HMMs Pattern Recognition

HMMs Pattern Recognition Assignment 3 of Pattern recognition is on HMMs. It should contain a detailed report on HMMs. The topics covered should include: 1. An introduction to HMM and its uses. 1. Problems of HMM, their explanation and relation to prior, posterior, and evidence. 2. Solution to the problems of HMM and their algorithms. Pattern Recognition Assignment # 3 Name: Muhammad Sohaib Jamal An Introduction to HMM and its Uses A Hidden Markov Model HMM is a stochastic model which has a series of observable variable X which is generated by hidden state Y. In an indirect way HMM consist of hidden states which has output that is comprised of a set of observations. Simple Markov Model models the states are directly observables means the states are directly output while in HMM the states are hidden and different form the observables or output. HMM is very reliable model for probabilistic estimation. HMM have applications in pattern recognitions such as speech recognition, gesture and hand writing recognition, computational Bioinformatics, etc. Suppose we are considering three trails of a coin toss experiment and the person who is observing only know the results of the experiment when another person announces the result who is hidden in a closed room from the person noting the results. The result of this coin experiment can be any set of heads and tails e.g. THT, HHH, THH, TTT, THT etc. The person observing the results can get any sequence of heads and tails, and it is not possible to predict any specific sequence that will occur. The Observation Set is completely unpredictable and random. Lets assume that the third trail of coin toss experiment will produce more Head than the Tails. The resulting sequence will obviously have more number of heads then tails for this particular case. This is called Emission probability denoted by Bj(O). Now we suppose that the chance of flipping the third trail after the first and second trail is approximately zero. Then, the transition from 1st and 2nd trail to 3rd trail will be actually very small and as an outcome yields very little number heads if the person starts flipping the coin from 2nd trail to 3rd trail. This is called Transition probability denoted by aij. Assume that each trail has some probability associated with the previous trail, then the person will start the process of flipping from that particular coin. This is known to be the Initial probability denoted by à Ã¢â€š ¬i. The sequence of number of heads or tails is known to be the observables and the number of trail is said to be the state of the HMM. HMM is composed of: N number of hidden states S1, S2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦., SN M number of observations O1, O2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, OM The à Ã¢â€š ¬i (Initial state probability) Output Probability or Emission Probability B: P (OM | SN), where OM is observation and SN is the state. Transition probability matrix A = [ aij ]. Transition probabilities aij. Mathematically the model is represented as HMM ÃŽÂ » = {ÃŽÂ  , A, B} Problems of HMM and their explanations HMM has three basic types of problems: The Evaluation problem: Suppose we have an HMM, complete with transition probabilities aij and output probabilities bjk. We need to determine the probability that a particular sequence of observables states OT was generated by that model. The Decoding problem: The transition probabilities, output probabilities and set of observations OT is given and we want to determine the most likely sequence of hidden states ST that led to those observations. The Learning problem: In such problem the number of states and observation are given but we need to find the probabilities aij and bjk. With the given set of training observations, we will determine the probabilities aij and bjk. Relation of HMM to Prior, Posterior and evidence The à Ã¢â€š ¬i (Initial state probability) is analogous to the Prior probability. Because the initial probability is given before the set of experiments take place. This property of initial probability is identical to that of prior probability. Similarly, the output probability or emission probability B: P (OM | SN) is analogous to the posterior probability. The posterior probability is used in forward backward algorithm. In the same manner, evidence is the probability the next state is C given that the current state is state Sj. So the evidence is analogous to the transition probability A. Solution to the problems of HMM and their algorithms From the above mentioned discussion, we know that there are three different of problems in HMM. In this section we will briefly know how these problems are solved Evaluation problem, this type of problem is solved the using Forward-Backward algorithm. Decoding problem, for such type of HMM problem we use the Viterbi algorithm or posterior decoding Training problem, in case of this type of problem we have the Baun-Welch re-estimation algorithm to solve it. Forward-Backward algorithm The forward and backward steps are combined by the Forward-Backward algorithm to estimate the probability of each state for a specific time t, and repeating these steps for each t can result in the sequence having the most likely probability. This algorithm doesnt guarantee that the sequence is valid sequence because it considers every individual step. The forward algorithm has the following three steps: Initialization step Iterations Summation of overall states . Similarly, for backward algorithm we have the same steps like the forward algorithm: Initialization step Iterations Summation of overall states Viterbi algorithm Viterbi algorithm is used to find the most likely hidden states, resulting in a sequence of observed events. The relationship between observations and states can be inferred from the given image. In first step Viterbi algorithm initialize the variable In second step the process is iterated for every step In third step the iteration ends In Fourth step we track the best path Baun-Welch re-estimation algorithm Baun-Welch re-estimation algorithm is used to compute the unknown parameters in hidden Markov model HMM. Baun-Welch re-estimation algorithm can be best described using the following example. Assume we collect eggs from chicken every day. The chicken had lay eggs or not depends upon unknown factors. For simplicity assume that there are only 2 states (S1 and S2) that determine that the chicken had lay eggs. Initially we dont know about the state, transition and probability that the chicken will lay egg given specific state. To find initial probabilities, suppose all the sequences starting with S1 and find the maximum probability and then repeat the same procedure for S2. Repeat these steps until the resulting probabilities converge. Mathematically it can be References Andrew Ng (2013), an online course for Machine learning, Stanford University, Stanford, https://class.coursera.org/ml-004/class. Duda and Hart, Pattern Classification (2001-2002), Wiley, New York. http://en.wikipedia.org http://hcicv.blogspot.com/2012/07/hidden-markov-model-for-dummies.html http://www.mathworks.com/help/stats/hidden-markov-models-hmm.html http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/roger/HiddenMarkovModels/html_dev/viterbi_algorithm/s3_pg3.html

