Reflecting Popes in Pieces of Art essays

Reflecting Popes in Pieces of Art essays The three pieces discussed in this essay are all closely related to popes of the Roman Catholic Church. Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment," Raphael's "School of Athens" and Pietro da Cortona's "Glorification of the Reign of Urban VIII" not only have their relation to a particular pope in common, but also are very good reflections of the artistic movements and historical events of the time in which each work was done. Raphael's "The School of Athens" was a work done on one wall of the Stanza della Segnatura, a former meeting room of the papal tribunal and Julius II's then current private library, at the request of Pope Julius II. Julius II had other artists working on the room when he saw some of Raphael's work. He then had the other artists stop work and called for Raphael to do the room instead. Raphael took over in 1508 (the same year Michelangelo was commissioned on the Sistine Chapel) and had completed the job in 1511. This piece is most significant in its reflection of the historical period. It was in this time during the Renaissance that the Medici family redefined business and people like Machiavelli brought about new political ideas in books like "The Prince." A new wave of thinking and reason was spreading. "The School of Athens" brings together all the ancient philosophies and their famous representatives while leaving out any reference to Christian themes. Tyhe painting personifie s the popular trend of the time. The painting is also completely representative of the High Renaissance style. The attention is completely on realistic, naturalistic portrayal of the figure. Notably the painting displays portraits of his contemporaries, Leonardo da Vinci (Plato) and Michelangelo (Heraklitos). The Leonardo portrait is assumed to pay tribute to his role as a thinker and artist in establishing the High Renaissance style. After returning back to Rome from Florence on the order of Pope Paul III, Michelangelo began work on "The...

List of Free Online Public Schools for Utah Students

List of Free Online Public Schools for Utah Students Utah offers resident students the opportunity to take online public school courses for free. Below is a list of no-cost online schools currently serving elementary and high school students in Utah. In order to qualify for the list, schools must meet the following qualifications: classes must be available completely online, they must offer services to state residents, and they must be funded by the government. Virtual schools listed may be charter schools, state-wide public programs, or private programs that receive government funding. List of Utah Online Charter Schools and Online Public Schools Utah Electronic High School (off-site link)Utah Virtual Academy (off-site link) About Online Charter Schools and Online Public Schools Many states now offer tuition-free online schools for resident students under a certain age (often 21). Most virtual schools are charter schools; they receive government funding and are run by a private organization. Online charter schools are subject to fewer restrictions than traditional schools. However, they are reviewed regularly and must continue to meet state standards. Some states also offer their own online public schools. These virtual programs generally operate from a state office or a school district. State-wide public school programs vary. Some online public schools offer a limited number of remedial or advanced courses not available in brick-and-mortar public school campuses. Others offer full online diploma programs. A few states choose to fund â€Å"seats† for students in private online schools. The number of available seats may be limited and students are usually asked to apply through their public school guidance counselor. (See also: 4 Types of Online High Schools). Choosing a Utah Online Public School When choosing an online public school, look for an established program that is regionally accredited and has a track record of success. Be wary of new schools that are disorganized, are unaccredited, or have been the subject of public scrutiny. For more suggestions on evaluating virtual schools see: How to Choose an Online High School.

Comparison of equity and common law in the field of breach of a Essay

Comparison of equity and common law in the field of breach of a fiduciary duty in a trust - Essay Example In "Junior books v Veitchi (1983) 1 AC 520" recovery of economic loss was imposed as liability. And the elements for constituting negligence such as (a) A duty of care owed by the defendant to the plaintiff (b) A bleach of that duty by the defendant (c) consequential damage suffered by the plaintiff (d) Such damages caused by the bleach are formulated. (Peter de Cruz 320) Equity is the Creation of Courts, it is innovative and it provides various quick remedies such as injunction, rescission, rectification and specific performance. Thus equity is not a separate law but it a supplement to the common law. Discretionary is common feature of equitable remedies. Equity has wider scope than the common law. The common law does not look into the conduct of the parties what is required is the claim has to proved. Once the claim is proved the damages are awarded. The common remedy in common law is awarding of damages. In Common law the courts have limited discretionary functions compared to law of equity. (Terence Ingaman 442) Common Law and equity is distinguished on concept of jurisdiction such as "Equitable property interest", "fiduciary obligation", "Unconsciousness" and "Proprietary remedies", which are the distinct concepts developed by the courts of chancery. 1. Equitable Property Interest. Where the interest in the property is vested under the law of equity such as interest in trust property, the interest of the beneficiary over the property in trust is enforceable not only against the trustee but also against the third party who acquires such property. Therefore the beneficiary interest is conceived as proprietary. The beneficiary is at liberty to convert the beneficial interest into the absolute ownership interest at any point of time. Where the interest in the property is vested under the Common law such as through transfer of property, the interest is absolute and the person can exercise such rights over the property for his sole lawful benefits. Where as in equity a trustee with equitable property right exercise his rights over the property for the benefit of the beneficiary and cannot exercised for his benefit. (Peter Cane 187) 2. Unconscionable Conduct: Chancery courts are conscience. As discussed in earlier topic the liability under the common law is strict liability caused due to reasonable misconduct or tortuous act. The Chancery courts under the law of equity are liberal in granting the remedies extending to suspected conduct. Unconscionable act is related to the strict liability to fiduciary and the negligence is to the strict liability in tort. The common law provides remedies to those subjected to harm due to negligence of others where as the law of equity stretches further and provides the relief against the unfair advantage taken by the others. (Peter Cane 191) 3. Fiduciary obligations: Fiduciary obligations are created in trust. The fiduciary in relation to the trust property must act for the benefit of the beneficiary but not for the benefit

