Review Paper of Resident Evil Essay Example

Review Paper of Resident Evil Paper Ginny Littlefield September 25, 2010 Evaluation Essay Resident Evil: The Movies Resident Evil is a series of science fiction/horror films. The films, for the most part, are based on the series of Resident Evil games developed by Capcom. The films are written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. The first Resident Evil film uses elements from the video games Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2. The film’s main character, an amnesiac named Alice, bands together with an alliance of individuals in an attempt to escape from a secret underground facility that at one time was filled with employees but is now overrun with zombies.The following sequels continue to follow Alice and her attempt to bring down the corrupt Umbrella Corporation. To start off, I will say that the original storyline from the Resident evil films were what made me interested in watching them. I am not exactly a zombie buff, however once I listened to my husband and friends recount the first film, I decided to give it a try, and was entranced by the story. Though by the time I reached the third film I began to lose my enthusiasm for the series.This is a series that starts out strong and then dwindles as though the writers are grasping at straws to keep the series going, throwing in random creatures from the games with no explanations of what they are or why they are there, Anderson deviates from the storyline as a whole. One thing I will give Resident Evil props for are the action sequences, once again I refer to the first and second film. In the third film the action seems a bit stuttered and in the forth film, lackluster at best.In Resident Evil: Extinction, the third installment of this series, it has been 5 years since the outbreak and the few people still left topside are traveling caravan-style trying to get to Alaska. This film gave me the feeling of watching Mad Max meets The Birds, with only 2 good action scenes. The forth in the series, Resident Evil: Afterlife may be even more deri vative than its predecessor. With shoddy action sequences and wandering storyline I am amazed it even got through production.In this film, Alice, played by Milla Jovovich, continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety while working to take down the Umbrella Corporation. Having found a new alliance of friends that needed rescuing, they work their way toward what they think is a safe haven. One of the few saving graces of these films is the acting skills of Milla Jovovich. Throughout the series she has definitely shown her amazing acting skills despite the deterioration of the writing.If you are looking for overdone gore, zero tension, and boring action scenes, then look no further than this whole series. However if you are looking for an action packed, plot twisting, edge of your seat type of movie you might want to stop after the first two films. With the disappointment shown from critics and viewers worldwide I am hoping that Anderson takes note and makes the n ext upcoming sequel something worth watching.Sources:http://screenrant. com/resident-evil-afterlife-reviews-benk-77912/ http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Resident_Evil http://www. rottentomatoes. com/m/resident_evil/

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House - Civil War Battle of Spotsylvania

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House - Civil War Battle of Spotsylvania Battle of Spotsylvania Court House - Conflict Dates: The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House was fought May 8-21, 1864, and was part of the American Civil War. Armies Commanders at Spotsylvania Court House: Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. GrantMajor General George G. Meadeapprox. 100,000 men Confederate General Robert E. Leeapprox. 52,000 men Battle of Spotsylvania Court House - Background: Following the bloody stalemate at the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5-7, 1864), Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant elected to disengage, but unlike his predecessors, he decided to keep pressing south. Shifting bulk of the Army of the Potomacs strength to the east, he began moving around the right flank of General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia on the night of May 7. The next day, Grant directed Major General Gouverneur K. Warrens V Corps to capture Spotsylvania Court House, approximately 10 miles to the southeast. Battle of Spotsylvania Court House - Sedgwick Killed: Anticipating Grants move, Lee rushed Major General J.E.B. Stuarts cavalry and Major General Richard Andersons First Corps to the area. Utilizing interior lines and taking advantage of Warrens tardiness, the Confederates were able to assume a position north of Spotsylvania before Union troops could arrive. Quickly building several miles of