History of the Vietnam Wars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History of the Vietnam Wars - Essay Example eneva, in which Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam received their independence and Vietnam was temporarily divided between an anti-Communist South and a Communist North. In 1956, South Vietnam, with American backing, refused to hold the unification elections† (Learn about the Vietnam War, 2010). It is difficult to understand what the French and the Americans tried to achieve. If they felt they could impose their might through superior military prowess, they had difficult time proving it in the marshy soil of tropical Vietnam. In the first place, the military preparation was nothing short of disaster. The huge pile of weapons stocked by the French and the Americans was of little avail to the Vietnamese. The weapons only served to aggravate or spoil things for the French and the Americans by adverse reactions from their own homelands. Nothing much is known about adverse public reaction to the Indo-China war in France. The protests were largely muted and it was left to the politicians to take action as they deemed fit. The French defeat in Dien Bien Phu was a substantial eye-opener to the French government and they did not waste time in tactfully concluding the war with a peace conference in Geneva. The Americans were, however, more noisy. In the United States, opposition to the war was vociferous. As the years progressed, the media was pregnant with news of public protests and atrocities committed on American soldiers. Politically, both President Johnson and President Nixon faced angry crowds swearing by anti-war statements. The American Presidents were sensitive to adverse political decisions and had no idea the chaotic situation at home might cause in the present or in the future. In the latter years of President Nixon, he was too caught up with the Watergate scandal to think clearly on issues with regard to Vietnam. His frustrations compounded issues and the failure of the Americans in the Vietnam was the result of political wrangles that only added to the

What the Vietnam Vets Can Teach Us Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What the Vietnam Vets Can Teach Us - Essay Example The clearest part despite all that took place during that horrific moment is that nothing sunk in the minds of Americans as virtues such as negligence or even corruption is practiced, meaning it did not paint any picture in the minds of the citizens. The veteran’s memorial should be a constant reminder to whoever comes across it and should recall and things done back then should not be repeated.   Certain myths are unique to specific cultures, and with them as Barthes Roland tell it,4 they serve different functions. They can either honor or disguise the culture eroding both facts and truths that were behind it. They are meant to bring citizens like a community shunning evil practices and embracing harmony. Not all this is accomplished as you’ll still find people in America suffering with their children and you’d conclude that time has elapsed them or isn’t the society giving back? The setting of the memorial I’m meant to understand is supposed to bury the hatchet and give birth to an entirely different society with different perspectives. (Warren 2004) With the veterans, you’ll find moral seriousness in particular unlike a different kind of America on the basis of what one learnt, observed and got from the experience according to the senses based on; violence and brutality underwent. This brought about a different kind of behavior in the manner the vets treat and address each other based on  mutual respect and love. A conversation with Beikirch Gary similarly proves as the medal5 reward awarded to him intensifies him about the war times, how far he has come to attain the presidency of the Genesse valley V.V.A chapter and above all he knows he’s appreciated by his country. Unlike the other Americans, the vets were different in that they stood for one another shared together helped each other and showed generosity to their selves. They stand for justice and are optimistic it’s going to be practiced by th e citizens and those in power. This prompts them to lead by example as majority of Americans lack a sense of personality in the creation of moral values. If allowed, the vets would be willing to go and finish what they started for the sake of America. (Sung 1998)   As different as we are, so were they in their time and childhood years. There are some whom were lucky and their fathers happened to be involved in the Second World War. This was a merit as traits, tactics and morals would be passed to them with ease and out of experience to make them belief in the glory brought about the war. Catholics who were not lucky got a chance   as well as challenges through Kennedy George as he publicly asked, what they would do for their country individually, in the quest to kick out communism, not only to please their religious leader nor those in power or elders, but mostly God. There are those who embraced the war, and in my opinion I would say it was the lack of knowledge, love and ignor ance in order to satisfy what their elders were unable to accomplish. Loss of a loved would have prompted so many to join with the motive of revenging. (Terry 1984) I support them as having been cut off from all sustaining world activities as it was not only some way to reunite, but also a common practice with the entire nation. They were facing extinction and this made them feel left out. But it was different for some as they could not bear what they did during that particular time, and their conscience judged them of their doings prompting to rhetoric questions to a point of wanting to commit suicide. This is evident that depression is downing on them now as in the beginning they lacked knowledge and dashed into war without even thinking about the aftermath.