Progressive Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Progressive Era - Essay Example According to Campell1, progressives were mainly comprised of middle class citizens who desired things to change. They believed that education and information were the key towards a better and fair society. Simon argues that, historically, there have there have been two primary chains of progressive thought concerning the proper relationship between politics and faith: secular and one emerging from religious social beliefs2. Secular progressive thought was associated with enlightened linearism. It is sceptical about particular religious beliefs, and exigent about keeping religion out of politics and politics out of religion. Thomas Jefferson and James Maddison advocated for religious conscience, freedom of conscience and separation of church and state. Liberalism caused a premium on rationality, self-determination, and personal morality above faith, public morality and church authority. Liberalism looked to establish a constitutional order in America that would stop the merging of government and religion that was prevalent in Europe3. During the progressive era, many religious leaders viewed liberalism as a taboo and worked hard to stop its spread. The Catholic Church was the dominant church at the time. They discorded with the liberal conception of faith and politics until the reconciling of Catholic teaching with liberal democracy. Eventually, these progressive beliefs triumphed in the country since many Americans accepted that one can practise their faith while keeping some religious beliefs from taking over the government and jeopardising the religious freedom of others. Another powerful chain of progressive thought came directly from religious beliefs during the social gospel movement. The preachers argued that they should apply everyone their teachings to solving public problems. Several protestant ministers and theologians in the 19th century such as Jennings Bryan and settlement founders such as Jane Addams espoused this belief4. Later,

The island or that the island exerts an evil influence on them Essay Example for Free

The island or that the island exerts an evil influence on them Essay Which do you think is more true, that the boys bring evil to the island or that the island exerts an evil influence on them? PLAN: Fear of the unknown, evil exerted upon them, the fear of the unknown makes them believe in the beast, the evil was always in them and because of the circumstances on the island, it takes form as the beast. Lord of the Flies, a William Golding classic, filled to the brim with a meaningful and descriptive story of boys who become stranded on a desert island. Their survival becomes and endless battle among nature, savagery, and The Beast, a fantasy nightmare that manifests itself to become the boys biggest fear. Upon arrival on the island, their confrontation with their situation was blunt, although they did try to appoint a chief, some disagreed with the overall result; and the freckles on Jacks face disappeared under blush of mortification pg. 30. The truth has suddenly been put this boy into his place, who thought he is the most popular on the island, the fact now shows that he isnt. This is a fear, a fear of interrogation, a threat of overpowering and control, and it is this fear that brings the evil to the island. Jacks need to be in control turns him and his followers into savages, and so brings the downfall of their civilisation. After the landing of the dead parachutist, the fear of the unknown begins. They believe that the dead parachutist is The Beast but become too afraid to go and see if it is really a beast; We saw the beast- plain! pg. 122 Sam and Eric both claimed to have seen The Beast, but hadnt confirmed anything. By finishing each others sentences here they show the fear in their voices. This fear is added to the anonymity of The Beast and interpritated as something to be afraid of, and to some, something that can and must be destroyed. The savagery begins. From this savagery comes the hunting of The Beast. Jack demands that they should fight against The Beast putting the idea of an actual beast into the young boys minds, creating an even bigger fear, a fear of the unknown. The more that they think about this beast the more afraid they become, and the more afraid they become the more they think about the beast. Its a vicious cycle with destroyed the entire civilisation on the island. The boys dont kill The Beast because they fail to realise that The Beast is something that they created within themselves, an evil that has been portrayed from the minds of innocent boys, and twisted by the deception of false truth. The island has made the unknown into a nightmare that the boys cant fight.

