Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Marcel Duchamp and Dada Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marcel Duchamp and Dada - Article Example The paper "Marcel Duchamp and Dada" discusses dada movement and Marcel Duchamp. What Duchamp hoped to accomplish artistically with ready-mades was to literally call into the question the clichà © that beauty rests entirely within the eye of he who beholds it. Another ready-made of interest was a work that consisted of a bicycle wheel mounted upside down on a kitchen stool titled simply â€Å"Bicycle Wheel.† The very fact that such an exhibit would lead to questioning whether this qualifies as art at all. Question such as those were the primary component that drove Dadaists and it was such a Such were the questions raised by the concepts of Dadaism; this was an innovative step that even today, nearly a century later, the same questions are still capable of being raised. Duchamp and the Dada movement had the purpose of art being viewed from an intellectual perspective as well as a purely visual one; the idea was to confront traditional ideas about the truth and nature of aesthe ticism. Duchamp further defied the traditions of aesthetics and the nature of what qualifies as art with what may be his most famous Dadaist work ever, â€Å"L.H.O.O.Q.†. This takes the iconic image of Leonard Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, perhaps the epitome for most people of the concept of what a work of art is, and transforms it by committing the anti-art act of graffiti upon it in the form of a drawn mustache across the La Giaconda’s enigmatic smile. While the immediate reaction might be that such an act is intended to mock Leonardo himself. and the Mona Lisa specifically. From a Dadaist perspective, however, "L.H.O.O.Q." isn't even intended to an indictment of the work of art that it apparently slanders, but is designed to be a larger attack against such things as how society positions art, as well as how art can exist in a society that has also produced such atrocities of the human condition. A deeper insight into what Duchamp may be saying could be society needs to be more vociferous in their acceptance of artworks that aren't conventionally beautiful. To take this idea to its logical conclusion, of course, would to say that "L.H.O.O.Q" also asks society to look at itself more closely in determining what is beautiful and what is ugly. Dada's confrontational techniques consistently ask the viewer to look more closely as how the works of Duchamp might be appealing even if they are not conventionally compelling. Despite what contemporary society may appear to say, this question is hardly answered to satisfaction. In recent decades, the ideal of beauty has shifted to include any number of unconventional concepts of beauty. Duchamp and the Dada movement asked that the intellectual element of an artwork reach as high a level of importance of visual beauty of it. One fan of art may look at the Mona Lisa's beauty marred by a mustache as distasteful, but that criticism is not just acceptable to the Dadaists but vital. Art should not be judged exclusively on the basis of aesthetics, but from an intellectual perspective as well that takes into consideration such things as the socio-political value the work of art has. What kind of comment does it make on the world that has shaped the artist who created, as well as the opini ons that viewers engage when they critique it. Judging a work of art simply through its visual merits result in a self-imposed limitation on the enjoyment and experience that is possible. Equally true would it be limiting to confuse art with beauty and beauty with art. Ponder this quote from Duchamp himself, "Art may

