A Tale of Two Cities Essay Example

A Tale of Two Cities Paper John Fitzgerald Kennedy said that The courage of life is often less dramatic than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy. This quote can be interpreted to mean that when it all comes down to the end, courage might seem more significant than the courage of normal everyday life, but really they are both as significant as each other. I do agree with this quote because all forms of courage deserve the same recognition as each other. One work of literature that I feel support this quote are A Tale of Two Cities, a novel by Charles Dickens this work is a prime examples of literature that support this quote. Through the use of characterization Charles Dickens proves this quote. The character Sydney Carton is a man who appears to be not much. He is always drunk and unkept in his appearance. His character appears to be useless to any of the other characters in the story, but he really turns out to be one of the main essential characters in the novel. When Charles Darnay stands trial for being accused of being a spy who is giving English information to the French, Sydney saves Darnay by showing how much they both look alike and thereby making all other evidence admitted obsolete. This is a small everyday act of courage that Sydney commits and shows that he really is a good natured and smart person. When Darnay is held captive and sentenced to die at the guillotine, Sydney commits the greatest act of courage. He decides to save Darnay by trading places with him. He is able to carry out this plan because of how closely he resembles Darnay. We will write a custom essay sample on A Tale of Two Cities specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on A Tale of Two Cities specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on A Tale of Two Cities specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Darnay does this because he has a great love for Darnay and his family, especially for Lucie Manette, Darnays wife. This act of courage though, unfortunately costs Sydney his life. Even so, he dies with grace and dignity because he realizes what a great sacrifice he is making for others. Another was that Charles Dickens proves this quote is through the theme that love has the power to comfort, heal, and redeem. Lucie Manette is the character who emulates this theme the most in the novel. She is a constant reminder that love can heal and rejuvenate. When she meets her father, Doctor Manette, she immediately tries to care for him and become close to him again. Her father soon becomes well again and does not yearn so much for his shoe makers bench, which used to give him comfort while he was imprisoned. She gives her father the courage to be recalled to life. Also she is seen as the golden thread that weaves everyone together, giving everyone courage to live through their triumphs and tragedies. Lucie not only rejuvenates her father but also shows Sydney Carton the road to a better life. After meeting with Lucie, Sydney becomes a changed man who is no longer the drunken fool that everyone thinks he is. He actually starts to care about his life and all the people that he shares it with. John Fitzgerald Kennedy said that the courage people exhibit in normal everyday life is often considered to be less significant than acts of courage that are done in the heat of the moment, but actually have the same significance. A Tale of Two Cities, a novel by Charles Dickens agrees with this quote through the use of characterization and theme. This novel has a wonderful variety of characters that make this quote a truthful statement.

Lotteries essays

Lotteries essays Lotteries Do lotteries hurt the poor? Is It hurting us Americans? Should we band the lotteries that are legalized in many states? Well, I sure do think so, but there was a time when I didnt think the lottery could be harmful to anyone. After doing some research I found that the state-run lottery can be harmful to us Americans. Who plays the lottery? The Rich? Hardly ever. They have no desire to play such games. It is the poor, the poor are the ones who play the lottery as a means to get lucky, strike it rich, and make an easy buck (Sanchez). Any get-rich-quick scheme is developed to entrap the weak and especially the poor, after all buying lottery is almost irresistible enticement to people who want to meet the needs and desire of their families but find that they cannot (Burkett). Lower-income households spend a larger percentage of their income on lotteries than families with more wealth (Sanchez). There was a toll taken in Virginia in 1997 that showed that 80% of people that made under 15k a year played the lottery, 30% of people that made 15-20k a year played the lottery, 20% of people that made 25-50k a year played the lottery, and 5% of people that made over 50k a year played the lottery (Clotfelter). Why is it that so many poor people are playing the lottery? Is it because the state uses slogans to mislead the poor? Gloria Jimenez essay Against the odds, and Against the common Good (Jimenez110) is an essay that opened my eyes to how gambling can hurt us Americans, it is about how state-run lotteries are so common in many states and how many states urge people to gamble when she believes that they should not. Jimenez believes that many states use slogans to mislead people, like the slogan used in Maryland Play Today. Cash Tomorrow (110) which falsely suggests to have money tomorrow, you have to buy a lottery ticket today. Jimenez also believes t...

USA Patriot Act 2001 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

USA Patriot Act 2001 - Research Paper Example Jim Sensenbrenner brought H.R. 3162 to the floor. The bill was passed on October 24, 2001 with the overwhelming support of both the Democrat and Republican parties. The nation's security enforcers such as the FBI and CIA seemed to be powerless to stop such a strong opponent from attacking America because, as then senator Joe Biden explained it (â€Å"The USA PATRIOT Act: Preserving Life and Liberty â€Å", n.d.): â€Å"Many of the tools the Act provides to law enforcement to fight terrorism have been used for decades to fight organized crime and drug dealers, and have been reviewed and approved by the courts. As Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) explained during the floor debate about the Act, "the FBI could get a wiretap to investigate the mafia, but they could not get one to investigate terrorists. To put it bluntly, that was crazy! What's good for the mob should be good for terrorists." (Cong. Rec., 10/25/01)† At the time that the bill was passed into law, everything that it contained in terms of investigating and going after terrorists on American soil seemed to make sense. The country finally had a law that would force the law enforcement agencies to work as a team rather than independently of each other in an effort to bring terrorist activities to the front lines (Fritscher, 2007). It gave them a legal method through which they could investigate and surveille suspected terrorists. It was actually because of the difficulties that the various government agencies experienced in investigating possible terrorist acts that this law came into being. By allowing the law to give our law enforcement officials the power and tools with which to conduct their investigations pertaining to perceived terrorist threats within the country, our lawmakers have made the country a safer p lace for all concerned to live in (Mathewson, 2009). Under the law, the legal barriers that existed previously which prevented the government agencies from sharing intelligence with one another was removed. Thus allowing for a more collective effort in the fight against terrorist. This was because they now had the ability to see the over all picture of a terrorist plot using bits and pieces of collated information from various sources. To quote Sen. John Edwards (â€Å"The USA PATRIOT Act: Preserving Life and Liberty â€Å", n.d.) : "we simply cannot prevail in the battle against terrorism if the right hand of our government has no idea what the left hand is doing". The U.S.A. Patriot Act of 2001 has the country's best interests at heart. However, there are sectors of society that view the law as one that was haphazardly put together due to the jittery nerves that existed at the time. The law was passed with little to no debate in both legislative houses, and the more than three h undred and forty page document was passed with majority of congress never even having read a single page. All because of a perceived enemy that was little understood in the annals of American history (Point, n.d.). The problem with the law, is that it inadvertently approved investigatory tools that used to be denied by congress on the basis of domestic privacy issues (Point, n.d.). While our constitution guarantees certain rights to privacy in Constitutional Amendments four to eight, the Patriot Act repeals such privacy assurances for its citizens in the name of national security. Instead, the act opens up the citizens of the land to various possible abuses in authority that did not exist before the passing of the US Patriot Act of 200

