Thomas Harris Essay Example For Students

Thomas Harris Essay Thomas Harris is a man with many tallents, an a keen intrest in writing. Heearned a major in English, he has written for many newspapers and is most knownfor his second book which became a major motion picture earning 5 Academy Awardsfor Best Picture , Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director and Best AdaptedScreen Play, Silence of the Lambs. Harris was born in Jackson Tennessee in 1940He loved to read, he moved to Rich Mississippi at a young age so his fathercould persue a farming carrer. He got married but was divorced in the 1960s,by then he had one child. A daughter byt he name of Anne. At this point Harrismoved to New York to became a writer for the Harold Tribune as a policereporter. He wrote minor articles for magazines. Though he found the police workto be boring it exposed him to the police enviironement which he uses in hisnovels. His first novel was wrote in 1975, it was about terrorists who use theGoodyear Blimp to try and bomb the Super Bowl. Harris and two other co-worke rscame up with the idea for the story but Harris took over and finished the novel. The novel became a succsesfull movie and a notional bestseller. Thomas devotedmost of his time now to writing, he writes with such detail that it took himuntill 1981 for him to release his next book. One of the reasons Harris booksdo so well is because of his attention to detail, he spends many yearsreaserching a subject before he writes a novel about it. His second book, RedDragon was the first book in a series of three phycological thrillers in whichyou are taken in to the mind of a killer known as Hannibal theCannibal Lecter. The next book is by far his most famous and is titledSilence of the Lambs. This novel is about an FBI agent trying tofind a killer by the name of Buffalo Bill, she needs to crack open the mind ofHannibal Lecter in order to find him. His third book Hannibal,is about the huntfor the long time escaped killer Hannibal the Cannible Lecter. Harris now resided in many of his homes located in Rich Mississippi, Long IslandNY, and Miami Flordia.

History Of Computers Essays (2580 words) - Vacuum Tube Computers

History Of Computers History of the Computer Industry Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the U.S. and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American Society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the computer has changed nearly every aspect of peoples lives for the better. The very earliest existence of the modern day computers ancestor is the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wires on which beads are strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to programming rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed (Soma, 14). The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first digital calculating machine. It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascals father who was a tax collector (Soma, 32). In the early 1800s, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. IT was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built in to his machine were operations that included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was programmed by and stored data on cards with holes punched in them, appropriately called punchcards. His inventions were failures for the most part because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the lack of demand for such a device (Soma, 46). After Babbage, people began to lose interest in computers. However, between 1850 and 1900 there were great advances in mathematics and physics that began to rekindle the interest (Osborne, 45). Many of these new advances involved complex calculations and formulas that were very time consuming for human calculation. The first major use for a computer in the U.S. was during the 1890 census. Two men, Herman Hollerith and James Powers, developed a new punched-card system that could automatically read information on cards without human intervention (Gulliver, 82). Since the population of the U.S. was increasing so fast, the computer was an essential tool in tabulating the totals. These advantages were noted by commercial industries and soon led to the development of improved punch-card business-machine systems by International Business Machines (IBM), Remington-Rand, Burroughs, and other corporations. By modern standards the punched-card machines were slow, typically processing from 50 to 250 cards per minute, with each card holding up to 80 digits. At the time, however, punched cards were an enormous step forward: they provided a means of input, output, and memory storage on a massive scale. For more than 50 years following their first use, punched-card machines did the bulk of the worlds business computing and a good portion of the computing work in science (Chposky, 73). By the late 1930s punched-card machine techniques had become so well established and reliable that Howard Hathaway Aiken, in collaboration with engineers at IBM, undertook construction of a large automatic digital computer based on standard IBM electromechanical parts. Aikens machine, called the Harvard Mark I, handled 23-digit numbers and could perform all four arithmetic operations. Also, it had special built-in programs to handle logarithms and trigonometric functions. The Mark I was controlled from prepunched paper tape. Output was by card punch and electric typewriter. It was slow, requiring 3 to 5 seconds for a multiplication, but it was fully automatic and could complete long computations without human intervention (Chposky, 103). The outbreak of World War II produced a desperate need for computing capability, especially for the military. New weapons systems were produced which needed trajectory tables and other essential data. In 1942, John P. Eckert, John W. Mauchley, and their associates at the University of Pennsylvania decided to build a high-speed electronic computer