Monday, October 28, 2019

A Bridge to Wisemans Cove Essay Example for Free

A Bridge to Wisemans Cove Essay ‘With it’s sight restored at last, the bird jerked it’s head sideways to look at Carl and then Joy, as though it was asking, is it true? Am I free?’ James Moloney uses the image of the osprey in several ways throughout the novel. The main technique in which it is represented, is the emotion of the characters finally feeling free in there own way. The first use of the image of the osprey is shown when Carl’s mother Kerry would always leave to go on one of her ‘holiday’s’. I believe that she went on these holidays to make herself feel free. To go away for a few days and leave her real life. But in fact she was never really free. Even on her holidays she always knew that she would eventually have to come back to reality, to her children. It’s not that she didn’t love her kids, she did. Perhaps she just couldn’t handle the stress of having to raise three children as a single parent or maybe just having them around was holding her back. During the prelude of the novel an unknown women gets on board a bus. She waits out of sight and sneaks on the bus when the driver is pre-occupied. She does not have a ticket and no one knows who she is. ‘The driver gunned the engine, commanding its throaty roar and the bus pulled away from the roadhouse into the sea of darkness. Only then did the women sit up and permit herself a smile’ At the end of the novel we find out that this women was Kerry. She was on her way back to her children when the bus she was on drowned into the ocean. In the moment that Kerry died, came the realization that she knew she was finally free. Sarah, Carl’s sister also finds the courage to leave and set herself free. Free from living her own life. Since Sarah was old enough to remember she would always have to depend on herself not her mother. When her mother would leave she would have to look after Carl and Harley as though they were her own. She states in the book ‘I’m only nineteen years old. I’ve got my own life. By the time Harley’s old enough to take care of himself, I’ll be thirty.’ Although I don’t agree with the way Sarah went about just dropping Harley and Carl off at their Aunt Beryl’s, I agree that she has her own life to live and she needed to escape. Consequently, setting herself free. The image of the osprey is shown in a major way within Carl. In many ways the osprey is a mirror image of Carl, in its appearance, pain, suffering, recovery and how it is set free. The image of the osprey is remarkably similar to that of Carl’s. It was a, ‘large bird, brown and grey, its head covered by a canvas hood.’ The description of the osprey matches some aspects of Carl’s body and personality. Carl was a large boy, miserable like the colour grey and he was shy like a hood covering his head. This was because he did not want to see what people responded to his body. He was ashamed of himself and the name his family had. Although by the end of the book Carl realizes that he finally has new friends and a new family. He finds that people like him and that they ignore that he is a Matt. ‘My name is Carl Matt. M-A-T-T.’ Carl screams his name out to the world, he doesn’t care anymore. Carl was free. Free of his worries, free of his fears. He is free from the curse that everyone says he and his family has. He could let go of his sorrowful past and be alive just like how the osprey let go of its painful past and began to fly once again. The way the osprey spread it’s wings and took its first beat against the wind symbolizes the emotions rushing through Carl when he finds out his mum truly did love him and Harley. The journey of the osprey mirrored Carl’s personal life. The osprey was set free in a way that makes Carl feel alive. The image of the osprey is used to represent the characters feeling free. It mainly symbolizes as a metaphor for Carl’s life. The osprey is free from being injured by people by being nurtured from Justine and Joy. Carl was also getting injured by people. Throughout his whole life people were hurting him. Kerry, his mother, Beryl, his aunt, his older sister Sarah and kids calling him names about him weight. When he met Justine and Joy, they saved him. They made him feel alive. They set him free.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Non- Realistic American Dream in The Great Gatsby Essay example --

In the novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby, the characters truly believe that they can have everything they ever dream for and have a life that others will envy. Myrtle and Gatsby both seem to have the same agenda for their lives; desperately seeking wealth, social status, beatitude, and love. Myrtle Wilson and Jay Gatsby are both driven to reach their goals but do not realize that the American Dream is just an illusion. The dream of finding fortune, fame and true love is something that almost all Americans strive for. Fitzgerald classic, The Great Gatsby, is no exception. Myrtle Wilson is in her â€Å"mid thirties and faintly stout but she carries her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can" (25). She is representation of those who stop at nothing and does whatever it takes to get what they want. From the beginning, those who met her saw the pretense and cunning woman she was. She often held a front as pretending to be wealthy; rejecting compliments toward her dress saying â€Å"it’s just a crazy old thing,† (31) when in fact she had nothing to her name. She is tired of living with the poor and is now prepared to do what needs to be done in order to live the lavish life she desires without caring who she has to step on in order to get there. On the other hand, Jay Gatsby is the representation of every man trying to find the American Dream. He is looking for a life better than the o ne he grew up with, filled with fortune and wealth. When Gatsby meets Daisy, he finds what he is looking for. For Gatsby, Daisy is his American Dream. From then on he does everything he can to be with her. Before coming up with his fortune, Gatsby felt that â€Å"he wasn’t fit to lick (Daisy’s) shoe† (34) under the social status. Believing that b... ...to pay â€Å"a high price for living too long with a single dream† (161). Many people do not believe that the American Dream exists. They believe that the American Dream is a saga we have created to have something to look forward to in our life but the reality is that the American Dream does exist. It is consists of the many things we wish we could have and there is nothing wrong with wanting the best in life but when those desires begin to hurt those around us they can come back to get us. Myrtle and Gatsby only thought of themselves when they pictured what the perfect American Dream was. They did not brother to think about what others felt or wanted. They were consumed with greed and did not realize that the American Dream they wanted and brought them to their own down fall was all just an illusion. They began to dream of a non realistic American Dream.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Deception Point Page 13