Intercompany Profits Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intercompany Profits - Case Study Example There are factors that the company considers in deriving the method to use, such as ownership and influence. In this case, the analysis of the subsidiaries is included in the consolidated financial statements. The principles of accounting state that the intercompany inventory transfers, such as a transfer between Verizon Wireless and Wireline, must eliminate all the revenues and expenses recorded by the involved parties in the preparation of the consolidated income statement. The profits or losses that are accrued in the transfer of inventory are deferred, to the point where the inventory is sold to a non-affiliate (Christensen, Cottrell, & Baker, 2013). The intercompany profits that are realized by Verizon and its subsidiaries are considered as a single entity to ensure that the only historical cost of the inventory is included in the business’s balance sheet. As such, the profits that may be realized by the parent company (Verizon) are eliminated until when the goods are sold to a non-affiliate. In preparation of the consolidated financial report, the gross profit that is realized by Verizon is only when the inventory has been sold to a non-subsidiary since the intercompany profit s are eliminated. Arguments are that, in the inventory inter-transfer, regardless of the price at which the exchange has taken place, no actual profits have been realized, from the consolidated perspective, but the profit is realized upon reselling of inventory to non-affiliates (Christensen et al., 2013). Verizon eliminates all the intercompany profits, as it no longer applies the provisions and regulatory accounting provided by the FASB 71 (1994). Harley-Davidson is registered as the parent company to two businesses. The Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) deals with motorcycles and related products while the Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) provides financially related services to other clients. In Harley-Davidson’s consolidated statements, the  entities are sourced from both company subsidiaries and other owned entities by the company.

Samsung Mobile Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Samsung Mobile Company - Essay Example Therefore an information audit is vital in determining whether a company is utilizing its information resources adequately to enable it to compete favorably within the business environment. As a result it is evident that an information audit has a major contribution to a company’s information systems strategy. This paper gives a critical analysis of the contribution of information audit to the information systems strategy with special reference to the Samsung Mobile Company which is the case study in this discussion. In addition, the application of competitive intelligence in strategic information system analysis is discussed in this paper with examples of Samsung Mobile Company’s Critical Success Factors being used to discuss how information audit contributes to a company’s information systems strategy. Bateman (1997, p. 167) asserts that it is through an information audit that a company is able to identify all the information resources available to it. Samsung Mobile Company has vast information resources both within and outside the organization. These resources include human expertise. Information can also be obtained through research on specific aspects of business operation such as marketing and training. Identification of the information resources of the company is crucial to enable the management come up with strategic information system strategies. ... These strategies include the development of various computer applications which are to be used in effective management of the company’s resources as a way of facilitating the achievement of objectives. According to Chen et al. ( 2010, p. 233), the production and marketing functions of a company perform optimally when information systems are used to facilitate the production process of a company in addition to the promotion of its brands. This is essential in making a company have a competitive advantage over other businesses dealing in the same line of products. Through an information audit, Samsung Mobile Company will be able to have strategic plans for the application of technology in promotion of its mobile products to have a competitive advantage over its competitors such as Nokia and Sony Erickson. As explained by Dubois (1995, p. 20), an information audit is essential for all organization because it enables them to identify and determine their information needs. Informat ion is very essential in any production company because it acts as the most important resource for the successful achievement of goals and objectives. Samsung Mobile Company should do an information audit to enable its management to make strategic plans on the information technology which is needed to enable the company meet its information needs. For example the company needs information about the political, economic, social and technological environment which will allow it to compete favorably with other mobile manufacturers. However Akhavan, Jafari and Fathian (2006, p. 97) point out that identification of the information needs during an information audit should focus on the information which