The Great Barrier Reef - Worlds Largest Reef System

The Great Barrier Reef - Worlds Largest Reef System Australias Great Barrier Reef is considered to be the worlds largest reef system. It is made up of over 2,900 individual reefs, 900 islands and covers an area of 133,000 square miles (344,400 sq km). It is also one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is the worlds biggest structure made out of living species. The Great Barrier Reef is also unique in that it is the only living organism that can be seen from space. Geography of the Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea. It is off the northeast coast of Australias state of Queensland. The reef itself stretches over 1,600 miles (2,600 km) and most of it is between 9 and 93 miles (15 and 150 km) from shore. In places the reef is up to 40 miles (65 km) wide. The reef also includes Murray Island. Geographically, the Great Barrier Reef stretches from Torres Strait in the north to the area between Lady Elliot and Fraser Islands in the south. Much of the Great Barrier Reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It covers over 1,800 miles (3,000 km) of the reef and runs along Queenslands coast near the town of Bundaberg. Geology of the Great Barrier Reef The geologic formation of the Great Barrier Reef is long and complex. Coral reefs began forming in the region about between 58 and 48 million years ago when the Coral Sea Basin formed. However, once the Australian continent moved to its present location, sea levels began to change and coral reefs started to grow quickly, but changing climate and sea levels after that caused them to grow and decline in cycles. This is because coral reefs need certain sea temperatures and levels of sunlight to grow. Today, scientists believe that complete coral reef structures where todays Great Barrier Reef is were formed 600,000 years ago. This reef died off however due to climate change and changing sea levels. Todays reef began to form about 20,000 years ago when it started growth on the remains of the older reef. This due to the fact that the Last Glacial Maximum ended around this time and during glaciation sea level was much lower than it is today. Following the end of the last glaciation about 20,000 years ago, sea level continued to rise and as it got higher, the coral reefs grew on the hills being flooded on the coastal plain. 13,000 years ago sea level was almost where it is today and the reefs began to grow around off the coast of Australia islands. As these islands became further submerged with rising sea levels, the coral reefs grew over them to form the reef system present today. The current Great Barrier Reef structure is about 6,000 to 8,000 years old. Biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef Today the Great Barrier Reef is considered a World Heritage Site due to its unique size, structure and high levels of biodiversity. Many of the species living in the reef are endangered and some are endemic only to that reef system. The Great Barrier Reef has 30 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises. In addition, six species of endangered sea turtles breed in the reef and two green sea turtle species have genetically distinct populations in the north and south of the reef. The turtles are attracted to the area due to the 15 species of sea grass that grow in the reef. Within the Great Barrier Reef itself, there are also a number of microscopic organisms, different mollusks and fish that inhabit spaces inside the coral. 5,000 species of mollusk are on the reef as are nine species of seahorses and 1,500 species of fish, including the clownfish. The reef is composed of 400 species of coral. The areas closer to land and on the islands of the Great Barrier Reef are biodiverse as well. These places are home to 215 bird species (some of which are seabirds and some of which are shorebirds). The islands within the Great Barrier Reef are also home to over 2,000 types of plants. Although the Great Barrier Reef is home to many charismatic species like those previously mentioned, it should also be noted that a variety of very dangerous species inhabit the reef or areas near it as well. For example, saltwater crocodiles live in the mangrove swamps and salt marshes near the reef and a variety of sharks and stingrays live within the reef. In addition, 17 species of sea snake (most of which are venomous) live on the reef and jellyfish, including the deadly box jellyfish, also inhabit nearby waters. Human Uses and Environmental Threats of the Great Barrier Reef Due to its extreme biodiversity, the Great Barrier Reef is a popular tourist destination and around two million people visit it per year. Scuba diving and tours via small boats and aircraft are the most popular activities on the reef. Since it is a fragile habitat, tourism of the Great Barrier Reef is highly managed and sometimes operated as ecotourism. All ships, aircraft and others that want to access the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park need to have a permit. Despite these protective measures, however, the Great Barrier Reefs health is still threatened due to climate change, pollution, fishing, and invasive species. Climate change and rising sea temperatures are considered the greatest threats to the reef because coral is a fragile species that needs water to be about 77ËšF to 84ËšF (25ËšC to 29ËšC) to survive. Recently there have been episodes of coral bleaching due to higher temperatures. To learn more about the Great Barrier Reef, visit National Geographics Great Barrier Reef interactive website and the Australian governments webpage on the Great Barrier Reef.

