Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Shack Discussion Questions

The Shack by William P. Young is a story about Mack, a man whose daughter is kidnapped and brutally murdered. A few years after her murder, Mack receives an invitation from God to meet Him at the shack where they found his daughters bloody clothes. Mack goes and works through the meaning of suffering as he spends the weekend with the Trinity. Spoiler warning: This study guide reveals important details about The Shack by William P. Young. Finish the book before reading on. Were you drawn in by the plot of The Shack?Why do you think Macks encounter with God took place at the shack? If God were to invite you somewhere, where would it be? (In other words, where is the center of your doubt and pain)?Do you think suffering makes people closer to God or causes them to distance themselves from Him? What has been the pattern in your life?Were you satisfied with Gods answers to Mack about suffering? Do you struggle with believing God is good in light of all the tragedy in the world?How is Youngs description of God different from your concept of God? What parts of his description did you like and what parts didnt you like?Did The Shack change any of your opinions about God or Christianity?What were some of the things The Shack teaches about God, faith, and life that you disagreed with?Would you recommend The Shack to a friend?Rate The Shack on a scale of 1 to 5.

Monday, May 11, 2020

What Is Narrative Therapy Definition and Techniques

Narrative therapy is a psychological approach that seeks to adjust the stories one tells about one’s life in order to bring about positive change and better mental health. It considers people the experts on their own lives and views them as separate from their problems. Narrative therapy was developed by social worker Michael White and family therapist David Epston in the 1980s. Key Takeaways: Narrative Therapy The goal of narrative therapy is to help clients adjust and tell alternative stories about their lives so they better match who and what they want to be, leading to positive change.Narrative therapy is non-pathologizing, non-blaming, and sees clients as experts on their own lives.Narrative therapists view people as separate from their problems and strive to have clients view their problems that way too. That way a client no longer sees a problem as an unchangeable part of them, but as an external issue that can be changed. Origins Narrative therapy is a relatively new, and therefore lesser known, form of therapy. It was developed in the 1980s by Michael White, an Australian social worker, and David Epston, a family therapist from New Zealand. It gained traction in the United States in the 1990s. White and Epston developed narrative therapy to be a non-pathologizing form of therapy based on the following three ideas: Narrative therapy respects each client. Clients are treated as brave and agentic individuals who should be commended for recognizing and working to address their issues. They are never viewed as deficient or inherently problematic.Narrative therapy does not blame clients for their problems. The client is not at fault for their problems and blame is not assigned to them or anyone else. Narrative therapy looks at people and their problems as separate.  Narrative therapy sees clients as experts on their own lives. In narrative therapy, the therapist and the client are on equal footing, but it is the client who has intimate knowledge of his or her own life. As a result, therapy is meant to be a collaboration between the client and the therapist in which the therapist views the client as having all the capabilities, skills, and knowledge necessary to address their problems. Narrative therapists believe people’s identities are shaped by the stories they tell about their lives. When those stories become focused on specific problems, the person often begins to view the problem as an inherent part of themselves. However, narrative therapy views peoples problems as external to the individual and seeks to adjust the stories people tell about themselves in ways that let them see their problems this way too. Narrative therapy’s stance is quite different from many other forms of therapy in which the therapist takes the lead. It can be uncomfortable and take a lot of practice for clients to successfully separate themselves from their problems. The Stories of Our Lives Narrative therapy positions stories as central to the way people understand and evaluate their lives. Humans use stories to interpret events and experiences. Each day many stories occur at the same time as we go about living our lives. These stories may be about our career, our relationships, our weaknesses, our triumphs, our failures, our strengths, or our possible futures. In this context stories consist of events that are linked in sequence across time. Together these linked events create a plot. The meaning we assign to different stories is based on the context of our lives, both as an individual and as a product of our culture. For example, an elderly African American male will likely tell the story of an encounter with a police officer very differently from a young, white female.   