The History Use Of Prosthetics Health And Social Care Essay

The History Use Of Prosthetics Health And Social Care Essay The term Prosthesis can be defined as an artificial replica that replaces human damaged or lost body part. In the field of arthroplasty or joint replacement surgery, prosthesis is defined as an artificial joint that replaces the arthritis affected or damaged human articulation (i.e., bone joint). The primary objective of the arthroplasty is to relief patients from arthritis pain in addition with restoring joint functions. Though in most of the cases the reason behind the arthroplasty is the arthritis pain, its not only the reason. Human articulations can be damaged by severe impacts or unusual stresses. Prostheses are usually made for human main joints such as hip, knee, elbow, shoulder, wrist etc. Long term results of the arthroplasty depend to a great extent on the quality of prosthesis implantation. The application of the robotics technology in the field of arthroplasty reduces the inaccuracy that occurred in conventional joint replacement surgery such as misalignment, rotation er ror, resection etc. On the other hand, in the field of biomechatronics (i.e., the science of fusing artificially intelligent devices with the human body), prosthesis is defined as an artificial substitute for a missing body part. Human limb amputation can causes due to trauma, tumor, congenital, disease, etc. According to biomechatronics, prostheses are considered as those which replace human lost arms and legs. The development of the biomechatronics provides useful technology for the robotic prosthesis. Robotic prosthesis act as an extended body part of the amputees by using which amputees can be able to perform his/her daily life activities and take care of them by using their own body functions. As a result, robotic prostheses provide an independent life and more productive role of these people in the society. In addition with the prostheses mentioned above, artificial eyes, teeth, artery, and heart valves are also correctly termed as prostheses. TRANSHUMERAL PROSTHESIS FOR ABOVE-ELBOW AMPUTEES Transhumeral Prosthesis can be defined as a prosthesis that is designed for the people who have lost their arm just above the elbow joint (i.e., above-elbow amputees). Human arm amputation can caused due to congenital (birth defect), tumor, trauma, disease, etc. circulatory disease, cancer and infections are considered as the major categories of disease which may require surgical removal of human arm. Moreover, the civil wars and more specifically wars in Sri Lanka, Iraq and Afghanistan producing an unprecedented number of amputees. Although nothing can ever become a perfect substitute for a missing arm, the intension of the transhumeral prosthesis is to compensate for the lost functions of the above-elbow (AE) amputees absent arm, so that they can lead an independent life and play more productive role in the society. HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF THE PROSTHETIC ARM Prostheses have been found around for thousands of years, however real advancement and fabrication of the prostheses have started about 500 years ago [01]. According to the medical museum exhibited at the University of Iowa titled History of Prostheses, earliest prostheses were used by soldiers dating back to 484 B.C. Hegesistratus; a Persian soldier around 490 B.C. cut off part of his own feet in order to escape from the prison and later replaced it with a wooden foot [02]. In 61 A.D., Pliny the Elder wrote about the Roman General Marcus Sergius who had lost his right arm during the Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.). Later he had replaced that by an iron arm to support his shield and he returned to battle [03]. During the middle ages, 15th and 16th centuries cosmetic prostheses were usually made from iron. At that period, blacksmiths and armor makers designed the prostheses for the soldiers after modeling their suits of armor. In the 16th century, the great French arm surgeon Ambrose Pare, designed several limb prostheses in addition with practicing surgical amputation. In 1818, Peter Baliff appears to have been the first person to introduce the use of the trunk and shoulder girdle muscles as sources of power to move the prosthetic arm. In 1844, the first transhumeral amputation replacement used Baliffs principle to apply flexion for the elbow joint [03]. The prosthetic arm using this concept is termed as Mechanical or Body Powered prosthetic arm and still extremely famous among the amputees society. By 1860, the Crimean and Italian campaigns of the French Empire left many soldiers in need of prostheses, and their call was answered by the Comte de Beaufort [01] [03]. The Comte de Beaufort designed several limb prostheses using the articles of clothing, pulleys and levers. After the World War I and II, a tremendous loss of manpower in USA and Europe served as a catalyst for the rapid development of the prosthetic arm. In 1948, N. Wiener proposed the concept of Cy bernetics i.e., the study of control and communication between the human and the machine [04], which plays an important role later for the development of the prosthetic arm. In 1949, Samuel Anderson created the first electrically powered prosthetic arm using the external power with support from the US Govt. and IBM. The first myoelectric arm was developed by Russians in 1958 and later on Otto Bock Company revealed the commercially available prosthetic arm for general application which was the first made versions of the Russian design [03]. CLASSIFICATION OF THE PROSTHETIC ARM Prosthetic arms can be grouped into three general categories: 1) Non-functional or Cosmetic Prosthetic Arm As the name implies functioning of these prostheses has less priority than the appearance, weight, wearing comfort and easy handling. These are the oldest and available for 2000 years. Though cosmetic prostheses offer a more natural look and feel, they sacrifice functionality and versatility while also being relatively expensive [05]. 2) Mechanical or Body Powered Prosthetic Arm The power to operate these prostheses comes from the users own body. In this system, the user wears a harness that translates the shoulder motion into elbow flexion motion and action of gravity force generates the elbow extension motion. The earliest model of this prosthetic arm was the Ballif arm [06]. These prosthetic arms are light weight and less expensive than the others however it requires large amount of forces to actually move the elbow [07]. 3) Externally Powered Prosthetic Arm Most advanced commercially available prosthetic arm in which power to operate the prosthetic arm comes from the external sources such as electric motor and battery pack. Most of these prostheses are operated by using users stump arm muscles EMG signals. This type of prostheses provides greater proximal functions, increased cosmetic appeal but also tend to be much heavier and expensive than any of the other categories [07]. Present State and Proposed Transhumeral Prosthesis Recent progress in biomechatronics technology brings a lot of benefit to increase the mobility of above-elbow (AE) amputees in their daily life activities. A transhumeral or AE prosthetic arm is used to compensate for the lost functions of the AE amputees absent arm. A number of commercial prosthetic arms have been developed since last few decades. However, many amputees have not used them due to the discrepancy between their expectations and the reality. The main factors causing a loss of interest in presently available prosthetic arms include low functionality and poor controllability [08]. Since the concept of Cybernetics proposed by N. Wiener [04], a number of research works have already been carried out and are ongoing for the development of prosthetic arm. At present, Utah arm, Boston Elbow, and Otto Bock are considered as the pioneers in this field which are shown in Fig. 1 [09]-[12]. However, currently, commercial prosthesis available on the market for the AE amputees provides a limited DOF. Most of these prostheses provide elbow flexion-extension motion with a terminal device attached at the end. In addition to the elbow motion, some prostheses provide forearm supination-pronation motion and a single DOF at the terminal device for grasping object. Some passive DOF, which are useful to generate an optimal pre-determined configuration during performing certain tasks [13], are sometimes included in the prostheses. Commercially available expensive cosmetic prostheses offer a more natural appearance and simple control. However, their dexterity is relatively very poor compared to the human arm. Human arm generates precise and complex motions during daily life activities which are almost impossible to be generated by using a limited DOF prosthetic arm. As a result, the presently available commercial prostheses have failed to gain wide acceptance among AE amputees. Figure 1: Commercially Available Externally Powered AE Prosthetic Arm [14]. In order to improve the quality of life of AE amputees and to increase their mobility in daily life activities (like, eating, drinking, dressing, brushing etc.), a 5 DOF externally powered transhumeral prosthesis is proposed in this thesis. The prosthesis is designed to generate elbow flexion-extension, forearm supination-pronation, wrist flexion-extension and radial-ulnar deviation, and hand grasp-release motion. Currently, no commercial transhumeral prosthesis provides a combination of wrist flexion-extension and radial-ulnar deviation motion, which have uttermost importance to perform daily life activities. In recent years, a number of prostheses capable of generating multi-DOF motion have been proposed for upper limb amputees [13], [15]-[19]. However, none of these provide a combination of forearm and 2 DOF wrist motion with the exception of an arm designed for above-wrist amputees to provide wrist flexion-extension and forearm motion [18]. Bio-Mechanics of Human Upper Limb Before develop a robotic arm system