Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Computer hardware Essays - Computer Hardware, Electronics

Computer hardware Essays - Computer Hardware, Electronics Computer hardware Computer hardware (usually simply called hardware when a computing context is implicit) is the collection of physical elements that constitutes a computer system. Computer hardware is the physical parts or components of a computer, such as the monitor, mouse,keyboard, computer data storage, hard disk drive (HDD), graphic cards, sound cards, memory, motherboard, and so on, all of which are physical objects that are tangible.[1] In contrast, software is instructions that can be stored and run by hardware. Software is any set of machine-readable instructions that directs a computer's processor to perform specific operations. A combination of hardware and software forms a usable computing system. Von Neumann architecture. Von Neumann architecture scheme. The template for all modern computers is the Von Neumann architecture, detailed in a 1945 paper by Hungarian mathematician John von Neumann. This describes a design architecture for an electronic digital computer with subdivisions of a processing unit consisting of anarithmetic logic unit and processor registers, a control unit containing an instruction register and program counter, a memory to store both data and instructions, external mass storage, and input and output mechanisms.[3] The meaning of the term has evolved to mean astored-program computer in which an instruction fetch and a data operation cannot occur at the same time because they share a commonbus. This is referred to as the Von Neumann bottleneck and often limits the performance of the system.[4] Different systems. There are a number of different types of computer system in use today. Personal computer. Hardware of a modern personal computer: 1. Monitor 2.Motherboard 3.CPU 4. RAM 5.Expansion cards6. Power supply 7.Optical disc drive8. Hard disk drive9. Keyboard 10.Mouse. Inside a custom-built computer: power supply at the bottom has its own cooling fan. The personal computer, also known as the PC, is one of the most common types of computer due to its versatility and relatively low price.Laptops are generally very similar, although may use lower-power or reduced size components. Case. The computer case is a plastic or metal enclosure that houses most of the components. Those found on desktop computers are usually small enough to fit under a desk, however in recent years more compact designs have become more common place, such as the all-in-one style designs from Apple, namely the iMac. Though a case can basically be big or small, what matters more is which form factor of motherboard its designed for.[6] Laptops are computers that usually come in a clamshell form factor, again however in more recent years deviations from this form factor have started to emerge such as laptops that have a detachable screen that become tablet computers in their own right. Power supply. A power supply unit (PSU) converts alternating current (AC) electric power to low-voltage DC power for the internal components of the computer. Laptops are capable of running from a built-in battery, normally for a period of hours.[7] Mainboard. The motherboard is the main component of a computer. It is a large rectangular board with integrated circuitry that connects the other parts of the computer including the CPU, the RAM, the disk drives(CD, DVD, hard disk, or any others) as well as any peripherals connected via the ports or the expansion slots. Components directly attached to or part of the motherboard include: The CPU (Central Processing Unit) performs most of the calculations which enable a computer to function, and is sometimes referred to as the "brain" of the computer. It is usually cooled by a heat sink and fan. Most newer CPUs include an on-die Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). The Chipset, which includes the north bridge, mediates communication between the CPU and the other components of the system, including main memory. The Random-Access Memory (RAM) stores the code and data that are being actively accessed by the CPU. The Read-Only Memory (ROM) stores the BIOS that runs when the computer is powered on or otherwise begins execution, a process known as Bootstrapping, or "booting" or "booting up". The BIOS (Basic Input Output System) includes boot firmware and power management firmware. Newer motherboards use Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) instead of BIOS. Buses connect the CPU to various internal components and to expand cards for graphics and sound. The CMOS battery is also attached to the motherboard. This battery is the same as a watch battery or a battery for a

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Misplaced Modifier - Definitions and Examples