Review on Childhood Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Review on Childhood Obesity - Essay Example Moreover, the effect this disease has on children is far more complicated. Clearly, there is a dearth in the literature regarding childhood obesity. In order to address this problem, this essay will review the current literature available regarding childhood obesity and its underlying causes. It aims to provide a sketch regarding the topic, and mark the starting point for possible research directions that could be taken to better understand the disease, and hopefully treat and prevent it in the future. Child obesity is one of the most challenging issues facing healthcare providers today. It has become an epidemic not only in North America, but in the whole world as well. According to statistics, approximately 22 million children under 5 years of age are overweight across the world, where the number of overweight children and adolescents has doubled in the last two to three decades, including in developing countries and regions where an increase in Western behavioral and dietary lifestyles is evident (Deckelbaum & Williams, 2001). According to Ganz (2003), Overweight is the most common health problem among young people in the United States today. In the past three decades, the proportion of overweight children and adolescents has increased 2- to 3-fold. Currently, 15% of children are overweight, with a similar number who are heavy enough to be at risk for obesity. Overweight in childhood confers a greater risk for adult obesity, as well as a number of other chronic health conditions. Clearly, overweight is a major heath issue facing our nation. In addition, the journal article, "Childhood Obesity: Future Directions and Research Priorities" (Hill, 1998), also warns of the expectation that the next generation of children is likely to be fatter and less fit than the current generation due to the low priority given to childhood obesity in the public agenda. The authors argue for the need to prioritize research agendas in the future, particularly in the etiology, treatment, and prevention of childhood obesity; and the need to move the issue of childhood obesity higher in the public agenda. Schonfeld-Warden & Warden (1997), in another study entitled "Pediatric Obesity: An Overview of Etiology and Treatment," also indicates that the primary reasons for the increasing upward trends of child obesity are the combination of sedentary behaviors and diet. He argues that fat content in American diets has increased because more foods with higher fat contents are now available. Unfortunately, finding an effective treatment for the disease is a daunting task. According to Tanios (2000), there are three reasons why it has been difficult for people today to treat obesity, he enumerates: (1) the disinterest society has had on the disease because it was never considered as a major health problem before; (2) the availability of refined foods abundant today; and (3) the tendency for the disease to be inherited. Obesity, and child obesity in particular, is therefore a complex disease, and underlying causes for it are poorly understood. Nature vs. Nurture: The Interplay of Factors In order to understand the complexity of child obesity as a disease, it is imperative to first identify the cause of the disease. There are two general arguments that explain the cause of obesity. On the one hand, there is the contention that obesity is caused by a

Students Should Not Be Given Handicaps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Students Should Not Be Given Handicaps - Essay Example Teachers are obliged by training and a set curriculum to ensure learners at each stage grasp specific skills. As such, though fast learners may grasp such skills with little efforts, it is upon the instructor to use their training in ensuring the slow learners catch up to the required level of learning, while at the same time encouraging fast learners. In other words, the teacher would not limit the fast learners to the level of slow learners and at the same time may not alter the learning guide beyond the demands of the learning level. This implies that teachers may not limit the abilities of the fast learners but should try to lift slow learners to the minimum level of competency based on their level of learning. The basic principle is that teachers have to promote justice equally for all learners and treat the learners and their needs with justice (Koutselini, Trigo-Santos, and Verkest, 4). Therefore, instead of using handicaps, strong learners are at liberty to proceed at their pace of learning without pulling them to the level of the slow learners, as a teacher helps the weak learners to achieve the minimum requirements as per their learning levels.  

