Ray Bradbury Research Paper Essay

Ray Douglas Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois, on August 22, 1920. He is the son of Leonard Spaulding Bradbury and Esther Marie Moberg Bradbury. Ray attended Los Angeles High School. He was active in the drama club and planned to be an actor. Bradbury’s formal education ended with his high school graduation in 1938. However, he continued to educate himself by spending his nights in the library. One of Bradbury’s best-known works, Fahrenheit 451, was released in 1953. It is set in the future in which a totalitarian government has banned the written word. Today, Ray and Maggie Bradbury continue to live in Los Angeles. Ray Bradbury still writes daily and occasionally lectures. At an age when most men rest on their laurels, Bradbury remains a dynamic storyteller and contributor of â€Å"obvious answers to impossible futures.†(Jepsen and Johnson 4) Ray Bradbury’s writing style has always been known to be poetic without being pretentious; it communicates abstract ideas with layman terms and engages our senses. (Ray Bradbury Board) I enjoy Bradbury’s use of irony in stories, but especially in A Sound of Thunder when the killing of a butterfly changes all of civilization. The short story is about this wealthy man named Eckles who pays this time traveling company to take him back to prehistoric times, so he can hunt for a dinosaur. These dinosaurs have been selected because a previous survey indicated that they would die very soon anyway. Although this supposedly gets around the ripple effect, it quite obviously does not—a flaw in logic that Bradbury himself undoubtedly recognized. â€Å"A Sound of Thunder† is about a wealthy man who has purchased a spot in a hunting trip named Eckles. The time traveling company doesn’t want diseases brought to the past, so they will wear environmental suits and they will also be required to walk on an elevated platform. Bradbury provides an excellent description of the ripple effect, showing how one minor change can multiply over thousands of generations until it has the potential to change the world beyond recognition. Only marked dinosaurs are allowed to be killed. Surveys are conducted to see which dinosaurs should be marked and would die naturally anyway. Then, Eckles panics from seeing a tyrannosaurus appear, thus falling off the platform. The creature is dead, but the guide is still angry because Eckles could have changed the future. Before they traveled back in time, a heated election ends with a would-be dictator losing, but upon returning, there are few changes in the room, which the group notices as differences for reasons that Bradbury never explains. The most profound difference is that the election outcome is different. The alteration of history occurred because, when Eckles left the path, he inadvertently stepped on and killed a butterfly. (Don D’Ammassa 1) When reading A Sound of Thunder, I noticed parts when Bradbury used foreshadowing. One example of foreshadowing in Bradbury’s short story is Lesperance’s explanation to Eckles on the dangers of small changes in the past having catastrophic effects on the future foreshadow the changes that occur. The constant warnings to stay off the path indicate that Eckles will leave the path. Another archetype of foreshadowing is when Eckles says, â€Å"Does this safari guarantee I come back alive?† They reply, â€Å"We guarantee nothing!† This in my opinion gives me the idea that the safari must be quite dangerous and anyone doing such an activity needs a plethora of courage. There are many examples of foreshadowing in A Sound of Thunder. Ray Bradbury remains a dynamic storyteller and contributor of â€Å"obvious answers to impossible futures.†(Jepsen and Johnson 4) He writes stories in compelling ways that involve very complex ideas and he makes it simple to understand while still being in an intelligent way. One particular quote Bradbury has stated that I enjoy is, â€Å"Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a landmine. The landmine is me. After the explosion, I spent the rest of the day putting the pieces together.†(Ray Bradbury Quote 1) Bradbury’s use of irony is probably one of his most famous writing traits; along with his way of being poetic, without being pretentious. In conclusion, Ray Bradbury will go down in history as one of the most famed science fiction writers of all time; even though, he never considered himself a science fiction writer. How ironic? Sources Page D’Ammassa, Don â€Å"A Sound of Thunder Encyclopedia of Science Fiction: Facts on File, Inc., 2005 Chris Jepsen, and Richard Johnson. Facts about Ray Bradbury: www.spaceagecity.com/bradbury/bio.htm Ray Bradbury: Xplore Inc, 2012. http://www.brainyquote.com/quote/authors/r/ray_bradbury.html Ray Brabury Message Board: http://www.raybradbury.com/ubb/Forum1 /HTML/000463.html Bleiler, Richard Science Fiction Writers: 2nd ed. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons Mittnacht, Veronica 10 Things you didn’t know about Ray Bradbury: http://flavorwire.come/106189/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-ray-bradbury