Misplaced Modifier s A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that doesnt clearly relate to the word or phrase it is intended to modify. In prescriptive grammar, misplaced modifiers are usually regarded as errors. Mark Lester and Larry Beason point out that misplaced modifiers do not make sentences ungrammatical. Misplaced modifiers are wrong because they say something the writer did not intend to say (McGraw-Hill Handbook, 2012). A misplaced modifier can usually be corrected by moving it closer to the word or phrase it should be describing. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: Practice in Avoiding Misplaced Modifiers Examples and Observations Plastic bags are a favorite of grocers because of their price, about 2 cents per bag compared to 5 cents for paper. Used widely since the 1970s, environmentalists now estimate between 500 billion to a trillion bags are produced annually worldwide.(Savannah Morning News, January 30, 2008)â€Å"An hour later a chubby man in a wrinkled suit with pasty skin walked in.†(David Baldacci, The Innocent. Grand Central Publishing, 2012)A Swiss farmer has discovered a huge trove of ancient Roman coins in his cherry orchard. . . .  Weighing around 15kg (33lb), he discovered the coins after spotting something shimmering in a molehill.(BBC News, November 19, 2015)Bank worker tried to film naked women as they lay in tanning booths on his mobile phone.(Headline in the Daily Mail [UK], September 6, 2012)For many people eating spoonfuls of Marmite every day would be their worst nightmare, but for St John Skelton it’s his dream job. . . . Despite being loathed by millions across the worl d, St John can’t get enough of the stuff and eats it almost every day.(Meet the Man Who Earns a Living Eating Marmite. The Sun [UK], April 14, 2012) Princess Beatrice, who is starting a history degree at Goldsmiths College, London, later this year, was photographed running in the surf on the island of St Barts with her American boyfriend Dave Clark dressed in a blue bikini last month.(Sarah, Duchess of York Defends Princess Beatrices Weight Against Rude Critics. The Daily Telegraph [UK], May 13, 2008)April Dawn Peters, 31, of 2194 Grandview Way, in Cosby, [was] arrested Sept. 19, at 10:30 p.m., and charged with aggravated assault after she allegedly hit a man on his head at least five times with a hammer that she was having sex with.(Newport [Tenn.] Plain Talk, September 22, 2012)And when upon your dainty breast I layMy wearied head, more soft than eiderdown.(William Nathan Stedman)They just said its going to rain on the radio.(Tiger comic strip)You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian composers, artists, and writers are buried daily, except on Thursdays.(in a guide to a Russian Orthodox monastery) Historians have been kept guessing over claims [that] Dr James Barry, Inspector General of Military Hospitals, was in fact a woman for more than 140 years.(The Daily Telegraph [UK], March 5, 2008)One of three sisters, Hilda’s father was a butcher who ran four shops in Oldham.(Tot of Sherry Keeps Hilda Going! Oldham Evening Chronicle [UK], August 20, 2010)Her only full-time paid employee is a pleasant young woman with a nose ring named Rebecca, who sits at the front desk.(reprinted in The New Yorker)She handed out brownies to children wrapped in Tupperware.(reprinted in The Revenge of Anguished English, by Richard Lederer)After being busted on drug charges in Los Angeles last month, a federal judge will decide on Friday whether to rescind his probation and send the rapper back to prison.(Rapper T.I. Talks Man off Ledge. Slate, October 14, 2010)Comedian Russell Brand revealed he did have sex with model Sophie Coady during a High Court hearing on Monday.(Russell Brand Confesses i n Court . . .. The Daily Mail [UK], December 24, 2013) Safires Bloopie Awards Never has the competition for the Most Egregiously Misplaced Modifier Bloopie been hotter. Among the candidates:Lands End, the Direct Merchants, on their bathing attire: We can fit you in a swimsuit that fits and flattersright over the phone! The swimsuit flatters over the phone? . . . Better to swing the end of the sentence to the front, where the pronoun to be modified can be found: Right over the phone, we can fit you etc.And heres a juicy one from Minute Maid: Help todays U.S. Olympic Hopefuls become tomorrows Olympic Champions by purchasing Minute Maid Quality Products. Athletes do not become tomorrows champs by purchasing anything; swing the end around to the beginning and attach it to a you: By purchasing . . . you can help etc.The winner in this category? The envelope, please: Its Honda Motor Cars, with its wildly swerving claim, While pleasing to your eye, the air passing over and around the body hardly notices it. Air is not pleasing to your eye; the cars body should come i mmediately after the modifying phrase. Thus: While pleasing to your eye, the body is hardly noticed by the air passing over and around it. That formulation would not make a whole lot of sense, either, but at least the modifier would be attached to the right noun.