The Power of Imagination in The Thought-Fox - Literature Essay Samples

In ‘The Thought-Fox’, Ted Hughes explores the transformative power of the imagination through the extended image of an imagined ‘fox’’ roaming through foliage post-midnight. Indeed, the poem might be read as an ode to beasts through putting a tender and gentle spin on descriptions of a ‘fox’- an animal generally perceived as beastly and intensely violent. Nonetheless, upon further examination the poem reads as a testament to the power and creativity of the imagination which is able to conceive of vivid images that are, in fact, faux. Throughout ‘The Thought-Fox’, Hughes challenges perceptions of animals as primitive and aggressive through the extended description of a ‘fox’ which is described with a tone of both beauty and tenderness. Such is immediately demonstrated through the simile ‘delicately as the dark snow/ A fox’s nose touches twig, leaf’, with the plosive alliteration of ‘delicately’ and ‘dark’ mirroring the careful and lithe movements of the fox. Furthermore, the brief syndetic list of ‘twig, leaf’ conveys the onlooker’s perspective of rapidly trying to digest the wondrous sight from his window. Indeed, alliteration links much of the language throughout from ‘sets’ and ‘snow, to ‘midnight’ and ‘moment’, to ‘body’ and ‘bold’, which echoes the fox’s actions of gently padding through the forest, whilst also conveying the speaker’s desire to remember such a moment through articulating it so concisely. Highlighting this is the declarative that ‘warily a lame/ Shadow lags by stump’ with the metaphor of a ‘shadow’ when reinforced through weakening adjective ‘lame’ erasing any connotations of danger of fear that might have been associated with the fox; through implications that it is as harmless as a shadow. Indeed, the even number of six stanzas paired with the even number of four lines within each stanza suggests that the actions of the fox are logical, are tentative therefore it should not cause any harm. Nonetheless, it could be argued that the dynamic line which begins the final stanza, describing ‘a sudden sharp hot stink of fox’; breaks from such tranquility with the triple use of dynamic adjectives and sibilance. Furthermore the diction ‘hot’ most notably holds connotations of violence and passion, perhaps undermining the speaker’s previous descriptions of the fox as tentative and gentle. Yet, we can understand the point being made by the poet that passion and gentility do not have to be mutually exclusive characteristics and are both contained within the fox; thus encouraging an audience to challenge their steadfast beliefs condemning foxes as terrifying creatures. Further sympathy is evoked for the animal through adjective ‘Cold,’ w hich is distinguished from the remainder of the line by a caesura to suggest that the fox has been stripped of its aggressive power and is now both meek and mild. Additionally, the poem might be read as an ode to the capacity of the imagination to create beauty and awe in a setting in which there is none. Indeed, the poet’s frequent use of free-verse paired with the lack of fixed rhyme scheme throughout highlights the fact that the imagination can always surprise both the poet, and the reader alike. Reinforcing this is the gradual build up of the descriptions of the fox, who we gain an image of from a number of synecdoches including the ‘fox’s nose’, ‘two eyes’ and then ‘prints’, until we finally gain a sight of ‘a body’. That we gain merely snatches of the fox heightens the sense of wonder as the fox remains somewhat elusive, and can only be perceived wholly in the imagination. This is mirrored structurally; with the poet’s decision to begin and end on descriptions of a ‘page’ suggesting that the image of the fox cannot truly enter into reality, and must rem ain trapped within verse. The speaker’s desperation to retain the image of a fox reaches a climax midway through the stanzas through the asyndetic listing of ‘And again, now, and now, and now’ with the repeated temporal diction placing emphasis on the existence of the fox in the current moment. Thus, reality is diminished in comparison to the wonders of the present. Furthermore, the epiphoric patterning of ‘now’ as closing the final two lines additionally convey’s the speaker’s disappointment with his knowledge that the moment will eventually pass. This is demonstrated by the monologue form of the poem and use of personal pronoun to begin the poem- ‘I’- suggesting that despite his efforts to conjure an animalistic companion, the speaker remains painfully alone. Nonetheless, the power of the imagination is shown to shatter such feelings of isolation and replace them with a sense of wonder as demonstrated by the catalogue of adverbs used to describe the fox’ eyes, from ‘widening’ to ‘deepening’, and then the adjectives ‘brilliantly’ and ‘concentratedly’ to suggest that the speaker’s imagination is growing in its power to conceive of the fox. Furthermore, we are not generally allowed to see what a fox’ eyes look like, and so Hughes here considers the capacity of the imagination to allow for the impossible to become true. Indeed, that the two adverbs are separated by the caesura of a comma implies that the speaker is savouring each glimpse of the fox and is extending the time in which he can view it. The frequent use of enjambment throughout further conveys the