Cinematography in Fight Club essays

Cinematography in Fight Club essays Both the cinematography and editing often have an important role in portraying to the viewer the underlying themes and ideas being communicated by a particular films plot. David Finchers film Fight Club is an excellent example of how various editorial and cinematic effects can greatly reinforce the themes of a film as well as create the an appropriate atmosphere in order to further enthrall the viewer into its plot. In Fight Club the protagonist unknowingly has a severe split personality disorder and is portrayed by two characters, the narrator played by Edward Norton and Tyler Durden played by Brad Pitt. While the fact that these two are actually the same person is not made known to the viewer until the end of the film, the majority of the film is spent creating a dichotomy between the behaviors and ideals of these two characters in order to shock the unsuspecting viewer upon discovering the truth about the protagonist. In a larger sense the differences between the protagonists con flicting personalities reflect differences inherent in the entire social structure of modern America. In making Fight Club David Fincher, as well as the films entire production team use a great deal of editing effects and cinematography in order to illustrate the dichotomy between, not just Tyler and the narrator, but also their conflicting ways of life. One of the most important methods used in showing the differences between the narrators stereotypical yuppie lifestyle and Tylers self destructive, anti-establishment driven compulsion is the lighting and color used in various scenes throughout the film. Places such as the narrators condo and workplace are always well lit and seem to be in perfect order. The color schemes of such places, as well as the outfits worn by the narrators coworkers and neighbors usually consist of neutral, non-flashy colors such as whites and gray and seem generic and typica...

The Five Powers of Buddhism

The Five Powers of Buddhism The spiritual path can seem a frustrating slog much of the time. The Buddha knew this, and he taught that there are five spiritual qualities that, when developed together, become the panca bala in Sanskrit and Pali, five powers that overcome hindrances. The five are faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. Faith The word faith is a red flag for many of us. The word often is used to mean blind acceptance of doctrines without evidence. And the Buddha clearly taught us to not accept any doctrine or teaching blindly, as found in the Kalama Sutta. But in Buddhism, faith shraddha (Sanskrit) or saddha (Pali) means something closer to trust or confidence. This includes trust and confidence in yourself, knowing that you can overcome obstacles through the power of practice. This trust does not mean accepting Buddhist doctrines as true. Rather, it means that you trust the practice to develop your own insight into what the doctrines teach. In the Saddha Sutta of the Pali Canon, the Buddha compared trust in the dharma to the way birds trust a tree in which they build their nests. Often we experience to practice as a balancing act between faith and bewilderment. This is good; be willing to look deeply at what bewilders you. Looking deeply does not mean concocting an intellectual explanation to cover your ignorance. It means practicing wholeheartedly with your uncertainties and being open to insight when it comes. Energy The Sanskrit word for energy is virya. Virya evolved from an ancient Indo-Iranian word that meant hero, and in the Buddhas day virya had come to refer to the strength of a great warrior to overcome his enemies. This strength can be mental as well as physical. If you are struggling with inertia, torpor, laziness, or whatever you want to call it, how do you develop virya? Id say a first step is to take inventory of your daily life to see whats draining you and address that. It could be a job, a relationship, an unbalanced diet. Please be clear, however, that addressing your energy drains does not necessarily mean walking away from them. The late Robert Aitken Roshi said, The first lesson is that distraction or obstruction are just negative terms for your context. Circumstances are like your arms and legs. They appear in your life to serve your practice. As you become more and more settled in your purpose, your circumstances begin to synchronize with your concerns. Chance words by friends, books, and poems, even the wind in the trees brings precious insight. [From the book, The Practice of Perfection] Read More: Virya Paramita: The Perfection of Energy Mindfulness Mindfulness sati (Pali) or smriti (Sanskrit) is a whole-body-and-mind awareness of the present moment. To be mindful is to be fully present, not lost in daydreams or worry. Why is this important? Mindfulness helps us break the habits of mind that separate us from everything else. Through mindfulness, we stop filtering our experiences through judgments and biases. We learn to see things directly, as they are. Right, Mindfulness is part of the Eightfold Path. Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh said, When Right Mindfulness is present, the Four Noble Truths and the other seven elements of the Eightfold Path are also present. (The Heart of the Buddhas Teaching, p. 59) Concentration Concentration in Buddhism means to become so absorbed that all distinctions between self and others are forgotten. The deepest absorption is samadhi, which means to bring together. Samadhi prepares the mind for enlightenment. Samadhi is associated with meditation, and also with the dhyanas, or four stages of absorption. Wisdom In Buddhism, wisdom (Sanskrit prajna; Pali panna) does not exactly fit the dictionary definition. What do we mean by wisdom? The Buddha said, Wisdom penetrates into dharmas as they are in themselves. It disperses the darkness of delusion, which covers up the own-being of dharmas. Dharma, in this case, refers to the truth of what is; the true nature of everything. The Buddha taught that this kind of wisdom comes only from direct, and intimately experienced, insight. It does not come from crafting intellectual explanations. Developing the Powers The Buddha compared these powers to a team of five horses. Mindfulness is the lead horse. After that, faith is paired with wisdom and energy is paired with concentration. Working together, these powers dispel illusion and open doors of insight.

