Electronic Fundamentals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Electronic Fundamentals - Essay Example The inverting input of the first comparator is attached to the voltage divider at the level of two thirds VCC, and the non-inverting input carries the THRESHOLD signal. The non-inverting input of the second comparator is connected to one third of VCC, and the inverting input carries the TRIGGER signal. The functions of THRESHOLD and TRIGGER will be explained in the operations section. The use of the voltage divider means that the device can operate across a range of supply voltages. The outputs of the comparators are connected to the reset and set terminals, respectively, of a flip-flop gate. This is the heart of the device and is responsible for the switching behaviour utilized in most of the device’s applications. It is important to note that the rest of the circuit is connected to the complement of the flip-flop logic. The base of bi-polar junction transistor (BJT) is connected to the output of the flip-flop, and is made available to discharge (hence the signal name DISCH) external capacitors. Finally, there is an output stage that increases the available output current, and inverts the logic of the flip-flop output. 1.2 Operation The 555 has three modes of operation: astable, monostable, and bistable. Each of these modes of operation requires the connection of a slightly different set of external components. In each application, however, the basic functioning of the device remains the same: THRESHOLD Signal THRESHOLD Comparator Output TRIGGER Signal TRIGGER Comparator Output Flip-Flop Output (Complement) 555 Output > ? VCC HIGH > ? VCC LOW HIGH LOW > ? VCC HIGH ? VCC LOW Keep state Keep state < ?VCC LOW < ? VCC HIGH LOW HIGH 1.2.1 Astable In astable mode the 555 puts out a continuous stream of rectangular pulses at a frequency determined by the external circuit. The circuit is said to be ‘astable’ because it does not stay in a given output state, but continuously switches back and forth between high and low states. Figure 2 - Astable ci rcuit diagram [3] The external resistor R1 is connected between VCC and the DISCHARGE pin (7), and R2 is connected between DISCHARGE and the input signals. The input signals, TRIGGER (2) and THRESHOLD (6), are connected together as well as to the external capacitor C1. This capacitor is charged through R1 and R2 when the discharge pin is isolated from ground (flip-flop output is LOW), and discharged through R2 when the discharge pin has a low impedance path to ground (flip-flop output is HIGH). The continuous oscillation of the device can be seen as follows: -C1 is initially discharged, TRIGGER is below 1/3 VCC, THRESHOLD is below 2/3 VCC, the F-F output is HIGH, and the discharge transistor is off. -C1 charges to ? VCC and the flip-flop output switches to low. The discharge transistor opens and the capacitor discharges to ground through R2 and pin 7. -Once the capacitor discharges to ? VCC, the logic in the flip-flop reverses, and the circuit is back to its initial state. The versa tility of the 555 is demonstrated by the fact that the time

Lasting Legacies Essay Example for Free

Lasting Legacies Essay The impact of Confucianism in East Asia continues to mold and shape individuals’ actions so they can lead better lives that will have a positive effect on society. This can be achieved once the individual reaches a better understanding about their mutual obligations – that a proper society is revolved around give and take. It is the individuals who keep the lasting legacies of Confucianism through their patterns of knowledge and belief by understanding how the world actually works. The lasting legacies of Asian political thought and practice are also seen through moral reasoning and moral values, political thought and action, the economy and the self. Patterns of knowledge and belief are critical in explaining ontological independence, rationality as balance, sacred reasoning, and human nature. Ontological interdependence illustrates how events are linked with other events and people with other people. Everything that exists is interdependent and nothing is separate. In general, it means the theory of reality. The concept of yang and yin shows interdependence because they are forces in the cosmos that only gain reality through interdependence. Although there are misconceptions that yin and yang contradict each other, but instead, they are complimentary. Complementarity, then, implies mutuality and reciprocity, â€Å"therefore exerting some constraints on the degree of hierarchy† (Yee, 316). Anything that is real can only be understood through its interdependence. Nothing can develop or exist alone, such as the government and society. This idea can pose a challenge because it is dealt with accountability. An example of this is accountability in governance and how it should act in order to properly lead a society knowing that their decisions will have an impact on their people because every event and action are linked to each other. In terms of institutions, accountability describes a relationship between accountable and accounting parties so that â€Å"accountable† parties are accountable to accounting parties (Mo, 57). Political theorists