The Split-Cycle Engine Essay Example for Free

The Split-Cycle Engine Essay The Split-Cycle Engine changes the heart of the conventional engine by dividing (or splitting) the four strokes of the Otto cycle over a paired combination of one compression cylinder and one power cylinder. Gas is compressed in the compression cylinder and transferred to the power cylinder through a gas passage. The gas passage includes a set of uniquely timed valves, which maintain a prechargedpressure through all four strokes of the cycle. Shortly after the piston in the power cylinder reaches its top dead center position, the gas is quickly transferred to the power cylinder and fired (or combusted) to produce the power stroke. Split-cycle internal combustion engine claims have the potential to double fuel efficiency for same size engine, while reducing the manufacturing price by up to 50% which includes a built in dedicated compressor. Rather than using batteries and electric motors/generators to harness braking energy, the engine uses the air compressor. A split cycle engine includes a novel compressor apparatus driven by the combustion engine, a closed-cycle refrigeration system in cooperation with the compressor apparatus, and a pneumatic motor driven by compressed air from the compressor apparatus. Refrigerant in the compressor absorbs thermal energy from compressed air and assists in compressing the air. High-pressure air from the compressor is stored in a storage tank and may be used to drive the pneumatic motor or other auxiliary equipment in addition to providing high-pressure combustion air for the internal combustion engine Introduction An engine includes a crankshaft having a crank throw, the crankshaft rotating about crankshaft axis. A compression piston is slid ably received within a compression cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft such that the compression piston reciprocates through an intake stroke and a compression stroke of a four stroke cycle during a single rotation of the crankshaft. An expansion piston is slid ably received within an expansion cylinder. A connecting rod is pivotally connected to the expansion piston. A mechanical linkage rotationally connects the crank throw to the connecting rod about a connecting rod/crank throw axis such that the expansion piston reciprocates through an expansion stroke and an exhaust stroke of the four stroke cycle during the same rotation of the crankshaft. A non-circular path is established by the mechanical linkage which the connecting rod/crank throw axis travels around the crankshaft axis. Moving Engine Technology into the 21st Century The first four-stroke piston engine was developed in 1876. This four-stroke piston arrangement is still the primary design of engines built today. Today’s engines operate at only 33% efficiency. This means that only 1/3 of the energy in each gallon of fuel is used the rest is lost through friction and heat. With over a billion engines currently in use worldwide, even small gains in efficiency will have huge impacts on the economy, dependency on foreign oil, and the environment. Despite immense efforts over the past century, engine efficiency has remained the same. The Heart Of The Engine Needs To Change: The heart of the internal combustion engine is a piston moving up and down in a cylinder connected to a crankshaft. Its simplicity makes improving performance almost impossible. Small improvements have proven difficult and large improvements have been considered impossible. Improving the four-stroke piston design has become the Rubik’s Cube of engineering, a puzzle that nobody has been able to solve until now. While the industry struggles for gains in the 1% range, the design of the Split-Cycle Technology pushes engine efficiency and performance to an entirely new level. Conventional Engine Design The heart of the internal combustion engine is a piston connected to a crankshaft, moving up and down in a cylinder through the four strokes of the Otto Cycle, the intake, compression, power and exhaust strokes. In a typical four-stroke cycle engine, power is recovered from the combustion process in these four separate piston strokes within each single cylinder. This basic design has not changed for more than 100 years. The Various Strokes And Stages Involved A. Intake and Compression: The basic concept of the Split Cycle Engine is to divide the four strokes of a standard engine over a paired combination of one compression cylinder and one power (or expansion) cylinder. These two cylinders perform their respective functions once per crankshaft revolution. The concept is illustrated in Figures 1 through 8. A common misconception is that twice as many cylinders are required. This is simply not accurate. Because this engine fires every revolution instead of every other revolution, the number of power strokes produced is equal to the power strokes produced by two of the conventional piston/cylinder designs. A four cylinder engine would still have four cylinders. There would simply be two sets of paired cylinders instead of four individual cylinders. In the configuration shown, an intake charge is drawn into the compression cylinder through typical poppet-style valves. B .Compression Stroke The compression cylinder then pressurizes (Fig. 2) the charge and drives the charge through the crossover passage, which acts as the intake port for the power cylinder. In this illustration, a check valve (best seen in Figures 6, 7 and 8) is used to prevent reverse flow from the crossover passage to the compression cylinder, and likewise a poppet-style valve (crossover valve) prevents reverse flow from the power cylinder to the crossover passage. The check valve and crossover valve are timed to maintain pressure in the crossover passage at or above firing conditions during an entire four stroke cycle. C. Power and Exhaust: Combustion occurs soon after the intake charge enters the power cylinder from the crossover passage. This means that the start of combustion occurs after the power cylinder passes through its top dead center position. The resulting combustion drives the power cylinder down. Exhaust gases are than pumped out of the power cylinder through a poppet valve to start the cycle over again. D. Previous Split-Cycle Designs There have been other similar split-cycle engine designs in the past, but they have never been able to match the thermal efficiency levels of the standard four-stroke engine. This is due in large part to the fact that, as the gas is transferred from the crossover passage to the power cylinder in the prior engine designs, the gas has always been allowed to over-expand in the power cylinder and then must be recompressed before initiating combustion. The extra work required to recompress the gas greatly reduces efficiency levels.