speaker’s unbridled excitement in his imaginative image of a fox, and additionally represents his action of struggling to write all the words down before the animal vanishes. Nonetheless, the poem ends on a tone of satisfaction conveyed by the dual declarative as use of comma and end stop which break from the enjambments as ‘The window is starless still’ and ‘The page is printed’, suggesting that the speaker feels satisfied in this mission to find a topic to write about. Indeed, use of end-stop and plosive alliteration of ‘page’ and ‘printed’ further heightens the sense of finale as if he has returned from a joyous adventure. Nonetheless, the personification of the clock in the line ‘the clock’s loneliness’ perhaps suggests that the speaker’s adventure into the wonders of his imagination has not reached a close, as even mundane objects can be imagined with a degree of magic through being considered to have human characteristics. In ‘The Thought-Fox’, Ted Hughes challenges the idea of animals as violent and inhumane through the imagine of a gentle and tender fox that moves through the forest. Hughes’ poem might also be read as a testament to the wonders of the imagination. In this poem, and in the conditions of life that it addresses, it is possible to create beauty out of surrounding darkness.

Whats So New about the New Terrorism

The term new terrorism came into its own after the September 11, 2001 attacks, but the phrase itself is not new. In 1986, the Canadian news magazine, Macleans, published The Menacing Face of the New Terrorism, identifying it as a war against the perceived decadence and immorality of the West by Middle Eastern, mobile, well-trained, suicidal and savagely unpredictable...Islamic fundamentalists. More frequently, new terrorism has  focused on a perceived new threat of mass casualties caused by chemical, biological or other agents. Discussions of new terrorism are often highly alarmist: it is described as far more lethal than anything that has come before it, a terrorism that seeks the total collapse of its opponents (Dore Gold, the American Spectator, March/ April 2003). The UK writer is correct in thinking that when people do make use of the idea of a new terrorism, they mean at least some of the following: The new terrorism aims at destruction as an end in itself, while the old terrorism used violent destruction as a means to a political end;The new terrorism aims, therefore, at as much destruction as possible, whether through devastating forms of weaponry or techniques such as suicide terrorism, whereas the old terrorism sought to create a dramatic spectacle with as little damage as possible;The new terrorism is organizationally distinct from the old terrorism. It is heterarchical (has many equally authoritative points of authority) and horizontal, rather than hierarchical and vertical; it is decentralized rather than centralized. (You might notice that corporations, social groups and other institutions are also frequently described in new terms, these days);The new terrorism is justified on religious and apocalyptic grounds, while the old terrorism was rooted in political ideology. New Terrorism Not So New, After All On its face, these simple distinctions between new and old terrorism sound rational, especially because they are tightly bound to  discussions of al-Qaeda, the most highly discussed terrorist group of recent years. Unfortunately, when held up to history and analysis, the distinction between old and new falls apart. According to Professor Martha Crenshaw, whose first article on terrorism was published in 1972, we need to take a longer view to understand this phenomenon. In the March 30, 2003 edition of the  Palestine Israel Journal she argued: The idea that the world confronts a new terrorism completely unlike the terrorism of the past has taken hold in the minds of policy makers, pundits, consultants, and academics, especially in the US. However, terrorism remains an intrinsically political rather than cultural phenomenon and, as such, the terrorism of today is not fundamentally or qualitatively new, but grounded in an evolving historical context. The idea of a new terrorism is often based on insufficient knowledge of history, as well as misinterpretations of contemporary terrorism. Such thinking is often contradictory. For example, it is not clear when the new terrorism began or the old ended, or which groups belong in which category. Crenshaw goes on to explain the flaws in broad generalizations about new and old terrorism. Speaking generally, the problem with most of the distinctions is that they arent true because there are so many exceptions to the supposed rules of new and old. Crenshaws most important point is that terrorism remains an intrinsically political phenomenon. This means that people who choose terrorism act, as they always have, out of discontent with how society is organized and run, and who has the power to run it. To say that terrorism and terrorists is political, rather than cultural, also suggests that terrorists are responding to their contemporary environment, rather than acting out of an internally coherent belief system that has no relationship to the world around it. If this is true, then why do todays terrorists often sound religious? Why do they speak in divine absolutes, while the old terrorists spoke in terms of national liberation, or social justice, which