Kurt Vonneguts Cats Cradle :: Kurt Vonnegut Cats Cradle Essays

Paradoxical Nature of Life Exposed in Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle Kurt Vonnegut's apocalyptic novel, Cat's Cradle, might well be called an intricate network of paradox and irony. It is with such irony and paradox that Vonnegut himself describes his work as "poisoning minds with humanity...to encourage them to make a better world" (The Vonnegut Statement 107). In Cat's Cradle, Vonnegut does not tie his co-mingled plots into easy to digest bites as the short chapter structure of his story implies. Rather, he implores his reader to resolve the paradoxes and ironies of Cat's Cradle by simply allowing them to exist. By drawing our attention to the paradoxical nature of life, Vonnegut releases the reader from the necessity of creating meaning into a realm of infinite possibility. It appears that Vonnegut sees the impulse toward making a better world as fundamental to the human spirit; that when the obstacle of meaning is removed the reader, he supposes, will naturally improve the world. Like a dream filled with complex characters and situations which one is compelled to discuss and analyze the next day, Vonnegut uses dark humor to penetrate his reader's world. The Cornell medical student whom the narrator, Jonah, first interviews by mail turns out to be a midget. The brilliant nuclear physicist, the father of the atom bomb, is infantile. Writers and college professors are essential to human existence, and Boko-maru is a form of love that can happen anytime, anywhere, and with anyone. By creating new religious and scientific vocabularies, Vonnegut infiltrates the reader's very mind. Bokononist ideas and principles that are almost reasonable give the reader a temporary framework for interpretation, "'As it was supposed to happen,' Bokonon would say" (Cat's Cradle 63). Never too far from reality, "Bokonon tells us that it is very wrong to not to love everyone exactly the same. What does your religion say?" (CC 141). Vonnegut's prophet cuts close to the bone, and so he must in order to reach the philosophical roots of the reader's belief system. Yet, the security of any and every belief and interpretation of any and all of the characters is in one way or another polluted until there is nowhere to turn.

The Drug Ecstacy :: essays research papers

Ecstasy is a slang or short word for Methylenedioxymethamphetamines (MDMA). It is a very serious mind-altering, psychoactive drug that can kill you. This drug can cause confusion, paranoia, sleep problems, anxiety and depression even after weeks of not taking it. Ecstasy was first developed in 1914 as a diet pill or appetite suppressant and it was a legal substance until 1985. In the mid-1980s, ecstasy burst out in the streets becoming the most popular drug used in Raves (wild all night parties) because it helps you keep dancing and mood enhancement. Ecstasy can be taken orally, sometimes snorted and rarely injected. The price for one capsule can range from $25 to $40 and the effect can last 3 to 6 hours. Ecstasy pills may come in a lot of different colors shapes and usually have small cartoons or logos branded on top (such as play boy bunnies, CK, love symbols, etc.). There are also a lot of names by which ecstasy can be found, for example, XTC, M&M, Love drug, Love trip, Adam, Rollin, etc. MDMA immediate effects are sweating, heart rate and blood pressure rising, dehydration, jaw clenching, teeth grinding, etc. Ecstasy can make you feel like you trust someone and it can break down barriers (that is why people call it in the brain which are critical to the memory and thought. Studies show that a drunken person has more memory than a person who smoked ecstasy heavily in the past. Ecstasy has been becoming dangerously popular in the last couple of years but due to the hard work of the Partnership For A Drug Free America the usage of Ecstasy has been lowering dramatically. They make public service announcements warning teens of the dangers and downsides to using ecstasy and helping to understanding the dangers of using drugs. There are places such as Greenbriar Treatment Center which offer help for people suffering from chemical dependency such as ecstasy. It is located in Washington, PA and their approach is to respect the people who they treat and reassure them that addiction is a curable disease.