Molecular Modelling: Explained

Molecular Modelling: Explained Molecular modelling is one of the fastest growing fields in science, but what is it and what does it mean? â€Å"Molecular modelling encompasses all theoretical methods and computational techniques used to model or mimic the behaviour of molecules. The techniques are used in the fields of computational chemistry, drug design, computational biology and materials science for studying molecular systems ranging from small chemical systems to large biological molecules and material assemblies. The simplest calculations can be performed by hand, but inevitably computers are required to perform molecular modelling of any reasonably sized system. The common feature of molecular modelling techniques is the atomistic level description of the molecular systems. This may include treating atoms as the smallest individual unit (the molecular mechanics approach), or explicitly modelling electrons of each atom (the quantum chemistry approach).†[1] As stated, molecular modelling is a way to notice the interaction of a molecule with a molecular system. The best way currently to carry out this process is through computer modelling, but it is still plausible to perform the simplest of studies through the use of molecular mechanics or through the use of a notepad, pen and calculator. However the main concern is that most of the time it may be necessary to carry out molecular modelling through computer modelling as it can be very difficult to work out some of the calculations by hand, whereas the computer can accomplish this for us. So what is it? Furthermore to this all, molecular modelling is an expanding topic with more and more developments occurring within the field as the days go on. New scientific papers and methods are being posted as well as an increased amount of journals being published. From this we can see that it’s a topic with a huge variety knowledge and background. This is justified alone from how many issues there are with the problems where molecular modelling can be applied and the abundance of methods that can be used. The journals and papers written about molecular modelling also go into detail of theoretical chemistry and computational chemistry. As a result of this, it is very hard to keep up with molecular modelling techniques and theories due to the fact that there is an increased knowledge of the field as each day goes on. Thanks to the role of the internet, scientists are able to access more journals and papers to find articles on the relevant field they are interested in studying. This in tu rn also means that there are articles directed for all readers to understand, whether you know nothing at all to someone who is a researcher in the field of theoretical chemistry. The brilliance of this all is that there are documents of research, which keep up to date with only the recent developments, so it’s a quick fix for some scientists to see what they’ve missed out.[2] Molecular modelling is alternatively know as molecular mechanics. The basis of the method is to work out the structure and calculate the energy of molecules from their nuclear motion. The idea of how molecular modelling works is assumed on the Born-Oppenheimer approximation of the Schrà ¶dinger equation. This meaning that the approximation states that nuclei, due to their mass being greater than electrons, move more slowly. As a result we can identify the nuclear motion of nuclei separately to that of electrons and therefore the rotations and vibrations can be studied alone assuming that electrons move fast enough to adjust to any movement of its nuclei. Through the use of force fields, we can calculate the energy and geometry of a molecule. This creates the measure for molecular modelling. A force field is a collection of atom types, parameters and equations. By looking into further examples, we can show how molecular modelling is used. Looking into the idea of force fields, we can see that certain atoms have several atom types. We can look at compounds like ethylbenzene, which contains hybridised carbon atoms and aromatic carbon atoms. Through this, we can further explain it to show the parameters of force fields in different bonds as ethylbenzene has different C-C bonds, which are present in the ethyl group and phenyl ring. The total energy of a molecule is separated into different parts named force potentials. These are calculated separately and then added together to give the total energy present within a molecule. These force potentials are what are associated with the equations for the energies with bond stretching, bond bending, torsional strain and van der Waals interactions. E(total) = E(stretch) + E(bend) + E(s-b) + E(torsion) + E(vdW) + E(dp-dp) Energy due to Bond Stretching If a bond within a compound is stretched or compressed, the energy of the bond