have thought that good government is one that is kept under control and that accountability indicates the degree to which power is domesticated or subject to the rule of law (Mo, 57). This idea remains as the basic framework of the lasting legacies of Asian political thought and action. Another contributing idea that contributes to how people understand how the world actually works is through rationality as balance. According to East Asian philosophy, human beings are rational and that rationality involves balance. Being rational means having the ability to balance interests and time as well as finding balance between others and ourselves. Knowing how to balance between our own interests to the interests of others. Balance is a characteristic that is extremely important in a political leader. They need to know the balance in short term and long term needs of society. They also need to know how to balance the interests of self and others because they will fail if they don’t think of self and others. It is the key to have the ability to make public policy. Balancing of interest places high value on harmony and cooperation. Furthermore, sacred reasoning also helps to explain the patterns of knowledge and belief. It has been understood in East Asian terms of synergism and interpenetrating boundaries. This means that we combine different religious ideas to be powerful. Synergism means interaction, and the East Asian tradition has been a tradition trying to reconcile doctrines even if it may b e illogical to do so. Interpenetrating boundaries can also be observed in East Asia because one will find that people who are deeply religious tend to move from one religion to another and this would not be a violation of principles. The boundaries of different religions are fluid. An example of this would be combining ideas of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. The goal is not to reject one idea or another but to integrate the ideas together in order to get a better understanding of how others view the world. In East Asian tradition, one does not just simply reject an idea, but to tolerate it and incorporate into their tradition. This is simply the idea of interpenetrating boundaries because setting boundaries is to set one’s own limits. Human nature is also an aspect that helps humans to understand the patterns of knowledge and belief. According to East Asian traditions, they believe that human nature is not fixed at birth but a potential that could be developed. Our human nature is only a tende ncy, at best; we are improvable so it cannot be taken for granted. Humans are improvable through self-cultivation. Self-cultivation consists of will and sincerity. Humans must have to have the will and sincerity to improve themselves. Without sincerity, one will simply fail. This poses a political debate that if humans are cultivated and rational, then what should the role of government be in unlocking human nature. Whether government should be strong in its role or weak in terms of allowing its citizens to control and organize their own lives. It is inarguable that only a government with proper order can facilitate the development of human beings into self-cultivation. To be human, one must start with the personal cultivation of one’s own character, and then be in harmony with others by extending one’s virtue to others (de Bary, 179). Lasting legacies of East Asian thought and action continue with moral reasoning and moral values. It is about mutual obligations, which is the idea of give and take. Mutual obligation is the root for moral life. In terms of moral values, it can be seen through justice, harmony, ecological family, and a good life. Justice as reciprocity is the belief that justice is about proper share, which results in equality. Justice doesn’t emphasize equality first. It concentrates on proper shares, which means giving people what they out to get, and reciprocity, which is not just doing something for somebody else, but also about paying of proper shares. There is the idea of shared costs and benefits and it is something that people use in judging government to judge whether it is just or unjust. In terms of harmony, East Asia argues that conflict should be minimized. They believe that optimizing differences should be a moral root in everyday life and that conflict is unproductive. Harmony is the balancing of differences and it also comes from abiding by natural laws. Scholars have emphasized that Heaven did not create harmony but only provided the conditions for humans to be in harmony â€Å"and that a harmonious relationship between humans and their environment is conducive to their well-being† (de Bary, 177). The ecological family is emphasized as the ecology and it is which all civilization value. Family is the core foundation of any institution and it is also where values and morality develop. It is well known that Confucianism places a â€Å"great deal of importance on the institution of the family† (Chaibong 341). Family is a source of happiness and the formation of human being from education to politics. It is the basis of everything. The ecological family is the root of humanization and education. It is not fixed at birth but a tendency. It means the basis of