(William Safire, On Language: The Bloopie Awards. The New York Times, May 17, 1992) Slippery Modifiers Certain modifiers are slippery; they slide into the wrong position in the sentence. The most dangerous are only, almost, already, even, just, nearly, merely, and always. No: They almost worked five years on that system. Yes: They worked almost five years on that system. In general, these slippery descriptors should appear just before the terms they modify. (E. H. Weiss, 100 Writing Remedies. Greenwood, 1990) James Thurber on the Placement ofOnly Where to use only in a sentence is a moot question, one of the mootest questions in all rhetoric. The purist will say that the expression: He only died last week is incorrect, and that it should be: He died only last week. The purists contention is that the first sentence, if carried out to a natural conclusion, would give us something like this: He only died last week, he didnt do anything else, thats all he did. It isnt a natural conclusion, however, because nobody would say that and if anybody did it would be likely to lead to stomping of feet and clapping of hands, because it is one of those singy-songy expressions which set a certain type of person to acting rowdy and becoming unmanageable. It is better just to let the expression go, either one way or the other, because, after all, this particular sentence is of no importance except in cases where one is breaking the news to a mother. In such cases one should begin with: Mrs. Gormley, your son has had an accident, or: Mrs. Gorml ey, your son is not so good, and then lead up gently to: He died only last week.The best way is often to omit only and use some other expression. Thus, instead of saying: He only died last week, one could say: It was no longer ago than last Thursday that George L. Wodolgoffing became an angel. Moreover, this is more explicit and eliminates the possibility of a misunderstanding as to who died.(James Thurber, Our Own Modern English Usage: Only and One. The New Yorker, February 23, 1929. Reprinted in The Owl in the Attic and Other Perplexities. Harper Brothers, 1931) Pronunciation: MIS-plast MOD-i-FI-er

Thursday, November 21, 2019

WSJ3 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

WSJ3 - Article Example Himsagar variety on the other hand has a sweetened aroma and comes from West Bengal. This variety ripens in June and it is not fibrous at all thus very delicious. Kesar variety is yellow in color and it has a tinge of green on the outside. It commonly come from Gujarat and is relatively cheaper than the Alphonso. Rajyasree describes Alphonso as the most beautiful mangoes he has ever seen. The variety comes from Ratangiri, Maharashtra and they have a huge market both locally and internationally. Alphonso mangoes are very delicious though they are highly expensive. The final variety that the article discusses is the Banganapalli type. It usually come fromTamil Nadu, and it was first introduced by the royal family of Banganapalli in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. Banganapalli mangoes are also very sweet and relatively cheaper compared to Alphonso (Rajyasree para1-9). However, apart from the varieties mentioned by the article, there exist other numerous varieties that are even popular than the above-mentioned. It appears as if Rajyasree covered mango varieties that are only common in India and ignored global varieties like Akbar, Apple, Betti Amba, Beverly, Banana and Batawi. The future of mango fruits is brilliant since there are various researches that are under way in various agricultural research centers in order to ensure that better mango varieties are introduced in the market that are more resistant to diseases, more delicious and varieties that can take a shorter time to mature. Rajyasree Sen. "Top Five Mango Must-Haves - India Real Time - WSJ." eFinancial Careers | Job News & Advice. N.p.,  2014. Web. 16  June  2014.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Week 4 Assignment 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 4 Assignment 5 - Essay Example The student should be motivated to use self-statements to control anger. The statements can be like â€Å"I can manage this situation†, â€Å"I will count to ten† etc. Multicultural infusion- In this lesson plan knowledge about the varied culture and background people’s knowledge will be imparted so that the student can mingle and adapt to a wide group, thus accepting the individual differences. The student is able to feel calmness in mind by learning to play music and appreciating art by either directly getting involved in it or just by looking at it. The student when gets anger is able to vent out his anger by sketching. The student will show the ability to laugh by poking fun at a situation (by not harming others sentiments) or is able to cool down his anger by telling a joke. Laughter is one of the best medicines for controlling anger. The student is able to discuss his problems with his family; teacher and friends regarding his cause of anger as sharing problems and feelings makes oneself feel better and at peace with mind. Solutions are also expected by sharing of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Commentaries on Catullus Poetry (Poems 72 & 42) Essay Example for Free