Reading Response Log: Dialect Journal for Ella Enchanted :: English Literature

Reading Response Log: Dialect Journal for Ella Enchanted Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is the story of a girl who is cursed at birth by a fairy named Lucinda. The fairy Lucinda tries to bestow a blessing on Ella but instead curses her with total obedience to every command. This "gift" is very dangerous because Ella must obey every command anyone issues her, even if they were to command her to kill herself. This book tells of Ella's journey to find Lucinda and reverse the spell that has haunted her since birth. Ella meets many people on her quest. The whole book isn't just about her quest though It is about her growing as a person and falling in love. Throughout the book Ella tries to discover who she really is and what she wants to become. Ella learns about her past and starts to discover a new future she can have if she can just overcome her past. On her journey Ella discovers that people are not always as they seem and that you have the power to change anything you want. In Ella Enchanted, Levine develops Ella and the characters around her. The main characters in the story are Ella, Lucinda, her fairy godmother Mandy, Ella's Father, and Prince Charmont. Throughout the book Ella makes some very strange choices. Later these choices are seen as efforts to protect the people she loves from the curse she is under. When Lucinda casts a spell on Ella, a huge mess results. If I were Lucinda I would have thought before I cast a spell. While Lucinda thought she was doing a good deed, had she thought on the matter further she would have realized that total obedience would really be a curse. In Ella enchanted the interactions between the characters plays a huge part in setting the mood and making the story more comprehensible. While I was reading this book, I was wondering why Ella has such a hard time convincing Lucinda that she was wrong! It was so obvious, to me, that the gift of total obedience would really be a curse. Throughout this book, I felt many different emotions. I was sad, hopeful and despairing at times. Other times I was excited, thrilled, and on the edge of my seat. Always wondering what was going to happen next. Ella Enchanted never has a dull moment. Throughout the book, Levine manages to keep the reader's attention while telling a magnificent and magical story. In Ella Enchanted the style is evident throughout the story. Levine uses "old-fashioned" language like "nightdresses" and "delighted to make your acquaintance. Reading Response Log: Dialect Journal for Ella Enchanted :: English Literature Reading Response Log: Dialect Journal for Ella Enchanted Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is the story of a girl who is cursed at birth by a fairy named Lucinda. The fairy Lucinda tries to bestow a blessing on Ella but instead curses her with total obedience to every command. This "gift" is very dangerous because Ella must obey every command anyone issues her, even if they were to command her to kill herself. This book tells of Ella's journey to find Lucinda and reverse the spell that has haunted her since birth. Ella meets many people on her quest. The whole book isn't just about her quest though It is about her growing as a person and falling in love. Throughout the book Ella tries to discover who she really is and what she wants to become. Ella learns about her past and starts to discover a new future she can have if she can just overcome her past. On her journey Ella discovers that people are not always as they seem and that you have the power to change anything you want. In Ella Enchanted, Levine develops Ella and the characters around her. The main characters in the story are Ella, Lucinda, her fairy godmother Mandy, Ella's Father, and Prince Charmont. Throughout the book Ella makes some very strange choices. Later these choices are seen as efforts to protect the people she loves from the curse she is under. When Lucinda casts a spell on Ella, a huge mess results. If I were Lucinda I would have thought before I cast a spell. While Lucinda thought she was doing a good deed, had she thought on the matter further she would have realized that total obedience would really be a curse. In Ella enchanted the interactions between the characters plays a huge part in setting the mood and making the story more comprehensible. While I was reading this book, I was wondering why Ella has such a hard time convincing Lucinda that she was wrong! It was so obvious, to me, that the gift of total obedience would really be a curse. Throughout this book, I felt many different emotions. I was sad, hopeful and despairing at times. Other times I was excited, thrilled, and on the edge of my seat. Always wondering what was going to happen next. Ella Enchanted never has a dull moment. Throughout the book, Levine manages to keep the reader's attention while telling a magnificent and magical story. In Ella Enchanted the style is evident throughout the story. Levine uses "old-fashioned" language like "nightdresses" and "delighted to make your acquaintance.

How Does Steinbeck Create the Theme of Insecurity in the Novel?

