Elements Of Evil In Beowulf Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essays

In times before printed books were common, stories and poems were passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. From such oral traditions come great epics such as England’s heroic epic, Beowulf. In Beowulf, the monster Grendel serves as the evil character acting against the poem’s hero, as shown by his unnatural strength, beast-like qualities, and alienation from society. One of the first responses from a reader of Beowulf is their surprise at Grendel’s unnatural strength, one quality marking him as an evil character. His great strength is shown first in his ability to carry enormous amounts of weight. There occur several instances in the story where Grendel lifts great amounts of weight. In Grendel’s first raid of Herot, a great mead-hall, â€Å"he snatched up thirty men, smashed them . . . and ran out with their bodies to his lair† (ll. 59-62). This amount of weight equals nearly 5,000 pounds; a feat that no normal man (or creature) could accomplish. In addition to his ability to lift huge amounts of weight, Grendel’s unnatural strength appears in his merciless killing of humans. He proficiently tears his victims apart before devouring them. Moments before the monster’s demise, Grendel grabs a sleeping Geat and â€Å"ripped him apart, cut his body to bits with powerful jaws† (ll. 393-394). Only a force of ev il could accomplish an act so gruesome, with such facility. One earmark of an epic evil character is their unnatural strength, and Grendel certainly fits the bill for ...

Senseless: A False Sense Of Perception Essay -- essays research papers

Senseless: A False Sense of Perception   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I feel as though I have no choice but to be a skeptic about our ability to know the world on the sense experience given the information that is being presented. Our senses are touching, hearing, smelling and tasting, I believe it is quite possible that a person could think they see, touch, and smell something such as a glass of bear but there be no glass of beer present, therefore their perception of this glass of beer is false. There is a good possibility that this person is suffering from any of the numerous possible sensations, auditory, visual or tactile, experienced without external stimulus and caused by mental derangement, intoxication or fever, in other words this person could be hallucinating.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many ways that the senses can be tricked into believing things that are not true, an example is when a person takes the drug LSD, this drug is one which alters the state of the mind and tricks it into visually perceiving things which are not real such as pink elephants, green rats, gold skin and so on. Hallucinations may occur when pressure is applied to different sections, drawing different reactions from the person being affected, these reactions are caused by the affected person seeing things which they perceive to be real . Hallucinations are only one way by which the visual perception of an object can be altered there are many more ways by which the visual percep...