Commentaries on Catullus Poetry (Poems 72 42) Essay There is great nuance and sensitivity in poem 72. We are told very early in the poem that it is addressed to Lesbia, Catullus love to whom a moderate number of poems in the collection are addressed (or concern). Earlier Lesbia poems had shown Catullus simple and insatiable love for my girl1 in very romantic language: for example, the lines describing the number of times he wished that they could kiss, in poem 5, which caused Aurelius and Furius to describe Catullus as a sissy poet2. However, in poem 70 we begin to see Catullus feelings for Lesbia turn sour as he tells us that a womans words to her lover are as trustworthy as those written on wind or water after presumably disbelieving her when she told him that there was no one she would rather marry than him, not even if asked by Jove himself3. If we assume that Lesbia was Clodia Metelli, we know that she was already married, so if her words are not suggesting that she has become available, she must be describing an unfulfillable wish and it is perhaps the fact that she says these words but is unable to act on her marriage vow which causes Catullus to be so untrusting4. Compared to the outbursts of joy and fury in the poems of what has been described as the first book, poem 72 is much cooler and more analytical5: Catullus here seems to be writing from his head rather than this heart. He uses, in the poem, two striking, and contrasting, similes to try to understand his love for Lesbia. He loved her (note the past tense) as a common might love his girlfriend (72.3), but in addition to that he loved her also as a father might his sons and sons-in-law (72.4). This is touching because it obviously implies that the latter relationship might be closer, with more of a connection, than the former, and, most importantly, that Lesbia was as dear to him as a son would have been, his own flesh and blood. Wray finds this comparison interesting because it is evidence against the long-standing assumption that Roman paternity was a tyrannical and grimly loveless exercise [of parental power]6 However, from here on in, the tone of love and affection darkens to one of cynicism. Now that he knows Lesbia he is has less affection for the woman. Catullus uses the language of obligation and Lesbia, as he sees it, has wronged him7. The poem ends with the enigmatic but powerful statement that, because of the hurt she has caused him, Catullus loves Lesbia more, but likes her less. At first, this may seem like nonsense and a contradiction in terms. However, when Catullus uses the verb amare (to love) he is describing his attraction to her, a kind of lust or natural allure, something that he seemingly has no control over. As much, then, as he does not like Lesbia for what she has put him through (i.e. her adultery), his love for her remains from the simpler time when he wished to kiss you just so many kisses (7.9) Poem 85 is where Catullus perhaps expresses the ambiguity and seeming contradiction inherent in his feelings best: I hate and I love. Perhaps youre asking why I do that? I dont know, but I feel it happening, and am racked. We can again see here clearly that Catullus is less a master than a subject8 of his emotions. The fact that he paints himself as being so emotionally powerless gives such poems as these a tragic quality; it also, arguably, helps to make Catullus such a universal poet who can still touch people through the ages. Poem 73 also carries some of the injustice that Catullus had expressed in 72: the attack on a friend who is probably Rufus (though we do not realise that the poem is addressed to him until it becomes evident later in the collection) is because he has returned honest kindness with no more than ingratitude. We now realise why the lampoons on Rufus alternated with Lesbia-poems at 69-72.9 This whole section of Catullus collection is a study of betrayal and adverse emotions. In the very first line of poem 72, Catullus talks about himself in the third-person, and this seems to be a literary device which emphasises the fact that he is not in control: it is Lesbia (and her actions) who is the subject of the poem. By declaring that his passion is more intense (72.5) Catullus leads us to think that he is about to, also, tell us how much he therefore loves Lesbia. However, by introducing the dichotomy in the last line between his love and dislike for Lesbia, our expectations are finally overthrown, which makes the contrast seem to be huge. It is by means of literary effects such as these that Catullus manages to express the almost inexpressible nuance of his emotion. This poem, ultimately, is most successful when read as part of the collection, as one can then draw links between the subtle issues in the Lesbia poems and see the complex web of emotions that Catullus paints for us. The development from a romantic, devoting relationship between Lesbia and Catullus to the trauma of that relationship breaking down is fascinating, and may reflect the emotions of millions of people alive today in similar situations. Poem XLII This poem is perhaps most