increases. The form of calculation for the potential energy for a bond stretching and compressing is a similar calculation to that of Hooke’s law for a spring, except a cubic term is included. As a result of the cubic term, it helps to keep the energy from rising too sharply when the bond is stretched. Energy due to Bond Angle Bending When bonds are bent away from the standard degree, the energy increases. However, there are some exceptions for the calculations of this energy, as cyclic compounds provide special atom types and parameters, which are used in the force field. Energy due to Stretch-Bend Interactions Bonds will stretch to release tension when two bonds have their angle reduced. Through the use of cross term potential functions, we can take into account the terms of bond stretching and bond bending together. Energy due to Torsional Strain intramolecular rotations require energy. The torsional potential is a Fourier series that accounts for all one to four through-bond relationships. Energy due to van der Waals Interactions The van der Waals radius of an atom gives its effective size. As two non-bonded atoms are brought together, the attraction increases causing a decrease in energy. If the distance between the two non-bonded atoms equals the sum of the can der Waals radii the attraction is at a maximum. The closer the atoms are brought together, the greater the energy and the greater the van der Waals repulsion. Energy due to Dipole-Dipole Interactions The calculation for dipole-dipole interactions is similar to that of Coulomb’s law. We can calculate it by considering all the interactions in a molecule. If there is a net charge present in the molecule, calculations must be carried out for charge-charge and charge-dipole.[3] To put this all into layman terms, molecular modelling varies from the construction and imaging of simple molecules to creating computer simulations on large protein molecules. Through the use of advanced computer software, we can visualise, rotate, optimise and manipulate molecular models. Some calculations can take up to a few seconds but there are models where it would take months to produce results.[4] What is it used for? Molecular modelling allows us to create a greater visual aspect to show the shapes of molecules and show how they interact. It is used vastly in certain fields, such as, Biology. An example of this would be through enzymes. Their substrates, receptors and their signalling. As of this we can see how useful and how certain molecules interact with one another forming complex molecules where we can then evaluate how strong the binding affinity is and how it would visually be seen. The biological activity of a drug molecule is supposed to depend on just one unique shape amongst all low energy structures. Through the use of molecular modelling, we can search and target these bioactive conformations. Molecular modelling allows us to identify the atomic and molecular interactions that control the behaviour of a physical system. The molecular interactions that would be identified would be those mentioned above to work out the energy of the force potentials. One of the first approaches to calculating molecule-molecule binding free energy differences was through the use of comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) [Cramer et al., 1988], which allowed us to understand and interpret the active sites of enzymes without a crystal structure being present. Molecular mechanics allows us to find the best viable solution in which we can model large and non-symmetrical chemical systems. This can be for molecules such as proteins and polymers. Through the use of the classical laws of physics, molecular mechanics allows us to predict the chemical properties of molecules. The issue with this is that we cannot calculate or deal with bond breakage or formation where the treatment of electrons dominate the effects. We tend to turn to molecular mechanics for comparative results rather than absolute quantities. For example, a force field is an empirical approximation for structure-energy relationships in molecules, which allows us to show a comparison between speed and accuracy. We can produce a better, or even, a more realistic geometry value for the vast majority of organic molecules, due to the fact they are highly parameterised thanks to molecular mechanics. Molecular dynamics is highly dependent on Newtonian mechanics. this is a conformation space search where atoms are given an initial velocity and are then allowed to evolve in the time. [van Gunsteren Berendsen, 1977]. The issue with molecular dynamics is that we have to use minimisation schemes, but if we take a look at the effects of temperature, some molecules can overcome the potential energy at the surface. Through the use of simulated annealing, we can control these issues at present [Kirkpatrick et al, 1983, Cerny, 1985]. This allows us to use molecular dynamic calculation in which the system temperature is raised to a large value to allow a spread of exploration of the available conformational space. With an increase in dynamics, the system temperature would be decreased. The last phase would be to use minimisation to select a minimum energy molecular conformation.