Egypt Art History Essay

The materials used to create these sculptures symbolized the pharaoh’s timelessness and eternal life, the body of the pharaohs symbolized the power given to them by God, and the formal design qualities showed the religious and political qualities in the statues. The statue of Khafre and Akhenaton reflects the political and religious climates of their time through the use of medium which symbolized the pharaoh’s eternal life and timelessness, and through formal qualities which symbolized the hidden religious meanings inside the sculpture. The seated statue of Khafre reflects the political and religious climates of his time through the statue’s medium, function, formal qualities of design, and iconography. The statue is made of diorite, an extremely valuable, un-breakable stone, which symbolizes Khafre’s unwavering power as pharaoh. Khafre’s body shows that this was how a king was supposed to be portrayed, a perfect divine being that is flawless. The intertwined lotus and papyrus plants symbolize the unification of Egypt. Horus the sky god is shown extending his protective wings to shelter the pharaoh’s head. The statue plays an important role in the afterlife, it served as a resting place for the pharaoh’s ka, his life force that accompanied him even in the afterlife. The Statue of Akhenaton showed the political and religious climate that he ruled in through the use of formal qualities, and iconography. Akhenaton’s statue was made of sandstone, different than the un-breakable stone that Khafre’s statue was made of that symbolized his divine power as king. The use of sandstone here shows the abandonment of old kingdom practices. Akhenaton’s body is extremely different and shows him as an androgynous figure attempting to portray as Aton, the sexless sun disk. This statue symbolizes the change in religion, from a polytheistic based belief, to a monotheistic religion centered on the worship of Aten, or Aton, the sun god. The statues of Khafre enthroned, and Akhenaton from the temple of Aton, reflect the political and religious climates of their time. The formal qualities of both statues represent their political stand and their religious views. Although they are very different, they are also very similar at the same time. Enthroned Khafre shows him as an idealized being with a perfect body that portrays him as a deity and shows his power as pharaoh. The statue of Akhenaton on the other hand, shows himself as a realistic being with curved hips and female like figures. Although he does not look like an idealized being like in the old kingdom, he is still portrayed as a deity trying to imitate the sexless sun God Aton. Akhenaton was able to be portrayed as a deity despite his realistic form due to his political power and his ability to change the country’s religion. The statue of Khafre and Akhenaton both reflected their political and religious climates through the statue’s medium, formal qualities, and iconography. These statues although very different, are very similar in portraying how a king was portrayed in different times and yet still looked like a deity.