to mimic to the human arm, the physics of the human upper limb should be thoroughly studied. Accordingly the upper limb mainly consists of three major components, the shoulder complex, elbow complex and wrist joint. Mainly the shoulder complex is built with three bones, clavicle, scapula and humerus and four articulations: the glenohumeral, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular and scapulothoracic, with the thorax as a stable base. The only point of skeletal attachment of the upper extremity to the trunk occurs at the sternoclavicular (SC) joint. At this joint the clavicle joints to the sternum, the middle bones of the rib cages. The clavicle is connected to the scapula at its distal end via the acromioclavicular (AC) joint. At this joint, most of the movements of the scapula on the clavicle occur, and the joint handles large contact stresses as a result of high axial loads that are transmitted through the joint. The scapula interfaces with the thorax via the scapulothoracic (ST) joint. This is not a typical articulation, connecting bone to bone. Rather, it is a physiological joint containing neurovascular, muscular, and bursal structures that allow for a smooth motion of the scapula on the thorax. The final articulation in the shoulder complex is the shoulder complex is the shoulder joint, or the glenohumeral (GH) joint. Motions of the shoulder joint are represented by the movements of the arm. This is a synovial ball-and-socket joint that offers the greatest range of motion and movement potential of any joint in the body. The shoulder complex can be mimic to a ball-and-socket joint and can be modeled accordingly. The proximal part of the humerus, humeral head and the female part of the scapula, glenoid cavity respectively act as the ball and the socket of the joint. The main motion of the shoulder joints are shoulder flexion/extension, shoulder abduction/adduction and internal/external rotation. During this each motion, the position of the centre of rotation of the shoulder joint changes. The distal part of the humerus is connected to the elbow joint or the radioulnar joint. The elbow is considered a stable joint, with structural integrity, good ligamentous support, and good muscular support. It consists of three bones of the arm and the forearm, humerus, radius and ulna. Movements between the forearm and the arm takes place at the ulnohumeral and radio-humeral articulations, and movements between the radius and the ulna take place at the radioulnar articulations. The ulnohumeral joint is the articulation between the ulna and the humerus and is the major contributing joint to flexion and extension of the forearm. The joint is the union between the spool-like trochlea on the distal end of the humerus and the trochlear notch on the ulna. The second joint participating in flexion and extension motion of the forearm is the radiohumeral joint. At the distal end of the humerus is the articulating surface for this joint, the capitulum, which is supheroidal and covered with cartilages on the anterior and inferior surface. The top of the round radial head butts up against the capitulum, allowing radial movement around the humerus during flexion and extension. The capitulum acts as a buttress for lateral compression and the other rotational forces absorbed during throwing and other rapid forearm movements. The third articulation, the radioulnar joint, establishes movement between the radius and the ulna in pronation and supination. There are actually tw o radioulnar articulations, the superior in the elbow joint region and the inferior near the wrist. Also, midway between the elbow and the wrist is another fibrous connection between the radius and the ulnar, recognized by some as a third radioulnar articulation. The hand is primarily used for manipulation activities requiring very fine movements incorporating a wide variety of hand and finger postures. Consequently, there is much interplay between the wrist joint positions and efficiency of finger actions. The hand region has many stable yet very mobile segments, with complex muscle and joint actions. The wrist consists of 10 small carpal bones but can be functionally divided into the radiocarpal and the midcarpal joints. The radiocarpal joint is the articulation where movement of the whole hand occurs. The radiocarpal joint involves the broad distal end of the radius and two carpals, the scaphoid and the lunate. There is also minimal contact and involvement with the trinquetrum. This ellipsoid joint allows movement in two planes: flexion-extension and radial-ulnar flexion. It should be noted that wrist extension and radial and ulnar flexion primarily occur at the radiocarpal joint but a good portion of the wrist flexion is developed at the midcarpal joints Wrist motions are generated around an instantaneous center. The path of the centrode is small, however, customarily, the displacement of the instantaneous center of rotation is ignored and the rotation axes for the flexion/extension and ulna/radial deviation are considered to be fixed. The axes pass through the capitate, a carpal bone articulating with the third metacarpal. Although it is considered that wrist joint motions are generated with respect to the two axes, some research [11] has proved that the motions are generated with respect to four axes. The wrist flexion axis and the extension axis are different. Similarly the radial deviation axis and the ulnar deviation axis are also different. Therefore, the 2DOF of the wrist are through four axes. Although flexion and extension motions have different axes they are intersected in a point in capitates. Similarly, radial and ulnar deviations axes are also intersected. When we consider that flexion and extension motions have one axis and similarly ulnar and radial deviations have one axis, the slight offset of the rotational axes of the flexion/extension and the radial/ulnar deviation is approximately 5 mm [8], [12]. In addition the motion ranges of the upper limb are as follows.[23] G. Thompson and D. Lubic, The Bionic Arm: New Prosthetic Devices Fuse Man and Machine, Seventh Annual Freshman Conf., pp. 1-8., April 5, 2007. History of Prostheses, 2008, UIhealthcare.com. Available at: http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/medmuseum/wallexhibits/body/histofpros/histofpros.html R. H. Meier, D. J. Atkins, Functional Restoration of Adults and Children with Upper Extremity Amputation, Demos Medical Publishing Inc. New York, 2004. N. Wiener, CYBERNETICS or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine, MIT Press, 1948. S. Nasser, D. Rincon, and M. Rodriuez, Design of an Anthropomorphic Underactuated Hand Prosthesis with Passive-Adaptive Grasping Capabilities, in Proc. of Florida Conf. on Recent Advances in of Robotics, Florida, May 25-26, 2006. W. J. Gaine, C. Smart, and M. B. Zachary, Upper Limb Traumatic Amputees Review of Prosthetic Use, Journal of Hand Surgery, vol. 22B, no. 1, pp.73-76, 1997. J. A. Doeringer and N. Hogan, Performance of Above Elbow Body-Powered Prostheses in Visually Guided Unconstrained Motion Tasks, IEEE Trans. on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 42, no. 6, pp.621-633, 1995. M. C. Carrozza, P. Dario, F. Vecchi, S. Roccella, M. Zecca, and F. Sebastiani, The Cyberhand: On the Design of a Cybernetic Prosthetic Hand Intended to be Interfaced to the Peripheral Nervous System, in Proc. of 2003 IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems, vol. 3, pp.2642-2647, 27-31 Oct., 2003. S. Lee and G. N. Saridis, The Control of a Prosthetic Arm by EMG Pattern Recognition, IEEE Trans. Auto. Contr., vol. 29, pp. 290-302, 1984. S. C. Jacobson, D. F. Knutti, R. T. Johnson, and H. H. Sears, Development of the Utah Artificial Arm, IEEE Trans. on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 249-269, April, 1982. R. N. Scott and P. A. Parker, Myoelectric Prostheses State of the Art, Journal of Medical Engineering and Technology, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 143-151, 1988. Otto Bock Arm Prostheses, Available at: http://www.ottobock.com. M. Troncossi, V. P. Castelli, and A. Davalli, Design of Upper Limb Prostheses: A New Subject-Oriented Approach, Journal of Mechanics in Medicine Biology, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 387-390, 2005. D. H. Plettenburg, Upper Extremity Prosthesis Current Status and Evaluation, VSSD Publications, 2006. A. Z. Escudero, J. Alvarez, and L. Leiza, Development of a Parallel Myoelectric Prosthesis for Above Elbow Replacement, in Proc. of Second Joint EMBS/BMES Conf., pp. 2404-2405, Houston, TX, USA, Oct. 23-26, 2002, T. Tsuji, O. Fukuda, H. Shigeyoshi, and M. Kaneko Bio-Mimetic Impedance Control of an EMG-Controlled Prosthetic Hand, in Proc. of the IEEE/RSJ Intl. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp. 377-382, 2000. O. Fukuda, T. Tsuji, M. Kaneko, and A. Otsuka, A Human-Assisting Manipulator Teleoperated by EMG Signals and Arm Motions, IEEE Trans. on Robotics and Automation, vol. 19, no. 2, pp.210-222, 2003. K. Ito, T. Tsuji, A. Kato, and M. Ito, An EMG Controlled Prosthetic Forearm in Three Degree of Freedom Using Ultrasonic Motors, in Proc. of IEEE Int. Conf. on Engineering and Biology Society, vol. 4, pp.1487-1488, 1992. Y. Saito, A. Ogawa, H. Negoto, and K. Ohnishi, Development of Intelligent Prosthetic Hand Adapted to Age and Body Shape, in Proc. of IEEE Int. Conf. on Rehabilitation Robotics, pp.384-389, Chicago, USA, 2005. C. P. Neu, J. J. Crisco and S. W. Wolfe, In Vivo Kinematic Behavior of the Radio-Capitate Joint during Wrist Flexion-Extension and Radio-Ulnar Deviation, J. Biomech., vol. 34, pp. 1429-1438, 2001. F. H. Martini, M. J. Timmons, and R. B. Tallitsch, Human Anatomy, Prentice Hall, Pearson Education, Inc, 2003, ch. 8. Y. Youm, Design of a Total Wrist Prosthesis, Ann. Biomed. Eng., vol. 12, pp. 247-262, 1984. D.C Boone and S.P Azen, Normal Range of Motion of Joints in Male Subjects, in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, vol. 61, pp.756-759, 1979. www.jbjs.org