Some stories become dominant in our lives and some of these dominant stories can be problematic because of the way we interpret the events weve experienced. For example, perhaps a woman has a story of herself as unlikeable. Over her lifetime she can think of numerous times when someone didn’t want to spend time with her or didn’t seem to enjoy her company. As a result, she can string together numerous events into a sequence that she interprets as meaning she is unlikeable. As the story becomes dominant in her mind, new events that fit the narrative will become privileged over other events that dont fit the narrative, such as when someone seeks her out to spend time with her. These events might be passed off as a fluke or an anomaly. This story about being unlikeable will impact the woman’s life now and in the future. So, for instance, if she’s invited to a party, she may decline because she believes no one at the party will want her there. Yet the womans conclusion that shes unlikeable is limiting and has negative consequences on her life. Narrative Therapy Techniques The goal of the narrative therapist is to work with the individual to come up with an alternative story that better matches what they actually want from their lives. There are several techniques that are often used by narrative therapists to do this. They are: Constructing a Narrative The therapist and the client work together to tell the client’s story in the client’s own words. In the process, the therapist and the client look for new meanings in the story that may help them alter the clients existing stories or create new ones. This process is sometimes referred to as â€Å"re-authoring† or â€Å"re-storying.† This is based on the idea that one event can have many different meanings and interpretations. In narrative therapy the client will come to recognize that they can make new meanings from their life stories. Externalization The goal of this technique is to change a client’s perspective so they no longer see themselves as problematic. Instead, they see themselves as a person with problems. This externalizes their problems, reducing the influence they have on the individual’s life. The idea behind this technique is that if we see our problems as an integral part of our personality, they can seem impossible to change. But if those problems are simply something the individual does, they feel far less insurmountable. It’s often challenging for clients to embrace this perspective. However, doing so can be empowering and make people feel like they have more control over their issues. Deconstruction Deconstructing a problem means making it more specific in order to zero in on the core of the issue. When a story has been dominant in our lives for an extended period of time, we may begin to overgeneralize it, and therefore, have difficulty seeing what the underlying problem really is. A narrative therapist helps clients reduce the story to its parts in order to discover what the problem theyre struggling with really is. For example, a client may say he feels frustrated because his colleagues at work don’t value his work. This is a very general statement and it’s hard to develop a solution to this problem. So the therapist would work with the client to deconstruct the problem to get an idea of why he’s constructing a narrative in which hes being devalued by his colleagues. This can help the client see himself as someone who has a fear of being overlooked and needs to learn to better communicate his competencies to his colleagues. Unique Outcomes This technique involves looking at one’s story from a new perspective and developing more positive, life-affirming stories as a result. Since there are many stories we could potentially tell about our experiences, the idea of this technique is to reimagine our story. That way, the new story can minimize the problem that became overwhelming in the old story. Critiques Narrative therapy has been shown to help individuals, couples, and families with problems including anxiety, depression, aggression and anger, grief and loss, and family and relationship conflict. However, there are several criticisms that have been leveled at narrative therapy. First, because its been around for such a brief period of time in comparison to other forms of therapy, there isn’t a great deal of scientific evidence for the efficacy of narrative therapy. In addition, some clients may not be reliable or truthful in their narration of their stories. If the client is only comfortable putting his stories in a positive light with the therapist, he won’t get much out of this form of therapy. Moreover, some clients may not want to be positioned as the expert on their lives or to help drive the therapeutic process. People who are less comfortable expressing themselves in words may not do well with this approach. Moreover, the approach will be inappropriate for individuals who have limited cognitive or language skills, or who are psychotic. Sources Ackerman, Courtney. 19 Narrative Therapy Techniques, Interventions Worksheets. PositivePsychology, 4 July, 2019. https://positivepsychology.com/narrative-therapy/Addiction.com. Narrative Therapy. https://www.addiction.com/a-z/narrative-therapy/BetterHelp. How Can You Benefit From Narrative Therapy? 4 April, 2019. https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/therapy/how-can-you-benefit-from-narrative-therapy/?Clarke, Jodi. What is Narrative Therapy? Verywell Mind, 25 July, 2019 https://www.verywellmind.com/narrative-therapy-4172956Cline King, Laney. What is Narrative Therapy? HealthyPsych. https://healthypsych.com/narrative-therapy/GoodTherapy. Michael White (1948-2008). 24 July, 2015. https://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/michael-white.htmlMorgan, Alice. What is Narrative Therapy? Dulwich Centre, 2000. https://dulwichcentre.com.au/what-is-narrative-therapy/