[5] Molecular Modelling Challenges There are numerous challenges that pose in the way of molecular modelling. They range from the lack of knowledge about certain species of molecules to the free energy calculations that are taken place. There has been vast development in knowledge within areas such as in gene databases. The issue is, there is a lack of information in the laws of protein folding for example. There is only so much we know about sequence information but with the little intelligence we have about protein folding, it restricts the inference of structure from sequence. A novel approach scans a pathological vector victimisation the tools of molecular biology; of the various relevant proteins made, a couple of are often isolated, crystallised, and structurally elucidated. The structures of traditional and pathological molecules are often compared and compounds designed to inhibit pathogenic enzymes or receptors by selection. distinguishing the targets is that the initial downside we tend to encounter. So with the structure of even one target protein, and therefore the information of function of its receptor or active site, its currently doable to use computer tools to make and dock a ligand or inhibitor before investing time and resources for synthesis and testing. Conversely, large-scale screening might detect â€Å"new leads† that then should be modelled so as to explore later synthetic analogs. In either case, molecular modelling is crucial for understanding and exploring the structure-function relationship. attractive and repulsive forces are often summed and therefore the work quantified. Ideally, one seeks a correlative listing of experimental and computational values to offer assurance that novel compounds are often evaluated before being synthesised. However, there still are exceptions and sudden surprises (Meyer et al., 1995) that has to temper the passion of the molecular modeller. Based on Fischer’s â€Å"lock and key† simile, the mechanical view of molecular interactions are often understood and applied to biomolecules. However, even â€Å"rigid† molecules have local flexibility and fluxional water molecules are typically a structural appendage of each the â€Å"lock† and therefore the â€Å"key,† which implies the in vivo structure might disagree considerably from that on the display screen. Therefore, modelling code must have a choice to simulate the presence of pervasive water molecules. Molecular mechanics calculations will solely seek the local energy minimum, however are unable to climb the pass into the next energy level. Molecular dynamics simulations are a strong tool for inclusion of the fluxional nature of biomolecules and in best circumstances, will explore the energetic landscape in search of the energy minimum. Atomic parameters are approximate and based on a generic, classical atom, whereas these parameters change modify in a fluxional structure, thus quantum molecular dynamics is required. This field has however to mature, and necessary computational resources greatly exceed today’s supercomputers, to not mention the PC. Again, however does one treat water rigorously (dielectric constant, ionisation state, fluxional H-bond- ing; bulk vs. microscopic quantities)? Challenge #3 could be a rigorous computational simulation of a biochemical reaction in an exceedingly in a accessible to the synthetic chemist, as mentioned by professor Ursula Roethlisber ger (ETH Zentrum, Zà ¼rich, Switzerland) at this symposium.[6] Another big issue is the topi that there is extreme difficulty in calculation free energies by computer. Free energy is often considered to be the most important value when looking into thermodynamics. It can be expressed in two ways, Helmholtz function or Gibbs function. Both work similarly in the sense that they both work with only a constant number of particles and a constant temperature, but Gibbs free energy works with also a constant pressure (NPT) and Helmholtz works with a constant volume (NVT). Most experiments that are carried out, it is best suited to use the Gibbs function as most conditions are kept under constant temperature and pressure. The issue with all of this, is that free energy calculations are difficult to carry out then working with liquids or flexible macromolecules as they have far too many minimum energy configurations separated by low-energy barriers. Other calculations that are difficult to carry out are those such as entropy and chemical potentials. Through the use of the