sound political? They sound that way because, as Crenshaw puts it, terrorism is grounded in an evolving historical context. In the last generation, that context has included the rise of religiosity, the politicization of religion, and the tendency to speak politics in a religious idiom in mainstream circles, as well as in violent extremist ones, both East and West. Mark Juergensmeyer, who has written much on religious terrorism, has described bin Laden as religionizing politics. In places where political speech is officially muted, religion can offer an acceptable vocabulary for voicing an entire range of concerns. We might wonder why, if there isnt really a new terrorism, so many have spoken of one. Here are a few suggestions: The first efforts to describe a new form of terrorism, in the 1990s, were generally by professional students of terrorism attempting to make sense of phenomena that did not fit into the model that evolved in the 1970s and 1980s out of left-leaining national liberation movements. Attacks such as that of the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo did not make sense without a reconsideration of the model;Clear schematics such as old and new make complex phenomena seem simple, which is intellectually satisfying and emotionally comforting in a complicated world;When people do not know the historical or cultural context of a phenomenon, anything that they do not recognize may indeed look new. In reality, it is simply new to them;Although individuals who write about new terrorism after 9/11 may not be aware of it, their claim of unprecedented lethality is a political argument that favors putting more resources into terrorism (which does not kill as many people as heart disease, or poverty) precisel y because it is so lethal;It is difficult for any cause to draw attention in crowded media space. Claiming newness is one way to distinguish a phenomenon, and it is easier to digest than explanations of complicated historical facts;Identifying a new phenomenon can help a writer gain attention or build a career.

Mr. Holliday And The Treatment Program - 1079 Words

Mr. Holliday reported that he does not see a need to change. Mr. Holliday reported that he is â€Å"not a big drinker and a social drinker†. He stated that he want to be free of legal trouble. He stated that he does not want to consume or get drunk again. Mr. Holliday stated that he will only consume alcohol at his house. Mr. Holliday reported that he will eventually stop consuming alcohol. He stated that he does not have a problem. It seems that he is in the precontemplative stage of change. VIII. ASAM-DIMENSION 5 – Relapse, Continued Use or Problem Potential Mr. Holliday stated that he considers his wife to be a part of his support system. He stated that she encourages an environment of sobriety. Mr. Holliday reported that there are not†¦show more content†¦3. Have you ever been arrested or taken into custody even for a few hours, because of other drunk or stoned behavior? XI. SUBSTANCE ABUSE TESTING REPORT Mr. Holliday was asked to submit to a Urinalysis Drug Screen (UDS) at the time of this evaluation. The results were as follows: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM 5) describes the essential feature of a substance use disorder as a cluster of cognitive, behavioral and physiological symptoms indicating that the individual continues using the substance despite significant substance-related problems. Specifically, the DSM V describes diagnostic criteria as a problematic pattern of alcohol use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress. Mr. Holliday manifested the following: Alcohol Use Disorder, Unspecified 1. Substance use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance. This is evidenced by Mr. Holliday’s self-report that he has continued to consume alcohol after the accident in spite of his hospitalization from a car accident. Mr. Holliday presents a moderate level risk of continuing to progress into the disease of addiction. Mr. Holliday presents a moderate-level risk of continuing to use drugs. He has developed a maladaptive pattern of substance abuse evidenced by his recent legal problems. There areShow MoreRelatedEthical Decisions For Social Work Practice Essay2113 Words   |  9 PagesMr. Pilsudski To begin with, the client whose name is Mr. Sam Pilsudski has an obstructed airway secondary to cancer of the larynx. He is a 67-year-old widower, and a father of one son and two daughters, who is unconscious and terminally ill, if not for a much-needed operation to remove both his cancer and larynx to save his life. However, one of Mr. Pilsudski’s daughters has adamantly refused to consent to the surgical procedure despite the physician explaining that although the operationRead MoreEssay about Three Approaches to Coping with School Violence2647 Words   |  11 Pagescourse, some of us may interpret such suggestions as merely dark, stoic, and cynical—â€Å"scare† tactics quite in keeping with the current national mood about many social issues these days. Yet, as a profession (and a society) maybe a little shock treatment now and then is good for us, especially if we ourselves work in relatively â€Å"safe† schools and communities. Maybe it’s time to remind ourselves that one school’s problem can become every school’s problem if the profession at large is not watchfulRead MoreThe Studio System Essay14396 Words   |  58 PagesArzner * Actresses: Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Claudette Colbert, Sylvia Sidney Actors: Maurice Chevalier, Marx Bros, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Ray Milland, George Raft * Typical Films: Trouble in Paradise , Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Death Takes a Holiday, Easy Living Warner Brothers --------------- * Known For: Working-class grittiness; also, musicals and biopics * In Charge: Jack Harry Warner, Hal Willis * Directors: Michael

