Caffeine Community Essay Example for Free

Caffeine Community Essay As we go about our busy lives, going here, there and everywhere like a colony of ants building up supplies for the winter, we never truly take a moment to look at the world around us, stop to smell the roses, to coin a popular phrase. We never seem to take in the sights, sounds, smells and feelings that we often disconnect ourselves from in our obsession to make the world a perfect place. There is hardly a moment that we stop to notice the other people around us that even though we do not know them from Adam, they could enrich our lives without us even knowing it, if we just took the time for a smile and polite hello. These people can remind us that there is a diverse world of goals and aspirations. It is quite amazing where such an event can happen. Going for a daily coffee at a favorite cafe can bring about this epiphany. As one sits in this modern coffee shop that caters to the needs of young and old alike, one can look around and simply see the decorative art work on the walls, the small scratches in the table that sits in front of you. But let’s look at little deeper and see the true character of the environment around us. What brought about the scratch in the table. Is it just normal every day wear and tear caused by the many people coming and going to take in their hurried morning coffee or could it, perhaps, be caused by say a bored teenager waiting for the long walk to school, using their pen to make back and forth marks in the table. As one sits and contemplates this, they can take a look around and recognize the other sights, sounds and smells of the little cafe. As one looks two tables away, an elderly man helps his wife to the seat at their table with a gentle hand and beaming smile. They look into each other’s eyes lovingly as a couple would do in an old time movie. He tells her,† have a seat dear and I’ll get our coffees. I still love you very much. The distinct voice patterns give away the fact that they are from New York, but they are very much home in their little coffee community. As the manager of the store brings over their order, they engage him in conversation about how he likes working at this particular place. In the meantime, a young man with the burly looks of a high school football player sits at the table next to the older couple and the gentleman begins a lively chat about the sport of football. A sudden, intoxicating smell of fresh brewed coffee and warm toasted bagels brings you out of your daydreams of a long and loving life with the man that you love, caused by the very happy couple. You look around to see a small table at the center of the busy room. There sit a mother and young daughter. The mother seated at the edge of her seat at the table, sipping on her steamy latte, and desperately trying to relate to her young teenage daughter in an attempt to keep the close relationship with her that she shared when the girl was little and thought that her mother was the only person in the world. The young daughter, dressed in what appears to be a dingy soccer uniform, absently sips on her orange juice with a distant look in her eyes thinking that she would much rather anywhere else but here with her boring mother. Thinking perhaps of that grassy field where she could be playing soccer with her friends, or maybe she is in chemistry class, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the cute boy across the room that she has a crush on. The mother gets a mixed expression of pain and lonliness on her face as she realizes that as she tries to hold onto her daughter, that the young girl is slowly drifting away. But that is the way of life, we do all we can to keep the bonds with our children even though deep down we realize that one day soon, we will have to send them from the nest to live their own lives. As the mother and daughter leave to spend their day with separate agendas, you hear the grating of metal against stone and look around to find the cause of the noise that makes your skin crawl and teeth hurt. You look up to see that the table by the window has grown from a six seat table for a cozy conversation for a small group, to a table fit for a King’s Court. Several smaller tables have been added to the larger one, reminding you of someone trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle. The creators of this elaborate set up are the group of regular coffee drinkers that start each day enjoying each other’s company and sharing their lives with each other. They are so diverse in appearance and personality. There is Martha with her perfectly coifed hair, outrageously oversized jewelry and too bright red lipstick, she is outspoken and her laugh sounds eerily like a hyena. She laughs and gathers everyone around her wanting to be the center of attention because maybe she is ignored at home. Sitting next to Martha is Charles. The tall, slender man sits back in his chair with the ease of man who is comfortable with himself and the way his life is. He is wearing a set of earphones with a microphone on them and one wonders why on earth what use he would have for such a contraption. Then the question is answered a few minutes later when he places a hand held amplifier to his neck and welcomes the newcomers to the table with a hardy good morning and a beaming smile, sounding very much like an electronic voice from a computer. He obviously has had some tragedy that has caused him to lose the use of his vocal cords and possibly hearing and the entire set up is a way for him to communicate with others. The use of this machine is an everyday occurrence and is second nature to him now. Like he doesn’t even know it is there. One has to wonder how this all came about. Is this a case of perfect strangers coming to start their lives each day in the same place? Perhaps this group of unique and diverse friends starts out with a simple smile, with an apprehensive good morning, like children on a playground for the first day of school trying to decide if it is okay to play with each other. Is it possible in this modern world where most people are concerned with number one that there are still people out there that are truly content with inviting others into their little world? You catch an additional name here and there, Tom, Grace, John and Mike. The smiles from the friends are genuine and the laughter is contagious. Everyone at this table is completely different in every way, yet very much the same. A diverse group with different backgrounds, goals, dreams, that found a common bond floating in a steamy, rich drink. Perhaps this group of friends started out like the two young men at the table next to mine. It is hard not to eavesdrop on the lighthearted and endearing conversation that these two obviously longtime friends are having. The two men were best friends in school and because of circumstances beyond their control, were separated to live their own lives. After spending four years being completely inseparable, the first young man left the country to protect the freedoms of his friend, while the second young man went on to college to earn a degree to protect the rights of the second young man. Relaxed and happy as if it has not been ten years since they have seen each other, only keeping in touch through emails and the occasional phone call. The young men chatter on about their lives and families as easily as a pair of school girls talking about the upcoming dance and what they are going to wear. They shuffle through a stack of pictures of the lives that they shared together and separately. Pointing and laughing at the precious, shared memories of times past, reliving the past as it was only yesterday. When they first entered the cafe, the small amount of tension was obvious as they barely spoke as they ordered their coffees and bagels and then waited to pay. By the time they sat down across from each other they were talking more freely and growing more comfortable with each other’s company. Watching these two men can make someone almost want to relive the past. Maybe go back and do things differently with a life that is half way gone. Looking at other people’s lives is like looking at a picture through a glass of water. We think we know what the real image is, it may look clear as a bell, but if we slow down for just a moment, remove the obstacle of the water and look closely and listen with earnest, we see that the picture we are envisioning in our minds may not be the reality of the lives we are surrounded by in this world. We tend to be so self-absorbed in our own lives, in our little world that leads us to believe that is revolves around us, which causes us to forget to look at the big picture and realize that we are all here together. There is an abundance of diversity and culture that we can see and listen to and learn from, and if we take the time to open ourselves up to others, to share what we feel and want with them and at the same time accept what they have to teach us about our lives, that we can enhance and enrich our lives in so many ways.