education is in the family itself as they learn how to deal with other people. I t has a role that is unusual because if the family is where human beings are shaped first, it is more than a unit of happiness and marriage. The role of mothers is extremely vital in shaping humanization because the teachings start with them. The ecological family also helps to shape humans through self-cultivation because people depend on their capabilities that begin first in the family. They discover what they can or cannot do. Self-cultivation is involved in the family because it teaches humans how to be respectful and follow obligations. The ecological family also teaches self-fulfillment that leads to happiness. It is happiness that humans get their whole lives because they have a sense that they have contributed to something bigger and better than themselves. It is happiness that is genuine and not counterfeit. Leadership also starts in the family. People who become leaders outside of the family are people who know how to lead in the family themselves. Families cannot survive without leadership. From the Confucian point of view, it is not authoritative to have a family leader. The family is always talked as the root of leadership. If an individual is a good leader within the family, they are likely to be a good leader outside of the family. Aside from the ecological family, living a good and flourishing life is an illustration of moral values. Human beings must know the separation of right and wrong, and understand the differences between material and moral in order to lead a flourishing life. Material and moral aspects can be achieved when there is proper order. The more proper order a government has, the more conducive it has to helping its citizens to build their lives. A flourishing order balances material and moral life. Human beings often lose sight of this and often emphasize on material. Political thought and action also helps to understand the lasting of legacies of East Asia in terms of proper order, politics as methodology and management, leadership and hierarchy, and ritual. Proper order is striking a balance between government and civil action. The role of government is to create a certain conditions so that the popular people can live without constant insecurity. Confucian scholars say that politics and government is an extension of the family and personal ethics, and political conflicts must be dealt with according to the same principles used in a family context. Scholars also say that a state is nothing other than an â€Å"enlarged form of family and the relations between the ruler and the subjects, and those between those who govern and those who are governed are equivalent to the relations between parents and children† (de Bary, 184). Given that government should play the role of the family, they should act in ways to provide proper order even though ordinary people are seen as rational beings. East Asians will respond that good politics should be primary. Politics is also about methodology and management. This aspect is about creating a good life. The essentials of managing affairs is a principle for Confucian learning that requires one to â€Å"stand square on what is right, do not scheme for what is profitable; clarify the way, do not calculate the honours† (de Bary, 212). In this context, politics is necessary and it is there for the benefit of the citizens. It is there to overlook and organize society so that citizens can live a good life. Politics is about methodology because it helps to understand how politics is a reflection of Confucian learning and it explains the complicated relation between the Confucian Way and Chinese practices. In terms of leadership and hierarchy, it is said that hierarchy i s reciprocal, just, and beneficent. A proper order society requires some level of leadership and hierarchy. Hierarchy exists in all institutions and it is the government’s job to make it good. Hierarchy is not something that can be destroyed or be escaped. To create a beneficent hierarchy, the government bases the rules on reciprocity. A ruler benefits his citizens through a policy and the citizen pays respects to the ruler. Reciprocity is dimed negatively in East Asia. What a ruler should do is not calculate what he does for others so that they can do for him. Instead, he shouldn’t do to others what he doesn’t want others to do to him. Confucius emphasizes do not do to others what you do not want done to you. Another characteristic of political thought and action is ritual. The Confucian traditions recognize that human emotions need to be directed into life-sustaining channels and life ornamenting expression (de Bary, 344). Whoever controls ritual has the real political key towards political power . An attempt to destroy ritual is unacceptable and is extremely frowned down upon. According to the Confucian root, ritual is a part of life and it is intrinsic. Ritual isn’t something that is hardwired but it is something that can be learned. It is part of culture and tradition. Ritual is something that displays both sameness and differences. It shows how differences fit together. Some characteristics that show the conceptions of ritual are seen through collective action and it is rule