Write about: †¢Why some characters feel insecure †¢How language contributes to a sense of the characters’ insecurity †¢How the settings contribute to a sense of insecurity †¢Other features which create a sense of insecurity You must: Explore how Steinbeck creates a sense of insecurity through the presentation of insecure characters, eg through: Lennie, Crooks and Curley’s wife †¢Look at language/settings, eg the situation of Curley’s wife and how she feels about Curley and her life on the ranch, and her appearance †¢Show how Steinbeck uses language/settings to create insecurity, eg how language is used to show Lennie’s insecurity about George †¢End by evaluating how the different elements work together †¢ In 45 minutes, three characters are enough to consider. Choose settings to look at in some detail, eg the pool in the valley where the novel begins and ends; the harness room (chapter 4) which is where Crooks lives; the Great Barn (chapter 5) where Lennie kills Curley’s wife. Comment on the language Steinbeck uses to describe characters and settings. †¢ The movement from harmony to discord appears in most of the settings in the book. Look at the opening description on page 18. This peaceful world of nature is disturbed by the arrival of George and Lennie. Make your point and use evidence/quotation to support it. Lennie is described as a ‘bear’. This image establishes his essential nature – the combination of brute strength and animal-like innocence. An appropriate image which emphasises his tendency to hold onto things in a ‘bear-hug’. Steinbeck suggests a great deal about Lennie by describing his movements. †¢ Now go on to look at what we learn about Lennie; George is ill at ease with Lennie’s behaviour as he helps him to rehearse how he should behave when they arrive at the ranch the following day. Comment on what causes Lennie’s insecurity. We soon see that Lennie is totally dependent on George, unable to cope in the world on his own. His innocence and ignorance of the world and other people lead him into trouble. As a result, Lennie is the main source of conflict in the novel, though as George tells us, he â€Å"never done it in meanness. † Lennie’s obsession for ‘petting’ shows that he has deep-rooted emotional needs which he himself does not understand, but which nevertheless have to be satisfied. There is a dreadful progression in his victims from dead mouse to dead girl. We are told something of the reasons why George and Lennie are on their way to a new job and what life is like for itinerant workers during the Great Depression in America in the 1930s †¢ George sometimes appears cruel in his treatment of Lennie when he tells him he could have a better life without him,(page 29) but we soon realise that this?is a form of control and that in fact, George actually enjoys their companionship and his responsibility, because the alternative life of the lonely migrant worker has little to recommend it. However,Lennie’ sinterpretationofGeorge’ swordsisalways literalandhe fears that George will abandon him if he does a ‘bad thing’. It is this that makes him feel insecure. †¢To reassure himself that they have a future together, to feel secure, Lennie frequently asks George to ‘tell about the rabbits’. Comment on the significance of the ‘dream farm’ (p. 31) â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches , are the loneliest guys in the world†¦. † †¢Lennie enjoys George’s story just as a child enjoys a familiar fairy story. But it represents far more to both men. The ‘heaven’ as Crooks later calls it, becomes not only their dream, but also that of Candy, Crooks and Curley’s wife. †¢ In chapter 4, Steinbeck brings together the most vulnerable and insecure characters in the novel. Show how and why this is dramatically effective; the chapter ends as it begins; it prepares us for the novel’s final tragedy; achieving the ‘dream’ is impossible – â€Å"Nobody never gets to heaven. † the potential for happiness is dashed each time. †¢ Look in detail at Crooks and the setting of the harness room, where he lives. Note that Steinbeck’s portrayal of Crooks is sympathetic. He emphasises his experience of silent suffering, because of his crooked back but also because of the racism he is subjected to because he is black. It is his enforced segregation from the other workers, which causes his insecurity. Look at how Steinbeck’s description of the setting gives us an insight into Crooks’s character (p. 98,99) as well as his use of language, â€Å"he had thin, pain-tightened lips†. He is a victim of oppressive violence and prejudice and has learned to cope with it by withdrawing into himself. He is ‘proud and aloof’as a defence against the cruel treatment he receives from the other men because he is black. In this chapter, Lennie acts as a catalyst. It is through him that Crooks and Curley’s wife reveal their insecurities. In spite of Crooks’ experience which has taught him that â€Å"nobody never gets to heaven†, he too gets caught up in Lennie’s dream of owning land and having a future, but Cur ley’s wife’s cruelty in reminding him of her racial superiority, â€Å"Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. † (p. 113) when he asks her to leave, leaves him feeling humiliated. He realises that in this world of white supremacy, there will never be any security for him. He will never escape from his life of suffering, â€Å"What she says is true. † †¢ Curley’s wife is never named in the novel. She is perceived as Curley’s possession, referred to as Curley’s wife. Her husband married her because she is ‘purty’ and naively she married him because she must have believed that the security of marriage would bring her happiness. Instead, she finds herself in a world of men who do not treat her as an individual, but see her as a sex- object, or a piece of ‘jail bait’. Desperate for companionship, she approaches the men in a provocative way. Find examples of Steinbeck’s description of her. Experience has taught her that men are only interested in her looks. A victim of sexual prejudice, she herself enjoys being cruel to the men in section 4. Angry at being left alone while her husband has gone to spend the evening with prostitutes, she tells them, â€Å"An’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs-a nigger an’ a dum-dum †¦. † Like Crooks, who takes the opportunity to vent his pent up anger on someone weaker than himself when he tries to frighten Lennie into believing that George has deserted him, she gets pleasure in watching others suffer. †¢ Now look at chapter 5. The setting is the Great Barn, where Lennie has just accidentally killed his puppy. Curley’s wife confides in Lennie just as Crooks did. This results in her death and the start of the man-hunt for Lennie. Steinbeck evocatively creates a warm and lazy atmosphere through visual detail supported by onomatopeia, â€Å"The hay came down like a mountain slope to the other end of the barn†¦ † // â€Å"There was the buzz of flies in the air, the lazy afternoon humming. † This is disrupted by the violence of the killing of Curley’s wife. †¢ Look at p. 124. Curley’s wife speaks to Lennie ‘in a passion of communication’. She relishes the opportunity to talk to someone. In a form of soliloquy, she talks about the life she dreamed of and confesses, â€Å"I don’t like Curley. † On page 129, Steinbeck’s writing technique resembles script writing for film, â€Å"And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. † Death has restored her to a natural state of innocence and the visual detail of the description in its softness contrasts with earlier harsh descriptions of her, where Steinbeck suggests that her body language is intended to attract the men’s attention, â€Å"†¦. eaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward. † In death she is relieved of the loneliness and insecurity, which led her to dream and to search for attention. †¢ With her death, Lennie’s insecurity returns, â€Å"I done a real bad thing,†¦ George’ll be mad†¦ † †¢By ending the novel where it began, Steinbeck brings the action of the book full circle which gives a feeling of completeness to the story. Once again, the last chapter opens with a description of the setting. Lennie has returned to the brush, where George has instructed him to go. Steinbeck focuses on the beauty of the natural world, but this time hints at the violence in nature as a heron swoops down on a water snake â€Å"and plucked it out by the head,† †¢The insecurity felt by these characters is a result of overt discrimination against race, gender and mental disability. Lack of understanding causes their suffering. Both Lennie and Curley’s wife die and Steinbeck suggests this is the only way to end their suffering. Crooks is doomed to a life of suffering and insecurity. Through these characters, Steinbeck paints a bleak picture of the lives of migrant workers at this time.