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Three Little Pigs Free Essays

Growing up I’m sure many kids believed in all fairy tales, giving them the reason to think everything in life had to be perfect, for example having the perfect boy/girlfriend and living happily ever after with him/her, or having to be rich and live in this big castle, and getting anything and everything they may want. As we all know in all fairy tales there’s always a downfall, because there’s always someone negative that’s hindering someone else from being happy or free. In the case of the Three Little Pigs there was a wolf that bullied three innocent little pigs. We will write a custom essay sample on The Three Little Pigs or any similar topic only for you Order Now The well-known fairy tale takes its audience on a journey of three pigs and a wolf. Although most if not all fairy tales are make-believe, some of the things in them are similar to real life situations. After reading the fairy tale, it is easy to relate this fictitious story to something we face in our society now which is bullying. There are several similar characteristics of the wolf and the average â€Å"bully† which are not limited to the fact that both expect control and submission, exhibit physical intimidation, and feeds on manipulation. In this particular fairy tale the wolf played the role of a bully. The wolf decided to torture the pigs until he got what he wanted just like the typical bully. In the fairy tale the pigs out smarted the bully and made him run away crying, shows kids that bullies are not all that tough in bad on the inside, it’s a front they put on to get what they want and to get respect. As the wolf runs away crying shows us that the story is over and although they may not say it but it leaves us to believe the three little pigs are living a happily ever after thanks to the pig with the brick house. As we all know that’s not necessarily how a real life story may end, the bully may run away crying but it usually comes back ten times harder. Bullies are usually the meanest looking people around, usually bigger than there victims, and also scary looking. Bullying solves nothing; it causes more problems, and gives the enemies low self-esteem for the next person. Most bullies usually meet there match just like in the fairy tale the Three Little Pigs. The bully messed with the two weakest pigs first and he won, but the third pig dared to be different and stood up to him and came out on top leaving the bully with a face full of tears and a hot bottom from trying to crawl down the chimney. That’s sometimes all it takes is for that one person to grow the guts to stand up to a bully, not to promote violence but sometimes that may be the only way out. The third little pig cut on boiling water when the wolf was trying to get down his chimney to teach him a lesson they’ve been hinting to him the entire time, and that was just to leave them alone. The bully wanted to be greedy and to get what he wanted, and ended up getting more than he bargained for. In the story we may know there’s three little pig brothers that all planned to live in separate homes now that their older. The first two pigs built their houses out of sticks and straw, the wolf came along and easily blew their house down. The last pig was the smartest because he built his house out of bricks, and once again along came the big bad wolf. The wolf first knocked and the pig answered yes who’s there, and the wolf said it’s a poor little sheep looking for food let me in. The pig wasn’t fooled and didn’t let him in so the wolf began trying to huff and puff and blow his house down like he did to his brothers. The wolf tried and tried until he turned blue but the house wouldn’t budge. The wolf then spotted the chimney and decided to go down it to get in. The pig heard him so he began boiling hot water and added fire then the wolf got set on fire. Notice I never mentioned what happened to the pigs after the wolf blew their houses down, leaving us to believe that the pigs all lived a happily ever after. Well not in the annotated Three Little Pigs from London, by David Nutt, the first two pigs were eaten by the wolf after he huffed and puffed and blew their house down. At the end the third little pig boiled and ate the wolf after it came down the chimney and fell in the boiling water. In the Walt Disney story for the Three Little Pigs, when the wolf blew the first pig’s house down he ran to the second pig’s house made of sticks. The wolf came there and blew his house down and they ran to their brother’s house with the bricks. Then when the wolf tried to come down the chimney they did however boil hot water and add some heat. Instead of the wolf getting stuck in the pot and getting eaten by the pig, the heat flew the wolf right back out of the chimney. The Three Little Pigs teach children morals through interesting stories. When it was first created it was called â€Å"The Wolf and the seven Young kids. † That version and the Walt Disney version show responsibility because the pigs had to build their own home for protection from the wolf. Responsibility is something all versions of the Three Little Pigs share. The pigs are independent, showing that hard work is always awarded and trust me it really is. Also in the Disney version when the pigs were all together, and the wolf was trying his hardest to get in. the pigs stood up to him as one in the brick house and actually sent him home crying. That simply shows teamwork, bonding, and bravery; and it could also help a person fight life battles throughout life. The wolf had no conscience or cares when it came to the consequences to his actions. Which is just like a bully these days, they don’t care about getting in any trouble what so ever. Those are the ones we usually see in jail till this day. At the end of the story when the wolf tried to go down the chimney and get burned, illustrates that bad behavior is not accepted and it eventually leads to some punishment. I’ve mentioned teamwork and responsibility. For example when there’s a child watching the movie they’re not going to think about how the pigs teamed up and took down the wolf and think of it as teamwork or bonding. Thought the children just seem so into the pigs, after it I’m sure they learn a little responsibility and some good morals in life. Looking at the Brothers Grimm version†¦ The comparison of the two stories are somewhat the same although the London version of the story may be more violent than the story we may know, there both similar because the third little pig did something his brothers didn’t which is use his brain and stand up to the bully in a way. When you read the London version it seems it’s easier to relate to because it’s more like a real life story. The first two little pigs got ate because they weren’t using their heads; the third pig was smarter than his brother and survived. How to cite The Three Little Pigs, Essay examples