The President didn't blame them. His staff had worked grueling hours to support him in the upcoming election, and now, all of a sudden, it seemed the President was fumbling the ball. Soon they will understand, Herney told himself. Soon I'll be the hero again. He regretted having to keep his staff in the dark for so long, but secrecy was absolutely critical. And when it came to keeping secrets, the White House was known as the leakiest ship in Washington. Herney arrived in the waiting room outside the Oval Office and gave his secretary a cheery wave. â€Å"You look nice this morning, Dolores.† â€Å"You too, sir,† she said, eyeing his casual attire with unveiled disapproval. Herney lowered his voice. â€Å"I'd like you to organize a meeting for me.† â€Å"With whom, sir?† â€Å"The entire White House staff.† His secretary glanced up. â€Å"Your entire staff, sir? All 145 of them?† â€Å"Exactly.† She looked uneasy. â€Å"Okay. Shall I set it up in†¦ the Briefing Room?† Herney shook his head. â€Å"No. Let's set it up in my office.† Now she stared. â€Å"You want to see your entire staff inside the Oval Office?† â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"All at once, sir?† â€Å"Why not? Set it up for four P.M.† The secretary nodded as though humoring a mental patient. â€Å"Very well, sir. And the meeting is regarding†¦?† â€Å"I have an important announcement to make to the American people tonight. I want my staff to hear it first.† A sudden dejected look swept across his secretary's face, almost as if she had secretly been dreading this moment. She lowered her voice. â€Å"Sir, are you pulling out of the race?† Herney burst out laughing. â€Å"Hell no, Dolores! I'm gearing up to fight!† She looked doubtful. The media reports had all been saying President Herney was throwing the election. He gave her a reassuring wink. â€Å"Dolores, you've done a terrific job for me these past few years, and you'll do a terrific job for me for another four. We're keeping the White House. I swear it.† His secretary looked like she wanted to believe it. â€Å"Very well, sir. I'll alert the staff. Four P.M.† As Zach Herney entered the Oval Office, he couldn't help but smile at the image of his entire staff crammed into the deceptively small chamber. Although this great office had enjoyed many nicknames over the years – the Loo, Dick's Den, the Clinton Bedroom-Herney's favorite was â€Å"the Lobster Trap.† It seemed most fitting. Each time a newcomer entered the Oval Office, disorientation set in immediately. The symmetry of the room, the gently curving walls, the discreetly disguised doorways in and out, all gave visitors the dizzying sense they'd been blindfolded and spun around. Often, after a meeting in the Oval Office, a visiting dignitary would stand up, shake hands with the President, and march straight into a storage closet. Depending on how the meeting had gone, Herney would either stop the guest in time or watch in amusement as the visitor embarrassed himself. Herney had always believed the most dominating aspect of the Oval Office was the colorful American eagle emblazoned on the room's oval carpet. The eagle's left talon clutched an olive branch and his right a bundle of arrows. Few outsiders knew that during times of peace, the eagle faced left-toward the olive branch. But in times of war, the eagle mysteriously faced right-toward the arrows. The mechanism behind this little parlor trick was the source of quiet speculation among White House staff because it was traditionally known only by the President and the head of housekeeping. The truth behind the enigmatic eagle, Herney had found to be disappointingly mundane. A storage room in the basement contained the second oval carpet, and housekeeping simply swapped the carpets in the dead of night. Now, as Herney gazed down at the peaceful, left-gazing eagle, he smiled to think that perhaps he should swap carpets in honor of the little war he was about to launch against Senator Sedgewick Sexton. 15 The U.S. Delta Force is the sole fighting squad whose actions are granted complete presidential immunity from the law. Presidential Decision Directive 25 (PDD 25) grants Delta Force soldiers â€Å"freedom from all legal accountability,† including exception from the 1876 Posse Comitatus Act, a statute imposing criminal penalties for anyone using the military for personal gain, domestic law enforcement, or unsanctioned covert operations. Delta Force members are handpicked from the Combat Applications Group (CAG), a classified organization within the Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Delta Force soldiers are trained killers-experts in SWAT operations, rescuing hostages, surprise raids, and elimination of covert enemy forces. Because Delta Force missions usually involve high levels of secrecy, the traditional multitiered chain of command is often circumvented in favor of â€Å"monocaput† management-a single controller who holds authority to control the unit as he or she sees fit. The controller tends to be a military or government powerbroker with sufficient rank or influence to run the mission. Regardless of the identity of their controller, Delta Force missions are classified at the highest level, and once a mission is completed, Delta Force soldiers never speak of it again-not to one another, and not to their commanding officers within Special Ops. Fly. Fight. Forget. The Delta team currently stationed above the Eighty-second Parallel was doing no flying or fighting. They were simply watching. Delta-One had to admit that this had been a most unusual mission so far, but he had learned long ago never to be surprised by what he was asked to do. In the past five years he had been involved in Middle East hostage rescues, tracking and exterminating terrorist cells working inside the United States, and even the discreet elimination of several dangerous men and women around the globe. Just last month his Delta team had used a flying microbot to induce a lethal heart attack in a particularly malicious South American drug lord. Using a microbot equipped with a hairline titanium needle containing a potent vasoconstrictor, Delta-Two had flown the device into the man's house through an open second-story window, found the man's bedroom, and then pricked him on the shoulder while he was sleeping. The microbot was back out the window and â€Å"feet dry† before the man woke up with chest pain. The Delta team was already flying home by the time its victim's wife was calling the paramedics. No breaking and entering. Death by natural causes. It had been a thing of beauty. More recently, another microbot stationed inside a prominent senator's office to monitor his personal meetings had captured images of a lurid sexual encounter. The Delta team jokingly referred to that mission as â€Å"insertion behind enemy lines.† Now, after being trapped on surveillance duty inside this tent for the last ten days, Delta-One was ready for this mission to be over. Remain in hiding. Monitor the structure-inside and out. Report to your controller any unexpected developments. Delta-One had been trained never to feel any emotion regarding his assignments. This mission, however, had certainly raised his heart rate when he and his team were first briefed. The briefing had been â€Å"faceless†-every phase explained via secure electronic channels. Delta-One had never met the controller responsible for this mission. Delta-One was preparing a dehydrated protein meal when his watch beeped in unison with the others. Within seconds the CrypTalk communications device beside him blinked on alert. He stopped what he was doing and picked up the handheld communicator. The other two men watched in silence.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Informative Evaluation