Major Barriers of Innovation Magna Closures and Magna

Question: Discuss about theMajor Barriers of Innovation at Magna Closures and Magna. Answer: Introduction Magna International Inc. is one of the largest industrial houses of Canada. Based at Aurora in Ontario, the organization operates in the field of automobile parts production and is considered as one of the global leaders of the said domain (Magna.com 2016). The various operational groups of the organization include the Magna Powertrain, Magna Steyr, Magna Exteriors, Magna Closures, Magna Seating, Magna Electronics, Magna Mirrors and Cosma International. This paper is aimed at identifying the factor that are acting as a barrier to organizational innovation of the said group. Organizational silos. Researchers Lee et al. (2012) are of the opinion, that the very first factor that need to be considered while finding out the reasons for the lack of innovation within an organizational infrastructure is that of the hierarchical nature of the administration. Researchers Gnyawali and Srivastava (2013) second their opinion, claiming that interests of the organizational heads in creating their individual identities, get recognized, maintaining the sustainability of the organization and protect their own interests forces them to create boundaries and define specific roles and responsibilities for all. Such division of responsibilities leads to the development of organizational silos. On the other hand, author Laforet (2013) is of the opinion that innovation, by nature defies all organizational barriers and boundaries, and creates new categories within an organization. The information available from the official website of Magna Closures indicates that the organizati onal heads run the company in a bureaucratic fashion (which denotes existence of silos): this indeed is one of the major factors restricting innovation in the organization (Magna.com 2016). Risk avoidance. On the other hand, experts in the domain of organizational management uniformly agree on the point that the organizational heads of most larges sized industrial houses tend to avoid situations that might lead to loss of finances or reputation of the organization (Lee et al. 2012). Researchers Purcarea et al. (2013), further claim that the implementation of innovative ideas and process are generally stalled as soon as the risks associated with such ideas are identified. The official website of Magna indicates that at present, the organization is currently conducting business in a stable manner: thus, the tendency of the organizational heads towards avoiding risky situations in their business in justified (Magna.com 2016). Other factors. Researchers DEste et al. (2012) have pointed out several other factors that restrict the incorporation of innovative ideas within an organizational infrastructure. The authors are of the opinion that the lack of urgency is indeed one such factor that does not motivate the organizational heads to incorporate innovative ideas. The financial records of the organization (as released officially) claim that the company had been gaining profits steadily for the last few years: thus it can be concluded that the lack of any market threat or urgency is the actually hindering the inclusion of innovation in Magna. Authors Gnyawali and Srivastava (2013) , on the other hand, argue that the concept of innovation is essentially conceptual and not concrete: thus the mere lack of inclusion of significant innovative ideas within an organization in the recent past does not imply the fact that no efforts are being made in the said direction. But at the very same time, the official website of the organization does not provide enough information that can support the fact that the stakeholders internal to the organization are working on innovative ideas (Magna.com 2016). Existing good examples. However, an important point that demands mention in this context is the fact that the organizational heads of Magna International Inc. are aware of the fact that the incorporation of new ideas and concepts is important to maintain the sustainability of the organization (Magna.com 2016). This is evident from the fact that the newsletters posted on the web pages announce of contests for submitting innovative ideas that could be utilized for enhancing the safety of the customers. Besides this, the publication of the said newsletter is indicative of the fact that Magna has started utilizing innovative management policies within the organizational infrastructure, even if a small scale. According to experts DEste et al. (2012), the existence of the above mentioned features within an organization deserves special mention and appreciation. Conclusion In the light of the discussions made in this paper, it can thus be concluded that the existence of the o organization silos in Magna closure is the first and primary