Food Security in the Modern World: changing market policies to address hunger

The right to food is protected under international human rights and humanitarian law. It is recognized in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). As defined by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Committee on ESCR) in its General Comment 12 â€Å"†¦ the right to adequate food is realized when every man, woman and child, alone and in community with others, has physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement† (General Comment 12, 1999, paragraph 6).Israel produces 95% of its own food requirements, and has many advanced means of agriculture, which results in low poverty rates in the state. Diverse agricultural techniques are used for food production, and in irrigation alone there are four different methods. Farmers use technology to help them with livestock creating top quality produce, and small communities called Kibbutz help the Gro ss Domestic Product (GDP) and raised amount in exports.There are multiple research facilities that help with agriculture techniques, such as the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), whose job is to help the development of the Israeli agriculture by an efficient use of the limited water resources, development of crops for export markets, ensuring a decent income for the farming community, developing and adapting crops and technologies for newly settled regions without polluting the environment. Israel has also been sharing its agricultural expertise with many of countries since the late 1950s.MASHAV, the Center for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is active in Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, Eastern Europe and Latin America as well as several Middle Eastern countries. Agricultural projects and research collaboration constitute about half of Israel's international cooperation programs. Emphasis is placed on training courses in agricultural subj ects, with some 1,400 participants from over 80 countries attending specialized courses in Israel every year, and thousands of trainees receiving on-the-spot training in their own countries. Read also Analyze the Ways in Which British Imperial PoliciesSince 1958, thousands of Israeli agricultural experts have been sent abroad on long- and short-term assignments in countries such as Kenya, South Africa, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukrain and Haiti. Hunger world-wide has had a high of 925 million in 2010 and had dropped by 10%. But with the recent rising food prices, the number of malnourished is growing once again pushing 68 million people under the World Bank’s extreme poverty line. This is defined as someone living on $1. 25 (U. S. ) a day.The World Bank’s quarterly report showed that the food price index has increased by 29% in the past year and is close to the peak reached in 2008, when soaring food prices sparked protests in dozens of countries. We are seeing this happen once again is countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and others. The result in the raised food prices is 44 million people living in dire poverty. This is about a 3% increase in the tot al number of people living in extreme poverty, which the World Bank calculates at about 1. billion. Israel can help countries who are having trouble with the food inflation. A strategy such as developing local markets and local communities so that people can grow their own food is one which Israel can help with. Some countries may even want to use the Israeli Kibbutz as a model if they so wish. With Israel’s abundant technology, we can offer help in that department, and can help with many different topographical locations as Israel has many itself.