bound. It is rule bound because rituals have rules, it is not simply just made up. It has a beginning, middle, and an end. A good ritual shows what we share as human beings. An example of ritual is seen through marriage and that there must be mutual respect in order for the marriage to be held together. Some components of ritual are seen through the text, which is either written or oral. It can also be seen through institution context like in the family or religious groups. Another component of ritual is performance, and the audiences are the performers. The types of ritual are symbolic, causal, and cognitive. A symbolic ritual symbolizes something beyond the ritual act such as flag ceremonies or religious ceremonies. Causal rituals are rituals that cause outcomes and trial jury. Cognitive rituals according to the East Asian tradition is the learning by doing and by doing, changes are made. There are different life rituals that relate to the cognitive rituals. These life cycle rituals involve birth, marriage, death, ancestral sacrifice, politic rituals, and social season rituals such as New Years. Encompassing all these ideas, ritual is then see as the â€Å"complex term detonating the basic principles of the universe which underlie all the laws, codes and rules of the natural and human world† (de Bary, 191). The lasting legacies of East Asian thought and action are seen in the economy. The economy ties in virtuous achievement, ethic of savings a nd investment, education ethic, team-production ethic. For virtuous achievement, one must choose to achieve for self and others and they choose to achieve because it’s an obligation. Hard work goes beyond the satisfaction of ends. In terms of education ethic, it is seen both inside and outside the family. It opens up opportunity and self-cultivation. It inspires people to succeed and do service or help families and be fully good human beings. In team-production ethic, people work together to achieve a goal. Ethic is seen as norms and as values in action. These four ethics have a profound effect such as trade leisure for work, and solve problems through teamwork. The economy is extremely important and it is vital that there are ethics involved in order for the economy to prosper. It is said that economic considerations play an important part in political conflict because poverty leads to discontent and discontent leads to contention and conflict (de Bary, 185). Therefore, there are approaches to ways to prevent economic backwardnes s. The self and the lasting legacies of Confucian thought lies within individuality and self-cultivation, and service ethic. These aspects show the limits of globalization. It continues to be limited because it makes humans aware of how they differ, which is an attempt to reassert tradition. Individualism is a Confucian idea that humans are â€Å"individuated† as a complex of constitutive roles and functions associated with their obligations to the various groupings to which they belong (Ames and Hall, 135). Individuality is inarguably the consequence of the transactions that determine eon’s personal focus. An individual is defined as being not a thing, â€Å"but an event, describable in the language of uniqueness, integrity, social activity, relationally, and qualitative achievement† (Ames and Hall, 141). These characteristics of individuality and self-cultivation as well as service are the lasting legacies of Confucian thought. The lasting legacies of East Asian thought and action continues to have a huge impact not only in East Asia, but around the world. These lasting legacies are seen through the patterns of knowledge and self, moral reasoning and moral values, political thought and action, the economy, and the self. These legacies help humans to have a better understanding of how the world actually works. It explains that our actions are linked with each other and that we have mutual obligations. It explains that proper order is balance between government and civil action and that good politics should be primary. Confucianism and East Asian traditions continue to have a huge impact in modern civilization. Bibliography Bell, Daniel, and Chae-bong Ham. Confucianism for the Modern World. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2003. Print. De, Bary William Theodore, and Irene Bloom. Sources of Chinese Tradition. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. New York: Columbia UP, 1999. Print. Magagna, Victor. Conceptions of Human Nature† Price Theater, La Jolla. 01 Oct. 2012. Lecture. Magagna, Victor. Family Forest or Ecological Family† Price Theater, La Jolla. 03 Oct. 2012. Lecture. Magagna, Victor. Proper Order? What Is Proper Order? Price Theater, La Jolla. 05 Oct. 2012. Lecture. Magagna, Victor. Paradoxes of Rationality† Price Theater, La Jolla. 12 Oct. 2012. Lecture. Magagna, Victor. Confucian Government in Action† Price Theater, La Jolla. 15 Oct. 2012. Lecture. Magagna, Victor. Self Cultivation† Price Theater, La Jolla. 26 Oct. 2012. Lecture. Magagna, Victor. Ritual: Components† Price Theater, La Jolla. 07 Nov. 2012. Lecture. Magagna, Victor. Lasting Legacies† Price Theater, La Jolla. 12 Dec. 2012. Lecture. Yao, Xinzhong. An Introduction to Confucianism. New York: Cambridge UP, 2000. Print.