BATTLE OF THE ALAMO

ALAMO, BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, BATTLE OF THE. The siege and the final assault on the Alamo in 1836 constitute the most celebrated military engagement in Texas history. The battle was conspicuous for the large number of illustrious personalities among its combatants. These included Tennessee congressman David Crockett, entrepreneur-adventurer James Bowie, and Mexican president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Although not nationally famous at the time, William Barret Travis achieved lasting distinction as commander at the Alamo. For many Americans and most Texans, the battle has become a symbol of patriotic sacrifice.Traditional popular depictions, including novels, stage plays, and motion pictures, emphasize legendary aspects that often obscure the historical event. To understand the real battle, one must appreciate its strategic context in the Texas Revolution. In December 1835 a Federalist army of Texan (or Texian, as they were called) immigrants, American volunteers, and their Tejano all ies had captured the town from a Centralist force during the siege of Bexar. With that victory, a majority of the Texan volunteers of the â€Å"Army of the People† left service and returned to their families.Nevertheless, many officials of the provisional government feared the Centralists would mount a spring offensive. Two main roads led into Texas from the Mexican interior. The first was the Atascosito Road, which stretched from Matamoros on the Rio Grande northward through San Patricio, Goliad, Victoria, and finally into the heart of Austin's colony. The second was the Old San Antonio Road, a camino real that crossed the Rio Grande at Paso de Francia (the San Antonio Crossing) and wound northeastward through San Antonio de Bexar, Bastrop, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, and across the Sabine River into Louisiana.Two forts blocked these approaches into Texas: Presidio La Bahia (Nuestra Senora de Loreto Presidio) at Goliad and the Alamo at San Antonio. Each installation function ed as a frontier picket guard, ready to alert the Texas settlements of an enemy advance. James Clinton Neill received command of the Bexar garrison. Some ninety miles to the southeast, James Walker Fannin, Jr. , subsequently took command at Goliad. Most Texan settlers had returned to the comforts of home and hearth. Consequently, newly arrived American volunteers-some of whom counted their time in Texas by the week-constituted a majority of the troops at Goliad and Bexar.Both Neill and Fannin determined to stall the Centralists on the frontier. Still, they labored under no delusions. Without speedy reinforcements, neither the Alamo nor Presidio La Bahia could long withstand a siege. At Bexar were some twenty-one artillery pieces of various caliber. Because of his artillery experience and his regular army commission, Neill was a logical choice to command. Throughout January he did his best to fortify the mission fort on the outskirts of town. Maj. Green B. Jameson, chief engineer at the Alamo, installed most of the cannons on the walls.Jameson boasted to Gen. Sam Houston that if the Centralists stormed the Alamo, the defenders could â€Å"whip 10 to 1 with our artillery. † Such predictions proved excessively optimistic. Far from the bulk of Texas settlements, the Bexar garrison suffered from a lack of even basic provender. On January 14 Neill wrote Houston that his people were in a â€Å"torpid, defenseless condition. † That day he dispatched a grim message to the provisional government: â€Å"Unless we are reinforced and victualled, we must become an easy prey to the enemy, in case of an attack. â€Å" BATTLE OF THE ALAMO ALAMO, BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, BATTLE OF THE. The siege and the final assault on the Alamo in 1836 constitute the most celebrated military engagement in Texas history. The battle was conspicuous for the large number of illustrious personalities among its combatants. These included Tennessee congressman David Crockett, entrepreneur-adventurer James Bowie, and Mexican president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Although not nationally famous at the time, William Barret Travis achieved lasting distinction as commander at the Alamo. For many Americans and most Texans, the battle has become a symbol of patriotic sacrifice.Traditional popular depictions, including novels, stage plays, and motion pictures, emphasize legendary aspects that often obscure the historical event. To understand the real battle, one must appreciate its strategic context in the Texas Revolution. In December 1835 a Federalist army of Texan (or Texian, as they were called) immigrants, American volunteers, and their Tejano all ies had captured the town from a Centralist force during the siege of Bexar. With that victory, a majority of the Texan volunteers of the â€Å"Army of the People† left service and returned to their families.Nevertheless, many officials of the provisional government feared the Centralists would mount a spring offensive. Two main roads led into Texas from the Mexican interior. The first was the Atascosito Road, which stretched from Matamoros on the Rio Grande northward through San Patricio, Goliad, Victoria, and finally into the heart of Austin's colony. The second was the Old San Antonio Road, a camino real that crossed the Rio Grande at Paso de Francia (the San Antonio Crossing) and wound northeastward through San Antonio de Bexar, Bastrop, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, and across the Sabine River into Louisiana.Two forts blocked these approaches into Texas: Presidio La Bahia (Nuestra Senora de Loreto Presidio) at Goliad and the Alamo at San Antonio. Each installation function ed as a frontier picket guard, ready to alert the Texas settlements of an enemy advance. James Clinton Neill received command of the Bexar garrison. Some ninety miles to the southeast, James Walker Fannin, Jr. , subsequently took command at Goliad. Most Texan settlers had returned to the comforts of home and hearth. Consequently, newly arrived American volunteers-some of whom counted their time in Texas by the week-constituted a majority of the troops at Goliad and Bexar.Both Neill and Fannin determined to stall the Centralists on the frontier. Still, they labored under no delusions. Without speedy reinforcements, neither the Alamo nor Presidio La Bahia could long withstand a siege. At Bexar were some twenty-one artillery pieces of various caliber. Because of his artillery experience and his regular army commission, Neill was a logical choice to command. Throughout January he did his best to fortify the mission fort on the outskirts of town. Maj. Green B. Jameson, chief engineer at the Alamo, installed most of the cannons on the walls.Jameson boasted to Gen. Sam Houston that if the Centralists stormed the Alamo, the defenders could â€Å"whip 10 to 1 with our artillery. † Such predictions proved excessively optimistic. Far from the bulk of Texas settlements, the Bexar garrison suffered from a lack of even basic provender. On January 14 Neill wrote Houston that his people were in a â€Å"torpid, defenseless condition. † That day he dispatched a grim message to the provisional government: â€Å"Unless we are reinforced and victualled, we must become an easy prey to the enemy, in case of an attack. â€Å"