The Corrupt Practices of the Police and Correctional Systems Assignment

The Corrupt Practices of the Police and Correctional Systems - Assignment Example IV. Correctional Facility Violence. A. Causes of Correctional Facility Violence. B. Types of Correctional Facility Violence. V. Recommendations. A. Recommendations on Police Corruption & Violence. B. Recommendations on Correctional Facility Violence. VI. Conclusion. The Corrupt Practices of the Police and Correctional Systems Abstract Despite many reported improvements that have been made in the past few years the American Police and Correctional System remains steeped in serious problems including violence, corruption and an endemic culture of brutality that unfortunately continues to unfairly target and harm especially minorities. Since the highly publicized brazen police brutality captured on film being meted out on Rodney King in Los Angeles more than a decade ago in 1992, there still continue to be many reports of instances of law enforcement officials using undue force on civilians either while arresting them, after they have been arrested and while being interrogated. The cult ure of violence continues into the correctional institutions where prison officials regularly brutalize inmates. The police forces in many states also continue to be in the midst of corruption and highly stressful work conditions that to a great degree also contribute to this violence. Introduction Working as a policeman has long been considered not only a noble and sacrificial vocation but one that brings with it a strenuous, high octane and sometimes highly dangerous occupation. It calls for a dedication that goes far beyond many non-public minded citizens and can be a thankless, never-ending task for which many officers receive little or no recognition, despite the fact they are usually out there putting their life and limb literally on the line of fire day in day out. There is a large number of police officers and correctional facility minders who perform their duties with a high degree of integrity, honesty and dedication. Unfortunately, there are still a number of police offic ers of all ranks in the police forces throughout the country who have succumbed to the pressures of their jobs and the stress it inflicts on them to resort to corrupt and violent behavior that continues to be reported (Carter, 2012). Corruption & Violence According to a typical police officer’s code of ethics that members of the police force are required by law to abide by, one of the key requirements is that they must out their duties with a high degree of integrity, a great deal of fairness and in a totally impartial way. They are also expected to ensure that they do not exceed their authority or violate the constitutional rights of any person (Florida Department of Law Enforcement, n.d.). Yet one needs only look at the daily press to see the constant news of police officers breaking each of these basic rules. In April, 2013, a former New York detective retired and sued the NYPD, claiming that the department’s internal affairs department – their own unit for p roviding over the workings of the department – for discrimination against her because of her race and for being unable or unwilling to tackle the corruption in the department (Marzulli, 2013). In October another NYPD officer, on being sentenced for felony charges of civil rights violation said in open court that the NYPD was the most corrupt police department in the world (Signore, 2012). Many police departments are plagued by an endemic corruption that has long persisted in many police departments such as the NYPD and the Chicago Police Department (CPD). The