trenches, the Confederates were soon in a formidable defensive position. On May 9, as the bulk of Grants army arrived on the scene, Major General John Sedgwick, commander of the VI Corps, was killed as he scouted the Confederate lines. Replacing Sedgwick with Major General Horatio Wright, Grant began to develop plans for assaulting Lees army. Forming a ragged, inverted V, the Confederate lines were weakest near the tip in an area known as the Mule Shoe Salient. At 4:00 PM on May 10, the first Union attacks moved forward as Warrens men assaulted Andersons corps along the left side of the Confederate position. Repulsed with around 3,000 casualties, the attack was the precursor for another assault which slammed into the east side of the Mule Shoe two hours later. Battle of Spotsylvania Court House - Uptons Attack: Assembling twelve regiments from the VI Corps, Colonel Emory Upton formed them in a tight assault column three wide by four deep. Striking a narrow front along the Mule Shoe, his new approach quickly breached the Confederate lines and opened a narrow but deep penetration. Battling valiantly, Uptons men were forced to withdraw when reinforcements to exploit the breach failed to arrive. Recognizing the brilliance of Uptons tactics, Grant immediately promoted him to brigadier general and began planning corps-size assault using the same approach. Battle of Spotsylvania Court House - Assaulting the Mule Shoe: Taking May 11 to plan and shift troops for the pending assault, Grants army was quiet for most of the day. Misinterpreting the Union inactivity as a sign that Grant was going to attempt moving by his army, Lee removed artillery from the Mule Shoe in preparation for shifting to a new position. Shortly before dawn on May 12, Major General Winfield S. Hancocks veteran II Corps struck top of the Mule Shoe using Uptons tactics. Quickly overwhelming Major General Edward Allegheny Johnsons division, Hancocks men captured 4,000 prisoners along with their commander. Rolling through the Mule Shoe, the Union advance bogged down as Brigadier General John B. Gordon shifted three brigades to block Hancocks men. Also hampered by the lack of a follow-up wave to press the attack, Hancocks troops were soon being pushed back. To regain the momentum, Grant ordered Major General Ambrose Burnsides IX Corps to attack from east. While Burnside had some initial success, his assaults were contained and defeated. Around 6:00 AM, Grant sent Wrights VI Corps into the Mule Shoe to fight on Hancocks right. Raging through the day and into the night, fighting in the Mule Shoe surged back and forth as each side sought an advantage. With heavy casualties on both sides, the landscape was quickly reduced to a body-strewn wasteland that presaged the battlefields of World War I. Recognizing the critical nature of the situation, Lee repeatedly sought to personally lead his men forward, but was prevented from doing so by his troops who desired to preserve his safety. Some of the most intense combat occurred at an area of the salient known as the Bloody Angle where sides were sometimes reduced to hand-to-hand fighting. As the fighting raged, Confederate troops built a defensive line across the base of the salient. Completed around 3:00 AM on May 13, Lee ordered his troops to abandon the salient and retire into the new line. Occupying the salient, Grant paused for five days as he probed east and south seeking a weak spot in the Confederate lines. Unable to find one, he sought to surprise the Confederates at the Mule Shoe line on May 18. Moving forward, Hancocks men were repulsed and Grant soon cancelled the effort. Realizing that a breakthrough would not be possible at Spotsylvania, Grant continued his trend of moving left and again slipped around Lees army by marching south towards Guinea Station on May 20. Battle of Spotsylvania Court House - Aftermath: The fighting at Spotsylvania Court House cost Grant 2,725 killed, 13,416 wounded, and 2,258 captured/missing, while Lee suffered 1,467 killed, 6,235 wounded, and 5,719 captured/missing. The second contest between Grant and Lee, Spotsylvania effectively ended in a stalemate. Unable to win a decisive victory over Lee, Grant continued the Overland Campaign by pressing south. Though desiring a war-winning triumph, Grant was aware that each battle cost Lee casualties that the Confederates could not replace. Selected Sources Fredericksburg Spotsylvania Court House National Military ParkCWSAC Battle Summaries: Battle of Spotsylvania Court HouseBattle of Spotsylvania Court House Overview

45 Idioms About Ordinal and Multiplicative Numbers