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Essay

Introduction â€Å"Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung ailment that is characterized by a persistent blockage of airflow from the lungs† ( World Health Organisation (WHO) website, nd). This report will examine the causes, symptoms and treatment of COPD. It will discuss current statistics on COPD and some of the current treatments available. Multiple sources were used including websites, leaflets and government documents. Over 440,000 people in Ireland are thought to have COPD ( Living with COPD website, nd). By 2020, it is predicted to be the third leading cause of death worldwide (Living with COPD website, 2013). A recent COPD audit in Europe discovered that 50% of sufferers will die or be readmitted to hospital within a 3 month period (Living with COPD website, 2013). Approximately 1400 people die every year from the condition (Oireachtas website, 2013). Ireland has one of the highest incidents of death in Europe from COPD (Living with COPD website, 2013). COPD is an irreversible lung disease which causes permanent lung damage. In COPD, the airflow to the lungs become narrower and blocked and breathing becomes difficult (COPD Support website, nd). COPD is an umbrella term for Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema (Living with COPD website, nd). Causes The single biggest cause of COPD is smoking. 80-90% of people with the condition have COPD due to smoking. (COPD Support website, 2009). Other causes are air pollution, exposure to fumes or dust particles at work, passive smoking, recurring respiratory infections in early life and a rare genetic disorder called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute website, nd). Diagnosis and Symptoms A breathing test called Spirometry is used to diagnose COPD (COPD FOUNDATION Website, nd). The test measures how well a person breathes. In Ireland, access to Spirometry Tests is not available nationwide and tests must be carried out in hospital (Oireachtas website, 2013). Early diagnosis can greatly slow down the condition (National Health Service website, 2012). Often COPD is diagnosed after a person has an  exacerbation of the condition (American Thoracic website, nd). An exacerbation of COPD means the  symptoms have become more severe. It is generally caused by an infection in the lungs and hospitalisation is required which leads to diagnosis of the condition ( American Thoracic website, nd). Symptoms of COPD include wheezing, persistent cough with mucus that will not go away, breathlessness completing everyday tasks and difficulty taking deep breaths (American Lung Association website, nd). Symptoms typically start to emerge from the age of 40 years onwards (Living with Copd website, 2013). Long term complications associated with COPD include, weight loss and swallowing issues known as Dysphagia (Queensland Health and The Australian Lung Foundation, 2012). Swallowing issues can arise as the patient can often breathe when eating, which causes food to enter the lungs. This can lead to reflux, indigestion problems, difficulty in finishing meals and lung infections (Queensland Health and The Australian Lung Foundation, 2012). Stages There are 4 stages of COPD: Mild, Moderate , Severe and Very Severe (End Stage) (COPD International website, nd). Mild: The person may have slight breathlessness and may or may not have a cough but is unaware they have COPD (COPD International website, nd). Moderate: Breathlessness carrying out day to day tasks, may or may not have frequent cough with mucus. At this stage the condition is normally diagnosed  as symptoms become more severe (COPD International website, nd). Severe: COPD greatly affects the quality of life, physical activity is limited, exacerbations of COPD are much more frequent (COPD International website, nd). Very Severe/End Stage; At this stage oxygen is required continuously, any exertion at all is difficult. Chronic Respiratory Failure and/or Heart Failure and death occurs (Kenny,T 2011). This knowledge would enable a Healthcare Support Worker to identify the early signs of the condition, have an increased awareness of a patient with a persistent cough, frequent colds or chest infections and encourage the patient to seek medical help for a diagnosis. Treatments Stopping smoking is critical in treating COPD, as giving up smoking greatly prevents the condition worsening. Inhalers are generally used to control and relieve symptoms of COPD. Short-Acting Inhalers are used to alleviate breathlessness, Long-Acting Inhalers which work over 12 hours to relieve symptoms, and Steroid Inhalers also assist breathing (British Lung Foundation website, nd). Oxygen Therapy is used in severe COPD. Patients may require oxygen for day to day tasks, when sleeping or in some cases, 24 hours a day. Oxygen is available in tanks, liquid form or oxygen concentrators (COPD Support website, nd). Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programmes also plays a vital role in the treatment of COPD (Oireachtas website, 2013). In Ireland, programmes are normally ran over 20 sessions, with patients attending two to three times a week. Group numbers are limited to a maximum of 15 people. The programme consists of Exercise, Nutrition to increase fitness levels and Education to increase the patients awareness of the condition (Health Service Executive website, 2013). COPD patients have been shown to gain hugely from Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programmes, improving quality of life, reducing hospital admissions and increasing survival chances (Oireachtas website, 2013). A person with COPD uses 10 times the energy to breathe than a person without the condition. It is important to replace lost calories, maintain weight and also to protect the immune system against colds and flu’s (American Lung website, nd). Foods high in both energy, sugar and fat such as fried foods, full fat dairy products and readymade meals are recommended to encourage weight gain. However it is important that a healthy diet is also maintained (COPD Education website, nd). Supplement drinks are often recommended to increase calorie intake between meals. If swallowing issues occur, soft foods such as soups and stews are recommended and patients are encouraged to eat several smaller meals throughout the day (COPD Education website, nd). With this knowledge a HealthCare Worker would ensure that meals are small but nutritious at regular intervals . A HealthCare Support Worker would also consider how meals are prepared as softer, more manageable foods may be required. Conclusion This report has examined the causes, symptoms and treatments of COPD. This report discussed current statistics regarding the condition and some of the treatments available. From researching this report it is clear that more public awareness of COPD in Ireland is essential to highlight the link between COPD and smoking. COPD needs to feature strongly in Anti-smoking campaigns to promote this awareness, which would enable early diagnosis and treatment.