reason behind the lack of innovative ideas in the organization. On the other hand, a tendency to avoid any risk is yet another significant reason for the said state of the business. However certain efforts being made by the organizational heads are truly appreciable and would indeed lead to the inclusion of innovation in Magna. References DEste, P., Iammarino, S., Savona, M., and von Tunzelmann, N., 2012. What hampers innovation? Revealed barriers versus deterring barriers.Research Policy,41(2), 482-488. Gnyawali, D. R., and Srivastava, M. K. ,2013. Complementary effects of clusters and networks on firm innovation: A conceptual model.Journal of Engineering and Technology Management,30(1), 1-20. Laforet, S. (2013). Organizational innovation outcomes in SMEs: Effects of age, size, and sector.Journal of World business,48(4), 490-502. Lee, S. M., Olson, D. L., and Trimi, S. , 2012. Co-innovation: convergenomics, collaboration, and co-creation for organizational values.Management Decision,50(5), 817-831. Magna.com,. 2016. Magna: Home. Magna.com. Retrieved 23 June 2016, from https://www.magna.com Purcarea, I., del Mar Benavides Espinosa, M., and Apetrei, A., 2013. Innovation and knowledge creation: Perspectives on the SMEs sector.Management Decision,51(5), 1096-1107.

Superstition Or Truth Essays - Cultural Depictions Of Julius Caesar

Superstition or Truth Superstitions are thought to be irrational, and resulting from either ignorance, or fear of the unknown. Some believe that superstitions can take control of their life, for instance, if a black cat crosses you're path, you will have bad luck. Most regard this as folklore and witchcraft. In the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, superstitions took hold and played an important part of many people's lives. The characters believed that they were getting a vision into their future. Each character dealt with the superstition differently, some feared them, and some disbelieved them. These superstitions not only gave the characters, but also the audience quick looks at what is to come. They are important, and help shape the way the play was performed, and interpreted. The first superstition, which was clearly visible, is the soothsayer, who in the first act tells Caesar beware the ides of March. This is a superstition, because it is irrational, and it comes from a situation of high risk, and involves influences, which are unseen. This also shows Caesar's arrogance, its not just that he is not superstitious, but he also does not even let the soothsayer explain himself. He laughs at the soothsayer, and says "he is a dreamer, let us leave him, pass." The soothsayer is warning him of his own death date, and he laughs at him. He does not believe in superstition, and this is clear by his reaction, many others in his situation would be fearful of the ides of March, from the warning and omen, he got. Caesar believes he is more powerful then destiny, and that he will have nothing to worry about. Caesar's arrogance cost him his life, and showed that superstitions sometimes do come true. The next superstition occurred the day of his death. Calpurina urges Caesar not to go to senate today. She tells Caesar of the horrible dream she had, the night before the ides of March. Caesar recalls the dream to the other men. "The cause is in my will. I will not come. That is enough to satisfy the senate. But for you're private satisfaction, because I love you, I will let you know. Calpurnia here, my wife stays me out home. She dreamt tonite she saw my statue, which like a fountain with an hundred spouts, did run pure blood; and many lust Romans came smiling and did bathe their hands in it. And these does she apply for warnings and portents and evils imminent, and on her knee hath begged that I stay at home today"(Shakespeare, 79-81) Caesar just recalled and foreshadowed his own death, and yet he still leaves for the senate. Caesar's arrogance is again showed. He does not believe in fortune telling, or superstitions, although everything is warning him of the upcoming danger he is about to face. His wife however, is the opposite of him, in that she is very superstitious, she fears her dream, and fears for her husband. There was also another warning Caesar received. When several men killed a beast, in the streets, they slaughtered him, and found no heart. This slaughtering of the beast was also a superstition, for the men believed they could use the beast to determine, if there would be danger today. This is an excellent example of a superstition, since it something to us that seems irrational, but to superstitious people, they would believe that a beast could foretell the future. Everyone, other then Caesar, and in the audience, could clearly see that he should have not left his home that day, but Caesar believed he was smarter then any omen, or superstition. This was his ultimate down fall. The other superstition that played part in this play, was when Brutus was confronted with the ghost of Caesar, before he entered battle. This superstition foretells of his own down fall. The ghost comes to him, as he is sitting up reading in his tent. "Ha, who comes here- I think it is the weakness of mine eyes that shapes this monstrous apparition. It comes upon me-Art thou any thing? Art thou some god, some angel or some devil, that makest my blood cold and my hair to stare? Speak to what thou art."

