US army reserve in Homeland Security Research Paper

US army reserve in Homeland Security - Research Paper Example The US Army Reserve should engage in Homeland Security and guarding the US borders. It provides trained units in addition to qualified individuals in times of need such as time of war, national emergency, and at times when national security may need them. The security issue within and outside the US is at stake; the number of immigrants is very high in the US because of the illegal entry and smuggling. The paper will expound on the military experience, homeland security expertise, global demand for army forces, and the operational environment in future as the main factors that make the Reserve Component fit for being utilized in Homeland security and guarding the US borders. The paper will also on how the loss of attention in some key areas in addition to pressure on the US economy pose challenge on the integration of the Reserve Component in Homeland Security and guarding the US borders. The Armed Forces Reserve Act of 1952 expounds on the roles of reserve forces. In section 201 (a) of the 1952 Act claims that the reserve components of the United States have specific roles. They provide trained units in addition to qualified individuals in times of need such as time of war, national emergency, and at times when national security may need them (Marcia, 2012). Often, reservists are only given the opportunity to volunteer for active duties. Participation in volunteering activities denies them the promotion opportunities like other active-duty armies.

Fight Club Essay Example for Free

Fight Club Essay The 1999 film, Fight Club, is controversial in the sense that it can be interpreted at a superfluity of angles. However, the effectiveness of the final scene to reflect the narrator’s catharsis is indisputable as it is accompanied by the song â€Å"Where is My Mind† by The Pixies. The song itself is vital to the ending scene and ultimately the entire film. The lyrics are significant to the narrator’s inner turmoil, not only throughout the film, but also at the concluding moment and the auditory elements parallel the events and emotions of the concluding scene. Fight Club centers around an unnamed narrator who projects his unconscious identity as a separate character, Tyler Durdin. Tyler frees the narrator from his former pretenses of life regarding society through self destruction. The narrator burns his house, quits his job, and beings to live recklessly, seemingly by coincidence. He subconsciously rids himself of all worldly possessions. Together, Tyler and the narrator form Fight Club an underground group that thrives on destruction of themselves and government establishments. As the narrator gets weaker and less powerful, Tyler gets stronger and better looking, symbolizing his strengthening id. Towards the end of the film, the narrator comes to the realization that he is Tyler. The ending scene puts the narrator and Marla, a woman with whom he has an on again-off again relationship, at the highest story of a city building, holding hands and watching the city collapse around them. The music as it appears in the final scene is essential to the conclusion of the film The lyrics, â€Å"where is my mind,† plays at the very closing moment. The words reflect the state of the character’s mind during the entire film and especially at the final scene. As he rids himself of all superficiality and society’s values, he is freed from his dangerous alter ego and his apparent schizophrenia and left with an open mind. â€Å"Where is my mind,† speaks to the separation between his conscious and subconscious into two people as well as his newfound freedom from materiality. The narrator experiences a â€Å"rebirth† from his prior lifestyle into pure existentialism, a state of being where he is now able to award meaning to his life, rather than society assigning meaning. The auditory elements of the song run parallel to the occurrences of the concluding scene. The song features loud, aggressive, and disharmonic music which is comparable to the city’s crashing buildings and demolition. There is a melodic undertone of chorus voices singing which is reflective of the narrator and Marla’s calmness and almost happiness, it seems, during the outside devastation.

My Utopian Society Essay -- My Vision for America

The Utopian land is divided into two main terrains: farmland and cities. The farmlands, of course, are where most of the country's resources are produced. The services of the economy, smithing, carpentry, clothmaking, etc., are mainly produced in the cities. Iron is the only resource which must be imported abundantly. All of the resources, except iron, that the nation requires, it produces on its own. The Utopians live a very simple lifestyle. They work, and in their spare time play games, read, and socialize. Other forms of entertainment, such as gambling and hunting are looked down upon. They only eat what is necessary, and their houses are built simply and furnished only with what is necessary. Thus, their consumption is very low. Utopians do not need material possessions for happiness. Happiness for them comes out of living an honest life and working hard to produce for themselves and for the entire nation. Â   All Utopians work. There are no rich people, deadbeats, or other people who go through life not working. Most people prefer to work and live in the city, but the work on the farms must be done as well. So, there is a rotation: everyone gets a turn to live and work in the city, and then must live and work on a farm for period of time. Since everyone must do this, there is no complaining from anyone. They see working on the farm as fulfilling their duty to the nation. Â   Because of the low consumption and the hard work put in by all people, the work day in Utopia is only six hours. They work only six hours a day, and still there are great surpluses. The surpluses are not uniform in each region, because many uncontrollable factors can affect production. Most regions have surpluses, but those that have s... ... with that. Â   I believe that this society, at least the economic aspect of it, would be possible to attain. However, I believe it cannot happen with our entire world. More made a point by putting Utopia on an island in the middle of the "real world": there is no way to apply Utopia to the "real word". In order to create a Utopia like this today, we must take very young children and raise them apart from society. If we do this and teach them about the society we are trying to create, I believe their reason will make the Utopia a lasting one. But if we try to create this Utopia over the whole Earth, we will fail miserably. The world is filled with billions of people who have been raised in our current society, and it is human nature to resist change. The economic situation of More's Utopia is possible, but only in a situation very close to the one in his book.