Art Museum Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art Museum Assignment - Essay Example It captures a man by a boat at the river and the tranquil surroundings. Analyzing the elements of the painting shows that horizontal lines dominate the painting indicating the calmness of the scene. The colors used are mostly tones of blue and green with hues of brown, red and yellow. The painting simulates the textures of the textile and the reeds at the river and the artist created an illusion of proximity by using the varying values of the colors. The boat and the man appear nearer to the viewer since the artist used darker values of green, brown, blue and red. In contrast, the trees and the house on the right part of the composition appear to be distant because of the lighter values of green, yellow and blue used on the forms. A River in Normandy exhibits the fine technical skill of Bonington. The artist’s precision and mastery of techniques earned the respect of his colleague Eugene Delacroix. The painting is also one of the examples of en plein air artworks at the time that artists were usually inside studios to paint. Another painting from the Dallas Museum of Art is the Sheaves of Wheat by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. The oil on canvas work is 50.483 centimeters x 100.965 centimeters and was completed in July 1890, the same year that van Gogh died. The piece was painted during the period that the painter was experiencing physical and mental health problems. It was also during this time that van Gogh was assumed to develop problems with his eyesight thus the colors he used were lighter in value. The Sheaves of Wheat is a non-representational painting showing bundles of freshly harvested wheat. Typical of a non-representational painting, van Gogh’s artwork does not fully resemble the heaps of wheat because of the color and daubs of paint that make up the form of the wheat stacks. Diagonal lines are prevalent in this painting, signifying movement and suggesting