Special Admissions High Schools in New York City: Unequal Opportunites for Everyone :: Free Essays Online

Special Admissions High Schools in New York City: Unequal Opportunites for Everyone As a teenager growing up in New York City a major part of your life is the high school that you attend. New York City is filled with high schools, public, private, and parochial. Within the public school system in addition to "regular" public schools there are also special admission and magnet schools. Although these schools are all technically part of the same system, there are very great differences and disparities between them. As a student at a special admissions public school I was very aware of the problems that existed at my school, but also took for granted the advantages my school had over "regular" public schools. Our ceiling was falling down, we had no windows or ventilation, and we had teachers that didn't teach, but we also had a computer network, beautiful grand pianos, small classes, a Jazz Chorus that took a trip to Europe, AP courses, and a ridiculous number of graduates attending Ivy League universities. Some of the "regular" public schools might have had windows, but that was really the only advantage, after that we had them beat by quite a lot. I grew up across the street from two high schools. One of them, Fiorello Laguardia High School, is a special admissions public school for students who are gifted in the performing or visual arts. The student population at Laguardia is relatively diverse with students of all races attending, although the majority of the students, as at all of the NYC special admissions high schools, is white and Asian. The other high school, Martin Luther King jr. High School is a "regular" public high school. The population is almost entirely African American and Hispanic with a very small minority of Asian students. In Manhattan, as in many areas of New York City, where one attends high school has little to do with where one lives. Almost everyone takes some combination of busses and/or subways every morning and afternoon. Because of this, the problems cannot really be blamed on districts. The disparities between schools has much more to do with who attends the school than where the school is located and the income of the population of that area. Technically, according to Marty Schwartzfarb, an educator in the New York City Public school system, all of the high schools run by the New York City board of education are supposed to be receiving exactly the same amount of money per student.

I loved the book To Dance With The White Dog, by Terry Kay. When I firs

I loved the book To Dance With The White Dog, by Terry Kay. When I first started reading, I was afraid this was going to be another depressing book about old people and I wasn't looking forward to reading it. I loved the book To Dance With The White Dog, by Terry Kay. When I first started reading, I was afraid this was going to be another depressing book about old people and I wasn't looking forward to reading it. However, I was soon taken in by the sweet, humorous Sam Peek and couldn't put down the book. I was moved by the strong love he had for his beloved wife Cora and even more so by his strength to carry on after her death. I think it was wonderful how Sam's family came together, even in the days after Cora's death, to look after him. I thought it was funny how his daughters worried about him and questioned his sanity at times while the whole time Sam knew exactly what they were thinking of him and how they fretted. I really enjoyed Neelie and even though she seemed to get on the children's nerves you could tell that having her there helped ease their minds. The children knew Neelie had their father's best interest at heart even if she did tend to nit pick and talk too much. I really envied the closeness of the Peek family and their love and concern, even if they did go a bit overboard at times. It was not only heartwarming, but truly amusing as well, in the way that Sam Peek dealt with them. He would play into their worries and concerns. Sam Peek went from being a pretty independent man to what appeared to his children as fragile, senile and helpless overnight with the death of Cora. From the moment his wife died Sam's ability to take care of himself immediately came into question, at least by ... ...of their lives. Unfortunately, that is not always possible due to financial reasons, failing health or lack of family to help out. Sam was lucky that his family lived close by and could look out for him. This enabled him to stay home until the very end and in essence probably prolonged his life. He was also lucky that he stayed pretty healthy for as long as he did. Many elderly people aren't so lucky and must totally rely on someone else to help them with their daily needs much like a toddler needs their mother. It is sad for many to lose their independence and even harder to have to rely on their children for care when they are the parent, but that's what families are for, to be there for one another. Our parents raised us to be who were are today and the least we can do in return is to be sure that they are given the best care possible in their old age.