Existentialist Perception Of The Human Condition: With Special Referenc

Existentialist Perception Of The Human Condition: With Special Reference To Sartre ABSTRACT: Existentialism lays stress on the existence of humans; Sartre believed that human existence is the result of chance or accident. There is no meaning or purpose of our lives other than what our freedom creates, therefore, we must rely on our own resources. Sartre thought that existence manifests itself in the choice of actions, anxiety and freedom of the will. In this way the responsibility of building one's future is in one's hands, but the future is uncertain and so one has no escape from anxiety and despair. We are always under the shadow of anxiety; higher responsibility leads to higher anxiety. The pursuit of being leads to an awareness of nothingness, nothingness to an awareness of freedom, freedom to bad faith and bad faith to the being of consciousness which provides the condition for its own possibility. Concluding his thought, Sartre says that existentialism is not pessimism. He says that existentialism does not aim at plunging us into despair: its final goal is to prepare us through anguish, abandonment and despair for a genuine life, and it is basically concerned with the human condition as a complete form of choice. The fundamental issue, therefore, is an authentic meaning of life. Existentialism is a contemporary trend in the sphere of Philosophy. It lays stress on the existence of man. Existentialism was a protest against the traditional notions of man. It purports to form a 'just' concept of man, rejecting underestimation or overestimation of Man's personality. The Chief tenate of existentialism is "Existence precedes essence". It thinks that the existence of the individual is the highest truth. To it existence is m... ...tialism does not ignore the human society and that in taking a decision it decides on behalf of the whole mankind. Existentialism does not aim at plunging man into despair : its final goal is to prepare man through anguish, abandonment and despair for a genuine life, it is basically concerned with the human condition as a complete form of choice. The fundamental issue, therefore, is authentic meaning of life. Notes (1) Sartre, J.P., Existentialism and Human (Methuen, London, 1948). (2) Walter Odajnyle, Marxism and Existentialism (Garden City, New York, Double day and Comp, Inc, 1965). (3) Heidegger, Martin, Being and Time (Harper Row Publisher, 1962), 68. (4) Sartre, Jean Paul, Being and Nothingness (Methuen and Company Ltd., London, 1969), 471. (5) Sartre, J.P., Nausea (Penguin Modern Classics, 1966), 238 (6) Ibid , 159-160. (7) Ibid, 25.