Financial strengths and weaknesses of Primax, Alpha and Beta; Essay

Financial strengths and weaknesses of Primax, Alpha and Beta; - Essay Example Some accountants contend that Bank Overdraft should be treated as a long-term liability since that arrangement with the bank is is almost permanent (so long as the enterprise is a going concern). On the other hand, some accountants that contend that Bank Overdraft should be treated as a current liability since this facility may be withdrawn by the bank at any time. As a conservative measure of short-term financial position, Bank Overdraft has been considered as a current liability in the current instance. The current ratios of both the firms are nearly same but when compared to that of Primax both of them are well below the desired level. However, there could be firms that have low current ratios but work efficiently as is the case in fast food industry. This is so because current ratio does not analyze the quality of current assets which might contain obsolete stocks or slow paying and doubtful debtors. In the current instance it is observed that while Alpha has cash worth 43, Beta does not have any cash balances. Hence, though current ratio of Alpha is lesser than Beta, from a broader perspective, between the two; Alpha is in a better position than Beta (C. C. D. Consultants Inc. 2009). Quick Ratio = (Current Assets – Stock)/(Current Liabilities) Quick Ratio of Primax = (3399-1102)/1098 = 2.09 Quick Ratio of Alpha = (525-306)/745 = 0.29 Quick Ratio of Beta = (636-224)/853 = 0.48 If we consider Primax’s quick ratio as a benchmark, both these firms fall woefully short of that, but of the two, Beta seems to be in a better position provided of course its trade receivables are all good without any possibility of bad debts or slow recovery. Solvency Ratios Solvency Ratios evaluate long-term capability of a business... One of the most popular tools of identifying financial strengths and weaknesses of an enterprise is through Accounting Ratio that could be used by a financial analyst to qualitatively evaluate the financial status and level of performance of an organization. This project analyses in detail financial strengths and weaknesses of Primax, Alpha and Beta; three firms engaged in manufacturing furniture. While Primax among them is most financially sound the other two firms are not doing that well financially. Any business consists of a series of interrelated processes that operate in tandem to produce the final output that the consumer wants. Kaplan and Norton have identified certain groups or bundle of activities that should be considered as independent units for the purpose of evaluating the efficiency of the entire business process. These independent units are: operations management, customer management, innovations, regulatory compliance and social responsibility in that order of import ance. Efficiency of a business enterprise in each of these sectors should be independently measured and the overall efficiency of the business enterprise would be calculated as a weighted average of these independent measures. Unless an enterprise can satisfy its customers it cannot exist. The best way to do it is to identify the most profitable group of customers and focus marketing efforts in wooing this group. However, the costs of such an exercise should never exceed the tangible benefits obtained from it.

What happens in the Big Bang Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

What happens in the Big Bang - Research Paper Example A normal misconception about the theory is that it depicts the root of the universe. That is not exactly right. The big bang is an effort to illustrate how the universe was created from an exceptionally minor, thick state into what it is today. It does not try to illustrate what started the production of the universe, or what preceded the big bang or even what lies outside the universe. An alternate confusion is that the big bang was a sort of eruption. That is not correct either. The big bang depicts the development of the universe. While a few forms of the theory allude to a incredibly quick expansion (potentially faster than the speed of light), it’s still not a blast in the actual sense. (Gefter, 2012) Summing up the big bang theory is a test. It includes ideas that contradict the way we observe the world. The earliest phases of the big bang concentrate on a moment in which all the individual forces of the universe were a part of a united force. The laws of science start to crush down the further back we look. Inevitably, we are unable to make any deductive speculations about what is going on, since science itself doesnt apply in this situation. What is the big bang theory? Well. It is one of the most important theories in astronomy. The ideas of the theory are quite simple. All of the present and past matter in the universe came in to existence at the same time. At one particular point in time, around 13.7 billion years ago all matter was compacted into a very little ball with infinite thickness, and extremely hot called a singularity. All of a sudden, that singularity started to grow and expand and the universe came into existence. That is the essential thought of the big bang theory which will be continued further in order to make it easier for us to understand. (Chown, 2012) To start with, we might as well address the idea of what a singularity is. As per