Monte Carlo simulation or ‘standard’ molecular dynamics, it is still very difficult to calculate free energy because said simulations do not sufficiently sample the regions of phase space, which contribute greatly to free energy. The two simulations, molecular dynamics sampling and Monte Carlo, are used to find the lower-energy reasons of phase space. as a result, the sampling data will not show reflection of the high-energy regions, so calculating free energy through simulation tends to give inaccurate values. Another problem is the calculation of free energy differences of two states. We can approach these issues mentioning the simulations above. Three methods have been proposed; thermodynamic perturbation, thermodynamic integration and slow growth. From these we can calculate the free energy differences. New methods for calculating free energy changes can be worked out with errors no more than 1 kcal / mol in certain cases. Through the use of the two different simulations, one of the initial system and one of the final system. The energies calculated from the two systems are large numbers, with a great error. The difference would be comparable in magnitude to the error in the energy of each system. We determine what the free energy is in terms of interactions involving the solute, which in turn allows us to give a more accurate reading in energy calculations. The two energy systems calculated, are large numbers with a great deal of error, but from this we can take the enthalpy difference and error difference then compare them in magnitude. From this, free energy is calculated based on the interactions involving the solute, therefore we can calculate free energy much more accurately. When looking at the major sources of error with free energy calculations in computer simulations, they can result from inaccuracies in potential model choice or its implementation. Our other source of error comes from the phase space, by collection insufficient sampling. The main issue is the fact that we cannot find a method that guarantees adequate coverage of phase space, meaning it is hard to calculate free energy values. We can identify the inadequate sampling through two methods, we can run the simulation for an increased duration, so using the molecular dynamics simulation, or for an increased amount of repetitions, so the Monte Carlo simulation. We can perform this in both the forward and reverse directions, so a different scheme can be use to calculate the free energy difference. Most of the time, the simulation is run in both directions, and from this, we can calculate the lower-bound estimate of the error in calculation from the different in free energy values. One thing we have to be cautious of is the fact that we need to be careful when carrying out these simulations, because when we cary out more than necessary amounts of simulation over a short simulation, estimating errors is a lot more difficult because the results give a near zero difference between the forward and reverse directions. If the time of simulation exceeds that of the relaxation time of the system, then it is possible to carry it out reversibly. However, if the time of simulation is that of the same order of magnitude as the relaxation time then approximately zero hysteresis may result. This would be due to the incapability of the system to adjust to the changes. Within this, free energies in both directions could appear to be the same and as a result, quite likely to be wrong.[7] [1] Molecular modelling Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2014. Molecular modelling Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_modelling. [Accessed 22 March 2014]. [2] Leach, Andrew R., 2001. Molecular Modelling: Principles and Applications. 2nd ed. London: Harlow : Prentice Hall. [3] Introduction to Molecular Modeling. 2014. Introduction to Molecular Modeling. [ONLINE] Available at: http://chemistry.gsu.edu/Glactone/modeling/MMintro.html. [Accessed 22 March 2014]. [4] What is Molecular Modeling?. 2014. What is Molecular Modeling?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.worldofmolecules.com/txtbk2/topic1.htm. [Accessed 22 March 2014]. [5] Using Molecular Modelling to Study Interactions Between Molecules with Biological Activity | InTechOpen. 2014. Using Molecular Modelling to Study Interactions Between Molecules with Biological Activity | InTechOpen. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.intechopen.com/books/bioinformatics/using-molecular-modelling-to-study-interactions-between-molecules-with-biological-activity. [Accessed 22 March 2014]. [6] Edgar F. Meyer, Stanley M. Swanson, Jocylin A. Williams, 2000. Molecular Modelling and Drug Design. Pharmacology Therapeutics, [Online]. 85, 113–121. [7] Leach, Andrew R., 2001. Molecular Modelling: Principles and Applications. 2nd ed. London: Harlow : Prentice Hall.