During my research on a public speaker, I had come across this motivational and leadership speaker Steve Bedwell. On February 17, 2012, he gave a speech on how people tend to act towards different situations and other people. In an auditorium full of business and health care leaders he also jump starts them into effective action with what goes on in the world with people. Steve Bedwell does an excellent job on trying to get the audience’s attention with interesting stories that keep them focused on what he is trying to say. While presenting he tends to keep eye contact with the audience.He also does not use any notecards, which this indicates that he knows his topic enough and is able to talk smoothly through his presentation. Also, to keep the audience interested, he adds humor in his presentation to help explain his connections. Bedwell does such a great job with his speech, that I do not see where he needs any improvement. In this speech he teaches the audience that the thi ngs we miss, tends to cripple our thinking and where the things we make up fuels our toxic emotions. When the perspective on any situation is not producing the results that you want, you should ask what am I missing and what am I making up.But usually we do not look at these two concepts of a perspective; we tend to assume the worst of that situation. In this speech Bedwell had explained that he was on a plane and had greeted the guy sitting next to him and the guy replied back to Bedwell by lifting his newspaper between them. In this situation Bedwell had thought of the guy as a jerk and when the guy tapped on Bedwell’s shoulder, he had tried ignoring him back. Bedwell turned towards him and the guy handed him a note, which said â€Å"excuse me can you please call my wife and tell her I’m safely on the plane and on the way home. Bedwell assumed that the guy was a jerk, and did not think of what could have been the reason for why the guy did not speak to him, and the reason was that the guy was deaf. My personal experience would be when I was at work and this guy came in and I started taking his order and he was getting irritated with me, so he left out of the store irritated and mad. I assumed that the guy was ignorant to get frustrated the way he did. But in a way I should have looked at the situation in that the guy might have been having a bad day. Speeches usually are informative, or mainly have a great reason for being issued to the audience.Having an effective speech requires the speaker to have eye contact, uses appropriate hand gestures, a positive look on what they are explaining and mainly to present to audience in a way they will understand best. My scoring on this presentation by Steve Bedwell was mostly 4’s and 5’s because I did not see really anything wrong with his speech. Competency 1, on the topic I gave a 4 because, he had chosen a topic and only went over it a little bit. Competency 2, the thesis and specific pu rpose I gave a 5 because, he explains the purposes on each idea that was in the thesis.Competency 3, the introduction I gave a 5 because, he stated the purpose of his speech and a review on the information that referred to the introduction. Competency 4, I have a 4 because, in some parts he gives supporting information on what he was explaining, but some parts he did not cover what it referred to. Such as when he had the board and he was putting up fingers and the audience had to guess what number was on the board. Competency 5, I gave a 3 because, his information was in good contrasts to what he was talking about, but in some ways the information felt out of place.Competency 6, I gave a 3 because, his conclusion did not bring up anything new but could have went back and summarized more of his topic. Competency 7, I gave a 5 because, all the language that was used in the process of this speech was acceptable for the audience to comprehend and stay focused. Competency 8, I gave a 5 b ecause, Bedwell did show his tone in different varieties of pitch to emphasize important or interesting facts. Competency 9, I gave a 5 because, all of his grammar was fluent and acceptable by the audience in that they understood what he was saying.Competency 10, I also gave a 5 because, his hand gestures toward everything especially toward the exciting parts had shown the emotions he was trying to convey. In order to evaluate a presentation you have many specific parts that you have to look at. Such as, how the presentation is presented, does the information that is given refer back to the introduction and thesis? The communication skills that are required during a presentation should include eye contact, appropriate language, grammar and organizational pattern, to better connect with the audience and keep them interested in what you are presenting.In reviewing the speaker Steve Bedwell and his speech on motivational and leadership situations, I now think of looking at all the diff erent parts of a scenario instead of just one. By looking at many you have a better understanding of what is happening. There are many people out in the world today that do not think as critically as others do and this tends to be a problem towards others. Overall I think Steve Bedwell does a fantastic job of explaining what people tend to think and not think on certain situations. http://youtu. be/8tDwyIkxgjw