Rape Fantasies by Margaret Atwood :: Margaret Atwood Rape Fantasies Essays

Rape Fantasies by Margaret Atwood "Rape Fantasies" is written by Margaret Atwood in 1977. Basically this short story is about the narrator, named Estelle, recalling a conversation of several women during their lunch hour. It starts with one of Estelle's co-workers, asking the question 'How about it, girls, do you have rape fantasies?'(pg 72) The story goes on with each woman telling their supposed 'rape fantasy' to one another. As each is telling their fantasy, Estelle is doing her best to try to deflect the situation by making jokes about their fantasies. After all the women have told their fantasies, Estelle says, 'those aren't rape fantasies. I mean, you aren't getting raped, it's just some guy you haven't met formally who happens to be more attractive than Derek Cummins . . . and you have a good time. Rape is when they've got a knife or something and you don't want to.'(pg 74) Estelle then goes on to talk about her 'rape fantasies' from about to be raped by a short, ugly guy dieing from leukemia to squirting lem on juice in another attacker's eye.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe that her use of characters in the story was good. This type of story telling would seem typical to me for girls in an office setting. I don?t think that they would really talk about the fantasy of being forcible raped by telling their sex with a stranger type story instead. I also think that the point of view is important. Estelle is retelling the story through her view to someone else. She is probly at a bar or something, telling her story to some random man she met. I believe that she is trying to control a possible bad situation, maybe avoiding a rape, because she says in the last page ?..how could a fellow do that to a person he?s just had a long conversation with, once you let them know you?re human, your have a life too, I don?t see how they could go ahead with it, rights??(pg 78)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I actually enjoyed this short story. I really like the way Margaret Atwood laces the humor into her stories, like making fun the blond receptionist and the other blond, and how they compete with one anther.

Artist Deconstruction: A Starry Night

Artist Deconstruction: A Starry Night If there is one thing in this life that cannot be escaped, it is art. Art takes over our visual and audio senses as well as sensation of touch and emotion. Not only does art take over our senses, but it also does something wonderful to our mental status. It raises awareness and stimulates our brains. Some art can touch us on a very deep emotional level. I have chosen to write about a portrait painted by Vaccine van Gogh called Starry Night, which was painted in June 1889. This painting depicts the view outside van Sago's sanitarium room window at night.How does van Gogh use visual imagery to depict the four visual cures in this painting? How does the physiology of the eye help see the four visual cures? The visual cortex has cells that respond to a spot of light while others noted the edges of objects, certain angles of lines, specific movements, colors or the space between lines (Lester 2011). The use of visual imagery is used in the form of col or, form, depth and movement. The first thing that I noticed in this painting was the overwhelming night sky, which takes up most of the background.The color that is most prominent in the painting is blue. This has a connection with the sea and sky which each relate to movement of the cool dark colors. Eleven fiery yellow stars that look like huge fireballs illuminate this whole piece and contrast with the cool blue, fluid night sky which shows variety of shades of blue and grey. There is also the crescent moon at the top right hand corner that radiates an almost orange, brighter light from the rest of the stars. The view of the night sky and village is partially blocked by this huge cypress tree.The tree has a black and green coloring which stands out. The houses are tiny and painted in the bottom right corner of the painting and blend in well with the forest and mountains. The architecture of the village is simple and no light illuminates the village, giving the impression that ev eryone there is probably asleep. The use of form is evident in this painting by the use of the use dot to dot effect and with the use of lines. The dot to dot effect leads your eyes in a particular way oiling over the hills. The spacing between the stars and the curving shapes create a dot to dot effect.The use of lines that are swirling, appear to be swishing across the background in a wax. Y motion and seem to be merging at the center to form this spiral like formation. All of the swirling lines in the sky direct your eyes around the painting. Both forms have a lot to do with movement within the painting as I believe the forms, shapes and spirals in the painting are meant to be a meaner of expression and used to convey emotion. This is an abstract painting, which creates depth by using texture cues by conveying depth to the edges and texture to boundaries.I perceive this painting of having an illusion of constantly being in motion. The uses of horizontal lines is used to create de pth in the night sky, while the vertical lines on the cypress tree draw the viewer to the object as it takes over the countryside. The curving lines of the cypress tree mirror the sky, which also create depth in the painting. Since humans see in three dimensions the use of depth in this painting is brought out by the size, color, ND lighting and through perspective.The painting also has movement as it shows motion and has what I perceive to be a sense of flowing movement. The pattern of the waves with in the cypress tree, the layers of lines within the stars and the spiral in the sky all amplify the sense of motion. The lines in the painting show movement in the sky as well as distance. The lines that make up the building get thinner as your eye looks further and deeper into the painting. The use of texture within the painting is visually meant to provide a ensue of motion along with the curvy forms in the sky giving the illusion of the wind blowing.My interpretation of Starry Night is Just one of the many and it remains very much an elusive work to art critics and students alike. Because nobody really knows Van Sago's intention of painting this piece, everybody seems to be using different codes to decipher what Van Gogh was trying to bring across. For me, the painting communicated this love he had for Gods beautiful creations, and yet, there is this sense of loneliness as if no one really saw the world as he saw it.