45 Idioms About Ordinal and Multiplicative Numbers 45 Idioms About Ordinal and Multiplicative Numbers 45 Idioms About Ordinal and Multiplicative Numbers By Mark Nichol The following is a list of idioms about ordinal numbers (first, second, and so on) and multiplicative numbers, or what the late English-usage expert Henry Watson Fowler called numeral adverbs (once, twice, and so on). (Because I have already devoted an entire post to idioms that include first, I’ve omitted them here.) 1. bottom of the ninth: the last minute, from the last segment of the last inning of a baseball game 2. break the fourth wall: speaking directly to the audience during a theatrical performance (or, by extension, a film or a television program) 3. cheap at twice the price: exceedingly inexpensive 4. don’t think twice: don’t concern yourself about it 5. eleventh hour: the last minute 6. even a stopped clock is right twice a day: someone who is usually mistaken can be correct on rare occasions 7. fifth column: collaborators supporting would-be invaders from within a country 8. fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me: a proverb expressing that one should be wary of the intentions of someone who has tricked one before 9. for once: on this particular occasion 10. Fourth Estate: journalists as a group (originally, a reference to the press in counterpoint to three other major demographic groups: the clergy, the nobility, and the common people) 11. give (one) the once-over: examine with interest 12–13. if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred/thousand times: a phrase expressing, with exaggeration, that one has repeatedly referred to something 14. lightning never strikes (the same place) twice: an unusual occurrence that has happened before won’t happen again 15. once and for all: permanently 16. once bitten, twice shy: a proverb expressing that one’s inclination is to avoid people who, or things, that have hurt them 17. once in a blue moon: very rarely 18. once in a lifetime: said of something likely to occur only once during one’s life 19. once over lightly: quickly 20. once upon a time: once in the past (used often as the beginning of a fairy tale to express that the story occurred long ago) 21. opportunity knocks but once: a proverb expressing that one may have only one chance to take advantage of an opportunity 22–23. plead/take the fifth: said humorously in response to a request for provocative information when one does not want to reveal it (a reference to the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects citizens against self-incrimination) 24. second banana: someone who plays a secondary role (from show business slang for a supporting comedian) 25. second best: something not as good as the thing desired 26. second chance: another opportunity 27. second childhood: a period later in life marked by renewed interest in things of interest to a child or by reduced mental capacity 28. second class: inferior, as in references to travel accommodations or disadvantaged citizens 29. second fiddle: one who plays, or is perceived to play, a subordinate role (from an informal reference to violinists in a music ensemble who are not the principal violinist) 30. second-guess: predict another’s action or decision 31. secondhand: as an adjective, not original, or previously owned; as an adverb, indirectly, or obtained from another 32. second nature: said of a behavior or habit that one seems to have been born with 33. second sight: clairvoyance, or the supposed ability to see something happening elsewhere or in the future 34. second thought: a reference to changing one’s mind, as in the phrase â€Å"on second thought† or to be inclined to do so, as in the phrase â€Å"having second thoughts† 35. second to none: better than anyone or anything else 36. second wind: restoration of easy breathing after physical exertion, or a renewal or energy or strength 37. seventh heaven: a state of bliss 38. sixth sense: a perceptiveness that cannot be achieved with the five physical senses 39. think twice: carefully consider 40. the third degree: intense questioning 41. third rail: something dangerous, like the electrified third rail of an electric railway system 42. third time’s the charm: one will succeed on the third try 43. Third World: the undeveloped world, first used to describe countries not aligned with the world’s democratic and communist nations during the Cold War 44–45. third/fifth wheel: a person thought to be unwelcome in the company of a pair or quartet of people; usually a reference to a single person with one or two couples Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good With"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?5 Examples of Insufficient Hyphenation

Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach - Essay Example They are not in any way inferior or less powerful than the male race. In fact, in the book, it expresses a desire to look at gender without attaching certain and specific roles to it. Women don’t have to be born with an already fixed set of actions and functions in the society that are expected of them. Women can now do what all men can. The book additionally points out that when it is said that women should have more power in the society than what they have now, it clearly also expresses that they do not overpower the men either. As a response to this notion of absolute equality of gender, I personally think that this should truly be the case in a better world. Both men and women should be given equal opportunities, and roles should not be attached to their gender so as to not limit them from the work or functions they might want to have in the society. Who is to say that women should be the one to stay at home and do the household chores while the men should be the one to work and earn the money for the family? Who is to say that women are incapable of performing certain jobs than men, that women may not be as strong or as powerful as men? Today, we are already seeing changes that are moving towards gender equality. More and more women are now becoming more empowered. Compared to the olden times, we are now seeing a significant change in the way people perceive gender and the roles that play around them in the society. Less and less functions and responsibilities are limited and are expected now for each ge nder. With the onset of the age of modernity, people are now starting to realize that with gender equality comes a better world. There is no longer any prejudice or discrimination for both genders, and people are no more liberated to do what they want to do without being condemned or hindered. Although we still see today that men and women are still not completely equal in the society as

Public policy and management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Public policy and management - Essay Example This paper shall now discuss the major international policy measures and governance arrangements which have been put in place to address HIV/AIDS in Africa. Discussion The international policy measures for HIV/AIDS in Africa are tied in with the US Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This program is focused on health system strengthening which highlights the clinical administrative systems and the building of networks for the management of HIV/AIDS (HRSA, 2011). The HRSA program is also meant to cover innovative care and support models in order to reduce barriers to treatment. In the implementation of the above strategies, the HRSA often coordinates with the in-country measures of implementation. It also secures government relations with the country involved and seeks to manage grants and cooperative agreements (HRSA, 2011). There are various activities which the HRSA seeks to implement in Africa. The first activity is on improving HIV/AIDS care and treatment by secu ring resources for organizations in the delivery of HIV care and treatment and to expand antiretroviral therapy among lower-income patients (Kendall, 2011, p. 1). These activities are being implemented in Botswana, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambian (HRSA, 2011). This activity has now covered the care of about 477,000 individuals and ART for about 180,000 AIDS sufferers. Such expansion in activities has been made possible by the increased funding for new and locally-based partners (Kendall, 2011, p. 1). The second activity by the HRSA was on the increase of health manpower and institutional capacity (Lyght, 2008, p. 3). This activity has been made possible through quality improvement capacity development which has been set forth to build a diverse international program in strengthening human capacity for AIDS care. The HIVQUAL International is considered one of the programs which provide systematic methods in assessing quality of care in clini cal settings (HRSA, 2011). This has also been used in different countries where AIDS services are being issued. It ensures use of limited resources and improves quality of HIV care based on national guidelines. Another aspect of this activity is on training capacity development (Lyght, 2008, p. 3). The goal is to improve the capacity of local institutions in preventing and treating HIV patients. This program is meant to issue technical assistance in terms of planning and design of training programs (Lyght, 2008, p. 3). It currently operates in Botswana, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, and even China (HRSA, 2011). This activity also fosters capacity building. The goal of this program is to strengthen the professional capacity of nurses trained to care for HIV patients (Lyght, 2008, p. 3). This program currently operates in South Africa and Swaziland. The next aspect of this activity is on twinning partnerships (AIHA, 2010, p. 4). The goal of this program is to carry out partnerships between organizations and programs in the US and in developing nations in terms of information exchange and in building human resources capacity. This program is currently being implemented in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Botswana (HRSA, 2011). Finally, under this activity, new partners initiatives are also implemented.