Contemporary strategy analysis Essay

2001-2011 was filled with many black swan events (i. e. events that are extremely rare, have a major impact and are unpredicted even if they are rationalised retrospectively) e. g. Sep 11 attack, Lehman Brother collapse, Greece/Iceland bailouts, Arab Spring revolutions, major earthquakes and tsunamis) Rise of BRIC countries creating a multipolar world 2. Sluggish Economic Growth + Increased Competition Economic growth in advanced economies sluggish throughout the medium term governments and household sectors are over-leveraged insufficient productive investment from companies sitting on cash excess capacity in most sectors -> resulting in strong price competition Internationalisation of companies from emerging-market countries e. g. contract manufacturers (OEM) in China and India competing with their customers in final markets. 3. Technology Disruption Digital technology disrupting incumbents (e. g. Netflix replacing Blockbuster) and redrawing industry barriers (e. g. Apple, Nokia, Nintendo, Blackberry now competing in same mobile device market) 4. Social Pressure and Crisis of Capitalism Loss of social legitimacy of companies as a result of a fall-out from the 2008/9 financial crisis – disdain for companies (hypocrisy + greed of bankers, traders, etc) and their leaders (e. g. Occupy Wall Street movement) Rise of alternative forms of business enterprise as better, more sustainable models over limited liability companies – e. g. state-owned firms (China, Brazil) and cooperatives (i. e. businesses mutually owned by consumers or employees). Challenge faced by companies of whether to unilaterally create/stick to its own values (which may become out of step) or reflect the current values and attitudes of society it operates within. Item 2: New Directions in Strategic Thinking 1. Re-orientate Corporate Objectives of Companies Reconcile the need for profit maximisation with a broader societal role (i. e. companies having greater social and environmental responsibilities) Move away from focusing on stock market valuation alone – Management should not focus on profits but what strategic factors that drive profits or create value e. g. customer satisfaction, innovation Best antidote to corporate empire building and CEO hubris is a stronger emphasis on basic principles of strategy analysis. 2. Seeking More Complex Sources of Competitive Advantage Competitive advantages in today’s dynamic world is difficult to sustain due to high rate of technology diffusion + increased competition from emerging market companies who are more cost-effective Developing multiple layers of competitive advantage is now required (e. g. as shown from companies that maintained profitability and market share for years (e. g. Toyota, Wal-Mart), combined with the ability to combine multiple capabilities. 3. Managing Options The portfolio of options of a company e. g. growth options, abandonment options, and flexibility options are increasingly important as sources of value. Therefore option thinking should be adopted into a firm’s strategy: e. g. industry attractiveness should not depend on profit potential, but option potential (e. g. an industry that produces a no of different products, comprises multiple segments, has many strategic groups, utilises a wide variety of alternative technologies) e. g. a resource is attractive if it can be deployed in different businesses and support alternative strategies (e. g. nanotechnology). Dynamic capabilities are important because they generate new options. 4. Understanding Strategic Fit Importance of fitting the strategy of the firm with the firm’s business environment and its resources and capabilities. 2 major concepts regarding linkages within companies: complementarity and complexity Complementarity: the importance of linkages among a firm’s management practices and finding the optimal configuration (e. g. a six-sigma quality program needs to be accompanied by changes in incentives, recruitment policies, product strategy, etc) Complexity: the idea that companies are complex systems whose behaviour results from interaction of a large number of independent agents. This results in unpredictability, self-organisation by a company and a company positioning between inertia, chaos, and evolutionary adaptation Common to both concepts is the contextuality of linkages: Do the benefits from any particular activity depend on which other activities take place? 2 dimensions of this contextuality: contextuality of activities (are management activities and their benefits dependent or independent of each other? ); contextuality of interactions (do activities interact in similar ways across firms) Item 3: Redesigning organisations The challenge of today’s business environment is reconciling multiple dilemmas (e. g. product at low cost, but also innovate), requiring multi-dexterity. Companies are now multi-dimensional structures with organisational capabilities for each business area e. g. quality management processes, social and environmental responsibility, knowledge management, innovation and exploration, etc. 1. Solution to Complexity – Making Organisations Informal, Self-Organising and Permeable Informal Organisation: Rely upon informal rather than formal structures and systems e.g. team-based structures which rely on coordination rather than control. Companies are moving towards project based organisations – temporary cross-functional teams charged with clear objectives (as opposed to permanent functions and continuous operations). Such teams are more able to achieve innovation, adaptability and rapid learning than more traditional structures and avoids issues of over-concentration of power and rigid, inflexible structures (e. g. W. L. Gore, supplier of Gore-Tex boots). This is an example of a consensus-based hierarchy, which emphasises horizontal communication, over an authority-based hierarchy, which emphasises vertical communication. Self-Organisation: Humans (and therefore, companies) have a capacity for self-organisation. Three factors are conductive for self-organisation: identity, information and relationships. Identity is a shared cognition of what the organisation is (what is core, distinctive, and enduring about the character of the company) and an emotional attachment towards what it represents. A strong consensus of identity provides a powerful basis for coordinated action that permits flexibility and responsibility to be reconciled with continuity and stability. Information and communication networks within companies support spontaneous patterns of complex coordination with little or no hierarchal direction Relationships, or informal social networks, allow information to be created and transformed and allows the organisation’s identity to expand and include more stakeholders. The more access people have to one another, the more possibilities there are. 2. Breaking Down Corporate Boundaries There are limits to the range of capabilities that companies can develop internally. Therefore, companies must collaborate in order to access the capabilities of other companies e. g. strategic alliances. Today’s web-based technologies permit much wider networks of collaboration (e. g. use of ICT technologies by P&G and IBM to draw upon ideas and expertise across the globe or the rise of open-source communities that build highly complex products such as Linux). Item 4: Changing Role of Managers The changing conditions and types of organisations require new approaches to management and leadership. Previous era of restructuring and shareholder focus associated with change masters (highly visible, individualistic and often hard-driving management styles e. g. Michael Eisner of Disney, Rupert Murdoch) â€Å"Buck-stop here† peak decision-making role of CEOs may no longer be feasible or desirable for the current era. Instead, it is the role of guiding organisational evolution that is more important nowadays (being a social architect by creating an environment where every employee has the chance to collaborate, innovate and excel). CEOs should be less concerned about decision-making and more concerned about cultivating identity and purpose. Senior managers also require different knowledge and skills nowadays – e. g. self-awareness, self -management, social awareness (empathy) and social skills – i. e. emotional intelligence. They should move away from being administrators and controllers and become entrepreneurs, coaches and team leaders instead. In particular, Rapid evolution requires a combination of both incremental improvement and stimulating radical change (e.g. Sam Palmisano at IBM) Establishing simple rules: the idea that companies can be managed by a few simple rules (boundary rules and â€Å"how-to† rules) with limited managerial direction otherwise (e. g. Cisco) Managing adaptive tension: Create a level of tension that optimises the pace of organisational change and innovation. This is done through imposing demanding performance targets, but ensuring targets are appropriate and ac hievable.