interesting because it in itself can be seen as an imitation of the Roman practice of flagitatio10, which was a form of popular justice involving a crowd surrounding the man suspected of wrongdoing (or his house) whilst shouting roughly rhythmical phrases in unflattering language, demanding redress11. This was a very effective tactic because in a small community fear of defamation was strong; though it did, of course, rely on having friends willing to engage in the practice in order for what was seen as justice to be done. In this case, Catullus tells us that the crime was the theft of a notebook and the subsequent refusal to return it12. We can only speculate about the girl who stole them (though it has been inferred from the fact that she is described as an adulteress13 that she may well be Lesbia) and we also have just as little knowledge about what Catullus stolen notebook may have contained (and why it seems to be so precious to him): we may guess that it contained poetry, but that is no more than a guess. If that were true, the first two lines would contain a sweet irony: Catullus deploys poetry himself, hendecasyllables, as his flagitatio mob. He orders the hendecasyllables to come from everywhere (42.2), to metaphorically surround her. The image is an intimidating one: the lines of poetry have become men enclosing in on the suspect, shouting about her crime. When Catullus demands, Dirty adulteress, give back the notebook. Give back the notebook, dirty adulteress (42.11-12), he is using a technique common to flagitatio: the reversal of word order belonged to a very old popular custom as a means of intensifying the demand14. Catullus readership, we can surely assume, would have been aware of such devices and would at once have understood what Catullus was doing. Between the demands for the notebook, there is much invective and abuse hurled at the girl. Catullus tells us that she has an ugly gait, a face like a Gallican puppys (42.9) and is a filthy trollop (42.13) and a brazen bitch-face (42.17). Newman describes this as a fine example of carnival caricature included for primarily humorous effect15. However, it is not hard to see how these lines could be intended to have a hurtful effect, too, shaming the thief into repentance. Catullus is also all too aware of his social superiority10 and may simply be arrogantly showing his self-importance by making such a fuss over the loss of his notebook. This idea can be seen in, for example, poem 84, in which Catullus mocks Arrius incorrect use of aspirates which is surely caused by the politicians less privileged upbringing: Catullus attack, in this case as could be argued is the case in poem 42, is really then a display of his own aristocratic superiority. There is also a general link with poems such as 46, in which Catullus advertises his social status by documenting his travels with a sense of entitlement to faraway Roman lands. Perhaps the most pleasing feature of this poem is its conclusion. After all the fortissimo shouting, invective and carmina (chanting typical of flagitatio16), Catullus decides that he needs to change tone and tactics (42.22). He thus, seemingly sarcastically, ends the poem by asking for the notebook not by calling her a dirty adulteress but a virtuous lady (42.24), as we see that his invective has, somewhat comically, failed in its objective. On the other hand, the last line could more literally be interpreted as an acknowledgement of the flaws of this kind of public system of obtaining restitution. It does not seem unlikely that the girl would have responded more positively to flattery than flagitatio: Catullus could thus be making a wider point about the role of invective in society. The poem, in the collection, sits between invective poems on either side of it, with the previous three poems containing invective, some quite rude and obscene: in poem 43, for example, Mamurras mistress is described as being ugly from head to toe and, in poem 41, Ameana is called the female fuck-up. Perhaps, then, poem 42 is in the perfect location to show Catullus invective being tempered: it is in that poem that he shows that such anger does not always produce the desired effects. In poems 41 and 43, however, we are not shown any consequences of Catullus airing his opinions. We are simply told, in each, that there is an ugly girl in whom he is not interested: there is not intended to be the nuance and comedy value that poem 42 contains. To conclude, Catullus adopting the form of flagitatio for this poem underscores the poets association with the traditional purposes and values inherent in Roman invective17; not only does he derive authority from the tradition of the technique, but it also allows him to attack her harshly and eloquently. However, ultimately, he couldnt force a blush from, in Catullus words, the brazen bitch-face. We, therefore, see the limitations of invective: perhaps Catullus is admitting to us that we should see it as little more than entertainment. More importantly, though, the twist at the end of the poem is of stylistic and comedic value and