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

CamelCase

CamelCase CamelCase CamelCase By Maeve Maddox A reader commenting on my e-mail post brought my attention to a term I’d not heard before: It will end up simply as book, but before that happens it will be ebook- just as email ended up as email. eBook looks entirely too corporate to me, and I doubt if the general writing public will ever adopt camel case for anyThing, ever. Camel case, also appropriately spelled CamelCase, is the practice of writing a word with a capital inside it. For example: iPhone CinemaScope VistaVision AstroTurf The name comes from the fact that the uppercase letter makes a â€Å"hump† in the word. The Wiki article gives a long list of other terms for this practice. Here are a few: BumpyCaps, CamelBack, CamelCaps, CapWords, mixedCase, and RollerCoasterCaps. I have to agree that words written that way are a bit too cutesy to survive as real words. Thats not to say there is no practical use for the mingling of upper- and lowercase letters. For example, in chemistry: NaCl, AgF, BaSe, etc. As for the e-book poll, 326 DWT readers voted. The form e-book received 50% of the votes. The CamelCase version eBook came in second at 26%. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Spelling Test 1For Sale vs. On SaleHow Do You Pronounce "Often"?

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Dante Canto V

â€Å"Dante† Canto V In reading Canto V â€Å"The Carnal†, Dante is now taken to the Second Circle of Hell with Virgil. Minos was the monster that everyone confesses his or her sins too. Their sin was to abandon themselves to the tempest of their passions. When they tell him their sins, he then wraps his tail around himself many of times representing the number of circles the person must go. They would be forever swept away in the tempest of Hell and forever denied in God and the light of reason. â€Å"They find themselves on a dark ledge swept by a great whirlwind, which spins within it the souls of Carnal, those who betrayed reason to their appetites,† pg.1032. The main perpetrators talked about in this selection were the story of Francesca and Paolo. The two had fallen in love, but Francesca was married to Paolo’s brother, Giovanni. Giovanni surprised them and killed the both of them while they were in Francesca’s bedroom. Even though it was their fault because they were responsible of what happened, I do not feel that their punishment fits their sin. These people were in love and very lustful and shameless because they could not help their feelings. Even though what Francesca did was wrong, she was in love with someone else. It would have been wrong of her to be with Giovanni, who she did not love. Now the two of them are stuck in hell and nothing will ever come of it. I do not think this is fair and I would have been upset just like Dante was.... Free Essays on Dante Canto V Free Essays on Dante Canto V â€Å"Dante† Canto V In reading Canto V â€Å"The Carnal†, Dante is now taken to the Second Circle of Hell with Virgil. Minos was the monster that everyone confesses his or her sins too. Their sin was to abandon themselves to the tempest of their passions. When they tell him their sins, he then wraps his tail around himself many of times representing the number of circles the person must go. They would be forever swept away in the tempest of Hell and forever denied in God and the light of reason. â€Å"They find themselves on a dark ledge swept by a great whirlwind, which spins within it the souls of Carnal, those who betrayed reason to their appetites,† pg.1032. The main perpetrators talked about in this selection were the story of Francesca and Paolo. The two had fallen in love, but Francesca was married to Paolo’s brother, Giovanni. Giovanni surprised them and killed the both of them while they were in Francesca’s bedroom. Even though it was their fault because they were responsible of what happened, I do not feel that their punishment fits their sin. These people were in love and very lustful and shameless because they could not help their feelings. Even though what Francesca did was wrong, she was in love with someone else. It would have been wrong of her to be with Giovanni, who she did not love. Now the two of them are stuck in hell and nothing will ever come of it. I do not think this is fair and I would have been upset just like Dante was....