The Major Congressional Checks on the Presidential Authority

The Major Congressional Checks on the Presidential Authority Introduction The US government is tripartite, and its branches perform the critical role of performing checks and balances on one another to as a way of preventing any of the branches from overstepping its mandate.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Major Congressional Checks on the Presidential Authority specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, the limits to presidential powers include a political culture that has as one of its characteristics features a distrust of government and an array of congressional checks on presidential authority, including the ability to approve presidential appointments, the laws that the president wishes to approve and the budget to the executive departments. This essay will examine the congressional powers in relation to checking on the presidency. How the Congress checks on the presidency The Congress has powers to check on the presidency in different aspects one of which is che cking on the budgetary allocations by the executive. The creation of a budget requires integrity given the massive amounts of cash involved, and as such, Congress ensures that the budget drafting process by the executive is both transparent and appropriate. The Congress performs this role by debating and approving or rejecting budgets depending on their perceptions of the budgetary allocations (Gitelson, Dudley and Dubnick 60). The president can only recommend a budget for congressional consideration, but the actual appropriation of funds lies in the hands of the Senate and House of Representatives. Congress can also challenge the treaties signed by the president is Congress feel that it is inappropriate. This issue has however attracted much debate centered on whether the president should have the final word on approving or discarding treaties. As noted by Gunter (354), these debates arrived at the conclusion that the president is not the only one affected by the treaties as an ind ividual and as such, granting the presidency the last word on treaties would be according it too much power as an individual, is not the one actually affected by these treaties on the ground. And as such, the president should not be the only one to decide the fate of treaties. Even though Congress lacks the force of law, there are numerous ways by which it can exact restrictions on a military operation, including the denial of Congressional authorization, disapproving resolutions and specific reporting requirements. These restrictions provide the Congress with opportunities to signal its opposition or the limits of its support and to impose political costs on the president and his senior advisors for pursuing intervention policies that deviate from Congressional preferences.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, Congress may threaten to vote on War Powers question, o r through complaints about the absence of prior consultation, insistence on extensive consultation, ons of US presidents who were impeached by Congress include President Johnson in 1868 and most recently, President Clinton in 1998. Another way in which Congress checks on presidential powers is through its capabilities to confirm or reject presidential nominees for executive and judicial positions. Before assuming office, the Senate has to debate the nominated candidates and based on the votes; a candidate may either be approved or rejected.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Major Congressional Checks on the Presidential Authority specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion The constitution gives the government authority to the government’s three branches each with its specific roles concerning the running of day to day governmental duties. Each branch is governed by a checks and balances system that ensures that all the three branches cooperate in making important decisions. This essay has explored various ways by which Congress checks on the executive. Ehrman, John, and Flamm, Michael. Debating the Reagan presidency. Lanham, MD: Rowman Littlefield, 2009. GÃ ¼nter, Gerald. Constitutional law. New York: Foundation Press, 1991. Gitelson, Allan, Dudley Robert, and Dubnick. Melvin American Government: Student Choice Edition. California: Good Cengage Learning, 2008. Heath, David. The Congress of the United States. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

The most popular series for college students

The most popular series for college students Most Popular series HBO for students Are you looking for a good series to watch with your friends? Then look through the list of the best HBO series of all time. Exciting plot, perfect acting, special effects, and good company – everything you need for relaxation after classes. Just choose series that interested you most of all and plunge into the world of unforgettable experiences together with its characters. Westworld Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Harris, Thandie Newton, Jimmi Simpson, Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden Westworld is an American science fiction western thriller television series. It was created by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan for HBO. It is a screen remake of Michael Crichton`s 1973 film of the same name. This 10-episode series is about the evolution of sin and the artificial consciousness. The main characters reveal the dark truths about themselves and prove that it is our past experiences that form our current selves. You will see how it can be difficult sometimes to carve your own path in life. The CGI technology and creativity of Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy made each episode haunting. Girls Lena Dunham Alex Karpovsky, Lena Dunham, Adam Driver, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet, Jemima Kirke Lena Dunham refuses to conform to identity politics in her series. Nobody will make her conform to a prevailing ideology. There are times when she protects women`s rights and there are times when she hates feminists. There are times when she is a loyal liberal and there are times when liberals want to get rid of her. Lena Dunham just tries to tell her story honestly. The experiences of her main characters reflect something that can happen with girls in real life. Bored to Death Creator: Jonathan Ames Stars: Heather Burns, Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, Zach Galifianakis The ridiculous misadventures of Brooklyn writer and faux detective Jonathan Ames and his friends won`t leave you indifferent. This TV series is something special for students. It keeps the most crucial moments in secret. You will find yourself in the little world of the writer who does his best and reveals his creativity to change his life. This TV adventure is really unforgettable. Sex and the City Darren Star Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis The HBO television series 'Sex and the City' received an Emmy nomination for Best Comedy Series as nominations were announced in Los Angeles, July 12, 2001. Cast members shown (L-R) are Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker. The Emmy Awards will be presented in Los Angeles September 16. REUTERS/Nigel Parry/HBO/Handout This TV series will definitely go down in history. â€Å"Sex and the City† remains one of the most incredible TV moments of all times. It is a loud call for agency among the marginalized women. You will plunge into the world of sexuality and romance with Samantha Jones, Miranda Hobbes, Carrie Bradshaw, and Charlotte York. They talk about their travels in life, their sexual fantasies and desires, lesbianism and love. Curb Your Enthusiasm Creator: Larry David Stars: Susie Essman, Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines This TV series was HBO`s trademark comedy throughout the last decade. It was Larry David`s masterful escalation from rage to annoyance to embarrassment and the acting of his fantastic cast that made this show so incredible. The main character irritates everybody, gets into troubles, and pretends that he did nothing wrong. You will laugh throughout the show. Enlightened Creator: Mike White and Laura Dern Stars: Diane Ladd, Luke Wilson, Laura Dern, Sarah Burns â€Å"Enlightened† is one of the decade`s best TV series. It is full of hope, satisfaction, failures, and life disappointments. Amy Jellicoe tries to reinvent the world, change herself, rebuild her relationships, and approach perfection. Some life circumstances lead her to a mental breakdown. However, she is sure that she should change her life dramatically to find happiness and achieve success. The Sopranos Davis Chase Stars: Robert Iler, James Gandolfini, Tony Sirico, Lorraine Bracco, Steven Van Zandt, Edie Falco, Dominic Chianese, Michael Imperioli The remorseless killer, mob boss, goodhearted friend, loving father and husband Tony Soprano deals with professional and personal issues in his home and business. His way of life affects his mental state in a great way as he tries to balance between good and evil. This extraordinary television series will make you sure that even murderers can have some feelings, justifications, and aspirations. Game of Thrones Creator: D.B. Weiss, David Benioff Stars: Aidan Gillen, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Nikolai Coster-Waldau This geopolitical drama is so epic and breathtaking that you won`t take your eyes of the screen. You will be astonished with the quick nobility of Jon Snow, the quick wit of Tyrion and Varys, the complicated redemption of Jaime, the defiant spunk of Arya, and the heartless villainy of Tywin Lannister.This series was criticized for its brutal rape scenes and gratuitousnudity, but its depiction of one of the strongest female characters on TV was something special. Insecure Creator: Larry Wilmore and Issa Rae Stars: Lisa Joyce, Jay Ellis, Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji This series is about the awkward experiences and racy tribulations of a modern African-American woman. The comedy about the misadventures of the awkward black girl tackles many important issues such as individual biases in the workplace or reckoning with institutional racism. Behind the humor the main characters try to grapple with conflicts inside and outside black culture.   Oz Tom Fontana Dean Winters, Eamonn Walker, Lee Tergesen, J.K. Simmons, Harold Perrineau, Rita Moreno, George Morfogen, Christopher Meloni, Terry Kinney, Ernie Hudson, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kirk Acevedo This series is about the unpredictable stress and violence of the daily living in prison. It explores all aspects of life in a correctional facility – wars between gangs, drugs, sex, and violence. â€Å"Oz† is a nickname for this extremely controlled environment where everything is done to ease tensions among various groups of prisoners.