Geoglyphs - Worldwide Ancient Art of the Landscape

Geoglyphs - Worldwide Ancient Art of the Landscape A geoglyph is an ancient ground drawing, low relief mound, or other geometric or effigy work that was formed by humans out of earth or stone. Many of them are enormous and their patterns cannot be fully appreciated visually without the use of aircraft or drones, yet they are  found in isolated places throughout the world and some are thousands of years old. Why they were built remains a mystery: purposes attributed to them are almost as varied as their shapes and locations. They could be land and resource markers, animal traps, cemeteries, water management features, public ceremonial spaces, and/or astronomical alignments. What is a Geoglyph? A geoglyph is a human-made rearrangement of the natural landscape to create a geometric or effigy form.They are found the world over and are difficult to date, but many are several thousands of years old.They are often very large and can only be visually appreciated from high above.Examples include the Nazca lines in South America, the Uffington Horse in the UK, Effigy Mounds in North America, and Desert Kites in Arabia. What is a Geoglyph? Geoglyphs are known across the world and vary widely in construction type and size. Researchers recognize two broad categories of geoglyphs: extractive and additive and many geoglyphs combine the two techniques. Extractive geoglyphs (also called negative, campo barrido or intaglio) involves scraping away of the top layer of soil on a piece of land, exposing contrasting colors and textures of the lower layer to create designs.Additive geoglyphs (or positive or rock alignments) are made by gathering materials and piling them on the soil surface to create the design. This 365-foot-long (111 m) silhouette of a horse carved into the chalky side of a hill in the county of Oxfordshire, west of London, stands out clearly downhill from the ruins of Uffington castle. HOPE PRODUCTIONS/Yann Arthus Bertrand / Getty Images Extractive geoglyphs include the Uffington Horse (1000 BCE) and the Cerne Abbas Giant (a.k.a. the Rude Man), although scholars typically refer to them as chalk giants: the vegetation has been scraped away revealing the chalk bedrock. Some scholars have argued that The Cerne Abbas Giant- a big naked guy holding a matching club- may be a 17th-century hoax: but its still a geoglyph. Australias Gummingurru arrangement is a series of additive rock alignments which include animals effigies of emus and turtles and snakes, as well as some geometric shapes. The Nazca Lines Aerial View of Hummingbird Geoglyph, Nazca Lines. Tom Till / Photographers Choice / Getty Images The term geoglyph was likely coined in the 1970s, and it was probably first used in a published document to refer to the famous Nasca Lines of Peru. The Nazca Lines (sometimes spelled Nasca Lines) are hundreds of geoglyphs, abstract and figural art etched into part of the several hundred square kilometers of the Nazca Pampa landscape called the Pampa de San Josà © in coastal northern Peru. Most of the geoglyphs were created by people of the Nasca culture (~100 BCE–500 CE), by scraping away a few inches of rock patina in the desert. The Nazca lines are now known to have been begun in the Late Paracas period, beginning about 400 BCE; the most recent date to 600 CE. There are more than 1,500 examples, and they have been attributed to water and irrigation, ceremonial activity, ritual clearing, concepts of radiality like those expressed in the much later Inca ceque system, and perhaps astronomical alignments. Some scholars such as British archaeo-astronomer Clive Ruggles think some of them may be for pilgrimage walking- deliberately constructed so that the people could follow the path as they meditate. Many of the geoglyphs are simply lines, triangles, rectangles, spirals, trapezoids, and zigzags; others are complex abstract line networks or labyrinths; still others are spectacular humanoid and plant and animal shapes including a hummingbird, a spider, and a monkey. Gravel Drawings and the Big Horn Medicine Wheel One early use of geoglyph referred to a wide variety of gravel ground drawings at the Yuma Wash. The Yuma Wash drawings are one of several such sites found in desert locations in North America from Canada to Baja California, the most famous of which are the Blythe Intaglios and the Big Horn Medicine Wheel (built ca. 1200–1800 CE). In the late twentieth century, geoglyph specifically meant ground drawings, especially those made on desert pavements (the deserts stony surface): but since that time, some scholars have broadened the definition to include low-relief mounds and other geometric-based constructions. The most common form of geoglyph- ground drawings- are in fact found in almost all of known deserts of the world. Some are figural; many are geometric. Native American Geoglyph in Wyoming.   