Analysis of “Seeing” by Annie Dillard

Max 11/5/12 Eng. 101 9:30-11:00 â€Å"Seeing† by Annie Dillard: 1) According to Dillard, lovers and the knowledgeable can see well. Yet she also suggests that those who are knowledgeable on a topic, such as people who have been blind from birth and can suddenly see (due to an opperation), can perhaps view more objectively the world around them, and see it in a way that those with vision from birth cannot.Infants, she says, can see very clearly, for they are viewing the world for the first time, and can observe the colors and the light with no prejudgments, but we forget this experience as we grow older, and only occasionally catch glimpses of this phenomenon. 2) Lovers can see well, because their vision transcends the obvious, if they love a lake, they do not merely see a lake, but also see what the lake represents for them, they see meaning.The knowledgeable can see because as small children we are constantly learning, but those who are knowledgeable continue to learn through out their lives, which enables them to keep discovering new ways to view the world and allows them to keep an open mind and open eye. Those who know little can see, but only if they are open to knowledge, even if that knowledge is self taught, they just must be open to experience and to wonder. ) Seeing contributes to happiness because when we allow ourselves to see, we allow ourselves to open our minds and our hearts, and to see the wonder in the world, which we often close ourselves off to as we grow older. Perhaps when we begin to learn of all the sufferings of reality, we close ourselves off to seeing, because we don't want to know, but if we do not allow ourselves to see and feel suffering, we shut the door to the joys and wonders of this world as well. ) The part of Dillard's essay which struck me the most was her retelling of the experiences of those who had been blinded from birth and were then granted sight, and how they did not have a sense of visual space or distance. It made me realize how my perception of the world is a combination of all my senses, and I can't really distinguish them. If I see an apple, I don't only see it, but I imagine how it feels, tastes, smells, sounds as I bight into it. It is hard to separate each of those from each other, but the sound of n apple being bitten into without the knowledge of it being an apple or knowing what it tastes or smells like, is a novel idea. To think of it separately is difficult, but if you can isolate it, it is truly fascinating, exciting even, for it is like a whole new experience. 5) When Dillard uses the term seeing, she means seeing something beyond the obvious. When looking at a tree, not seeing just a tree, but seeing it as if you were seeing it for the first time, and seeing it for all that it entails. ) A person may â€Å"see† not with the eyes, if they were to feel something deep within themselves that could not be attributed to any of the senses. Seeing in this case means to under stand what the view means to the individual. 7) See is most closely a synonym with understand and appreciate. What Dillard means is to appreciate, for often we go through life not â€Å"seeing† because we are ungrateful. However, one cannot truly appreciate unless they understand. One can look at the stars and not know what they are and still see them and understand.What I mean by understand, is not to be able to scientifically explain, but to wonder about and to be able to understand what it means to the the individual. Death of a Moth- Annie Dillard 8) The indefinite article article â€Å"a† in Dillard's title suggests that when she speaks about the vulnerabilities and fragilities of one moth, she speaks for the whole species. She observed â€Å"a† moth burn in the candle, but it could have been any moth, for they all are vulnerable to fire. Humans as well, are all connected in this way, when one person dies, we are reminded of our own vulnerability and our ow n lack of power in the face of death. ) In Dillard's essay the moth dies by flying into the flame of the candle while Dillard is camping. 10) I think the moth is significant to Dillard because it reminds her of her own vulnerability. Death is one thing which connects all life forms, irronic, but true. When she speaks of â€Å"a† moth, she speaks of all moths, and not only all moths, but all life forms, including herself. The moth stands out to her as well because the moth essentially surrenders it's life in order to allow her to read through the night, not knowingly or on purpose, but Dillard benefits from the death of this moth.This is sort of an example of the circle of life, for though one life form dies, another is able to flourish, this is of course on a small scale, but the concept is the same. 11) Dillard retreats to the hills because she is going through writer's block and is trying to re-motivate herself to write. She brings with her The Day on Fire by James Ullman, a book which she read as a young person which inspired her to write. 12) In â€Å"Death of a Moth†, Dillard seems to be unsure what she wants to write about.She begins by talking about herself living alone in an apartment, then diverges to discuss her trip to the hills to try to get motivated to write again and about watching a moth die in her candle flame, and then in the last paragraph she goes back to talking about living alone. The middle of her essay about her retreat to the hills by herself seems to be about her feelings of loneliness as well though. Even the moth dying is a representation of her solitude, for the moth dies alone. Dillard enjoys being alone, as she clearly states, which I have no doubt is true, but she also seems to want to want company.I find this very relateable, I enjoy my solitude very much, but sometimes I wish that I could be happy and comfortable living with another person, but I feel I cannot be myself unless I am alone. The only time Dillard wi shes to not live alone, is when something is funny, because it is much easier to share joyous times with others than to share ones pain. I would prefer to die alone because then I would not have to worry about how those around me felt, and I would be able to allow myself to feel however I felt, and if I did feel pain when I died, I would want to be able to feel that, and people around me might hinder my ability to do that.I think this is what Dillard may have felt watching the moth die, she pities the moth for dying alone, but the moth goes out majestically and for this reason Dillard envies her. Dillard wishes her death to be real, majestic, and she fears living her life with other people will ruin her death. It is a sad reality to live your life in fear of death, but even more tragic to live your life in preperation for a perfect death.

