregular shape are more damaging than the buildings of regular shape (Hugo 2002). Similarly elevation of building is also another important factor responsible for structural/building damage during an earthquake. Narrow tall buildings are more vulnerable during an earthquake (Hugo 2002). Figure 3 shows vertical irregularity of an existing building in the study area. There exists a numerous numbers of vulnerability assessment techniques, that utilize various types of vulnerability factors. Table 2 summarizes different vulnerability factors, which are frequently, used in different seismic vulnerability assessment techniques utilized in the study. From this study, it can easily be identified that some of the seismic vulnerability assessment techniques are very robust, e.g. FEMA 310, FEMA 154 etc, whereas in case of some other methods, (e.g. Euro Code 8) some of the major vulnerability parameters are not clearly defined. The results from the assessment of 93 buildings in the study area are depicted in the figure 4. For risk evaluation, it is required to collect, analyze and properly match a huge quantity of data. Geographic information system (GIS) can effectively be utilized to manage and overlay the information levels and graphical output of the results (Codermatz 2003). Therefore, a geographical information system (GIS) database has been developed to represent the spatial distribution of the vulnerable buildings for different assessment techniques within the study area. Figure 5 shows the distribution of vulnerable buildings in GIS environment, resulted with the use of FEMA 154 method, which shows that most of the buildings fall under very high risk group. Whereas, the distribution of risk classes within the buildings are in a wide range in case of hybrid method, depicted in figure 6. The distribution of vulnerable buildings assessed by Euro Code 8 and NRCC are also presented in figure 7 and figur e 8 respectively, which show comparatively lower risk variances. 5. Vulnerability assessment methodology scoring system The general description of vulnerability assessment methods which include the input variables, are very useful for the people involved in the field directly, where as the information about physical measurable parameters are necessary for the detailed analysis of a structure and the decision makers utilize the description of output for generating an effective decision (Hill and Tizina 2008). A reliability or performance scoring system has been developed to rank the vulnerability assessment methodologies according to the criteria mentioned above. The proposed scoring system consisting of 3 main sections with 17 sub-categories is depicted in Table 2 of Appendix A. The score obtained in each of the 3 sections is given equal weighting in the computation of the total reliability score for vulnerability assessment. The system tries to reduce most of the subjectivity implicated in the ranking of different vulnerability assessment methods. Since, some subjectivity has been utilized to assign the categories, the resultant scores can be utilized only as a qualitative representation of performance or reliability. To provide a clear indication of each methodologys performance or reliability, an affirmative score is given as 3 points, a moderate score is given as 2, a negative score 0 point, whereas the method partially fulfills the requirement is given 1 point. Since, experimental value provides data based on real-life experiences, it is more preferred in the scoring system. Analytical and judgment-based values are considered as second and third best respectively. For the sub-categories, the scoring is based on the Table 3 of Appendix A. This scoring for reliability or performance has been applied to the vulnerability assessment methods applicable for mainly reinforced concrete buildings as well as unreinforced masonry building types. Category A of the scoring system in Table 2 deals with the basic input description of vulnerability assessment tools, i.e. ease of measurement (Saatcioglu, et al. 2001), range of buildings types covered (FEMA 2002, ASCE 2003, UNDRO 1980), site specific factors, including local and global aspects regard (ASCE 2003, ASCE 1988, NRCC 1993, Durgesh 2005) .This is important for the people working in the field measurement. In category B mostly physical measurable vulnerability factors have been considered, which is very useful for analyzing the structural behavior. It deals with the scope of vulnerable parameters (ASCE 2003), quantity of database (ATC 2004), applicability of tools as non-structural components of the structures (NRCC 1993). Finally category C of the proposed scoring system utilizes the involvement of the output factors, which encompasses the well defined vulnerability scales (FEMA 2002) (ASCE 2003), risk variances (ASCE 2003, Durgesh 2005), impact of non-structural components as well as the adoptability (NRCC 1993). This category mainly focuses on the preferences for the decision makers. For different specific needs, risk assessment specialists may prefer different weightings on the scoring categories. The categories are weighted according to four different scenarios (I-IV) as depicted in Table 4 of Appendix A. These weightings give a maximum score of 51 points in each case which are only for illustrative indication. An example of use of the proposed scoring method is given in Table 5 of Appendix A. The final ranking for the vulnerability assessment tools considered is shown in Table 6 of Appendix A. The individual scores are given in Table 7 of Appendix A 6. Discussion on vulnerability assessment method scoring This section discusses about the performance of different vulnerability assessment tools in different scoring categories in