Laser Shot Technology Essays

Laser Shot Technology Essays Laser Shot Technology Essay Laser Shot Technology Essay Laser Shot technology is the global leader in firearm and force option training solutions. Innovative products incorporate the latest technologies in developing accurate, dependable, and effective use of firearms by military, law enforcement, and other public safety professionals by using simulated programs (Laser Shot technology Firearms Training Solutions, 2011:i 1). Sustainability is achieving economic, environmental and social goals without compromising the same opportunity for future generations (Timmons Spinelli, 2009: 113). Viability can be defined as testing to see if the business idea can generate enough money to pay all of the expenses of the business, to cause growth or maintain stability, and to increase wealth (MacLeod Terblanche, 2004: 27) and that has satisfactory performance and opportunity for improvement (Lamb, Hair, McDaniel, Boshoff Terblanche, 2006: 121). Market can be defined as those customers who are willing and able to buy products to satisfy particular needs or wants (Stokes Wilson, 2006:120) Marketing mix refers to a unique blend of product, place (distribution), promotion and pricing strategies designed to produce mutually satisfying exchanges with a target market (McDaniel, Lamb Hair, 2008: 48)These questions address the viability and sustainability of the business idea. Before starting a business, the idea needs to be tested for viability. If the idea is viable, sustainability must be tested for the business to be a success. Even if an idea is viable, it does not mean that it is sustainable in the long-term. The aim of a business is to grow, and it can only grow if the sustainability factors economic, environmental and social can be positively achieved (MacLeod, et al. , 2004: 20 27). Laser Shot technology is an innovative, computer simulated product that assists in training various government and non-government agencies in firearm handling as well as combat training (Laser Shot technology Firearms Training Solutions, 2011:i 1). The product uses a unique approach simulating real-life situations applicable to police, military, hunting and sporting activities or situations (Laser Shot technology Firearms Training Solutions, 2011:i 1). The company provides different products for the various disciplines. Laser Shot technology was first used in 1999 at the Simulated Action Firearm Education Training for Youth or S. A. F. E. T. Y event in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America for simulated hunting activities (Grand Forks Herald, 2011:i 1). Since then it has grown in popularity and is currently being used extensively internationally for training police force and military personnel (Laser Shot technology Firearms Training Solutions, 2011:i 2). Laser Shot technology is a relatively new technology to South Africa and was first introduced in the Gauteng region in 2003 by Mike Mansell and Pierre van der Walt. In 2004, they started trading as Laser Shot technology SA cc (Laser Shot technology SA cc, 2011:i 1, 2). A product is not only a physical unit, but also includes other facets such as packaging, after-sale service, value, brand name, company image and warranty. Products are bought because they fulfill a need, have certain benefits or enhance the consumers image (McDaniel et al, 2008: 48). Laser Shot technology is an innovative product that simulates real-life situations to train various organisations in firearm handling and firing. Research has proven that virtual simulations are unbeaten in cost-effectiveness as well as proven that virtual training betters overall gun-handling (Leer reg en raak skiet in jou voorkamer, June 2011: 23). There are two types of training systems, iMarksman and Laser Shot technology. iMarksman is a beginners training system for people not yet accustomed to handling firearms, while Laser Shot technology is a more advanced system. The system allows for a marksman to shoot at a moving or stationary target using a laser-weapon. The hit point is then displayed on the screen and the effectiveness of the shot calculated (Laser Shot technology SA, 2011). Different courses are available for each of the systems. Real-life hunting and danger situations can be simulated either by pre-ordered videos or by a compilation of the users own videos. This training system can be complemented by live-fire training. Hardware needed for this program include a projector, laptop or desktop computer and a screen or light-painted wall.