Christopher Morley Essay

On Christopher Morley’s â€Å"On Laziness†, he presents the topic of laziness, persuading his audience about the allure indolence through rhetorical effect and appeal to human nature. Slothfulness, which is typically regarded as a weakness or sin, is transformed into a means to â€Å"enlightened† living using rhetorical effect. As an essayist on laziness, Morley presents his subject to the audience in the didactic and amicable tone, using a sophisticated dictation to provide style. Morley advertises the attractiveness of laziness by appealing to some of society’s greatest desire: relief from responsibility, respect, happiness, and enlightenment. Similar to the styles of propagandist advertisers in unSpun, in his essay Chris Morley is able to guarantee the readers something valuable for nothing, or rather from doing nothing. As the common man, the writer achieves this scheme by being able to communicate with the common man, knowing their own traits and quims for his own. The tone of â€Å"On Laziness† is shrewd, yet friendly, like a wise mentor spreading his doctrines to benefit his pupils. Morley sluggish philosophy is a relative ideology, seen in even contemporary society today, i.e. â€Å"Hakuna Matata,† the popularized Swahili phrase (made famous from The Lion King,) directly translating, â€Å"No worries.† In addition, in spite of the vintage publication date (1920s), Morley use of prosaic anecdotes can be identified with the common man of any decade, â€Å"the bustling man†¦ who is asked to solve the problems of other people and neglect his own.† â€Å"People respect laziness.† In this statement, indolence’s character is established and given an irrefutable, and admirable reputation. Everything knows about laziness, but this essay rather done condoning it, celebrates this human trait by exclaiming how the happiest men are often the laziest. Morley uses articulate vocabulary in his diction, using the eloquence of his speech to manipulate the audience into believing that the subject to whom he presents is as sophisticated and intelligent as his language. Christopher Morley further achieves his purpose by employing rhetorical effect, the means of persuasive speech that is established through linguistic appeals, logos- logic; ethos- character; and pathos emotion; Christopher emphasizes on the two latter rhetoric aspects, ethos and pathos. â€Å"Doctor Johnson, who was one if the greatest philosophers, was lazy.† Simply by mentioning the title, â€Å"Doctor†, Morley immediately establishes credibility, because who wouldn’t trust a doctor? Also, it is noticeable to see how Morley instantly links philosophy with laziness, inspiring a type of revered thoughtfulness that is linked with philosophers. Additionally, the â€Å"immortal Biography,† just like the Bible or the Torah or the Quran, merely capitalizing a letter creates a reverence relatable to sacred texts. â€Å"One should be careful to distinguish laziness from dignified repose.† Through quoting the words of O. Henry, the essayist further establishes ethos, connecting his own concept in a shared conviction with that a famous and talented writer. â€Å"On Laziness† also appeals to pathos in some of society’s most desired objectives, enlightenment, happiness, and relaxation. In an almost marketing sales- esque pitch, the writer implies that one’s state of torpor, which is attainable into any human psyche, can guarantee these qualities. Christopher Morley’s essay, â€Å"On Laziness,† rebuttals the dubiousness purpose of languor, showing the audience how this subject can eliminate the stress and trouble in our lives, by simply expanding on what we’ve naturally experienced and long for once again. This syntax of this document appeals to some of denizen’s longing to become enlightenment philosophers, laziness being such an enticing road to becoming so without actually doing any walking. The â€Å"acquired laziness,† though matter how much of an oxymoron it may sound like, is by Morley’s definition, a determined way of life, not by lack of strength or resolution, but as a premeditated choice.