Historical Letter Essay Example for Free

Historical Letter Essay What privileges do you enjoy today? Do you have air-conditioning when the sun scorches your back? Do you have heating machines when the cold bites you from deep inside? Do you have a vehicle that brings you to your destination without you having to hike three mountains or so? Which of these privileges do you take for granted? It’s because you never experienced living without these privileges that you do not fully understand and appreciate their importance. What other rights do you have? Are girls allowed to go school with boys? Are women given access in the universities as men are? Can women engage in careers that men are engaged in? Can women vote? I am Mary Ellise Scott. An eighteen-year-old lady from Pennsylvania. And through this letter I will explain to you how different your time is from my time. There was a time when all these were deprived of women. Take for instance the right to vote. In the 19th century, in my century, I am already am eighteen years old. But despite this fact, I am not allowed to vote – I am not allowed to choose who will represent my needs in government. This is why in my century Carrie S. Burnham, a teacher and a physician took her case to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on 4 April 1873. This was already the peak of her campaign, as she was already going around Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and all other cities in the country, speaking about this. I was just sixteen years old when she came and spoke in our town square. I always thought before that the order that things are in now, is that’s what it’s supposed to be – men vote and women don’t, just because. I never thought of it in a perspective of inequality until I heard her arguments about it. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court rejected her arguments. Susan B. Anthony campaigned for the same rights, and eventually got senators to amend the Constitution and finally allow women to vote. There are others who are like this during my time. There are many women who thought and realized that the handicap they are accorded on account of their sex is just plain unfair. One of these is Mary Church Terrel. Indeed, it is difficult to be a woman during my time. While we are already allowed to go the university and study, most of the parents who send their children who are women to school, just do the same for the sake of saying that they allow their children to go to school. But after graduating, their daughters are already to marry. She goes to the university to study how it is to be a good housewife for the most part, and the other subject matters that would later on translate to a career, are disregarded. I consider those daughters lucky. At least they get to go to the university. For my case, father never allowed me to go to the university. He thought that my education was more than enough to find me a good husband and allow me to become a good mother. Father thinks that this is the only purpose that a woman has. A woman, as my mother had to stay at home, attend to the chores and needs of the husband and the children. He tells me that I do not need some fancy education and some expensive diploma to allow me to do this. He tells me that I will learn about being a good wife and mother, by staying at home and helping my mother out. I want to be a doctor you know. But how can I do that when my father only believes that I am meant for the broom and the ladle. This is also why the men in the family are more valued than the women. Aside from the fact that they have all the privileges you can think of, fathers treat them differently. They are the favorites because for them the men bring glory to the family, as they bring home the money and as they have the chance to pursue careers and become good at their fields, while women are just good for the house. There is a certain repulsion that I feel deep inside, with the knowledge that there really is no substantial difference between my brother and I, for him to be able to go to the university and for him to be able to vote. If he can decide for his country, why can’t I? Just because I am woman, I cannot vote. I do not see any logic in that. You see, you are lucky. You have everything you need and many more. So appreciate what you have and realize how difficult it was for us during this time to pursue something other than being homemakers. Women are not just for the brooms and ladle, we are for the books and for careers as well.