wider aspect for all the weighting scenarios proposed. At this point it is essential to re-state that the vulnerability assessment ranking reflects how appropriate the method is for use in seismic risk assessment. To rank the techniques, several weighting scenarios have been utilized with the calculated scores. For weighting scenario I, equal weighting for each category was adopted which provides an overall view of the vulnerability assessment methods performances. The authors believe that each of the identified features is equally important and it is suggested that proposed scoring system utilizes this weighting scenario. Hybrid method, NRCC (NRCC 1993) guidelines and FEMA 154 (FEMA 2002, ATC 1998) rank the top three positions for the weighting scenario I. The Hybrid method contains detailed descriptions for different classes of buildings and has a well defined methodology for calculating physical vulnerability factors. The ASCE 31 standard (FEMA 310) is not a building code.  Ã‚  It is a method of evaluating existing buildings to determine if they meet seismic performance objectives such as Life Safety or Immediate Occupancy.   NRCC guideline follows the similar principles as the hybrid one; however, the calibration for building typology for NRC guidelines considers the Canadian construction practice. Fundamentally, the score ( seismic priority index) in NRCC is related to the seismic risk for a particular building, given the occurrence of an earthquake equivalent to that specified in the National Building Code of Canada (NRCC 1993). It is to be used as an initial assessment for deciding which building should have more detailed evaluation in order of priority. Moreover, the effect of torsional irregularities has not been taken in to account. In FEMA 154, the score was affected by the lack of sufficiently detailed analysis; rather it e ncompasses a rapid visual screening method (FEMA 2002). The use of seismicity regions, rather than site-specific seismic hazard data, for the Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) procedure substantially reduces the accuracy of results because the calculations use levels of ground motion which differ from the levels of ground motion at all sites except those where ground motions are at the median value for a seismicity region. Thus, RVS final scores are systematically shifted and overestimate the level of risk for locations with below-median ground motions and underestimate risk for locations with above median ground motions. In case of weighting scenario II, more weighting is given to general description of vulnerability to highlight the methods suited for in-field measurements. For weighting scenario II, again the same results happened, i.e. Hybrid one out ranked all other approaches. For weighting scenario III, more weighting values have been given to the physical vulnerable parameters. And in case of scenario IV, weighting has been given to the variance in output. For this purpose, a case study of 93 buildings of old Dhaka city of Bangladesh has been conducted. In this case study, different types of buildings have been assessed with various methodologies. Here, Hybrid and NRCC Guidelines ranked the 1st where as FEMA 154 (FEMA 2002, ATC 1998) and NZ Code ranked 2nd and 3rd. The variation and the results of the assessment have been depicted in Figure 5 through Figure 8. In weighting scenario V, more conscious was given to Canadian present construction practices (Cook 1999, Onur et al. 2004). Here, the Hybrid as well as the NRCC method outranked the other methods. 7. Scoring Summary with Different Multi Criteria Decision Making Tools The proposed scoring system is a wide-ranging tool to compare different vulnerability assessment methods in the context of ease of use and applicability. It cannot catch all the parameters, but qualitatively gives a better indication of the suitable seismic vulnerability assessment method for buildings. First of all, it can be remarked that, the positions of the methods in the ranking change markedly between the different weighting scenarios. Of the considered seismic vulnerability assessment methods, it is seen that the Hybrid method composed of FEMA 310 (FEMA 1998, 2003, ASCE 1998) and IITK-GSDMA outperforms other vulnerability assessment in all respects. However, NRCC (NRCC 1993) method also performs adequately, where the guideline was developed specifically with Canadian buildings in mind, though certain features are lacking within the description of detailed analysis. Nonetheless, for all the weighting scenarios, the proposed hybrid method performs well and should be considered as the preferred alternative. Moreover, the presence of FEMA 154, Euro Code 8(Milutinovic and Trendafiloski 2003, CEN 2004) and New Zealand Guidelines (NZSEE 2000, 2003) in the ranking system are notable. However, it is clear that the methods do not capture a sufficient quantity of characteristics that are required of such a guideline for the particular weighting scenarios. In this study different multi criteria decision making tools (e.g. AHP. Elctre I Is, and TOPSIS) have been utilized to find out the suitable most alternative. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a decision-aiding method developed by Saaty (Saaty 1980). The main goal of AHP is to quantify the relative priorities for a given set of alternatives on a ratio scale, based on the judgment of the decision-maker, and stresses the significance of the perceptive judgments of a decision- maker as well as the consistency of the comparison of alternatives in the decision-making process (Saaty 1990). Whereas ELECTRE I (Benayoun et al, 1966; Roy 1971) is an overall method of ranking alternative systems in the presence of qualitative criteria. The idea in this algorithm is to choose those nodes (i.e. alternative systems) which are preferred for most of the criteria and yet do not cause an unacceptable level of discontent for any one criterion. Moreover in case of TOPSIS (Technique for Order pre ference by Similarity to Ideal Situation) method, the selected alternative should be as close to the ideal solution as possible and as far from the negative-ideal solution as possible. The ideal solution is formed as a combination of the best performance values revealed in the decision matrix by any option for each attribute. The negative-ideal solution is the combination of the worst performance values. Propinquity to each of these performance poles is measured in the Euclidean sense (e.g., square root of the sum of the squared distances along each axis in the attribute space), with elective weighting of each attribute (Olson 2004). By utilizing Electre I Is (Hwang and Yoon 1981) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (Yang and Lee 1997); it was found that the proposed hybrid method outranks all the methods in all cases (Figure 10 and Figure 11). Finally TOPSIS method (Chu 2002) has validated the same decision about the proposed hybrid method to be the preferred one. In the context of decision making and field measurement, hybrid method consisting of FEMA 310 (FEMA 1998, 2003, ASCE 1998) and IITK-GSDMA is recommended. Whereas, if the rapid assessment of buildings is the major concern, vulnerability assessment through FEMA 154 (FEMA 2002, ATC 1998) and NRCC (NRCC 1993) guidelines should also be considered as the preferred options. 8. Conclusion This study has identified significant characteristics that should be included for an appropriate seismic vulnerability assessment method of buildings. A scoring system has been proposed for the qualitative review of various vulnerability assessment techniques and a particular attention was given to potential use in Canada. It is found that a vulnerability assessment technique termed as hybrid method i.e. combination of FEMA 310 (FEMA 1998, 2003, ASCE 1998) IITK GSDMA (Durgesh 2005) captures characteristics to a wider degree that a suitable vulnerability assessment method should posses. However, the proposed hybrid method is calibrated with the data from US and Bangladesh, which can be applied to other regions with slight modifications. In seismic risk assessment, the building vulnerability assessment depends on data from many sources, amongst which, the past earthquake damage survey data are of major concern. Existence of various vulnerability assessment approaches, raises concern over worldwide to have a simplistic effective vulnerability assessment tool, to be useful world-wide. The authors believe that the proposed hybrid method provides a robust basis for vulnerability interpretation and recommended future studies of vulnerability assessment method to combine more consistent and wider descriptions of the parameters for use in seismic risk assessment. Reference: Alam M.J., M. Abdur Rahman Bhuiyan, and M.Roqibul Islam(2006) Seismic Structural Assessment of Damaged Chittagong Public Library Building During 27 July 2003 Earthquake 4th International Conference on Earthquake Engineering Taipei, Taiwan Alam M. N., K. Mashfiq, A. Rahman, and S. M. Haque , (2010)Seismic vulnerability assessment of buildings in heritage and non-heritage areas in the older part of Dhaka city, 3rd International Earthquake Symposium, Bangladesh Dhaka, March 5-6, 2010, ISBN: 978-984-8725-01-6 ATC (1987), Evaluating the seismic resistance of existing buildings, ATC 14. Applied Technology Council, Redwood City, California. ASCE (2003), Sismic evaluation of buildings, ASCE/SEI 31-03. Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, Virginia. ASCE (1988a). Rapid visual screening of buildings for potential seismic hazards: a handbook, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA-154, Washington, D.C. ATC 21 (2004), Rapid visual screening of buildings for potential seismic hazards training manual, ATC-21-T, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY Washington, DC ASCE (1998), Handbook for the seismic evaluation of buildings a pre-standard, American Society of Civil Engineers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA 310 Report, Washington D.C. ASCE (2003), Seismic evaluation of buildings, ASCE/SEI 31-03, Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, Virginia. ATC-21 (1998), Rapid visual screening of buildings for potential seismic hazards: a handbook, Applied Technology Council, Redwood city, CA, USA. AUDMP (2007), www.adpc.net/audmp/audmp.html Benayoun, R., Roy, B. Sussmann, B. (1966) ELECTRE: une mà ©thode pour quiderle choix en presence de points de vue multiples. Sema (Metra International), Dir. Sci., Note de Travail No. 49, Paris, France. Bertogg M, Hitz L, Schmid E (2002), Vulnerability functions derived from loss data for insurance risk modelling: findings from recent earthquakes. In: Proceedings of the twelfth European conference on earthquake engineering (paper 281), London, September 2002 BIS (2002), IS 1893 (Part I)- Indian standard criteria for earthquake resistant design of structures part I general provisions and buildings, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi. Bommer J, Spence R, Erdik M, Tabuchi S, Aydinoglu N, Booth E, Del Re D, Peterken O, (2002), Development of an earthquake loss model for Turkish catastrophe insurance, J Seismol 6:431- 36 Building Seismic Safety Council National Institute of Building Sciences (BSSC) (2003) NEHRP recommended provisions and commentary for seismic regulations for new buildings and other structures, 2003 Edition (FEMA 450). Washington New Zealand Government (2004), Building Act, Wellington, New Zealand Calvi, G. M., Pinho, R., Magenes, G., Bommer, J. J., Restrepo-Velez, L., Crowley, H. (2006). Development of seismic vulnerability assessment methodologies over the past 30 years. ISET Journal of Earthquake Technology, 43(3), 75-104. Carvalho E, Coelho E, Campos-Costa A, Sousa M, Candeias P (2002), Vulnerability evaluation of residential buildings in Portugal. In: Proceedings of the twelfth European conference on earthquake engineering (paper 696), London, September 2002 Codermatz, R., Nicolich, R., Slejko, D. (2003). Seismic risk assessments and GIS technology: Applications to infrastructures in the friuli-venezia giulia region (NE italy). Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics, 32(11), 1677-1690. CDMP (2009), http://www.cdmp.org.bd/ C.L. Hwang, K. Yoon (1981), Multiple attribute decision making, Springer-Verlag, Berlin. Comità © Europà ©en de Normalization, CEN (2004), Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake resistance- Part 1. General rules, seismic actions and rules for buildings (EN 1998-1). Brussels Cook S. (1999), Evaluation of non-structural earthquake damage to buildings in southwestern British Columbia. M.Sc. Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 1999. D. DAyala and A. W. Charleson,(2002), Review of seismic strengthening guidelines for R. C. buildings in developing countries, 12th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering Paper Reference 820 Department of General Services (2002), Seismic safety inventory of California public schools, a Report to the Governor of California and the California State Legislature D. L. Olson (2004), Comparison of weights in TOPSIS models, Mathematical and Computer Modeling, 40, (7) 21-727, 2004. FEMA (1985) An action plan for reducing earthquake hazards for existing buildings, FEMA 90. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C. FEMA( 1992), NEHRP handbook for the seismic evaluation of existing buildings, FEMA-178. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C. FEMA 310 (1998), Handbook for the seismic evaluation

Thursday, September 19, 2019

How William Faulkner Constructs His Characters in Absalom, Absalom! Ess

How William Faulkner Constructs His Characters in Absalom, Absalom! Who says what - and how and when - may be the most compelling way William Faulkner constructs his characters in Absalom, Absalom! Storytelling is not just an act in which the saga of the Sutpens is recounted, revised, and even recreated; it is a gesture of self-disclosure. Each revelation about the past provides a glimpse into the present state of the narrating character's mind. The rhetoric, the digressions, the strange (and often obsessive) fixations of each character's account are the products of a range of personalities and view points, unable to agree on a definitive version of the story. There are, to be sure, overlaps; these are the events in the stories that transcend the proclivities of each narrator and are probably, though not certainly, the basic facts of what happened. We know there was a man named Thomas Sutpen; who came to Jefferson, Missippi; who married Ellen Coldfield; who had two children with his wife; whose son befriended and later killed a man named Bon; whose daughter was Bon's betrothed; who fought in the Civil War; and who longed for a male heir to carry on the Sutpen legacy. The passion of the storytellers makes us forget that these are the only uniformly corroborated elements of the story. Neither Bond's identity nor Sutpen's mysterious past, though they seem so essential to our understanding of the novel, are indisputable. It is not impossible, indeed, that they are inventions of the narrators, perhaps unconscious embellishments of the story in order to do away with all its troublesome lacunae. Like the reader, the characters have had to infer a nd imagine a great deal to arrive at a plausible rendering of how things really happened. These discrepancies, as bewildering as they often are, do not exist to indict the narrators for taking creative liberties with history. Faulkner does not see them as liars or manipulators and we should not either. Indeed, there is no "authentic" version of the Sutpen story, and so, within the bounds of the basic facts we have established, there can be no wrong version. This is not objective reporting; what we have instead are personal interpretations. What we also have are expressions of personality. The story Quentin tells says as much about Quentin Compson as it does about the Sutpens and their travails. He brings his own ... ...ve involvement in the story, Quentin and Shreve overcome both narrative and temporal convention and finally, after much exhaustion, bring the story a close. At least, that is, for now. Quentin is very little comforted by the end of his and Shreve's narrative. Shreve, retreating back to his ironic, macho posturing of before, chases the post-story silence away by exclaiming, "The South. Jesus. No wonder you folks all outlive yourselves by years and years and years." Quentin retains his brooding, pensive silence, lying rigidly in the cold dorm room and thinking to himself "Nevermore of peace. Nevermore. Nevermore. Nevermore." The story of the Sutpens has ended, but there has not been (nor will there be) any sort of resolution. Miss Rosa, Mr. Compson, Sutpen, Quentin and Shreve have all tried to bend the story into the shape they most desire, be it a gothic romance, a classical tragedy, a heroic epic, a mystery, or a Southern farce. It is pliable enough, but the story cannot resist being "re-bent" by any narrator who happens upon it. The story, alas, will never be in the exact shape of history. It can, however, be a very close approximation of the patterns of the narra tor's mind.