A Closer Look at Life at Camelot :: Essays Papers

A Closer Look at Life at Camelot GRAPH Mounted Knight with the Arms of Jean de Daillon. Tapestry, southern Netherlands, Tournai, about 1483. Moutacute House, Yeovil (Somerset); The National Trust. Today when asked about tapestries, most will imagine glorious wall decorations, with fantastic scenes and vibrant colors hanging on museum walls. In the Middle Ages however, tapestries were not only used as wall hangings, but because of their warm and durable fabric, as covers for beds tables, and furniture. Although wealthy burghers could afford to purchase several tapestries, the medieval tapestry industry was mostly supported by nobles who owned several houses. Since the interiors of these houses were minimally furnished when the owner was away, there was a need for something quick and easy to transform the barren house into a home when the owner came there. Tapestries provided the perfect solution, since they were easy to move, store and gave any room an instant makeover. Some tapestries were made to order by requests; the majority, however, were woven after existing designs. The tapestry shown above was ordered from Wuillaume Desreumaulx of Tournai by Jean de Daillon, seigneur de Lude. He, however, never got to see it, because he died in 1481 and the tapestry was delivered to his widow in 1483. This piece is the only one known to have survived from a series of wall hangings it belonged to. In the tapestry a mounted knight can be seen, with arms of Jean de Daillon. The colors are bright and vibrant perhaps symbolizing the knight's strength and victory in battle. To learn about different aspects of a knight's life, you can click on various parts of the tapestry above. GRAPH Knighthood - Although the concept of knighthood existed before the eleventh century, it wasn't until the Norman Conquest, which occurred in 1066, that being a knight become a profession. William the Conqueror organized his cavalry into a group of knights, and as a result a knight's services, majority of which included fighting battles, became an essential part of life in the Middle Ages.

‘Brave New World(BNW) by Aldous Huxley and ‘Bladerunner’ (BR) by Ridley Scott Comparison