The Four Primary Symptoms of Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a rare sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep at any place or time. After a 10 or 15 minute sleep attack, the person feels rested only brief period of time, then returns to an uncomfortable feeling of intense sleepiness. Many narcolepsy patients describe attempting to stay awake during the day like trying to stay awake after 3 days without sleep. Attacks may occur while driving, talking, or working. The central nervous system is involved. This disorder begins in adolescence or young adulthood and continues throughout life. Narcolepsy is a potentially disabling, life-long condition estimated to afflict about one in every one thousand people in the United States. Although it is not uncommon, narcolepsy is often misdiagnosed, or diagnosed years after symptoms first appear. The four primary symptoms of narcolepsy are excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and cataplexy. People with narcolepsy are unable to resist the temptation of falling asleep and do so regardless of the number of hours slept the previous night. The excessive daytime sleepiness experienced by people with narcolepsy has been described as being like trying to stay awake after going several days without sleep. Frequently, people with narcolepsy fall asleep at inappropriate times, for example while eating or in the middle of a conversation. These moments often frequently occur during periods of intense emotion such as surprise, laughter, anger, or excitement (even in some of the most passionate situations). Cataplexy is the sudden loss of strength in voluntary muscles triggered by these intense emotions. The cataplectic attack can range from partial muscle weakness in a few muscle joints to almost complete loss of muscle control and last for several minutes. Sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations are also extremely common among patients afflicted with narcolepsy. Although these four symptoms are considered the four key symptoms of narcolepsy, all four symptoms only occur in small portion of the patients most other patients experience some combination of the four symptoms. A. Extensive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) This is probably one of the most persistent and disabling conditions that can be experienced by someone with narcoleopsy. This feeling typically lasts the entire day and occurs on a daily basis. When a patient with narcolepsy experiences a period where they do fall sleep it is more tan likely due to a failure to resist sleep instead of a sudden attack of sleepiness. Although this strong desire to sleep is constant, recent prior sleep does seem to relieve for momentary periods of time. Other factors that appear to prevent a sleep attack are physical activity and stimulants, but it also prolongs the period of feeling sleepiness. EDS has had a rather significant negative affect on narcoleptics' job performance at school and at the workplace. Narcoleptics experience severe problems with and are typically unable to work with automobiles and dangerous equipment. Narcoleptics are more impaired than epileptic patients in terms of job performance and how prone they are to accidents. Narcoleptics lack many physical, emotional, and family supportive needs, even when compared to patients with cerebral palsy and alcoholism. Cataplexy is the condition in which the skeletal muscles experience extreme muscles. This can vary from paralysis in one limb or throughout the entire body. During an attack, the person is conscious and aware of the environment surrounding him or her and if the paralysis is only partial maybe capable of carrying on a conversation. After the attack, the patient is fully conscious and experiences no confusion. This nearly always triggered by some form of emotional stimulus. The occurrences of attacks vary from patient to patient; it can happen daily or happen only once in a patient's life. These are realistic dreamlike hallucinations that occur either from consciousness to sleep or sleep to consciousness. The hallucinations are typically visual with occasional auditory or other sensory components. It often occurs in conjunction with sleep paralysis (see below). One of the most common hallucinations is to get out of bed and moving about while simply lying in a bed and not even moving a leg. Other hallucinations are more threatening as if a possible attacker enters the room and the patient is unable to move. This is form of paralysis that is the failure to move any skeletal muscle during the period from transition of consciousness to sleep or sleep to consciousness. This occurs frequently to narcoleptic patients. These experiences are extremely traumatizing to a patient and make it difficult for the patient to breathe. The attack usually lasts about 5 minutes but can be broke either by an extreme effort by the patient or external force such as being spoken to or touched. The precise factor that causes of narcolepsy is not clearly understood. Narcolepsy seems to be a biological problem, possibly involving abnormalities of brain chemistry. Narcolepsy or a predisposition to it may run in families suggesting a genetic influence. However, the way the predisposition might be inherited remains unknown. There is no evidence for a psychological basis for the disorder. The most accepted theory is that there is something disturbing REM sleep. The impaired REM system is the theory that explains EDS as well as cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. This was based upon the similarities between cataplexy and REM sleep. In both cases, skeletal muscles experience impairment, due to motor neuron blocking. This blocking of motor neurons occurs along the spinal causing excitation of the neuron in the spinal cord.. Cataplexy occurs when this inhibition of mental neurons are blocked during consciousness. Sleep paralysis may occur when motor neuron occurs prior to actual sleep or extends beyond the waking up period. Hypnagogic hallucinations occur when shifting between REM and wakefulness, this results in the unusual hallucinations experienced during hypnagogic hallucinations. The precise neurological abnormality that causes the symptoms of narcolepsy. The symptoms of narcolepsy are usually first noticed during teenage or young adult years although it can strike at any age. Most often the initial symptom to appear is excessive daytime sleepiness. Later, after several months or even years, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, or sleep paralysis typically develop. Different individuals experience wide variations in both the developments, the number and the severity of their symptoms. Family, friends, educators, employers and even those with narcolepsy often have a hard time understanding the problem and just what is happening. There is no known cure for narcolepsy. Narcolepsy symptoms can be treated with varying degrees of success with medications and adjustments of life-style and educational. Treatment is primarily intended to cope with the symptoms of narcolepsy. Stimulants are often given to promote alertness and to cope with EDS. The two stimulants that are prescribed the most frequently are methyphenidate and pemoline. Dosage is usually scheduled to promote alertness at the most crucial times. The one difficulty is that tolerance can rapidly develop to stimulants so it is recommended that stimulants be used only when truly needed. Adapting your work schedule to provide for naps at the time most crucial times of the most intense sleepiness can help prevent some of the affects of EDS. This also reduces the need and possible dependency upon medication. Funds for research are needed to advance knowledge about narcolepsy and test the effectiveness of methods of treatment and management.