The Cold Case of the Keddie Cabin Murders

The Cold Case of the Keddie Cabin Murders On April 11, 1981, 36-year-old Glenna Sue Sharp, her 15-year-old son John, and his 17-year-old friend Dana Wingate were murdered in Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort, in Keddie, California. It was discovered later that 12-year-old Tina Sharp was missing. Her remains surfaced years later. Before the Murders Sue Sharp and her five children- John, 15, Sheila, 14, Tina, 12, Ricky, 10, and Greg, 5- moved from Quincy to Keddie and rented Cabin 28 five months before the murders. On the evening of April 11, 1981, Sue had given the okay for Ricky and Greg to have their friend, 12-year-old Justin Eason, over to spend the night. Justin was also relatively new to Keddie. He had been living in Montana with his father, but moved in with his mother and stepfather, Marilyn and Martin Smartt, in November 1980. The Smartts lived in Cabin 26, which was just a short distance from the Sharps cabin. Letting Justin spend the night would not be a problem, but if it became one, Sue knew she could always send him home. Plus the house was fairly empty. Sheila had plans to go to a sleepover at a friends house. John and his friend, 17-year-old Dana Wingate, were going to Quincy that night, then coming back to hang out in Johns bedroom in the basement. Tina was over in Cabin 27 watching television, but came home around 10 p.m. The Discovery The following morning Sheila Sharp returned home at around 7:45 a.m. As she opened the door, she immediately noticed an offensive odor that seemed to engulf the room. When she stepped into the living room, it took her mind a moment to comprehend what her eyes were seeing. Her brother John appeared to be bound and lying on his back on the living room floor. There was blood caked around his neck and face. Next to John was a boy, bound and lying face down. It appeared that the boy and John were tied together at their feet. Her eyes then landed on a yellow blanket that was covering what looked like a body. Gripped by fear, Sheila ran to the neighbors while screaming for help. The investigation into the murders was initially handled by the Plumas County Sheriffs Office. From the start, the investigation was riddled with errors and oversights. To begin with, the crime scene was never properly secured. Even more astounding was the amount of time that it took for the police to realize that Tina Sharp was missing. When the first police officers arrived at the scene, Justin Eason tried to tell them that Tina was missing, but they ignored what the boy was saying. It wasnt until hours later that everyone realized that the 12-year-old daughter of the murdered woman was gone. The Murders Inside Cabin 28, investigators found two kitchen knives, one that had been used with such force that the blade was severely bent. Also found was a hammer, a pellet gun, and a pellet on the living room floor, which led investigators to believe that the pellet gun was also used in the attacks. Each victim had been bound with several feet of medical tape and electrical appliance wires removed from appliances in the home and extension cords. There was no medical tape at home before the murders, indicating that one of the attackers brought it in to help bind the victims. An examination of the victims was conducted. Sue Sharps lifeless body was found under the yellow blanket. She was wearing a robe, and her underwear had been removed and forced into her mouth. Also in her mouth was a ball of tape.   The underwear and tape were held in place with an extension cord that was also tied around her legs and ankles. Both Sue and John Sharp had been beaten with a claw hammer and stabbed multiple times in their bodies and throat. Dana Wingate was also beaten, but with a different hammer. He had been strangled to death. There was considerable blood on the living room floor, and drops of blood on Tinas bed. The investigation pointed to rape as the motivation behind kidnapping Tina, instead of murdering her in the home with the others. More evidence found included a bloody footprint that was discovered in the yard and knife marks in some of the walls of the home. The Investigation While the brutal attacks inside Cabin 28 were going on, Sues sons Ricky and Greg and their friend Justin Eason were sleeping undisturbed in the boys bedroom. The boys were found unharmed in the room the following morning after the murders.   A woman and her boyfriend, who were in the cabin next door to the Sharps cabin, were woken up at around 1:30 a.m. by what they described as  muffled  screams. The sound was so disturbing that the couple got up and looked around. When they were unable to determine where the screams were coming from, they went back to bed. It seems impossible that screams woke the neighbors, but did not disturb the boys that were in the same house where the screams originated. Also perplexing is why the killers chose not to harm the boys when any one of them could have been pretending to be asleep and later identified the perpetrators. A Possible Break in the Case The Plumas County Sheriffs Office questioned anyone who could have heard or witnessed something that could help solve the case. Among those that they interviewed were the Sharps neighbor, Justin Easons stepfather, Martin Smartt. What he told investigators made him a prime suspect in the crime. According to Smartt, on the night of the murders, a friend of his by the name of Severin John â€Å"Bo† Boubede was staying with the Smartts on a temporary basis. He said he and Boubede first met a few weeks earlier at the Veterans Administration Hospital, where they were both receiving treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. Smartt claimed to suffer from PTSD as a result of his time spent fighting in Vietnam. He went on to say that earlier in the evening of April 11, he, his wife, Marilyn and Boubede, decided to go to the Backdoor Bar for a few drinks.   Smartt worked as a chef at the Backdoor Bar, but it was his night off. On the way to the bar, the group stopped in on Sue Sharp and asked her if she wanted to join them for drinks. Sue told them no, so they left for the bar. At the bar, Smartt complained angrily to the manager about the music that was playing. They left shortly afterward and went back to the Smartts cabin. Marilyn watched television, then went to bed. Smartt, still angry about the music, called the manager and complained again. He and Boubede then went back to bar for more drinks. Thinking that they now had a prime suspect, the Plumas County sheriff contacted the Department of Justice in Sacramento. Two DOJ investigators, Harry Bradley and P.A. Crim, conducted additional interviews on Martin and Marilyn Smartt and Boubede. During the interview with Marilyn, she told the investigators that she and Martin separated the day after the murders. She said that he was short-tempered, violent, and abusive. After the interviews with the Smartts and Boubede were completed and Martin was polygraphed, the DOJ investigators decided that none of them were involved with the murders. Marilyn Smartt was interviewed again at a later date. She told investigators that Martin Smartt hated John Sharp. She also admitted that early in the morning of April 12, she saw Martin burning something in the fireplace. Back to Justin Eason As time went on, Justin Eason began to change his story. He had told the investigators that he was asleep during the murders, as were the other two boys, and that he did not hear anything.   