Finance & Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Finance & Accounting - Essay Example Wallace defines Tests of Reasonableness "as non-statistical models using operating or external data as well as financial data to predict an amount under examination" (Wallace, 1994, Section on Evaluating Analytical Procedures). As Wallace illustrates, Tests of Reasonableness include accounting and non-accounting variables in the model, with the aim of enhancing "the reliability of a test of reasonableness compared to single variable and financial ratio analysis." On the company's purchases, the going-rate for the exchange rate between UK and the import country source's respective currencies, multiplied by the average volume of clothing purchases, can be used to evaluate the reasonableness of the current month's purchases. For the company's sales, the average sales of a retail clothing company of similar size, multiplied by the company's average monthly sales volume, can be used to test the reasonableness of the current month's sales. Lastly, the average salary (including commission) of employees who work in similar industries (of the same size) in England, multiplied by the company's total number of employees, can be used to check the reasonableness of the company's wage expenses. Wallace explains that Financial Ratio Analysis "tend... of a retail clothing company of similar size, multiplied by the company's average monthly sales volume, can be used to test the reasonableness of the current month's sales. Lastly, the average salary (including commission) of employees who work in similar industries (of the same size) in England, multiplied by the company's total number of employees, can be used to check the reasonableness of the company's wage expenses. Financial Ratio Analysis Wallace explains that Financial Ratio Analysis "tends to be more effective than single-component procedures because it explicitly considers interrelationships among financial variables" (Wallace, 1994, Section on Evaluating Analytical Procedures). This approach entails comparing one entry in the financial statements versus another entry, to draw implications regarding the company's financial or operational state. For example, a low net income-to-sales or gross margin ratio can possibly suggest that the company is losing significant amounts of money in its operations, because its operating expenses cannot justify the sales and revenues that it is receiving. Comparing these ratios against industry benchmarks can suggest how well the company is faring, against the whole retail clothing industry. Moreover, the ratios 'days sales in receivables,' 'days sales in inventory,' and 'inventory turnover' can give an idea of the efficiency of its collection efforts on its receivables, as well as how fast it needs to replenish its inventory to keep up with periodic demands. Regression Analysis Regression Analysis "involves the creation of a model using operating and external data as well as financial data" (Wallace, 1994, Section on Evaluating Analytical Procedures). This type of analysis, however, is more precise than the basic

Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence Assignment

Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence - Assignment Example As a function of these carryovers, the stakeholders within the firm, both leadership and line employees, find it difficult to exercise the full potential that the brand could integrate with the end consumer. Moreover, the loss of efficiency has effects on the net level of profitability and the level of competition the firm can integrate within the market. 2.1 Challenges (need review) Currently, Solent Sport suffers from a range of issues; the majority of these problems can be fixed by the proper use and application of BI. Firstly and most importantly, the firm must seek to perform a thorough review of what is currently working and what needs improvement. In this way, the following discussion will centre upon the way that the can maximize its potential by the correct application of BI within its component parts. As such, a cursory review of the firm lends the analyst to understand the technological systems that manage business interaction are both antiquated and serving to constrain t he level of analytical inferences that could be drawn from more updated packages that are currently on the market. Moreover, a business level analysis of the firm lends the researcher to understand that the technological shortcomings are only one small part of what hampers the business prospects. (6)Communication issue - A far greater issue lies in the fact that the means of communication have been cut between employees, middle management, and upper level management. As a function of this, the means by which informed decisions can be made have been greatly reduced. As the analysis of the key determinants has shown, BI can greatly facilitate the business process and create a synergy that would otherwise...   Currently, Solent Sport suffers from a range of issues; the majority of these problems can be fixed by the proper use and application of BI.   Firstly and most importantly, the firm must seek to perform a thorough review of what is currently working and what needs improvement. In this way, the following discussion will centre upon the way that the can maximize its potential by the correct application of BI within its component parts.  As such, a cursory review of the firm lends the analyst to understand the technological systems that manage business interaction are both antiquated and serving to constrain the level of analytical inferences that could be drawn from more updated packages that are currently on the market.  Moreover, a business level analysis of the firm lends the researcher to understand that the technological shortcomings are only one small part of what hampers the business prospects.(6)Communication issue - A far greater issue lies in the fact that the means of communication have been cut between employees, middle management, and upper level management.   As a function of this, the means by which informed decisions can be made have been greatly reduced. As the analysis of the key determinants has shown, BI can greatly facilitate the business process and create a synergy that would otherwise not be realized.Moreover, seeking to perform shock changes to such a system without speaking to these needs first will most certainly result in only a nominal or partial degree of overall success.  