Drosophila Melanogaster

Autosomal Inheritance of Wrinkled and black Mutations in Drosophila melanogaster Abstract Homozygous Wrinkled virgin females and homozygous black male Drosophila melanogaster, were crossed. Mutations were located on chromosome two and three respectively. The F1 generation, all Wrinkled and black, was inbred yielding and F2 generation. A phenotypic ratio of 9:3:3:1 was hypothesized with wrinkled wings and wild type body: wrinkled wings and black body: wild type wings and body wing: wild type wings and black body correspondingly. A p-value

Low cost strategy

As Jet Blue manages growth, the airline must also standardize many other things it does to avoid starting from scratch every time. For example, JetBlue has developed a checklist of what has to happen whenever it enters a new market. Everyone involved has access to the list on the corporate intranet. Each department sees what has been done, what remains to be done, deadlines, problems. Currently, the checklist makes launches that occur months apart more predictable. But before too long, it'll make simultaneous launches, unthinkable early on, manageable. JetBlue adopted a strategy for effective cost control by identifying and eliminating all unnecessary expenses and concentrating on providing high quality services to its passengers. Towards this end, it adopted a number of innovative measures on the planes such as: not serving food, point-to-point flights, and quick turnarounds. It also made effective use of advertising to position itself as a fun airline. JetBlue's innovative operational model helped it succeed at a time when the major players of the airline industry were crumbling. These activities and efforts are noteworthy and also improve efficiency, which will be critical in the years ahead as JetBlue tries to offset rising costs for aging planes and more-senior employees. And low costs remain an obsession. JetBlue's reservation agents, for example, work from home rather than in an expensive call center. At the same time, Neeleman is looking to widen profit margins again. A new 100-seat regional jet fleet being added next year will tap relatively uncontested — and so more profitable — markets. One of the latest tools designed to help JetBlue as it grows is an â€Å"operational recovery system.† During any disruption — weather that grounds some flights, for example — it allows planners to select various goals before rerouting planes. No canceled flights or delays beyond three hours? The software produces a solution and calculates its cost. It factors in each plane's maintenance and fuel needs, and the flight crew's experience and availability within FAA rules. With the current fleet of 57 planes, the program is a perk. Down the road, with 100 or more planes, it will be indispensable. (for more details, see the http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine official site)

DD121 TMA03 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DD121 TMA03 - Essay Example But Darwin also stressed the role of interaction between individuals, and equally important is the effect of the dynamic interactive environment. â€Å"Our differences are also a product of our social relations, cultural processes, the kinds of environments we are born into, the environments we live in, our bodies and so on.† (Hinchcliffe, 2000) So, natural differences exist but complex and interactive processes play a very significant role. IQ tests are designed to measure intelligence and claim to be culture-free. The problem with these tests is that they are designed to â€Å"measure problem-solving skills in the abstract rather than in the world of social relations and experience† (Hinchcliffe, 2000) i.e. they do not measure social intelligence. Also, the skills required for being successful in IQ tests can be easily practiced but they are a result of education, which is a social experience. Moreover, they are not independent of culture. The criticisms apply specially to verbal tests because they are â€Å"totally dependent on Western knowledge which is only available in certain cultures.† (Hinchcliffe, 2000) This puts children who have not been exposed to the same environment at a distinct disadvantage. Studies on twins for example, who largely share their upbringing in the same socio-cultural environment show that they have similar IQ scores. Albeit a restrictive definition, a market is â€Å"a physical place where many buyers and sellers come together to trade goods and services, exchanging them usually for money.† (Hinchcliffe, 2000) But exchange can take place in many ways e.g. through a catalogue or over the Internet, and the goods exchanged are not necessarily tangible. Thus, there are two economic agents who interact in a social space; rules govern how they interact and â€Å"a sale results in the transfer of property rights† (Hinchcliffe, 2000), and markets neither