Earth Buddies

ANALYSIS The five partners i. e. Rabie, Harary, Varadi, Michelle and Austin form what we call a team. A team is â€Å"a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common objective and are accountable to one another. † This common purpose was to make ‘Earth Buddies’ and the company a success. The Five-Stage Model can be used to describe the standard sequence of stages that groups go through. These are forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning.However, for the five partners, performing will be the last stage for development as it is a permanent workgroup. Once these stages are achieved, the team learns to resolve conflicts and develop norms which enable them to perform. Because of the team’s ability to resolve conflicts in friendly ways and perform, they made ‘Earth Buddies’ a huge success in a relatively short span. Each individual had their role. The roles were both task-oriented (initiating, clarifying, providing info and opinions) and maintenance roles (harmonizing, compromising, encouraging).When balanced well, these two roles contribute to effective team functioning. When meetings took place between the five partners, these two roles were playing a significant part. This helped them to stay focused towards the objectives and also resolve conflicts if any. Motivation and leadership have also played a vital role in the success of the product. Production grew to 17,000 buddies a day from 5,000 buddies. The goal was to achieve 16,000 to meet K Mart’s order. The executive team worked well with the employees and motivated them to work towards the common goal.

Definition and Examples of Irony (Figure of Speech)

Definition and Examples of Irony (Figure of Speech) Irony is the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. Similarly, irony may be a statement or situation where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea. Adjective: ironic or ironical. Also known as  eironeia, illusio, and the dry mock. Three kinds of irony are commonly recognized: Verbal irony is a trope in which the intended meaning of a statement differs from the meaning that the words appear to express.Situational irony involves an incongruity between what is expected or intended and what actually occurs.Dramatic irony is an effect produced by a narrative in which the audience knows more about the present or future circumstances than a character in the story. In light of these different varieties of irony, Jonathan Tittler has concluded that irony has meant and means so many different things to different people that rarely is there a meeting of minds as to its particular sense on a given occasion (quoted by Frank Stringfellow in The Meaning of Irony, 1994). Etymology From the Greek, feigned ignorance Examples and Observations EarthA planet doesnt explode of itself, said drilyThe Martian astronomer, gazing off into the air- That they were able to do it is proof that highlyIntelligent beings must have been living there.(John Hall Wheelock, Earth)Kampenfeldt: This is a grave matter, a very grave matter. It has just been reported to me that youve been expressing sentiments hostile to the Fatherland.Schwab: What, me sir?Kampenfeldt: I warn you, Schwab, such treasonable conduct will lead you to a concentration camp.Schwab: But sir, what did I say?Kampenfeldt: You were distinctly heard to remark, This is a fine country to live in.Schwab: Oh, no, sir. Theres some mistake. No, what I said was, This is a fine country to live in.Kampenfeldt: Huh? You sure?Schwab: Yes sir.Kampenfeldt: I see. Well, in future dont make remarks that can be taken two ways.(Raymond Huntley and Eliot Makeham in Night Train to Munich, 1940)Gentlemen, you cant fight in here! This is the War Room.(Peter Sellers as President Merkin Muffley in Dr. Strangelove, 1964) It is a fitting irony that under Richard Nixon, launder became a dirty word.(William Zinsser)Irony in Mark Twains Novel Puddnhead WilsonDavid Wilson, the title character of Puddnhead Wilson, is a master of irony. In fact, his use of irony permanently marks him. When he first arrives in Dawsons Landing in 1830, he makes an ironic remark that the villagers cannot understand. Distracted by the annoying yelping of an unseen dog, he says, I wished I owned half of that dog. When asked why, he replies, Because I would kill my half. He does not really want to own half the dog, and he probably does not really want to kill it; he merely wants to silence it and knows killing half the dog would kill the whole animal and achieve the desired effect. His remark is a simple example of irony, and the failure of the villagers to understand it causes them immediately to brand Wilson a fool and nickname him puddnhead. The very title of the novel is, therefore, based on irony, and that irony is compounde d by the fact that Wilson is anything but a fool.