The Movie A Few good men Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Movie A Few good men - Term Paper Example Two marines—Private First Class Louden Downey and Lance Corporal Harold Dawson are court-martialed under the accusation of murdering Private First Class William Santiago, A fellow marine assigned in their unit at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Their defense lawyers are Lieutenant Junior Grade Daniel Kaffee, an inexperienced US Navy Lawyer who is notorious for arranging plea bargains rather than pursuing trials in courts regardless for the mere practicality of it; and Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway who believed that her clients are innocents and would known no bounds in pursuing her case and to prove her clients’ innocence (Reiner, 1992). In the course of their investigation, Galloway and Kaffee uncovered the real culture that is happening within the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base particularly the â€Å"code red†. It turned out, PFC Santiago was not able to keep up with the ‘culture’ that is being enforce by Col Jessep in his Base thus resulting to poor performance and poor relations with his other peers. He was struggling to keep up and wanted to be assigned somewhere else and went above his superior, disregarding the chain of command, for a bargain— a transfer for exposing the possibility that Dawson could have illegally fired on the Cuban side of the island. This have irked Jessep and prompted him to order Dawson and Downey to carry a code red against Santiago. In the end, Kaffee was able to pop out the truth from Jessep and proved the innocence of the two accused soldiers. However, they were still dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps for causing Santiago’s death (Reiner, 1992 ). Effective leadership is the art of influencing others. Influence is the â€Å"ability to persuade, convince, motivate, inspire, and judiciously use power to affect others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  it is the ability to influence in both the good and bad circumstances (Klann, 2003). From what Klann had emphasized, it is

Style and periods in Pablo Picasso's Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Style and periods in Pablo Picasso's Art - Essay Example The essay "Style and periods in Pablo Picasso's Art" investigates Pablo Picasso, the artist from Spain and explores the styles and periods of his incredible art. "If an artist varies his mode of expression this only means that he has changed his manner of thinking, and in changing, it might be for the better or the worse." "Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth""The several manners (styles) I have used in my art must not be considered as an evolution, or as steps toward an unknown ideal of painting". He goes on to say that different subjects requires different forms of expression but that art is only the present and is not a manifestation of past or evolutionary events. His concept of his periods were as though they were independent of each other. Though most of his paintings are so full of emotions, there is one specific painting in each period which has been designated as a "summary" painting which shows the lost he had experienced in his life. He lost his mother as a young boy; he suffered when he left Spain during the Spanish revolution; he suffered severe poverty in Paris. His emotions are implicit though the paintings they represent show the parallel of the troubled times. Three major periods will be discussed with one summary painting for each period. His blue period is the use of blue and green hues to show sadness and suffering. He started his blue period as a consequence of the suicide of his good friend. He suddenly threw himself into the abstract influence of Van Gogh Starry Nights. where paintings were no longer meant to tell a story. His blue period often showed women in prison with the children, poverty stricken prostitutes. melancholy. La Vie 1903, is a summary painting, it represents loss, grievance and hostility.(Schneider 92) The mother has a hostile face as though she is blaming her child that she is going to die. The young man is Casagemas who is elongated and has the lover he thought he lost at the cafe. There are two interpretations. In both, Picasso leaves his sad and melancholic blue period. He loved copying other artists but keeping to his own style. The Absinthe Drinker shows how he had been influenced by Gauguin. He used bright colors but shows the blue of the water bottle. (Warncke, blue-period) The blue and green colors were a work of experimenting with lighting. El Greco gave him the death like skin color that would epitomize the death like quality of 20th century suffering of the lower social classes in France. Picasso liked to be melodramat ic "the starving intellectual artist" and the bohemian life are often contributed to having come from him. (Warncke, blue-period) Rose period 1904-1906. He uses red hues and sometimes blue. He didn't like that it be called his transitional year. It is his period of circus and street performers. (Picasso 1923) The Family of Acrobats 1905 shows a group of performers and one woman performer separate from the group. It close examination of this painting, once again the theme of pity and abandonment can be seen in relationship to the way the fat red clown is looking away; the men and young girl are elongated as was Castegamas to show that they are posed. They are looking down to the woman, a sign of rejection and shame.(Schneider 92) He continued doing portraits and drawing circus performers. He was raised in the school of 19th century romanticism. His use of colors in the rose period started to show that the painting was more important that the subject. Eventually his subject became com pletely anonymous. The basis of this period was to completely transform the classicism use of the line. He stops being a portrait painter as his