Exchange Rates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Exchange Rates - Essay Example For instance, let’s say goods are sold by a vendor in United Kingdom to a customer in United States on the first of January, and the customer has promised to make a payment in the next three months. In this case, the risk in question is that the price of dollar to the pound may change over the time period. This change may be on either side, resulting in an exchange gain to one party and loss to the other. Transaction risk often occurs in cases of sales/purchase of goods on credit with payment to be made at a later date, upon receipt of dividend from foreign investments and from borrowing and/or investing in foreign currencies. Transaction risk can be protected against by the use of various hedging instrument (DAVID WINSTONE, 1995). The other kind of risk that we discussed above is translation risk. It occurs when a company has various subsidiaries abroad and needs to consolidate its financial position for reporting purposes. It is pretty much possible that the various currencies in question (that of the subsidiary’s country and the home country) might not be performing well in relation to the host county’s currency and therefore show a very deteriorating position on the consolidated financial statements (PRACHI DEUSKAR, 2007). The best way to counter the impact of translation risk is to get involved in balance sheet hedging. The best way of doing so is making the foreign assets and liabilities equal so as to cut down the impact of any change that might occur in the exchange rates. The third and final case of currency risk mentioned above is economic risk. This risk overall affects the value of the firm in question. It refers to how the change in exchange rates affects the competitiveness of a business on an international scale. To make it simpler to understand, it’s not only the appreciation -or depreciation of a foreign currency to the home currency that affects a company’s operations, but also how a

Farther and son Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Farther and son - Essay Example His choice of theme was brave simply because in the decade of the 50's homosexuality was still an issue not spoken of or discussed openly. America was waking up to the call of the civil rights movement and it would still take her people a few more years to accept issues of such controversy. The caging effect that conventions can have on a person is also highlighted effectively by Baldwin as he depicts David's struggle with the decision of marrying Hella, simply because it was expected of him. Baldwin, however, was not intimidated by the frowns of disapproval directed his way and with great determination highlighted the plight of those forced to live in the closet simply because they are terrified of breaking conventions and not being able to measure up to the definition of "respectable" formulated by those around them. In today's world, however, when gay literature is quite common and the issue of coming out of the closet is not as burning as it was half a century ago, the greatest appeal of the novel lies in the manner in which Baldwin has sheathed his central character under layers and layers of a complex psychology. Baldwin has portrayed David not simply as a two-dimensional gay character but has breathed a life into him by depicting in great detail the inner struggles and dilemmas that he faces and how his personality is shaped and molded by his childhood experiences and the constraints that he feels because of the social conventions. At this point it cannot be denied that the most important force in David's life as a child had undoubtedly been that of his father. Even after David has grown up, one could feel the palpable presence of his father looming somewhere in the background. It is, without a doubt, the forceful personality of his father that indirectly affected David's vital decisions an d choices. The importance of David's father in David's life can be linked directly to Baldwin's relationship with his own preacher father (Allen, p.29). Baldwin believed that the influence a father exercised over his children could not be denied - his own abusive father leaving imprints of his personality permanently on young Baldwin. It is this same influence that Baldwin desired to create by depicting David's relation with his father. His main aim was to show how vital the support of a family is for a homosexual and how much influence our near and dear ones exert when it comes to the decision a homosexual makes about his lifestyle choices. David's father, although in no way bearing any resemblance to the insane, ranting and abusive father of Baldwin, was a handsome man who had a particular and active fondness for women and alcohol. Baldwin depicted him in such a way that he naturally stood out, not only as attractive but someone who possessed a great deal of easy charm, with his ruddy face, sandy hair and his readiness to laugh. Baldwin has taken care not to introduce him as a clean-cut, out-of-the-factory villain of the story. This would have robbed the novel of its unique complexity and while giving the novel an easy to understand plot, would have deprived it of psychologically complex characters. His sister, Ellen, who believed him to be negatively influencing his son, always met his promiscuousness with disapproval. Once, as David recounts, a fierce argument took place between Aunt Ellen and his father, when he returned one night drunk, as was his custom. Upon being