can, perhaps, be said to show Catullus eloquence. Moreover, the fact that he feels no qualms at using such openly offensive language can be attributed to the fact that Romans would surely have sympathised with his demands for justice in face of a thief and may, also, be a reflection of his superior social status (not to mention the lower regard with which women were held generally) and consequent security in his right to show his anger in whatever way that he pleased. Ultimately, the poem makes character assassination into an appealing and technically adept art. Bibliography Dyson, J.T. (2007). The Lesbia Poems, in M.B. Skinner (ed.), A Companion to Catullus (Oxford) 254-275. Fitzgerald, W. (1999). Catullan Provocations: Lyric Poetry and the Drama of Position. London. Fraenkel, E. (1961). Catullus XLII, in J.H. Gaisser (ed.), Oxford Readings in Classical Studies: Catullus (Oxford) 356-368. Newman, J.K. (1990). Roman Catullus. Bodenheim. Selden, D.L. (1992). Catullus and the Rhetoric of Performance, in J.H. Gaisser (ed.), Oxford Readings in Classical Studies: Catullus (Oxford) 490-559. Tatum, W.J. (2007). Social Commentary and Political Invective, in M.B. Skinner, A Companion to Catullus (Oxford) 333-354. Wiseman, T.P. (1985). Catullus and his World: A Reappraisal. Cambridge. Wray, D. (2001). Catullus and the Poetics of Roman Manhood. Cambridge. 1 Catullus 2.1. 2 cf. Catullus 16. 3 Catullus 70.2. 4 Dyson (2007) 269. 5 Wiseman (1985) 166. 6 Wray (2001) 112. 7 Fitzgerald (1999) 117. 8 Selden (1992) 541. 9 Wiseman (1985) 167. 10 Fitzgerald (1999) 62. 11 Fraenkel (1961) 364. 12 Catullus 42.4 (refuses to give me our notebook back). 13 Catullus 42.12 14 Fraenkel (1961) 363. 15 Newman (1990) 192. 16 Fraenkel (1961) 364. 17 Tatum (2007) 337.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Tupac Shakur Biography Essay -- essays research papers

Tupac Shakur 1971-1996 Born: June 16, 1971 in New York, New York, United States Died: September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Ethnicity: African American Occupation: Rap Musician, Musician, Actor "Don't shed a tear for me ... / I ain't happy here / I hope they bury me and send me to my rest / Headlines readin' murdered to death."--from "If I Die Tonight" on Me against the World (1995) BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY With his tattoo-splattered physique, piercing deep-set eyes, and shaved head, Tupac Amaru Shakur came across as middle America's worst nightmare, the darkest strain of hip-hop. To fans, Shakur was only "thuggin' against society, thuggin' against the system that made me," as he once rapped. Like some other rappers, Shakur was criticized for his sexist lyrics He celebrated his mother, Afeni, but was equally capable of debasing women in his music. The contradictions hardly ended there. In his last video, "I Ain't Mad at Cha," Shakur--newly arrived in Heaven--saluted an old friend for quitting the "thug life." In "Only God Can Judge Me," Shakur foresaw death bearing down on him, yet seemed unable to tolerate his rival, The Notorious B.I.G. and B.I.G.'s mentor, Sean "Puffy" Combs. Shakur's "Hit 'Em Up," the last single issued during his twenty-five-year lifetime, set new highs of profane rage against B.I.G., who was later gunned down after Shakur's own untimely death. Yet millions of fans found something meaningful in Shakur's troubled life and lyrics, like a thirty-two-year-old Detroit accountant buying her first Shakur album. "I've never supported that kind of music," she told the Detroit News, "but there was something so tragic about the way he died ... It's almost like I'm looking for answers." Politician Jesse Jackson also tried to explain Shakur's downfall and apparent appeal, telling the Los Angeles Times: "Sometimes the lure of violent culture is so magnetic that even when one overcomes it with material success, it continues to call." Acting bug bit early From his June 16, 1971, birth in New York City, Shakur's life read much like an epic melodrama. His mother, Afeni, and father, Billy Garland, belonged to the Black Panthers, a militant group dedicated to achieving racial equality. Just two years earlier, in 1969, Afeni and then... ...'s murder, "just a sad, ugly feeling, very creepy, very hollow," he said. "No art, no life, just ashes." Larger-than-life Vibe chief executive Kevin Clinkscales, however, advised fans against anymore "rumor-mongering," which he found disrespectful to Shakur's family. "These are not comic-book heroes," he told USA Today. "These are real people." That said, however, most agree that Tupac Shakur has won the larger-than-life immortality he craved so much. The sightings and resurrection theories place him in a select club that includes the late Kurt Cobain, Doors singer-poet Jim Morrison, and Elvis Presley. On that score, fans need not fear, as poet Nikki Giovanni acknowledged in her own tribute, "All Eyez on You": "don't tell me he got what he deserved he deserved a chariot and / the accolades of a grateful people / he deserved his life." Nor did Giovanni stop there, getting her own "Thug Life" tattoo to honor Shakur's memory, telling the Chicago Tribune: "Young black men are in a holocaustic situation." So long as that persists, fans insist, Tupac Shakur's musical legacy will be hard to deny.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Representation of Women in Horror Essay