Mysticism in A Passage to India Essay -- Passage to India Essays

Mysticism in Forester's A Passage to India      Ã‚  Ã‚   The figure of Mrs. Moore, and the problem of what happened to her in the extraordinary Marabar Caves, has fascinated critics for decades. The question has absorbed attention to a degree that does not correspond to the secondary role that Mrs. Moore plays in the plot of A Passage to India. On the surface, she is a supporting character, yet many of the unresolved issues of the novel seem to be concentrated in her experience. Mrs. Moore arrives in India a sympathetic figure, and departs unresponsive and uncaring, transformed beyond recognition by the mysterious voice of the Marabar. The deliberately unexplained matter of what spoke to her in the cave has intrigued virtually every scholar who has written on this novel, each coming up with his or her own interpretation of the event. Some have claimed that an evil, ancient force dwelt in the caves, while others suggest that Mrs. Moore achieved a life-altering Hindu insight. There is indeed substantial indication that Mrs. Moor e achieved the primary goal of certain branches of Hinduism, melding the Atman and Brahman (Self and not-Self) into one indivisible entity, and therefore recognizing the single, pervasive force that underlies everything. However, no transcendence seems to result from this recognition, as Mrs. Moore is destroyed rather than uplifted by her vision.    Although her experience deceptively contains elements of a Hindu insight, I believe that she ultimately encountered a perverted, sinister, and finally hollow version of Hinduism. The truly beautiful complexity of the philosophy/religion is reduced by the unrelenting echo of the cave. It becomes something devoid of depth and meaning, and particularly devoid ... ...rews, 178.    WORKS CITED Bradbury, Malcolm, ed. E.M. Forester: A Passage to India. London: Macmillan, 1970. Clarke, Peter B., ed. The World's Religions: Understanding the Living Faiths. London: Reader's Digest, 1993. Crews, Frederick C. "A Passage to India." Bradbury, 165-85. Deussen, Paul. The Philosophy of the Upanishads. Trans. Rev. A.S. Geden. New York: Dover, 1966. Forester, E.M. A Passage to India. Ed. Oliver Stallybrass. London: Penguin, 1979. Kermode, Frank. "The One and Orderly Product." Bradbury, 216-23. Moody, Phillipa. A Critical Commentary on E.M.Forester's 'A Passage to India'. London: Macmillan, 1968. White, Gertrude M. "A Passage to India: Analysis and Revaluation." Bradbury, 132-53. Zimmer, Heinrich. Philosophies of India. Bollingen Series XXVI. Ed. Joseph Campbell. New Jersey: Princeton UP, 1969.

Bound By Honor :: essays research papers

â€Å"Blood In†¦Blood Out† Bound By Honor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the movie â€Å"Blood In†¦Blood Out,† there are three young Chicano teens just trying to survive in a white man’s world. First, you have Paco, a rebellious teen that loves a fight, and is in a small East Los Angeles street gang called â€Å"Vatos Locos.† Then, there is his half brother Cruz, he is trying to stray away from the gang life by painting, however, he still is and hangs with the Vatos Locos. Lastly, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and white skin, there is Miklo the cousin of Cruz and Paco, who ran away from his white father to reconect with his Mexican roots. The only problem is Miklo does not look Chicano, and the Mexican community, including Paco, have a hard time accepting him into the world he so much wants to be a part of. His friends call him names like â€Å"white boy† or â€Å"guero† to make fun of his skin. Miklo though, is determined to gain the respect of his peers, he decides that he too wants to be a â€Å"Vato Loco,â₠¬  which doesn’t sit very well with Paco. He tells Miklo, â€Å"Do white boys get VL placas (tattoos)? No, it doesn’t happen. Unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and that’s where it all starts. Paco decides that his cousin can be part of the Vatos Locos, but since he is half white, he will have to prove himself to the group, by doing something big for them. Miklo quickly obliges, and bashes out the window of a rival gang called â€Å"Tres Puntos.† With that Miklo gets to be in the â€Å"in crowd† as he always wanted to be. Tres Puntos not agreeing with this, takes it out on Cruz, and thus starts a gang war. Things become even worse when at a war between the two gangs, Miklo shoots and kills the head member Spider. This brings on even bigger problems then Miklo can imagine: San Quentin Prison. Suddenly, everything Miklo learned in the street gang becomes obsolete, and he is back to being an outsider with no one to turn to. The AV’ers, a clique of white males in prison, want Miklo to side with them, but Miklo does not want any part of them. Instead, he wants to hang with the Mexican clique, La Onda, which do not want anything to do with this â€Å"guero† (white boy in Spanish). They pick on him, call him names, and do not want him within their sight.