Classroom Analysis Essay

1.Why is a classroom a miniature of a greater society? A classroom is a miniature of a greater society because it is where all basic and formal learning begins; where all the proper and acquisition of knowledge takes place. It is a part of the society that engages in promoting and preparing learners for more and broader task, role and obligation.The teacher or professor plays the role of the leader/monarch, while the students are the citizens. The citizens are supposed to follow the rules and laws of the society (class) that the leaders (teachers) set. In every classroom, there are different kinds of people: Those who work hard, those who play hard, those who do both, those who do neither. In society, you also get these kinds of people. There will also probably be little cliques, in this case, representative of small groups in society. Then there are the high class, those who fly past everything without hitches, the middle class who get by, and the lower class who are really struggling to keep up with the coursework. The teacher may offe r remedial sessions, which can be compared to any welfare packages that the government decides to hand out. 2.What are found in the classrooms that are similar to what can be observed in society? It can found there the leader that serves as the teacher and the people serves as the students. All they do are similar with what can we see in the society. The teacher led the students to know about a certain thing that builds them to become a better individual; the same within a society a president, mayor, or a Brgy. Chairman leads its people to build a harmonious relationship among others. The Discussion and interaction among the learners and the teachers in promoting knowledge; unity, cooperation and creativeness in accomplishing given task and responsibilities; having a harmonious relationship on each and every member of the class and the facilities and equipment for learning and development.

Attack on Pearl Harbor: Usa in World War Essay

Pearl Harbour is a lagoon harbour on the island of O’ahu, Hawaii. Most part of the harbour is a naval base for the United States Navy and it is also the headquarters of United States Pacific Fleet. It was attacked by the Japanese navy in a surprise military air strike. The attack took place in the early hours of December 7 1941 and lasted for around two hours. The following day USA declared war on Japan and thus the entry of USA in World War II. Reason for the attack â€Å"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack. It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu. Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. This morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island. Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation. As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again. Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces – with the unbounded determination of our people – we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God. I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.† Bibliography * www.eyewitnesshistory.com * about.com * Wikipedia * www.history.com * www.worldwar2history.info * www.history.navy.mil * www.u-s-history.com * www.wtj.com ( War Times Journal ) * www.law.ou.edu * www.bbc.co.uk * education.nationalgeographic.com