Since the inventions of television and film, media influences have become extremely important in modern society with people constantly being inundated by images and messages that come from film, television, magazines, internet and advertising. Researchers and theorists such as Carol J. Clover and Jean Kilborne believe that the fact that people are going to be affected by the media is absolutely unavoidable. Films can act as guides to how people, particularly women, should act and look. Women in horror are typically shown as the ‘damsel in distress’ and are usually attacked by the killer after committing a sinful act like having sex or misusing drugs or alcohol. The females are usually very attractive, slim and quite often blonde. These characteristics are usually reinforced by seductive body language, heavy make-up and vulnerability giving the message that women are unable to take care of themselves and have to look a certain way to fit into society. Many directors have tried to change the messages in horror films my introducing the ‘Final Girl’ where it is a female who is a virgin and does not do drugs or consume alcohol that fights back and becomes the ‘hero’ rather than a male, giving the unrealistic message that if people don’t do wrong, nothing bad will ever happen to them but horror films are notorious for presenting women in a particular way, often making them victims of sexualisation. The representation of women not only influences the way that females think they have to be or the way males think that women should be but they also have a great impact on the values in society. Sexualisation in the representation of women is predominantly obvious in horror films, specifically Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Rosemary’s Baby, directed by Roman Polanski and Scream, directed by Wes Craven. All three movies display sexualisation using gender stereotyping, victimisation and the male gaze. Scream is known to be extremely unrealistic, being on a more imaginary level rather than a realistic one and is full of violence and sexuality while reinforcing the cultural and social values at the time of its release in 1996. It focuses on the issues of power, danger, sex and anger in females of the 1990s. It is important for adults to understand these issues in teenage girl’s lives although the ways they are presented in Scream make them seem far more disturbing than they actually are. Just like popular culture, Scream has used ideas influenced by other films but in attempt to capture and address different audiences, the messages are presented in different ways. The plot of the original Scream movie is similar to many modern day teenage films, set in American suburbia with white, affluent homes and a quiet community, which is ‘preyed on’ by a masked serial killer. The film begins with the stalking a brutal killing of a blonde teenage girl who is home alone and, ironically, about to watch a horror movie. After her murder, the focus moves to Sidney, who becomes the next target. A year prior, Sidney’s mother was found raped and murdered and on this particular weekend Sidney is home alone, as her father has gone away on business. As a result of her grief for her mother’s death, she constantly resists the recurring pressure for sex from her boyfriend who she has been dating for two years. In the meantime, news reporter Gale Weathers obsesses over the story of the recent murders. The subsequent events lead to a party during which Sidney decides to have sex with her boyfriend, Billy as the murderer gets most of the boys out of the house by calling to say that their principal has been killed and is hanging from a goal post at the school. Following the gruesome battle, an injured and bloody Sidney realises that Billy and his friend Stu have been working hand-in-hand as the killer, ‘Ghost Face†. Billy claims that his motive for killing her mother was that her mother was sleeping with his father and consequently, his mother left them. With assistance from Gale and Randy, Sydney kills Billy. Scream’s most dominant issues that are raised are common issues in the lives of teenage girls; sexuality and virginity, femininity and its connection to power and identity as it is shaped and influenced by the media, experiences and relationships, particularly a girl’s relationship with her mother and in this case, the death of her mother. Director Wes Craven confronts all of these issues and solves them in powerful ways which encourage girls to defend themselves by being assertive and finding their identity in their own  way and in their own time. Scream’s main focuses are sexuality and virginity and how they have an impact on anxiety in young women and have an effect on the reputation on the girl –â€Å"your mother was a slut bag,† Sidney is told.