C20th Century Drama English Coursework Essay Example for Free

C20th Century Drama English Coursework Essay This particular play is A view from a Bridge written by Arthur Miller. Arthur Miller was born on October 17th, 1915, in New York City. His parents were both Illegal Immigrants in the United States, which links to the background of the play. A view from the Bridge was first produced as a one-act play in verse 1955; Arthur divorces his wife to marry his co-star actress Marilyn Monroe Miller has now become Americas worlds popular playwrights. Most of his plays are about the society and the responsibilities of its relation. But also in all the plays they hide a deep considerate of how people act and behave with the situation of life around them. These obstacles they face which they have to successfully defeat over. A view from a Bridge has its roots in the late 1940s when Miller was interested in the work and lives of New York. Miller purposely wanted the play to be a modern version of a Greek Tragedy, which a main character is faced with trying, daring situations, which cannot be escaped from. In this play a tragic hero commits an offence unexpectedly. He then learns from his misdeed and therefore must die for his actions. Then as it is a Greek Mythology the Gods restores the Universe. In this play the Hero is inked onto a man named Eddie Carbone. He is uniquely and ordinary everyday man. Courteous, hard working and a man that people liked. This play is themed on the background of Italian origins, which relates to the dispute of Italians and Americans. This is introduced with Alifieris Speech; This is Red Hook not Sicily now we are civilised, quite American. Now we settle for half. In no longer keep a pistol in my filling cabinet This reflects with the context of the play and links with the storyline. It also reflects on the reason of the main cause concluding to the violence. The story is also based on the American Dream that any person can accomplish what and no matter what upbringing culture or race. He has added this, as in that period of time the American Dream was quite popular which was appropriate for it to relate the aspects of their life. Arthur Miller has produced the main character being the lead role of the play. Eddie Carbone is an Italian Longshoreman working on the New York docks. Eddie is a simple hard workingman who worked on the piers. When his wifes cousins were sent, Marco and Rodolfo, he agrees to refuge them as illegal immigrants from Sicily. First signs of disturbance are when Catherine starts to show attraction to Rodolfo, at this Eddie disapproves. This is because of Eddies over protectiveness towards Catherine. His possessive behaviour towards Catherine brings him to envy towards Rodolfo. Out of anger and rage at the end Eddie reported them to the Immigration Beaureu. In response of ferocity Marco decides to kill Eddie, but Eddie kills himself with the knife. In one section of evidence, which relates to his own downfall is the possessiveness of Catherine. Catherine is Eddies orphaned Niece. In the first scene the audience is immediately given the information that Eddie has a peculiar concern towards his niece. He mentions and details out of her dress sense and suggest it is too short. The evidence showing that he is overprotective is when he indicates that she is walking wavy. I dont like the looks theyre givin you in the candy store the heads are turnin like windmills. In this it is brought immediately to the audience attention of the over protectiveness for his own nice. His concern and obssesiveness of his actions may have a hidden feelings that Eddie has for Catherine. An uncertainty of more than relative love is present with the way he feels for Catherine. Toe Eddie Catherine represents to him as just a baby and therefore she does not understand these things but this is a cover up for his possessive behaviour. In Act 1 page6-10 I suggest his behaviour is both possessive and protective but more possessive. As the conversation of Beatrice, Eddie and Catherine it shows that Eddie treats Catherine like a child, and not the rightful age that she should be treated. The relationship between Eddie and Catherine changes with the arrival of Marco and Rodolfo. As they talk and get to known each other Catherine shows an interest to Rodolfo as she keeps gesturing to Beatrice Hes a real blond He then sings to her Paper Doll, but in a kindest way Eddie tells him to stop. Also that is when the changes of Eddies behaviour begin. He embarrasses Catherine by telling her to go ahead meaning get out. Eddie again tries to humiliate Catherine so that Rodolfo will lose interest by telling him that she wants to be an actress meaning shes a drama queen. But Rodolfo flirts back by saying

The Dark and Twisted Joyce Carol Oates Revealed Essay -- Biography

Back Ground: Joyce Carol Oates was a true change in American Literature. She associated many novels that revealed political stances along with physical and psychological pain. (1) Joyce grew up in a rough neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan. It was not uncommon for her to behold mistreatment, abuse, and gang violence; especially towards women. Detroit was a major political city were women’s rights were being fought. (2) Physical brawls broke out all over the city due to the uprising of women who wanted the same rights as men. (2) This uprising was called the Feminist Rights Movement. Women were mistreated and held unequal to men, they were not even allowed to be apart of any work force or vote. (7) organizations for women started to emerge all of the united States. (4) Joyce took experiences that she undertook and witnessed first hand and used them cleverly in her novels. (3) She accumulated her experiences in one of her most famous novels We Were the Mulvaney’s. (5) This n ovel refers to both physical and psychological pain among all the characters. Rape, death, abuse and how women were treated were all presented in this book. (5) Mrs. Mulvaney, the mother, always tended to her husbands needs, even if she disagreed with them. Mrs. Mulvaney had no say in any of the matters that arose. She even sent away her own daughter for the better of her husband. Joyce’s peculiar inspirations lead many to believe that she was looking for some sort of coping mechanism or some one who could relate to what she has experienced in her life. (1) Her inspirations included Edger Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Williams Faulkner, and lastly Flannery O’Conner. These authors wrote about the dark emotional feelings that arose with death a... ...) Oates novels in the nineteen seventies explored many different complex cultures and elements of human life and tragedy. She barrowed many of these idealistic views from Edger Allen Poe. These ideas referred back to death and love suicide which fell along the same lines of Poe’s. (2) Joyce had a very extensive impact on society. She verbalized her opinions and did not care what critics or anyone had to say about it. (2) She wanted to get her thoughts out there for the world to see and hopefully change their ways for the better. Joyce is broadly known in American literature for her controversial topics, but her most famous topic was the Feminist Rights Movement. She affected a good portion of relationships between males and females with her writing. It is truly inspirational that someone could write novels, and change views in some societies.