Using Ruby Environmental Variables

Using Ruby Environmental Variables Environment variables are variables passed to programs by the command line or the graphical shell. When an environment variable is referred to, its value (whatever the variable is defined as) is then referenced. Though there are a number of environment variables that only affect the command line or graphical shell itself (such as PATH or HOME), there are also several that directly affect how Ruby scripts execute. Tip:  Ruby environment variables are similar to ones found in the Windows OS. For example, Windows users may be familiar with a TMP  user variable to define the location of the temporary folder the for the currently logged in user. Accessing Environment Variables from Ruby Ruby has direct access to environment variables via the ENV hash. Environment variables can be directly read or written to by using the index operator with a string argument. Note that writing to environment variables will only have an effect on child processes of the Ruby script. Other invocations of the script will not see the changes in environment variables. #!/usr/bin/env ruby# Print some variablesputs ENV[PATH]puts ENV[EDITOR]# Change a variable then launch a new programENV[EDITOR] geditcheat environment_variables add Passing Environment Variables to Ruby To pass environment variables to Ruby, simply set that environment variable in the shell. This varies slightly between operating systems, but the concepts remain the same. To set an environment variable on the Windows command prompt, use the set command. set TESTvalue To set an environment variable on Linux  or OS X, use the export command. Though  environment variables are a normal part of the Bash shell, only variables that have been exported will be available in programs launched by the Bash shell. $ export TESTvalue Alternatively, if the environment variable will only be used by the program about to be run, you can define any environment variables before the name of the command. The environment variable will be passed onto the program as its run, but not saved. Any further invocations of the program will not have this environment variable set. $ EDITORgedit cheat environment_variables add Environment Variables Used by Ruby There are a number of environment variables that affect how the Ruby interpreter acts. RUBYOPT - Any command-line switches here will be added to any switches specified on the command line.RUBYPATH - When used with the -S switch on the command line, the paths listed in RUBYPATH will be added to the paths searched when looking for Ruby scripts. The paths in RUBYPATH precede the paths listed in PATH.RUBYLIB - The list of paths here will be added to the list of paths Ruby uses to search for libraries included in the program with the require method. The paths in RUBYLIB will be searched before other directories.

Joseph Priestley and the Discovery of Oxygen

Joseph Priestley and the Discovery of Oxygen As a clergyman, Joseph Priestley was considered an unorthodox philosopher, he supported the French Revolution and his unpopular views caused his home and chapel in Leeds, England, being burned in 1791. Priestley moved to Pennsylvania in 1794. Joseph Priestley was a friend of Benjamin Franklin, who like Franklin was experimenting with electricity before turning his full attention to chemistry in the 1770s. Joseph Priestley - Co-Discovery of Oxygen Priestley was the first chemist to prove that oxygen was essential to combustion and along with Swede Carl Scheele is credited with the discovery of oxygen by isolating oxygen in its gaseous state. Priestley named the gas dephlogisticated air, later renamed oxygen by Antoine Lavoisier. Joseph Priestley also discovered hydrochloric acid, nitrous oxide (laughing gas), carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. Soda Water In 1767, the first drinkable man-made glass of carbonated water (soda water) was invented by Joseph Priestley. Joseph Priestley published a paper called Directions for Impregnating Water with Fixed Air (1772), which explained how to make soda water. However, Priestley did not exploit the business potential of any soda water products. The Eraser April 15, 1770, Joseph Priestley recorded his discovery of Indian gums ability to rub out or erase lead pencil marks. He wrote, I have seen a substance excellently adapted to the purpose of wiping from paper the mark of black lead pencil. These were the first erasers which Priestley called a rubber.