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Terrorism Essays (2398 words) - Organized Crime, Terrorism, Abuse

Terrorism Summary 1Terrorism, use of violence, or the threat of violence, to create a climate of fear in a given population. Terrorist violence targets ethnic or religious groups, governments, political parties, corporations, and media enterprises. Organizations that engage in acts of terror are almost always small in size and limited in resources compared to the populations and institutions they oppose. Through publicity and fear generated by their violence, they seek to magnify their influence and power to effect political change on either a local or an international scale. 2In their struggle to bring an end to British rule over Palestine and to reclaim it for the Jewish people, radical Jewish groups such as the Stern Gang and the Irgun resorted to terrorist acts in the late 1940s. The most notorious of these attacks was the bombing of British government offices at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in 1946, which killed more than 100 people. Acts of terrorism by Israel's Arab adversaries accelerated in the 1960s, especially following the Six-Day War in 1967, which led to the Israeli occupation of territory populated by Palestinians. A succession of terrorist groups such as Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, loosely organized under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), conducted commando and terrorist operations both within Israel and in other countries. In 1972 a Palestinian splinter group called Black September took hostage and then killed 11 Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. Alth ough the PLO renounced terrorism in 1988, radical Palestinian groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad have continued to wage a campaign of terror against Israel and its allies. In 1996 a series of suicide bomb attacks in Israel by supporters of Hamas killed more than 60 Israelis and imperiled the fragile peace between Israel and the PLO. Hostility to the support of the United States for Israel led to numerous acts of terrorism against American citizens by Palestinian radicals or their sympathizers. In 1983 attacks by Shiite Moslem suicide bombers on the U.S. embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, and on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut killed nearly 300 people, most of whom were Americans. In 1988 a bomb destroyed Pan American Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people on board, including 189 United States citizens. In 1991 the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency charged two Libyan terrorists with the crime. In 1996 a truck bomb exploded outside an apartment building housing U.S. military personnel in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 American servicemen. 3One of the most spectacular terrorist episodes in U.S. history was the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City in 1993 by Islamic radicals. This incident aroused anxiety about the threat posed by foreign residents from nations hostile to the United States. Six people died in the blast, which caused an estimated $600 million in property and other economic damage. Trials that followed convicted six people of carrying out the attack. 4 In addition to concerns about foreign-sponsored terrorism, the United States has an ample history of domestic terrorism. Early in the 20th century, labor leaders such as William Dudley (Big Bill) Haywood openly espoused a philosophy of revolutionary violence and a commitment to the destruction of government power. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, during the latter stages of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, left-wing groups such as the Weather Underground bombed buildings on university campuses throughout the country and at corporation headquarters and government buildings in New York City. Between 1978 and 1995, an anarchist and terrorist known as the Unabomber planted or mailed homemade bombs that killed 3 people and wounded 23 others in 16 separate incidents throughout the United States. The Unabomber, who claimed an allegiance with radical environmentalists and others opposed to the effects of industrialization and technology, targeted university professors, corporate executives, and computer merchants. In April 1996 federal agents arrested Theodore Kaczynski, a suspect they thought to be the Unabomber. Kaczynski, a Harvard-educated former math professor who became a recluse, pled guilty to 13 federal charges in 1998 in exchange for agreement that prosecutors would not seek the death penalty during sentencing. The court sentenced Kaczynski to four life