Neuromodulation and Neural Plasticity :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Neuromodulation and Neural Plasticity Neuromodulatory synaptic transmission differs from classical chemical synaptic transmission in both mechanism and function. The function of a classical synapse is to convey information rapidly from the presynaptic neuron to its target cell, producing a short-term effect. The neuromodulatory synapse may do the same initially, but its primary function is to transmit information that will have long-lasting effects on the postsynaptic neuron's metabolic activity, and on its response to subsequent input. These effects are fundamental to the development and adaptation of the nervous system, and are believed to be the basis of such higher functions as learning and memory. Neurotransmitters released from a classical presynaptic neuron bind to specific receptor proteins in the postsynaptic cell membrane, causing ion channels in the membrane to open or close. If the resulting flow of ions depolarizes the membrane relative to its resting potential, the probability that an action potential will be generated increases, and the synapse is considered excitatory. If the ion flow results in a net hyperpolarization of the membrane, the probability that an action potential will be generated decreases, and the synapse is considered inhibitory. Neuromodulatory synapses can be either excitatory or inhibitory. A neurotransmitter released from the presynaptic neuron may cause the postsynaptic membrane to depolarize or to hyperpolarize by the same mechanism used in classical synapses, but the resulting postsynaptic potential will be relatively weak and slow. Whereas a neurotransmitter in a classical synapse may induce postsynaptic effects lasting from ten to one hundre d milliseconds, a neuromodulator's postsynaptic effects may persist from several hundred milliseconds to several hours. Neuromodulation of the postsynaptic neuron depends not so much on the neurotransmitter as on the receptor to which it binds, called a metabotropic receptor. Whereas classical ionotropic receptors affect postsynaptic membrane permeability directly, metabotropic receptors effect changes in the postsynaptic neuron via intracellular molecules called a second messengers. When a neurotransmitter binds to a metabotropic receptor, a protein inside the postsynaptic cell initiates a cascade of biochemical events that influence the neuron's future response to stimuli. Although the neurotransmitter, or "first messenger," becomes inactivated rapidly, the effects of the second messenger may last several days. One way in which the second messenger induces prolonged effects is by initiating the synthesis of new proteins, which remain in the cytoplasm of the postsynaptic neuron, influencing its activity. Certain proteins can affect the genome of a postsynaptic cell, permanently altering the cell's ac tivities.

Effect of Art Essay

Traditionally, we have believed that art imitates life. The painter represents what he or she sees by producing a scene on a canvas. The sculptor does the same with bronze or stone. A photographer or film maker does it even more directly. A writer describes life in his or her books. This simple concept is known as mimesis. But some have questioned the one-way nature of mimesis by arguing that art also changes the way we view the world, and in fact, life sometimes imitates art rather than the other way around. The person who first articulated this belief effectively was Oscar Wilde. Speaking about the foggy conditions in London in the late 19th century, he wrote that the way we perceive them changed because of art. Referring to the â€Å"wonderful brown fogs that come creeping down our streets, blurring the gas lamps and turning houses into shadows† he argued that â€Å"poets and painters have taught [people] the loveliness of such effects†. According to Wilde, â€Å"They did not exist till Art had invented them.† And you don’t have to look too far to see anti-mimesis in our lives. To what extent is our outlook on life altered by ideas we read in books? The portrayal of people in films? The styles we see in fashion photography? One great example of this is the TV series The Sopranos, and how it affected both the Mafia in the USA and the FBI. Art’s influence on society: propaganda and censorship Throughout history, it has always been the case that art has the power to change society, especially when new media are used to express an idea. During the First World War, for example, movie cameras were used for the first time to record trench warfare – when the film was shown in cinemas in Britain, audiences ran out screaming. This led to the government censoring further such use of such a powerful medium. And in government censorship, and use of art as propaganda, we see how seriously governments take the effect of art. All of the major dictators of the C20th understood the power of art to influence the population. In Nazi Germany, Hitler set up the Ministry of Propaganda and National Enlightenment. It was headed by Goebbels, who made sure that nothing was published, performed, or exhibited without his approval. When this happens, you know there isn’t going to be a happy ending. And what Goebbels approved, of course, only fit in with Nazi ideology and ideas. In terms of art, this meant no modern and abstract art, certainly nothing hostile to the regime, and nothing that featured images other than the