Exploring Love in Shakespeare’s Sonnets Essay -- Sonnets 24, 31, 46, 4

In Plato’s Symposium, the discussion on the nature of love between Socrates and his companions in the house of Agathon clearly discerns key ideas that Shakespeare uses in the sonnets. Beauty, youth, and love are all topics of discussion in the conversations, and Plato’s ideas show up again and again when the sonnets are explored. In Symposium, Aristophanes gives a detailed description of a time when humans were not in their present physical form (Plato 353). His tale posits that the original form of humankind differed from the present in that â€Å"sexes were not two as they are now, but originally three in number,† to which he adds, â€Å"there was man, woman and the union of the two, having a name corresponding to this double nature,† which is called androgynous (Plato 353). The physical nature of primeval man is discussed: "[Man] was round, his back and sides forming a circle; and he had four hands and four feet, one head with two faces, looking oppo site ways, set on a round neck and precisely alike; also four ears, two privy members, and the remainder to correspond" (Plato 354). Aristophanes goes on to explain that the gods split these beings in two so that primeval man would not be as powerful as them. Eventually, the halves are filled out to create symmetry. Plato says, â€Å"human nature was originally one and we were a whole, and the desire and pursuit of the whole is called love† (Plato 357). Thus, the explanation of heterosexual and homosexual behavior can be delineated from this myth. The drive for love goes beyond the sexual into the spiritual. In Shakespeare’s sonnets, the poet persona battles feelings between a fair youth, who is often characterized as a young male, and the dark lady, who is a sensual female. Throughout th... ... of Plato’s knowledge into one metaphysical string of sonnets dealing with two great organs geared towards the pursuit of beauty and truth, and he has made the arguments therein immortal, timeless, and beautiful, bringing every reader to a better understanding of Platonic love. Works Cited Plato. â€Å"Symposium.† The Works of Plato. Edman, Irwin, ed. New York, NY: Random House. 1956. â€Å"Eye.† Oxford English Dictionary. Second ed. Volume V. 1998. â€Å"Heart.† Oxford English Dictionary. Second ed. Volume VII. 1998. Landry, Hilton. Interpretations in Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.1964. Shakespeare, William. The Complete Sonnets and Poems. Ed. Colin Burrow. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2002. Violi, Unicio J. Shakespeare’s The Sonnets. New York, NY: Monarch Press. 1965.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Wood Imagery and the Cross in Faulkners Light in August Essay

Wood Imagery and the Cross in Light in August  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   It is nearly impossible to interpret Light in August without noting the Christian parallels.1 Beekman Cottrell explains: As if for proof that such a [Christian] symbolic interpretation is valid, Faulkner gives us, on the outer or upper level of symbolism, certain facts which many readers have noted and which are, indeed, inescapable. There is the name of Joe Christmas, with its initials of JC. There is the fact of his uncertain paternity and his appearance at the orphanage on Christmas day. Joe is approximately thirty-three years of age at his lynching, and this event is prepared for throughout the novel by Faulkner's constant use of the word crucifixion. These are firm guideposts, and there are perhaps others as convincing. (207) In fact, there are many more convincing Christian symbolisms, which, in sum, have led to Virginia Hlavsa's suggestion that in Light in August "Faulkner arranged his events and directed his themes to parallel the 21 chapters of the St. John Gospel" ("St. John and Frazer" 11).2    These symbolisms, however, stray from the text of Light in August and seek to unify the novel through biblical or mythic allusions alone. They attempt to answer the questions of how Light in August functions as a work of literature by avoiding the novel itself. Because of this, they each fall short of being a definitive interpretation of the novel. In Francois Pitavy's view, these critics do not base their interpretations on "methodical analysis." They do not "study each chapter or group of chapters to see how and why the spatial and temporal breaks occur" (2). Faulkner's use of Christian myths in Light in August has produced jagged paths for critic... ...uri State University, 1995. Gwynn, Frederick L., and Joseph Blotner, eds. Faulkner in the University. Charlottesville: University of Virginia, 1959. Hlavsa, VirginiaV. "The Crucifixion in Light in August: Suspending the Rules at the Post." Faulkner and Religion: Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha 1987. Ed. Doreen Fowler and Ann J. Abadie. Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 1989: 127-139. -------. "St. John and Frazer in Light in August: Biblical Form and Mythic Function."Bulletin of Research in the Humanities 83 (1980): 9-26. -------. "The Mirror, the Lamp, and the Bed: Faulkner and the Modernists." American Literature 57 (1985): 23-43. Meriwether, James B., and Michael Millgate, eds. Lion in the Garden: Interviews with William Faulkner 1926-1962. New York: Random House, 1968. Pitavy, Francois. Faulkner's "Light in August." Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1973    Wood Imagery and the Cross in Faulkner's Light in August Essay Wood Imagery and the Cross in Light in August  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   It is nearly impossible to interpret Light in August without noting the Christian parallels.1 Beekman Cottrell explains: As if for proof that such a [Christian] symbolic interpretation is valid, Faulkner gives us, on the outer or upper level of symbolism, certain facts which many readers have noted and which are, indeed, inescapable. There is the name of Joe Christmas, with its initials of JC. There is the fact of his uncertain paternity and his appearance at the orphanage on Christmas day. Joe is approximately thirty-three years of age at his lynching, and this event is prepared for throughout the novel by Faulkner's constant use of the word crucifixion. These are firm guideposts, and there are perhaps others as convincing. (207) In fact, there are many more convincing Christian symbolisms, which, in sum, have led to Virginia Hlavsa's suggestion that in Light in August "Faulkner arranged his events and directed his themes to parallel the 21 chapters of the St. John Gospel" ("St. John and Frazer" 11).2    These symbolisms, however, stray from the text of Light in August and seek to unify the novel through biblical or mythic allusions alone. They attempt to answer the questions of how Light in August functions as a work of literature by avoiding the novel itself. Because of this, they each fall short of being a definitive interpretation of the novel. In Francois Pitavy's view, these critics do not base their interpretations on "methodical analysis." They do not "study each chapter or group of chapters to see how and why the spatial and temporal breaks occur" (2). Faulkner's use of Christian myths in Light in August has produced jagged paths for critic... ...uri State University, 1995. Gwynn, Frederick L., and Joseph Blotner, eds. Faulkner in the University. Charlottesville: University of Virginia, 1959. Hlavsa, VirginiaV. "The Crucifixion in Light in August: Suspending the Rules at the Post." Faulkner and Religion: Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha 1987. Ed. Doreen Fowler and Ann J. Abadie. Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 1989: 127-139. -------. "St. John and Frazer in Light in August: Biblical Form and Mythic Function."Bulletin of Research in the Humanities 83 (1980): 9-26. -------. "The Mirror, the Lamp, and the Bed: Faulkner and the Modernists." American Literature 57 (1985): 23-43. Meriwether, James B., and Michael Millgate, eds. Lion in the Garden: Interviews with William Faulkner 1926-1962. New York: Random House, 1968. Pitavy, Francois. Faulkner's "Light in August." Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1973   

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Discobolus by Myron (Ancient Greek Art)

In any history, and above all in the history of art, there are two main aspects, from which the subject may be considered. The subject may be either studied from the point of view of general tendencies, the development of types and ideas, their national character, and the circumstances that surrounded and fostered their growth; or attention may be given to the achievements of individuals, their personality, and the contributions that they respectively made to the general progress.It is true that in any comprehensive study the two must be blended, must supplement and confirm each other. Whichever principle is followed to guide the selection and arrangement of the facts, the study cannot follow it to the entire exclusion of the other. Yet the artist is no less dependent upon external circumstances for the occasion and the material of his works.Had not the predecessors worked through generations of experiment and observation to improve the familiar types, to attain mastery over the stub born substance of marble and bronze, and to acquire and perfect a skilled technique in the treatment of the nude and of drapery, no sculptor of the fifth century could have conceived or executed the bold yet symmetrical contortions of the Discobolus. Had Myron been born a century earlier, he could no more have produced these works than if he had lived at the present day.Before the study approaches the work of this individual master, it may be advisable to take a more general survey of the character of Greek sculpture, as contrasted with earlier and later styles. No art, and especially that of sculpture, can make true progress unless it is constantly kept in touch with nature by observation. Here again the social surroundings of the Greek artist gave him an immense advantage over all others. The daily exercises in the palaestra or gymnasium and the frequently recurring athletic festivals gave him constant opportunities for observing the human form both in rest and in action.This perf ection of condition and of all-round muscular development with the help of a well-trained memory is one of the chief attainments of Myron. For the observation of drapery, too, he had constant opportunities in the figures that surrounded him in daily life. There he could see a variety and grace of texture and of folds such as no draping of a model in unfamiliar garments and materials could ever have suggested. It is true that the same opportunities for varied observation did not exist in the case of the nude female figure.It is perhaps for this very reason that Greek statues of this type, however beautiful in form, rarely if ever impress us with the same breadth and nobility of conception as the corresponding male figures, whether of gods or men. The feeling of the Greeks themselves about the matter is well illustrated by the story of Zeuxis at Croton , how the people of that town, when they commissioned him to paint a picture of Helen, and wished to give him every opportunity for ex celling himself in such a subject, allowed him to see a selection of the most beautiful of their maidens just as freely as he could see their brothers exercising in the palaestra.This is evidently