Introduction to Ethics Essay -- essays research papers

Ethics â€Å"What are we like, and what should we do?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As humans we are faced with many decisions in life, which in and of itself, distinguishes us from the animal kingdom. I’m sure other animals make decisions, but as humans we take into account our values and morals. In choosing which path to take with some of life’s decisions, ethics, are often at the center; heavily influencing our choices between what is right and what is wrong. Which are usually defined by society, as to what is acceptable and what is not. As time goes on, society evolves, so do the right and wrongs, our values and morals, and ethics. In philosophy, there were three ethical theories by Aristotle, Kant, and Bentham & Mill and they were the â€Å"Golden Mean†, â€Å"Categorical Imperative†, and â€Å"Greatest Good for the Greatest Number† respectively.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle believed the one goal everyone strived for was â€Å"happiness† for one’s ownself. If you were a happy person, that would eventually lead to being a good person. He also believed that all living things had certain capacities, and that if one lives up to their full capacities, they will have lived well and had a fortunate life. He went on to state that the perfection of reason leads to the development of two desirable â€Å"virtues†, Moral and Intellectual. Moral virtues dealt with emotions. A person must keep these in balance, to go in either extreme of too much and too little, would be called â€Å"the excess† and â€Å"the defect†, respectively. The balance would be the â€Å"mean†. For example, courage is the mean between rashness (excess) and cowardice (defect). The golden mean is further analyzed in NICOMACHEAN ETHICS. The RHETORIC, is where Aristotle sums up the three categories in an analogical description of life with the Youthful Man (excess), the Elderly Man (defect), and the Man in His Prime (golden mean).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Intellectual virtues dealt with foresight and wisdom. Aristotle stated the attainment of these virtues could only be done by a select few. For one to be highly intellectual, is to be practically divine, next to the gods. With that being said, it discouraged a lot of people of that era. That’s when his theory was challenged and questioned. What about the artists or craftsmen? Are they denied happiness, because they haven’t attained intellectual perfection? Is in... ...ame-sex marriages and so on. It seems we’re in a shift of paradigms with the myriad of societal changes and acceptances. Is the solidarity of the human race degrading or evolving. Will today’s ethics, be the same tomorrow or in the future? Will they evolve? It seems the chaotic world we live in, the right and wrong seem to favor those in power, or at least be influenced by those people. It also seems, we lower our standards to suit the masses. For example, the carrying of back packs in uniform, before it was prohibited for a Sailor to throw a bag over their shoulder. Only if it was a seabag and only if both straps were on the shoulders. That standard has been altered, to allow plain black back packs to be carried with both straps over the shoulders. There are too many people carrying the backpacks with one strap on the shoulder, presenting a relaxed unprofessional appearance. Is the same happening to society with what is right and wrong? Are we lowering our standard s? References: THE STUDY OF PHILOSOPHY 5TH EDITION, S.MORRIS ENGEL ARISTOTLE ON THE MEAN, G.ZINIEWICZ KANT, DUTY, AND RESPECT, P.STRATTON-LAKE THE NINETEENTH CENTURY ROUTLEDGE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY VOL. 7, C.L. TEN Introduction to Ethics Essay -- essays research papers Ethics â€Å"What are we like, and what should we do?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As humans we are faced with many decisions in life, which in and of itself, distinguishes us from the animal kingdom. I’m sure other animals make decisions, but as humans we take into account our values and morals. In choosing which path to take with some of life’s decisions, ethics, are often at the center; heavily influencing our choices between what is right and what is wrong. Which are usually defined by society, as to what is acceptable and what is not. As time goes on, society evolves, so do the right and wrongs, our values and morals, and ethics. In philosophy, there were three ethical theories by Aristotle, Kant, and Bentham & Mill and they were the â€Å"Golden Mean†, â€Å"Categorical Imperative†, and â€Å"Greatest Good for the Greatest Number† respectively.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle believed the one goal everyone strived for was â€Å"happiness† for one’s ownself. If you were a happy person, that would eventually lead to being a good person. He also believed that all living things had certain capacities, and that if one lives up to their full capacities, they will have lived well and had a fortunate life. He went on to state that the perfection of reason leads to the development of two desirable â€Å"virtues†, Moral and Intellectual. Moral virtues dealt with emotions. A person must keep these in balance, to go in either extreme of too much and too little, would be called â€Å"the excess† and â€Å"the defect†, respectively. The balance would be the â€Å"mean†. For example, courage is the mean between rashness (excess) and cowardice (defect). The golden mean is further analyzed in NICOMACHEAN ETHICS. The RHETORIC, is where Aristotle sums up the three categories in an analogical description of life with the Youthful Man (excess), the Elderly Man (defect), and the Man in His Prime (golden mean).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Intellectual virtues dealt with foresight and wisdom. Aristotle stated the attainment of these virtues could only be done by a select few. For one to be highly intellectual, is to be practically divine, next to the gods. With that being said, it discouraged a lot of people of that era. That’s when his theory was challenged and questioned. What about the artists or craftsmen? Are they denied happiness, because they haven’t attained intellectual perfection? Is in... ...ame-sex marriages and so on. It seems we’re in a shift of paradigms with the myriad of societal changes and acceptances. Is the solidarity of the human race degrading or evolving. Will today’s ethics, be the same tomorrow or in the future? Will they evolve? It seems the chaotic world we live in, the right and wrong seem to favor those in power, or at least be influenced by those people. It also seems, we lower our standards to suit the masses. For example, the carrying of back packs in uniform, before it was prohibited for a Sailor to throw a bag over their shoulder. Only if it was a seabag and only if both straps were on the shoulders. That standard has been altered, to allow plain black back packs to be carried with both straps over the shoulders. There are too many people carrying the backpacks with one strap on the shoulder, presenting a relaxed unprofessional appearance. Is the same happening to society with what is right and wrong? Are we lowering our standard s? References: THE STUDY OF PHILOSOPHY 5TH EDITION, S.MORRIS ENGEL ARISTOTLE ON THE MEAN, G.ZINIEWICZ KANT, DUTY, AND RESPECT, P.STRATTON-LAKE THE NINETEENTH CENTURY ROUTLEDGE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY VOL. 7, C.L. TEN