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Colonialism and Darkness Essay

Colonialism and Darkness Essay Colonialism and Darkness Essay CONRAD Heart of Darkness; KIPLING Beyond the Pale (Plain Tales from the Hills) Writing in the latter part of the nineteenth century, Heart of Darkness and Beyond the Pale (Plain Tales from the Hills) were published in Blackwood’s Magazine for an implicitly colonial and masculine readership.1 Both writers draw upon autobiographical experience, with Conrad employing his 1889 experience as a sailor in the Belgian Congo, and Kipling his six year childhood and adult return to British India. The two writers demonstrate distinct philosophies and styles, and the extent to which this is manifest shall be the centre of this essay’s debate. While RASKIN contends a fundamental dissimilarity between the two2, contemporary critics such as SYMONS frequently reviewed the writers together, famously Captain Courageous and Nigger of the Narcissus.3 This essay examines the two works within three frames of reference: a) the purpose of the work; b) narrative technique; and c) imagery and symbolism. It will demonstrate that Conrad and Kipling promote fundamentally distinct views towards the Scramble for Africa- the Pole criticises the colonial project itself, while the British Imperialist criticises its implementation. Nonetheless, upon close examination the writers cannot be labelled as wholly dissimilar to the extent argued by RASKIN, as both warn against the integration of White Man into the Native community and question the authenticity of fiction itself. While Heart of Darkness refers prima facie to the impenetrable jungle at the heart of the ‘dark continent’4, it alludes also to the darkest side of human nature, seen in the brutal colonists and ivory traders. YALE SCHOLARSHIP proposes it matters little whether the novella is ‘set in Africa, Chipping Ongar or Baden Baden’.5 The fact that Africa and Congo are never named, instead referred to as ‘some ghastly nowhere’, supports the notion of the novella’s transferability, and Conrad himself remarked, ‘people read me [not for subject matter], but the effect my work produces’.6 ATTELL disagrees. To strip the novella of all its context demonstrates great ignorance.7 Heart of Darkness at its core offers a scathing critique of the ‘horrors’ of nineteenth century colonialism (examined further below), and Conrad’s sailor experiences in the Colonies suggest the subject choice quite deliberate. The balanced and convincing view is that the novella is both philosophical and historical, whereby the problems of colonial domination are used to expose deeper philosophical implications. Similarly, the title Beyond the Pale purports a deeper meaning and refers to the uncivilised Irish population of the fourteenth century, who lay beyond the boundaries of English control in Greater Dublin, ‘The Pale’. Kipling hereby grounds the story upon critical undertones of colonialism and notions of separatism between the Colonist and Native. Beyond the Pale distinguishes itself from Heart of Darkness as it is a moral fable in nature rather than mere philosophical exploration. The opening two paragraphs warn to observe correct behavioural codes, whereby ‘White go to White and Black to Black’. However, this moral message of separatism is riddled with ambivalence, arguably stemming from Kipling’s deep-rooted affinity with India, having lived there as a child until the age of six.8 The division between the White and Native is qualified by the Hindu proverb, which acknowledges the potency of love, and the delivery of the crucial moral punishment seems hesitant, with Trejago receiving a cautiously described ‘slight stiffness’. Thus, Beyond the Pale and Heart of Darkness are distinct in their philosophical aims, but not to the extent critics presume. In Heart of Darkness, the narrative frame imbues the novella with a universal, parable-like quality. Pervasive in medieval tale-telling of CHAUCER and BOCCACCIO, Conrad transforms the technique to enable the narrators to be distant observers of events. The