Food Memoir Essay

During my early twenties, I developed a passion for cooking. The deeper I delved into the art of cooking quality food, the more I realized the amalgamating properties it held. Little did I know, this hobby was something my new wife Jenn and I did not share. The first indication that there might be a problem in the kitchen occurred with a simple request one evening after work: â€Å"Honey, I would like some bacon,† I said. To my astonishment, my bride declared, â€Å"I don’t know how to cook bacon, I don’t even like bacon! † I knew this woman for seven years—my high school sweetheart—and I never knew she didn’t like bacon. â€Å"Who doesn’t like bacon anyway? It’s un-American! † I said. No wife of mine would ever dislike bacon. And even if you didn’t like it, how could you not know how to cook it? Exasperated, I explained how you begin with a cold pan, as not to scorch it. I continued, showing her how not to overlap the bacon, but not to leave too much space either. The conversation continued and I took jabs where I could. She contended that she did not like bacon because of its texture; I argued it was because she did not know how to cook it right. I couldn’t really blame her though, she came by it honestly. My mother-in-law cannot cook—at all. She has a rotation of three to four meals that come from a can or a package. Hamburger Helper was commonplace growing up in that house. A simple meal such as spaghetti is a botched experiment in â€Å"homemade cooking. † Her recipe consists of un-doctored, canned sauce poured onto over-cooked, mushy noodles, that she stirs the entire time they are boiling. Sometimes, she’ll even add a couple of frozen meatballs from a bag. To our delight, most of our meals with the mother-in-law take place in a restaurant, where it’s safe. We are able to enjoy the occasion of food and family, while actually being able to stomach the food. It is the aforementioned reasons that my wife could not cook when we first got married; she simply was not taught or even exposed to the practice of cooking. She was also rather close-minded when it came to new things. After-all, Hamburger Helper only came in so many varieties. It was up to me to change all this—to teach her to cook, and open her mind to new flavors. I grew up with real home-cooked meals. My dad, now an engineer, was once the chef at a local restaurant in our hometown of Marion, Illinois. He imparted in me an appreciation for real food, and dispelled the myth in my mind, that â€Å"mom† was responsible for putting dinner on the table. Years later, dad is a still a major influence in my relationship with food, which in turn strengthens my relationship with him. For the past ten years, going to dad’s house for Sunday dinner has been tradition—first me, then my wife, and now our three children. Dad and I haven’t always seen eye-to-eye on certain things, but there is an emulsifying, unifying power that quality food possesses, that helped heal our relationship. Even before the modern days of Sunday dinner began, my dad was my inspiration to learn to cook, and I aspire to be the same for my children. One factor that enhanced my appreciation for cooking was the time I spent in my early twenties watching the Food Network. There, I watched Emeril Lagasse cook up his latest masterpiece with a â€Å"BAM! † I attempted to emulate many of his dishes, some even with success. It was in this time period that I actually began to develop some culinary skill. My mother was my faithful and willing test subject. Her only complaint was the disaster I left in my wake. I could cook, but would somehow manage to destroy the entire kitchen in the process. One of my favorite dishes I picked up in this time period was a simple bologna recipe I picked up from Emeril, which became an oft-requested Super Bowl staple. Emeril’s Favorite Brown Sugar-Crusted Baked Bologna1: An all-beef bologna, smothered in Dijon mustard and brown sugar, and slow-cooked for five hours. The resulting deliciousness is served on fresh, white bread with yellow mustard. I never would have thought bologna could become gourmet, and it was with this dish I learned it is often the simpler recipes that have the most impact. This taught me that delicious cuisine doesn’t necessarily take hours of preparation alongside fancy ingredients. Sometimes, all a simple recipe needs is a creative twist to turn it into something incredible. It took some time, but Jenn came around. The more I encouraged her to try new things, the wider her horizons became. She began to cook, and found she was actually a natural in the kitchen. And how did I finally get her to eat bacon? While she was pregnant with our first son, she would eat anything. I would come home from work to find family-size boxes of macaroni and cheese decimated. I knew this was my chance. I started sneaking bacon into dishes, and onto sandwiches—anywhere I remotely thought I could fit it in. Lo and behold, she found she actually liked it! Now that we both have a healthy appreciation of cooking, we keep a strong focus on it in our day to day lives. Despite our busy schedules, it is a priority of ours to eat together as a family whenever possible. Because of our passion for a unique blend of health and great taste in our diets, our children are always trying, and usually liking, new foods. We can already see in them an appreciation for good food, and an affinity for family meal time. What’s the number one request for just about any meal? Bacon, of course.