the meaning of the story, though it is misinterpreted by some later authorities in accordance with the eclectic spirit of their own age. Myron was a Greek sculptor. He is supposed to have been a pupil of Ageladas of Argos, but he worked largely in Athens. Sculpting in bronze, he was noted for his animals (of which no examples have survived) and for his athletes in action. His works are known through descriptions by ancient writers, such as Pliny and Pausanias, and two of them by copies, the Discobolus (Gr. discus thrower), the best copy of which is the Lancelotti Discobolus in Rome (Terme Museum), and Athena and Marsyas, of which there are also Roman copies . We know but little about Myron’s life. He was a native of Eleutherae, a town on the frontier of Attica and Boeotia. To judge from the list of his works and the places where they were set up, he must have enjoyed a reputation throughout Hellenic lands. The statues of athletic victors from his hand could be seen at Olympia and at Delphi. However, several of his most famous works were in Athens, and it is probable that his artistic career was mainly associated with that city.He is recorded, however, to have been a pupil of the Argive sculptor Ageladas, who was for a long time the acknowledged leader of the Peloponnesian School of athletic sculpture; and it is said that his fellow-pupils were Phidias and Polyclitus. The dates of Myron’s artistic career can be fixed with certainty by the Olympiads of the victors whose statues he made; Lycinus won in 448 B. C. , and Timanthes in 456; Ladas probably in 476; but so famous an athlete may have had a statue set up in his honor some years after the event.The traditional date given by Pliny, which makes Myron a contemporary of Polyclitus, is evidently wrong. Hi s son Lycius was employed on an important public commission, the statues set up by the knights of Athens at the entrance to the Acropolis, about 446 B. C. We must, therefore, assign the artistic activity of Myron himself to the first half of the fifth century. His early manhood must have coincided with the period of the Persian wars. Of the great men of this period, our knowledge, after all, is most unsatisfactory.Only one of the transitional sculptors who are mentioned by ancient writers, Myron, has a definite personality. He was clearly an artist of decidedly individual tendencies, who can hardly be called typical of any school. Though all of Myron’s works have perished, we have copies of at least two of them, from which we can gain a fairly clear idea of this ancient master. This is the first time that we have had to deal with copies, and it may be worthwhile, therefore, to digress for a moment and consider the nature of the copies on which much of our knowledge of ancient sculpture depends.In the later days of antiquity, especially after the Roman conquest of Greece, there was evidently an enormous demand for reproductions of the famous works of Greek sculpture, and numerous artists devoted themselves to supplying this demand. Some seem to reproduce their originals with considerable exactness; others are obviously far inferior to them. Often one copy was made from another, and sometimes the copyists did not hesitate to alter the originals in details, so that many of their productions are reflections rather than copies, in any exact sense.One very common alteration was the addition of a support in the form of a tree-stump or some other object. This was almost always employed when the copyist, as frequently happened, was working out a marble copy of a bronze original. Moreover, mutilated ancient statues, when they were dug out of the ground, were commonly handed over to a marble-worker for â€Å"restoration†, that is, for the addition of legs o r heads or noses, whatever, in fact, was necessary to make the statue complete.Thus, we have constantly to keep in mind that in dealing with copies, the problem often is to determine, from several widely divergent and differently restored copies, the general appearance and the details of an ancient statue. This method of procedure is excellently illustrated by the most famous of Myron’s works, the Discobolus, or Discus-thrower. The copies of this, which have been found, vary greatly in details. All are marred by the supporting tree-stump, though this was differently treated by different copyists.Only one has a head, which has never been broken off and which shows the original position, as it is described by Lucian. One fragmentary copy was completely misunderstood by the sculptor to whom it was handed over and restored as a fleeing Niobid! The Discobolus is justly famous for its splendid suggestion of vigorous manhood, its bold pose, and its perfect balance. If it were not fo r the formal locks of hair, the rather expressionless face, and some ancient evidence, which fixes the career of Myron in the first half of the fifth century, the statue might well be regarded as a work of the great age of Greek sculpture.As it is, we must probably assign the original to the years just before 450, and regard the unusual freedom with which it is conceived as proof of the originality of Myron rather than as evidence of a general adoption of such active poses by the men of the transitional time. Such an inference is borne out by some other works of the master, such as his group of Athena and Marsyas, and especially his Ladas, a statue of a runner poised on tiptoe just as he reached the goal, a work of which only literary accounts are preserved.Moreover, down to the time of Alexander the Great such violent action as is suggested by these works was rarely represented by the Greek sculptors. These particular innovations, therefore, were little imitated by Myron’s i mmediate successors, but there can be