Christian Heeb / Getty Images Native American Effigy Mounds Some North American Native American mounds and mound groups could also be characterized as geoglyphs, such as the Woodland period Effigy Mounds in the upper Midwest and Great Serpent Mound in Ohio: these are low earthen structures made in the shapes of animals or geometric designs. Many of the effigy mounds were destroyed by farmers in the mid-19th century, so the best images we have are from early surveyors such as Squire and Davis. Clearly, Squire and Davis didnt need a drone. Plate XXXV from Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. Great Serpent in Adams County, Ohio. Ephraim George Squier and Edwin Hamilton Davis 1847 Poverty Point is a 3.500-year-old C-shaped settlement located on the Maco Ridge in Louisiana that is in the shape of spoked concentric circles. The sites original configuration has been a topic of debate for the past fifty years or more, partly due to the erosive forces of the adjacent Bayou Macon. There are the remains of five or six concentric rings cut by three or four radial aventues around an artificially raised plaza. 3,000 Year Old Poverty Point Earthwork.   Richard A. Cooke / Corbis Documentary / Getty Images In South Americas Amazon rainforest there are hundreds of geometrically-shaped (circles, ellipses, rectangles, and squares) ditched enclosures with flat centers that researchers have termed geoglyphs, although they may have served as water reservoirs or community central places. Works of the Old Men Hundreds of thousands of geoglyphs are known in or close to lava fields throughout the Arabian peninsula. In the Black Desert of Jordan, ruins, inscriptions, and geoglyphs are called by the Bedouin tribes who live the Works of the  Old Men. First brought to scholarly attention by RAF pilots flying over the desert shortly after the Arab revolt of 1916, the geoglyphs were made of stacks of basalt, between two to three slabs high. They are classified into four main categories based on their shape: kites, meandering walls, wheels, and pendants. The kites and associated walls (called desert kites) are thought to be mass kill hunting tools; wheels (circular stone arrangements with spokes) appear to be constructed for funerary or ritual use, and pendants are strings of burial cairns. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL dating) on examples in the Wadi Wisad region suggest they were built in two main pulses, one in the Late Neolithic about 8,500 years ago and one about 5,400 years ago du ring the Early Bronze Age-Chalcolithic. Atacama Geoglyphs Llama Caravan Geoglyphs, Atacama Desert, Northern Chile. Paul Harris / Getty Images The Atacama Geoglyphs are located in the coastal desert of Chile. There were more than 5,000 geoglyphs built between 600-1500 CE, made by moving around the dark desert pavement. In addition to figural art including llamas, lizards, dolphins, monkeys, humans, eagles, and rheas, the Atacama glyphs include circles, concentric circles, circles with dots, rectangles, diamonds, arrows, and crosses. One functional purpose suggested by researcher Luis Briones is that of identifying safe passage and water resources through the desert: the Atacama geoglyphs include several examples of drawings of llama caravans. Studying, Recording, Dating, and Protecting Geoglyphs The documentation of geoglyphs is performed by an ever-increasing variety of remote-sensing techniques including aerial photogrammetry, contemporary high-resolution satellite imagery, radar imagery including Doppler mapping, data from historic CORONA missions, and historic aerial photography such as that of the RAF pilots mapping desert kites. Most recently geoglyph researchers use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones). Results from all of these techniques need to be verified by pedestrian survey and/or limited excavations. Dating geoglyphs is a little tricky, but scholars have used associated pottery or other artifacts, associated structures and historic records, radiocarbon dates taken on charcoal from interior soil sampling, pedological studies of soil formation, and OSL of the soils. Sources and Further Information Athanassas, C. D., et al. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (. Journal of Archaeological Science 64 (2015): 1–11. Print.Osl) Dating and Spatial Analysis of Geometric Lines in the Northern Arabian DesertBikoulis, Peter, et al. Ancient Pathways and Geoglyphs in the Sihuas Valley of Southern Peru. Antiquity 92.365 (2018): 1377–91. Print.Briones-M, Luis. The Geoglyphs of the North Chilean Desert: An Archaeological and Artistic Perspective. Antiquity 80 (2006): 9-24. Print.Kennedy, David. The â€Å"Works of the Old Men† in Arabia: Remote Sensing in Interior Arabia. Journal of Archaeological Science 38.12 (2011): 3185–203. Print.Pollard, Joshua. The Uffington White Horse Geoglyph as Sun-Horse. Antiquity 91.356 (2017): 406–20. Print.Ruggles, Clive, and Nicholas J. Saunders. Desert Labyrinth: Lines, Landscape and Meaning at Nazca, Peru. Antiquity 86.334 (2012): 1126–40. Print.

Rural Telecom Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Rural Telecom Industry - Essay Example Cities, towns, villages, remote interiors across the globe, are all getting connected through fixed landlines or GSMs. In this context, besides the basic issue of connectivity, network management has become a challenge. A few years ago, getting connectivity to rural areas was a huge task. Today, it is the management of data, which has taken precedence in the area. Here, we review the challenges faced by the rural telecom industry worldwide and the shifts that have taken place in the past few years. "Network managers tasked with managing their company's telecom budget are familiar with the fact that their bills are often incorrect. From charges for circuits that should have been disconnected years ago to using old, higher rates for current data lines, errors are not uncommon." Other companies, which outsource the software solutions, are also offering bill auditing and TEM services. As telecom companies grow to cater to the needs of the rural populance, the same business users may just find an increased need for TEM products or services. According to C. Jagadish*,,1, Vinod Kumar Jammula1 and Timothy A. Gonsalves2 in the paper Low-cost data communication network for rural telecom network management "the backbone networking infrastructure of rural telecom networks is often costly and is of limited bandwidth. ... According to C. Jagadish*,,1, Vinod Kumar Jammula1 and Timothy A. Gonsalves2 in the paper Low-cost data communication network for rural telecom network management "the backbone networking infrastructure of rural telecom networks is often costly and is of limited bandwidth. The availability of connectivity such as DSL or leased lines is scarce. In order to keep operational costs low, these rural telecom networks are often kept unmanned and are managed from a centralized network management station (NMS). This often requires a low-cost, efficient and reliable data communication network (DCN) between the rural telecom equipment and the central NMS. The conventional DCN used for telecom management consists either of leased lines or Internet connectivity. These are often costly and not freely available in rural areas." The researchers developed a new DCN model, based on dial-up, which is easily available. This DCN has been implemented in corDECT networks, which is currently in use in India and Tunisia, and is under implementation in other countries. It has been shown that this DCN meets the QoS requirements of a telecom network at an affordable cost. Today in India and other developing countries the telecom network is fast growing and considered to be critical for technological development. But the growth rate in urban and rural areas is asymmetrical. Telecom operators often neglect deployment in rural/undeveloped areas. The major discouraging factors are low population density, low affordability and lack of skilled personnel. Thus factors absolutely necessary for a rural telecom solution are low cost infrastructure and low operational costs. A centralized network management system (NMS) will ensure low infrastructure cost . A centralized NMS will