stereotypical blonde-haired, blue eyed set in idyllic pastoral scenes of blissful happiness. In Stalinist Russia, there was also a keen understanding of the power of art. Art portrayed contented peasants, industrious workers, and Stalin himself. In fact, Stalin was shown god-like in many paintings, a phenomenon known as the Cult of Stalin. Just as in Germany, gigantic architectural projects expressed the power of the state. However, there is no doubt that in Russia there were greater artistic achievements than in Nazi Germany. Composers worked with fewer hindrances – as seen in the works by Prokoviev and Shostakovich, and film-makers such as Eisenstein emerged. Art’s influence on society: the trial of Lady Chatterley’s Lover But even under less oppressive governments, the artistic expression of certain ideas can be subject to control. One great example is the book ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ by DH Lawrence, which was deemed offensive on many levels. In this book, Constance Reid, a woman from a progressive liberal middle class family marries a minor member of the aristocracy, Lord Clifford Chatterley, and takes the title ‘Lady Chatterley’. But her husband is injured in the First World War, confined to a wheelchair, and left impotent. Despite this, he becomes a successful writer and businessman. It is more his obsession with financial success and fame rather than any physical difficulties which come between him and his wife, and she begins an affair with their gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors. The largely aristocratic ‘establishment’ of Britain at the time – the book was published in Italy in 1928 – were shocked by many aspects of the book. First, there was the fact that the book was ‘obscene’, in the way it went into explicit detail the affair that took place (see below). Second, there was the fact that a women was breaking her marriage vows, something considered far worse than a man behaving in the same way. Finally, it represented an intimate relationship between a member of the ‘lower’ classes (although it emerges during the story that Mellors is actually well-educated, and became an officer in the army during the First World War) and the ‘upper’ classes, a concept that was totally taboo in Britain at that time. The book was duly banned. But the book was republished by Penguin books in 1960. The attorney general, Reginald Manningham-Buller (dubbed ‘Bullying-Manners’ by the journalist and author Bernard Levin) had to read only four chapters to decide to prosecute Penguin books for publishing it. What annoyed him was not just the content, but the fact that the price of the book meant it was affordable to women and members of the lower classes (remember that only few women worked at this time, and husbands were generally in charge of family finances). The trial was a disaster for Manningham-Buller and the prosecution. They had failed to find any experts to support their case, in stark contrast to Penguin’s defence team, which had brought in authors, journalists, academics, and even members of the clergy to defend the book. Manningham-Buller and his team had very little idea of what Lawrence had been trying to express in his book, regularly being caught out by the superior insight of the witnesses they were trying to catch out. And although they tried to shock the jury – in his opening speech, Manningham-Buller announced: â€Å"The word ‘fuck’ or ‘fucking’ appears no less than 30 times . . . ‘Cunt’ 14 times; ‘balls’ 13 times; ‘shit’ and ‘arse’ six times apiece; ‘cock’ four times; ‘piss’ three times, and so on.† – they were unable to prove that the book would have a negative influence on the readers it was aimed at. According to the Guardian: No other jury verdict in British history has had such a deep social impact. Over the next three months Penguin sold 3m copies of the book – an example of what many years later was described as â€Å"the Spycatcher effect†, by which the attempt to suppress a book through unsuccessful litigation serves only to promote huge sales. The jury – that iconic representative of democratic society – had given its imprimatur to ending the taboo on sexual discussion in art and entertainment. Within a few years the stifling censorship of the theatre by the lord chamberlain had been abolished, and a gritty realism emerged in British cinema and drama. (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning came out at the same time as the unexpurgated Lady Chatterley, and very soon Peter Finch was commenting on Glenda Jackson’s â€Å"tired old tits† in Sunday Bloody Sunday and Ken Tynan said the first â€Å"fuck† on the BBC.) Homosexuality was decriminalised, abortions were available on reasonable demand, and in order to obtain a divorce it was unnecessary to prove that a spouse had committed the â€Å"matrimonial crime† of adultery. Judges no longer put on black caps to sentence prisoners to hang by the neck until dead. Can we say, though, that it was art in this case that changed society, or was it an interaction between human sciences (ie, the law) and the arts (the book) that led to change? This is from the same Guardian article: †¦the message of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, half a century after the trial, is that literature in itself does no harm at all. The damage that gets attributed to books – and to plays and movies and cartoons – is caused by the actions of people who try to suppress them.