In a later interview, he described in detail a dream that he had where he was on a boat and saw John Sharp and Dana fighting with a man with long black hair, a mustache, and black glasses, who was carrying a hammer. The man threw John overboard, and then Dana, who he said was very drunk.   He went on to describe seeing a body that was covered in a sheet lying on the bow. He looked under the sheet and saw Sue, who had a knife cut in her chest. He tried to help her by patching the wound with a rag, which he ended up throwing into the water. In reality, Sue Sharp did have a knife wound in her chest. Another time, while being polygraphed, Eason told the polygrapher that he thought that he saw the murders. He said that a noise woke him up and that got up and looked through the door into the living room. He said he saw Sue Sharp laying on the sofa and that there were two men standing in the middle of the room. He described the men, one with black and dark glasses, the other with brown hair and wearing army boots. John Sharp and Dana came into the room and began arguing with the two men. A fight broke out, and Dana tried to escape out through the kitchen, but the man with the brown hair hit him with a hammer. John was being attacked by the man with the black hair, and Sue tried to help John. Justin said that this point, he hid behind the door. He then saw the men tying up John and Dana. He also claimed that he saw Tina come into the living room holding a blanket and asking what was going on. The two men grabbed her and took her out the back door as Tina tried to call for help. He said the man with the black hair used a pocket knife to cut Sue in the middle of her chest. Justin worked with a sketch artist and came up with composites of the two men. A Former Neighbor On June 4, 1981, investigators Bradley and Crim interviewed a man who lived in Cabin 28, but moved two weeks before the murders. He said he did not know the Sharps, but that three weeks before the murders he heard Sue Sharp and an unknown man yelling at each other. They continued to fight for another 30 minutes, screaming obscenities back and forth at each other. DOJ Investigators Get a Slap From the Locals When details of the interviews that Bradley and Crim had conducted with Martin Smartt and Boubede came to light, the Plumas County authorities were livid. Bradley and Crim were accused of sloppy work and failing to fact check or to pursue clarification for obvious discrepancies made by Smartt and Boubede. During the initial interview with Crim, BouBede said that he had worked as a Chicago police officer for 18 years, but retired after being shot while in the line of duty. This was an obvious lie which could have quickly been spotted had Crim paid attention to Boubedes date of birth.  Boubede lied about how long he had lived in Kiddie by adding two weeks to the time.  He said Marilyn was his niece, which was a lie. He claimed Marilyn was awake when he and Smartt came home after their second trip to the bar. Had anyone been paying attention, they would have caught that it contradicted what Marilyn said, which was that she was asleep when the two men came home. BouBede said he never met Sue Sharp, which contradicted what Marilyn said about the three of them stopping at the Sharp house and inviting her for a drink. Bradley and Crim showed a similar lack of energy when interviewing Martin Smartt. In one interview, Smartt said that his stepson Justin Eason might have seen something on the night of the murders, adding, without me detecting him at the end of the sentence. The investigators either missed the implications in Smartts slip up, or they werent listening. Smartt talked to the investigators about the hammers that used in the murder, adding that he had recently lost is own hammer. There were no follow-up interviews with Smartt or BouBede, since the investigators believed that the pair had no involvement in the murders. No longer a prime suspect, Martin Smartt moved to Klamath, California. Boubede returned to Chicago where he scammed several police officers out of money, was caught and almost did prison time, but died before being incarcerated. Tinas Remains In 1984, the cranium part of a skull was found about 30 miles from Keddie. Several months later an anonymous caller told the Butte County Sheriffs office that the skull belonged to Tina Sharp. Another search of the area was made, and a jawbone and several other bones were found. Testing confirmed that the bones belonged to Tina Sharp. The Butte County Sheriffs office gave the original and the backup copy of the recording from the anonymous caller to someone in law enforcement. Since then, both the original and the backup copies have disappeared. A Dead Mans Confession and New Evidence Martin Smartt died in 2000, and not long after his death, his therapist told the Plumas County Sheriffs Office that Smartt had confessed to him that he killed Sue Sharp because she was trying to convince Marilyn to leave him. Smartt never mentioned who killed John, Dana, or Tina. He also told the therapist that it was easy to beat the polygraph, that he and Plumas County Sheriff Doug Thomas were friends, and one time he let Thomas move in with him. On March 24, 2016, a hammer was found that that matches the description of the hammer that Marty Smartt claimed was missing two days after the murders. According to Plumas County Sheriff Hagwood, the location it was found... It would have been intentionally put there. It would not have been accidentally misplaced.

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Summarize an - Article Example In support of this prediction, when participants in a lab experiment were frequently interrupted by instant messages, they reported greater stress and frustration while working on another task (Mark, Gudith, &Klocke, 2008). Reducing stress by checking email less often may have broader implications for well-being. People who experience more day to day stress report lower productivity and less meaning in life. This pattern of indirect effects points to the conclusion that checking email less frequently might have broader downstream consequences for well-being by reducing stress. Furthermore, lower stress is associated with other positive outcomes including higher mindfulness, self-perceived productivity, and sleep quality. Recent research suggests that some people feel stressed by email in part because others expect them to reply quickly (e.g., Gillespie, Walsh, Winefields, Dua, & Stough, 2001).I believe checking emails less often reduces stress directly and indirectly in our lives thu s affecting our well-being. E.g. in work place like of supply job, one has to constantly keep on checking mails to see who is ordering goods and this is very stressful in fact when you have a lot of clients. Therefore frequency of checking emails affects individual’s well-being. Because one will not be able to note the work overload, they will not have to reply to the emails immediately thus reduced psychological stress results to positive well-being for an