Thursday, March 5, 2020

The History of Rubiks Cube and Inventor Erno Rubik

The History of Rubiks Cube and Inventor Erno Rubik There is only one correct answer- and 43 quintillion wrong ones- for the Rubiks Cube. Gods algorithm is the answer that solves the puzzle in the least number of moves. One-eighth of the worlds population has laid hands on The Cube, the most popular puzzle in history and the colorful brainchild of Erno Rubik. Erno Rubiks Early Life Erno Rubik was born in Budapest, Hungary during World War II. His mother was a poet, his father an aircraft engineer who started a company to build gliders. Rubik studied sculpture in college, but after graduating, he went back to learn architecture at a small college called the Academy of Applied Arts and Design. He remained there after his studies to teach interior design. The Cube Rubiks initial attraction to inventing the Cube was not in producing the best selling toy puzzle in history. The structural design problem interested Rubik; he asked, How could the blocks move independently without falling apart? In Rubiks Cube, twenty-six individual little cubes or cubies make up the big Cube. Each layer of nine cubies can twist and the layers can overlap. Any three squares in a row, except diagonally, can join a new layer. Rubiks initial attempt to use elastic bands failed, his solution was to have the blocks hold themselves together by their shape. Rubiks hand carved and assembled the little cubies together. He marked each side of the big Cube with adhesive paper of a different color and started twisting. An Inventor Dreams The Cube became a puzzle  in the spring of 1974 when the twenty-nine-year-old Rubik discovered it was not so easy to realign the colors to match on all six sides. Of this experience, he said: It was wonderful, to see how, after only a few turns, the colors became mixed, apparently in random fashion. It was tremendously satisfying to watch this color parade. Like after a nice walk when you have seen many lovely sights you decide to go home, after a while I decided it was time to go home, let us put the cubes back in order. And it was at that moment that I came face to face with the Big Challenge: What is the way home? He was not sure he would ever be able to return his invention to its original position. He theorized that by randomly twisting the Cube he would never be able to fix it in a lifetime, which later turns out to be more than correct. He began working out a solution, starting with aligning the eight corner cubies. He discovered certain sequences of moves for rearranging just a few cubies at a time. Within a month, he had the puzzle solved and an amazing journey lay ahead. First Patent Rubik applied for his Hungarian patent in January 1975 and left his invention with a small toy making cooperative in Budapest. The patent approval finally came in early 1977 and the first Cubes appeared at the end of 1977. By this time, Erno Rubik was married. Two other people applied for similar patents at about the same time as Rubik. Terutoshi Ishige applied a year after Rubik, for a Japanese patent on a very similar cube. An American, Larry Nichols, patented a cube before Rubik, held together with magnets. Nichols toy was rejected by all toy companies, including the Ideal Toy Corporation, which later bought the rights to Rubiks Cube. Sales of the Rubiks Cube were sluggish until Hungarian businessman Tibor Laczi discovered the Cube. While having a coffee, he spied a waiter playing with the toy. Laczi an amateur mathematician was impressed. The next day he went to the state trading company, Konsumex, and asked permission to sell the Cube in the West. Tibor Laczi had this to say on first meeting Erno Rubik: When Rubik first walked into the room I felt like giving him some money, he says. He looked like a beggar. He was terribly dressed, and he had a cheap Hungarian cigarette hanging out of his mouth. But I knew I had a genius on my hands. I told him we could sell millions. Nuremberg Toy Fair Laczi proceeded to demonstrate the Cube at the Nuremberg toy fair, but not as an official exhibitor. Laczi walked around the fair playing with a Cube and managed to meet British toy expert Tom Kremer. Kremer thought Rubiks Cube was the wonder of the world. He later arranged an order for a million Cubes with Ideal Toy. Whats in a Name? Rubiks Cube was first called the Magic Cube (Buvuos Kocka) in Hungary. The puzzle had not been patented internationally within a year of the original patent.  Patent law  then prevented the possibility of an international patent. Ideal Toy wanted at least a recognizable name to copyright; of course, that arrangement put Rubik in the spotlight because the Magic Cube was renamed after its inventor. The First Red Millionaire Erno Rubik became the first self-made millionaire from the communist block. The eighties and Rubiks Cube went well together. Cubic Rubes (the name of cube fans) formed clubs to play and study solutions. A sixteen-year-old Vietnamese high school student from Los Angeles, Minh Thai won the world championship in Budapest (June 1982) by unscrambling a Cube in 22.95 seconds. The unofficial speed records may be ten seconds or less. Human experts now solve the puzzle in 24-28 moves on a regular basis. Erno Rubik  established a foundation to help promising inventors in Hungary. He also runs the Rubik Studio, which employs a dozen people to design furniture and toys. Rubik has produced several other toys, including Rubiks Snake. He has plans to start designing computer games and continues to develop his theories on geometric structures. Seven Towns Ltd. currently holds the rights to Rubiks Cube.