little doubt that much of the progress made during the transitional period was due to his initiative. In compensation for this cooling of ancient enthusiasm, we may perhaps extenuate the one weakness noted by the ancients. He was accounted a master of anatomy and action, but weak in the rendering of the face.Conceding that the faces are not very expressive, it may be doubted whether this is altogether a weakness. It is questionable whether the athletes whom he represents were very expressive of countenance, and it is altogether certain that their faces were not the subject of chief attention. In still further subordinating facial expression, Myron is but following the great law of concentration, which is recognized in all great art. Probably he could not in any case have been a master of psychic analysis, but it is more than doubtful if his themes would have gained by such mastery.Other masters of the same theme long betray the same tendency. My ron was the earliest of the great masters of Greek sculpture. That is to say, he was the earliest sculptor whose works appeared, even to critics who were familiar with the whole range of later art, to be admirable alike for the boldness and originality of their design and the skill of their execution, and who was spoken of in the same breath with Polyclitus and Lysippus, with Phidias and Praxiteles. Quintilian himself declares that to find fault with the Discobolus argues a lack of appreciation of art.The Dorian sculptor Myron specialized in athletes. A marble copy found in Rome demonstrates the way a sculptor may at the same time hold to conventions and reach out toward new forms. The Discus Thrower is really designed to be seen only from the front. Anyone who moves around to the side of this piece can see that it is all on a flat plane. The general line of the figure, which starts with the left foot and runs up through the arms, ending in the discus, suggests somewhat the tension of an opened spring, which will snap shut and propel the wheel into space.The muscles appear about as natural as those in the contemporary Olympian pediment sculpture, and yet this is a single figure. Up to that time, single figures had always some religious significance and therefore remained columnar or geometric. This one is frankly realistic and may have been made pretty much for its own sake. It was no new departure in art for Myron to represent an athlete practicing the exercise in which he excelled. His great attainment, as exemplified by the Discobolus, was the choice of a subject and a moment that was suitable to representation in sculpture.He appears to have been the first to realize the principle, never afterwards violated in Greek sculpture of the best period, that a statue or a sculptural group must be complete in itself, must possess a certain unity and concentration, so as to attract and contain the interest of the spectator within the work itself, and not to direct i t to other extraneous objects, nor even to allow it to wander away. In the Discobolus, the self-contained completeness in the action finds its expression and counterpart in the lines of the composition itself.It may be, as Quintilian says, labored and contorted, but the result is not, as might have been expected, restless in effect or tiring to the eye, because every part is in harmony with the whole, and the eye is carried on by an easy and pleasing succession of outlines round the whole contour of the figure . Beside this excellence of artistic composition, the clever choice of the right moment for representation and of an athletic exercise in which such a moment occurs must also be allowed their merit.The disc or quoit was not aimed at any mark, but merely hurled as far as possible in a given direction, as in the modern competitions of putting the weight or throwing the hammer. Therefore, there was no need for the eye of the competitor to be turned towards a distant goal, but the head could follow the motion of the arm that swung the quoit, the position of the feet sufficing to define the direction of the throw.A false restoration, which makes the thrower turn his head toward this direction, not only produces a painful and even impossible attitude, but also destroys the harmony of the composition, by breaking in upon the system of concentric curves in which every member of the body follows the swing of the extended arm. Athleticism, however, gave one important thing to the Greeks. It was from the models in the palaestra and the stadium that the sculptors of Greece drew their inspiration.It was of course an immense benefit to that art to be able to see the stripped body at exercise in the sunlight, and that, coupled with the natural Greek sense of form, is the secret of the unchallenged supremacy of Greek sculpture. Perfect anatomy of the body was achieved even before the face could be properly rendered. The nude male figure was the favorite theme of fifth-c entury art, and extraordinary perfection was reached by Myron. Myron’s Discobolus is, of course, one of the best known of ancient statues. There are few statues of the fifth century, which thus select an instant out of a series of movements.In the Discobolus, the clear lines of demarcation are not inconsistent with a correct and skilful modeling of the surface. The effect is perhaps somewhat dry, and suggests the appearance of a man in hard training, and even the tension of muscles that would not be exerted at the moment of action is portrayed. However, what convention is left is so thoroughly harmonized with the results of fresh observation as to give the impression of a living body, and to justify the criticism applied to Myron by ancient critics, that he â€Å"almost captured the souls of men and animals in his bronzes† .