It can be seen that both composers were heavily influenced by their own contexts as both texts present a fairly critical view of the society in which they were produced. For example, the novel BNW was composed during a time of scientific and technological advancement, in a world where communist powers were on the rise, and with the influence of growing trends in industrialization and consumerism, Huxley was concerned with his society's lack of morals and exploitation of nature during the twenties. By translating his fears into a satiric critique of his 1920's society, Huxley created a dystopian portrait of society in the future that was superficially a perfect world. This was his attempt to show his audience (the intellectuals of his time) his fears of the present, while simultaneously providing a warning of what the future may bring. In effect, Huxley deliberately endowed the â€Å"ideal† futuristic society with features likely to alienate his audience, making the â€Å"Brave New World† an unsettling, sinister place where nature has been marginalized and natural rhythms such as child birth have been replaced with substitutes and surrogates. The setting of the novel immediately accentuates the harsh reality of the ‘world state' in the opening paragraphs when the reader is confronted with a ‘squat grey building' where the atmosphere is as ‘cold for all the summer beyond its panes', emphasizing the coldness, paleness and clinical nature of the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, and allowing Huxley to successfully portray a world in which science has superseded nature. Secondly, BR was created in the 1980's, a time where technological advances had become more immediate in every day life, and people were becoming more aware of environmental degradation as a result of human destruction, consequently leading to the general fear that technology was taking over to the detriment of humanity. These issues were of great concern to Ridley Scott, and thus through the medium of film, he portrays a post- modern apocalyptic, dystopian world, in which ecological systems have been replaced by technological constructs, and the future is depicted as a chaotic place with a distinct lack of the natural world and its humane values. His projection was an attempt to warn his society that if certain trends were to continue, humans have the potential to destroy what they value most, being humanity and the natural world. Dramatized by Scott in the opening scene, the wide-angled camera shot gives a birds eye vantage of what Earth has become in the future; a vast industrial metropolis, studded with huge chimney like exhaust outlets from which fireballs explode, as if to resemble in a way â€Å"hell on Earth†. Furthermore, the city's streets are devoid of natural elements such as sunlight due to pollution, and in Gaf's words ‘the little people', are basked in the flickering of neon lights, as huge neon advertisements dominate the city landscape. The urban jungle of Los Angeles 2019 combined with the integration of other techniques and genres such as film noir and science fiction enables Scott to effectively create a world of environmental degradation and in turn warn people that the apocalyptic world depicted may not be far from reality in the near future if trends continue. Both texts share the same tragic flaw, being humanities detachment from the natural world. Thus both seek to demonstrate the effects scientific and technological advancement may have on the natural world and its rhythms in the future. In order to demonstrate the extent to which nature has been superseded by science in BNW, Huxley overwhelms the reader with scientific processes and names, communicated through the use of complex, pseudo-scientific jargon such as the ‘bokanovsky's Process, or ‘Podsnap's Technique, giving the processes in the Brave New World an authentic ring. The application of science to replace natural rhythms such as childbirth The distinct lack of the nature in the film BR is demonstrated through the absence of real animals in the film due to their rarity and price, with artificial animals taking their place eg. Zhora's snake. Also quite ironically the only element of plant life that appears in the film is a small, stunted bonsai, symbolizing the extent to which nature has been stunted by technology. Finally, the elusiveness of night and day displays the disruption technology has made to the world's natural rhythms, demonstrated by Scott through the use of film noir to create a smoky, hazy atmosphere irrespective of the time of day throughout the entirety of the film. The characters in each text are also used to emphasize the composer's concepts. For example It can be seen that â€Å"Humans†, as depicted in BNW and BR are often lacking the qualities that seem fundamental to being human, and thus provoke the responder to question what it really means to be â€Å"human†.

True Seals Monk Seals, Bearded Seals, and More

True seals (Phocidae) are large marine mammals that have a rotund, fusiform shaped body with small fore flippers and larger rear flippers. True seals have a coat of short hair and a thick layer of blubber beneath their skin which provides them with superb insulation. They have webbing between their digits which they use while swimming by spreading their digits apart. This help to create thrust and control as they move through the water. When on land, true seals move by crawling on their stomach. In water, they use their rear flippers to propel themselves through the water. True seals have no external ear and consequently their head is more streamlined for movement in water. Most true seals live in the Northern Hemisphere, although some species occur south of the equator. Most species are circumpolar, but there are a number of species such as gray seals, harbor seals, and elephant seals, which inhabit temperate regions. Monk seals, of which there are three species, inhabit tropical or subtropical regions including the Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Pacific Ocean. In terms of habitat, true seals inhabit shallow and deep marine waters as well as open water with drifting ice floes, islands, and mainland beaches. The diet of true seals varies between species. It also varies seasonally in response to the availablity or scarcity of food resources. The diets of true seals includes crabs, krill, fish, squid, octopus, invertebrates, and even birds such as penguins. When feeding, many true seals must dive to considerable depths to obtain prey. Some species, such as the elephant seal, can stay underwater for long periods of time, between 20 and 60 minutes.   True seals have an annual mating season. Males build up reserves of blubbler prior to the mating season so they have sufficient energy to compete for mates. Females also build up blubber reserves prior to breeding so they have sufficient energy to produce milk for their young. During the breeding season, true seals rely on their fat reserves because they do not feed as regularly as they do during the non breeding season. Females become sexually mature at four years of age, after which time they bear a single young each year. Males reach sexual maturity a few years later than females. Most true seals are gregarious animals that form colonies during their breeding season. Many species undergo migrations between breeding grounds and feeding areas and in some species these migrations are seasonal and depend on the formation or receding of ice cover. Of the 18 species of seals alive today, two are endangered, the Mediterranean monk seal and the Hawaiian monk seals. The Caribbean monk seal went extinct sometime during the past 100 years due to over hunting. The main factor contributing to the decline and extinction of true seal species has been hunting by humans. Additionally, disease has caused mass fatalities in some populations. True seals have been hunted by humans for several hundred years for their meet, oil, and fur. Species Diversity Approximately 18 living species Size and Weight About 3-15 feet long and 100-5,700 pounds Classification True seals are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Chordates Vertebrates Tetrapods Amniotes Mammals Pinnipeds True Seals True seals are divided into the following taxonomic groups: Monk seals (Monachini) - There are two species of monk seals alive today. Members of this group include the Hawaiian monk seal and the Mediterranean monk seal.Elephant seals (Miroungini) - There are two species of elephant seals alive today. Members of this group include the northern elephant seal and the southern elephant seal.Leopard seals and relatives (Lobodontini) - There are three species of leopard seals and their relatives alive today. Members of this group include crab-eater seals, leopard seals, and Weddell seals.Bearded seals and relatives (Phocinae) - There are 9 species of bearded seals and their relatives alive today. The bearded seals and their relatives include harbor seals, ringed seals, harp seals, ribbon seals, hooded seals, and others.