Monday, February 17, 2020

Support the argument that warfare in the Napoleonic era is Essay

Support the argument that warfare in the Napoleonic era is fundamentally similar to warfare as it practicted today - Essay Example Today, we look back to the Napoleonic era and we find a direct link in the military reforms and tactics that were used during the 1792-1815 French revolution having a direct impact on our very own military structures and organizations (Brian 46). France revolution was the of a monarch regime breaking loose and transforming into a nation founded on equality for all. This evidently was not an easy process as it meant doing away with monarchial rule, the nobles and breaking free from the church. It also meant that people would seize from being referred to as subjects, and embrace citizens as a title (Stewart 29). This was a task that had the rest of Europe at odds with France. Late 1791, the French King sought the help of other Europe rulers to aid in his reinstatement. This officially resulted in the emergence of the French revolution in April 1792; with the French new nation aiming at bring change through battle throughout Europe. Their first victory was marked in Belgium at the end o f 1792 (Paul 25). The French armies were now composed of talented men from all parts and class of France as with a nation structure, citizens were all equals unlike subjects who were greatly divided by the class system. This was one of the strengths of the French military as with such a tactic, it had more soldiers at its disposal than others (Brian 45). Moreover with a common goal, and the zeal to overcome whatever form of obstacles, the French military had a bond that was previously scarcely heard of in Europe, the ‘trust’ bond. Soldiers from France were able to with ease exploit tactical maneuvers hence breaking logistical constrains a factor that proved to be advantageous in battle and a contributor to their numerous successes in the fields (Stewart 29). War had been declared and the first coalition was formed by seven nations namely: United Provinces, Great Britain, Spain, Austria, and Prussia. This was at the beginning of 1793, marking the beginning of the 23years of struggle by France against these Nations. This is what created the need of an exceptional military leader who could face up to this challenge (Paul 25).The leadership of the French army was dynamic and strategic, especially since March 1796 when the great Napoleon Bonaparte took over the position of general. Napoleon was a brilliant soldier, a genius of sorts. He was a leader who could gather troops of up to 300,000 or more troops and maneuver them to success against their enemies as was the case in 1812 in Russia. The treaty of Campo Formio is an evidence of the organized and brilliance of Napoleon as a French army leader as it resulted from the defeat of Sardinian and Austrian forces back in Italy that led to French domination of the Belgium and Luxembourg then known as Austrian Netherlands. These two regions were the first additions of the now growing French Republic (Stewart 30). The French made organizational changes to their army that increased there lethality and sparked military reform in other states. Under the governance of Napoleon, greatness was curved for France and other states. Napoleon went by