New Product Management

1. INTRODUCTION Apple has recently decided to launch a new idea by offering home-automation system based on the new iPhone technology, called â€Å"electronic butler†. The company is hoping that, based on the brand’s reputation, the home-automation system will be very well received by the customers. The air conditioning begins cooling, lights adjust to people liking, curtains open and the stereo plays soft, soothing jazz. Home-automation system is a new life experience. The '60s and '70s were the decades of the mainframe, the '80s made up the decade of client-server computing, and the '90s were the Internet years.Now Apple is entering the decade of the home-automation system. The home-automation system will have a good business prospects. COMPANY’S BACKGROUND Apple, founded in 1976 by Steven P. Jobs and Steve Wozniak, is not just the world’s largest technology company; it is the world’s most highly valued public company. Over the last decade, Apple has redefined the music business through the iPod, the cellphone business through the iPhone and the entertainment and media world through the iPad. Although, Apple already boasted the largest market value of any public company, on Aug. 0, 2012, it became the most highly valued public company ever. According to numbers from the World Bank, there are only 18 countries that have a GDP above $500 billion, while Apple’s market cap stands at approximately $506 billion. COMPANY’S MISSION STATEMENT It was widely reported that a famous quote from Steve Jobs in the 1980's was the Apple company mission statement: â€Å"Man is the creator of change in this world. As such he should be above systems and structures, and not subordinate to them. The â€Å"official† mission statement on the Apple corporation website, however, is not really a mission statement at all, but rather a list of products and past accomplishments. â€Å"Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad. †(3) Technology services to the life.I would say that the Apple’s mission statement is in accordance to the new product they want to bring into the market. New product’s purpose is to offer very good quality services that improve the lives of the world’s consumers. 2. OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS POTENTIAL SIZE OF THE MARKET Apple Inc. ‘s success selling consumer gadgets has pushed its share price above $500, cementing its place as the U. S. ‘s largest company, with a market capitalization of $475 billion. Home-automation system is based on the company’s new technology and iPhone, such a large sales and market share will bring new product a good potential size of the market.COMPETITION Apple is pursuing a broad differentiation strategy. Apple differentiates by offering high-quality, exceptional design, and personalized service. The scope of their strategy is broad targeting customers ranging from unsophisticated beginner users to specials needs power-users. Home-automation system is a new market and area, Apple intends to differentiate itself from the competitors by offering brand new home-automation system service that most competitors are not currently offering.Apple can use the new technology and the contact between the system and iPhone to increase competitive advantage. Apple had $127. 8 billion in sales during the 2012 calendar year, putting it neck-and-neck with Hewlett-Packard, the nation's largest tech company by revenue. This year, Apple is on pace to become the biggest technology company in the world, measured by revenue, outpacing current global No. 1 Samsung. These two companies are the main competitors o f Apple. (1) COMPANY’S RESOURCESApple’s most important resources and capabilities are Steve Jobs, the CEO, and the integrated system of hardware and software that the firm has developed and successfully marketed to derive value. While Apple’s designers, programmers, and engineers each represent key resources the ability of the firm to exploit their abilities to create their entire software/hardware ecosystem is the firm’s key capability. (1) The Apple stores have provided the company with an important physical presence to act as both a sales location and an advertisement. The stores allow Apple to ightly control the image of the brand and provide excellent customer service. Apple tops many retailers in in-store sales, generating $4,032 per retail square foot per year, beating other retailers like Tiffany & Co. at $2,666 and Best Buy at only $930. This is a great display platform for the new product. A good product needs professional design and production. Apple’s incredible industrial design capability is a function of their innovative design teams, led by Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design, and the firm’s prioritization of design and outsourced production.CORPORATE POLICY The new service needs a good social environment. Although companies worldwide are facing the possibility of restrictive carbon emissions regulation, Apple is uniquely positioned to lead the electronics industry in promoting ‘green’ production, while taking full advantage of opportunities arising from new technological trends and sociocultural preferences concerning the fully-integrated, mobile digital lifestyle. (3) 3. SWOT ANALSIS AND OBJECTIVES S. W. O. T. ANALYSIS Strengths: Relationship with OEMs – Apple has outsourced all of its manufacturing processes to OEM partners in China, like Foxconn and Hon Hai Precision Industry while focusing on design internally. * Apple store – New product needs a nice sale place. The Apple stores have provided the company with an important physical presence to act as both a sales location and an advertisement. * Industrial Design Capability – Apple’s incredible industrial design capability is a function of their innovative design teams, and the firm’s prioritization of design and outsourced production. 2) Weakness: * Price – Having premium products means that those products can be expensive for many consumers. The expensive of products is a major turnoff for consumers who are looking for a product of minimal quality standards. The new product needs to control the price. Opportunities: * International Expansion – Apple’s product sales all over the world, it will bring a large market for new product. Strong international presence and expansion should increase growth and profits. New – Home-automation system is a new service for the market and customer, it can also extends to new office automation te chnology. Threats: * Global Slowdown – A global slowdown or recession will hurt all companies, but mostly those whose products sell in economies that experience the worst declines. Especially multinational corporations like Apple. * Currency Volatility – As the US dollar changes in value, this creates uncertainty in contract negotiations. If the dollar were to change after a contract was signed, then one party to the contract would lose out on gains and the other party would win. . MARKETING OBJECTIVES Home-automation system’s main and most important objective is to establish a new, effective, and has not been developed over market, while increasing Apple’s brand awareness. REFERENCE 1. http://www. scribd. com/doc/24134877/Strategic-Analysis-of-Apple-Inc-Brian-Masi 2. http://www. wikiwealth. com/swot-analysis:aapl 3. Apple Inc. Apple and the Environment Apple Inc. , 2009. Web, 28 Nov. 2009. . New Product Management