(R. Kent Rasmussen, Blooms How to Write About Mark Twain. Infobase, 2008) Irony in Shakespeares Play Julius CaesarA classic example of irony is Mark Antonys speech in Shakespeares Julius Caesar. Although Antony declares, I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him, and declares that the assassins are honorable men, he means just the opposite.(Bryan Garner, Garners Modern American Usage. Oxford University Press, 2009)Uses and Characteristics of IronyIrony may be used as a rhetorical device to enforce ones meaning. It may be used . . . as a satiric device to attack a point of view or to expose folly, hypocrisy, or vanity. It may be used as a heuristic device to lead ones readers to see that things are not so simple or certain as they seem, or perhaps not so complex or doubtful as they seem. It is probable that most irony is rhetorical, satirical, or heuristic. . . .In the first place irony is a double-layered or two-story phenomenon. . . . In the second place, there is always some kind of opposition that may take the form of contradiction, incongruity, or incom patibility. . . . In the third place, there is in irony an element of innocence.(D.C. Muecke, The Compass of Irony. Methuen, 1969) An Age of IronyIt is sometimes said that we live in an age of irony. Irony in this sense may be found, for example, all throughout The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Suppose you hear a political candidate give a terribly long speech, one that rambles on and on without end. Afterward, you might turn to a friend sitting next to you, roll your eyes, and say, Well, that was short and to the point, wasnt it? You are being ironic. You are counting on your friend to turn the literal meaning of your expression, to read it as exactly the opposite of what your words actually mean. . . .When irony works, it helps to cement social bonds and mutual understanding because the speaker and hearer of irony both know to turn the utterance, and they know that the other one knows they will turn the utterance. . . .Irony is a kind of winking at each other, as we all understand the game of meaning reversal that is being played.(Barry Brummett, Techniques of Close Reading. Sage, 2010)Irony as Mass TherapyIron y has always been a primary tool the under-powered use to tear at the over-powered in our culture. But now irony has become the bait that media corporations use to appeal to educated consumers. . . . Its almost an ultimate irony that those who say they dont like TV will sit and watch TV as long as the hosts of their favorite shows act like they dont like TV, either. Somewhere in this swirl of droll poses and pseudo-insights, irony itself becomes a kind of mass therapy for a politically confused culture. It offers a comfortable space where complicity doesnt feel like complicity. It makes you feel like you are counter-cultural while never requiring you to leave the mainstream culture it has so much fun teasing. We are happy enough with this therapy that we feel no need to enact social change.(Dan French, review of The Daily Show, 2001) Alanis Morissettes IronicAlanis Morissettes Ironic, in which situations purporting to be ironic are merely sad, random, or annoying (a traffic jam when youre late, a no-smoking sign on your cigarette break) perpetuates widespread misuse of the word and outrages irony prescriptivists. It is, of course, ironic that Ironic is an unironic song about irony. Bonus irony: Ironic is widely cited as an example of how Americans dont get irony, despite the fact that Alanis Morissette is Canadian.(Jon Winokur, The Big Book of Irony. St. Martins, 2007)Direct expression, with no tricks, gimmickry, or irony, has come to be interpreted ironically because the default interpretive apparatus says, He cant really mean THAT! When a culture becomes ironic about itself en masse, simple statements of brutal fact, simple judgments of hate or dislike become humorous because they unveil the absurdity, friendliness, and caution of normal public expression. Its funny because its true. Honestly. Were all upside d own now.(R. Jay Magill, Jr., Chic Ironic Bitterness. University of Michigan Press, 2007) Alan Bennett on IronyWere conceived in irony. We float in it from the womb. Its the amniotic fluid. Its the silver sea. Its the waters at their priest-like task, washing away guilt and purpose and responsibility. Joking but not joking. Caring but not caring. Serious but not serious.(Hilary in The Old Country by Alan Bennett, 1977)Thomas Carlyle on IronyAn ironic man, with his sly stillness, and ambuscading ways, more especially an ironic young man, from whom it is least expected, may be viewed as a pest to society.(Thomas Carlyle, Sartor Resartus: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdrockh, 1833-34)Irony DeficiencyIrony deficiency  is an  informal term for the inability to recognize, comprehend, and/or utilize  ironythat is,  a tendency to interpret  figurative language  in a  literal  way.-  Mobsters are reputedly huge fans of  The Godfather. They don’t see it as a tale of individual moral corruption. They see it as a nostalgia trip to better days for the mob.(Jonah Goldberg, The Irony of Irony.  National Review, April 28, 1999)-  Irony deficiency  is directly proportional to the strength of the political commitment or religious fervor. True believers of all persuasions are irony deficient. . . .Brutal dictators are irony deficienttake Hitler, Stalin, Kim Jong-il, and Saddam Hussein, a world-class vulgarian whose art collection consisted of kitsch paintings displayed unironically.(Jon Winokur,  The Big Book of Irony. Macmillan, 2007)-  Here is something ironic: We live at a time when our diets are richer in irony than ever before in human history, yet millions of us suffer from that silent crippler,  irony deficiency  . . . not so much a deficiency in irony itself, but an inability to utilize the abundance of irony all around us.(Swami Beyondananda,  Duck Soup for the Soul. Hysteria, 1999)-  Will people who detect a lack of irony in other cultures never stop to consider that this may be a sign of their own  irony deficiency? Maybe its defensible when the apes detect a lack of irony in Charlton Heston in  Planet of the Apes, but not when, say, Brits detect it in, say, Americans as a race . . .. The point of irony, after all, is to say things behind peoples backs to their faces. If you look around the poker table and cant tell who the pigeon is, its you.(Roy Blount, Jr., How to Talk Southern.  The New York Times, Nov. 21, 2004) The Lighter Side of IronyRachel Berry: Mr. Schuester, do you have any idea how ridiculous it is to give the lead solo in Sit Down, Youre Rocking the Boat to a boy in a wheelchair?Artie Abrams: I think Mr. Schue is using irony to enhance the performance.Rachel Berry: Theres nothing ironic about show choir!(Pilot episode of Glee, 2009)​Woman: I started riding these trains in the forties. Those days a man would give up his seat for a woman. Now were liberated and we have to stand.Elaine: Its ironic.Woman: Whats ironic?Elaine: This, that weve come all this way, we have made all this progress, but you know weve lost the little things, the niceties.Woman: No, I mean what does ironic mean?Elaine: Oh.​(The Subway, Seinfeld, Jan. 8 1992)Im aware of the irony of appearing on TV in order to decry it.(Sideshow Bob, The Simpsons)Math was my worst subject because I could never persuade the teacher that my answers were meant ironically.(Calvin Trillin)Lyn Cassady: Its okay, you can at tack me.Bob Wilton: Whats with the quotation fingers? Its like saying Im only capable of ironic attacking or something.​(The Men Who Stare at Goats, 2009) Pronunciation: I-ruh-nee

A Time to Kill essays

A Time to Kill essays We watched a the movie A Time to Kill by John Grisham in class. The movie takes place in a small southern Mississippi town. The town is divided up by their racial differences. The story of racial injustice all begins when two white men, drunk and high are joy riding in their old beat up pick up truck and spot a little black girl on her way back from the store. They attacked this ten-year old black girl beat her up, raped her, urinated all over her bloody body and then threw her over a bridge and left her for dead. The girl was Tanya Hailey, the daughter of Carl Lee Hailey. The two white men were later arrested at the town bar when one of Tanyas sneakers was found in the back of his pick up. While at the courthouse, on their way to being arraigned for their vicious crime, Carl Lee decided to take the law into his own hands. This main reason that I think that he did this was because after consulting with a lawyer he realized that those two men would receive light sentences for their crimes. This was a predominantly white community, which meant that most of the jury would also be white. Carl Lee hid in a closet until the time was right and then he killed the two men in a fit of rage in front of dozens of witnesses. Car Lee felt that the men deserved to die for torturing his little girl. While in jail, Carl Lee hires a white attorney named Jake Brigance. Jake is a young, bright lawyer that understands why Carl Lee committed the murders. Thorough out the trial Jake tries to get the jury t o see it thorough Carl Lees eyes. He made them think what they would have done if they were in his shoes. Jake is looking to find equal justice for Carl Lee in this racist community. Racism still flourished in the small Mississippi town because of the KKK was still active. Jake helped the jury make their decision by describing the crime in detail and then adding a twist at the end that made them thin ...