Allegory of the Cave Essay

Written as a dialogue between Glaucon (Plato’s brother) and Socrates (his mentor), The Allegory of he Cave is a poem composed in approximately 1509. The source of this poem is from series on Plato called â€Å"The School of Athens† by Raphael. Socrates had a specialized teaching method (now referred to as the Socratic method) which was characterized by asking and answering questions in order to stimulate critical thinking (EH 72). The structure of this piece reflects this method because Socrates is using dialect and a series of questions to teach the lesson/metaphor. An allegory can be defined as a story, picture, or poem that, when interpreted, has a hidden meaning/lesson. This allegory has to do with a cave in which prisoners are being held captive. They are chained to the floor with their heads only facing one wall, therefore they are unable to see what is behind them. Though this is an allegory because the cave represents life and the puppeteers behind he prisoners making shadows represents reality. The hidden meaning of the allegory stems from the idea that the prisoners have a misinterpreted idea of reality. They only see the shadows and reflections that the puppeteers are making therefore they believe that is life. Once they turn around and it is revealed that those were puppeteers the whole time, they are extremely shocked. It shows us that our perception of reality and what we see around us is false. Our imperfect interpretations of reality may not always be what they seem, sometimes we are viewing what we want to view, seeing what our mind want’s us to see, rather that seeing the true reality. The theme explored in this allegory has connections tied back to the cultural themes of the Hellenic Age and ancient Classical Greek Philosophy. People viewed the enlightenment as a new coming of age in which new teachings were applied. This poem represents the teaching of morality in a time where philosophers were striving to teach of the world around them (EH 84). During the Hellenic period the ancient Greeks were undergoing great  cultural and political change. The love for art and literature rose as ancient Greeks were moving from oral to a literate culture form based on rational thought, which can be exemplified in the poem The Allegory of the Cave. During the Hellenic Age (EH 83), Greek cultural influence was high and the spreading of the arts, literature, philosophy, politics, and education was wide spreading throughout Europe. The Hellenic Age held a high value on learning. Athens held a numerous amount of libraries and philosophy during the time experienced many new and de veloped schools of thought (EH 76). This is viewed through the allegory because it is trying to teach the world a lesson through the use of philosophy. The primary form of art during this period was sculpture and the dominant form of literature was poetry, as again exemplified by the allegory. I personally found the allegory difficult to understand at first, thought after a couple of careful reads of the reading material I began to see the true meaning. I found the allegory to be very interesting and morally informative. I do agree with the ideas it expresses to the extent that it makes a person revisit how they perceive the world around them and the true meaning of reality. I do not believe it should go as far as to change your mindset to question whether you are viewing a true reality or just a mental paradox. Though overall I believe I learned a lot from his allegory and despite the difficulty, thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Ace Your University of Wisconsin Personal Statements

Ace Your University of Wisconsin Personal Statements The University of Wisconsin System has a holistic admissions process that includes at least one personal statement. The flagship campus in Madison requires two essays. Applicants can apply using either the Common Application or the University of Wisconsin Application. This article addresses strategies for responding to the essay prompts.   Personal Statements for the University of Wisconsin-Madison The main campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison is the most selective of all the UW schools, and it has an application separate from all the other campuses. It also asks for two personal statements. If you apply using the Common Application, you will need to respond to one of the seven essay prompts. This gives you the freedom to write about anything you choose, for not only do the prompts cover a wide range of topics, but option #7 allows you to write on a topic of your choice.   If you use the University of Wisconsin application,  the first essay prompt asks the following: Consider something in your life you think goes unnoticed and write about why its important to you. You have so many options here that you might find the essay prompt daunting. As you figure out what the something in your life is that you should write about, keep in mind the reason why UW-Madison is asking this question. The admissions process is holistic, so the university wants to get to know you as a whole person, not just as a set of empirical data such as grades, class rank, and standardized test scores. Your extracurricular activities and employment history are part of the holistic portrait, but they dont tell the whole story.   Use this prompt to explore something that isnt obvious from the rest of your application. If one of your jobs or extracurricular activities is particularly important to you, you could use this essay to explain why that is so (much like a typical  short answer essay  on the Common Application). Or you could use this essay to present a side of your personality that doesnt appear on your application at all. Perhaps you like rebuilding motorcycles, fishing with your younger sister, or writing poetry. Almost anything thats important to you is fair game here, just make sure you follow through and explain  why  its important to you. If you fail to address the why of the question, youve failed to present the admissions folks a full window into your passions and interests. The second essay prompt is the same whether you use the Common Application or the UW Application. It asks the following: Tell us why you decided to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, share with us the academic, extracurricular, or research opportunities you would take advantage of as a student. If applicable, provide details of any circumstance that could have had an impact on your academic performance and/or extracurricular involvement. UW-Madison has packed a lot into this essay prompt, and it might be best to view it as three essay prompts, not one. The first- why UW-Madison?- is typical of the supplemental essays for many other colleges. The key here is to be specific. If your answer could be applied to schools other than UW-Madison, then youre being too vague and generic. What  specifically  about UW-Madison appeals to you? What unique features of the university distinguish it from other places youre considering? Similarly, with the question about academic, extracurricular and research opportunities, be sure to do your research. Make sure you know what the university offers so that you know what opportunities you can take advantage of should you be admitted. UW-Madison is trying to make sure applicants are familiar with the university and can imagine themselves being active and engaged members of the campus community. When it comes to explaining circumstances that may have had a negative impact on your grades and extracurricular involvement, keep in mind that this part of the prompt is optional. As the article Should You Explain A Bad Grade? notes, youre not always doing yourself a favor if you make a big deal out of slightly off semester in high school. That said, if you did have a major disruption in your life- a significant injury, a death of a parent or sibling, divorce of your parents, or an ill-timed move to a different school- it can be a good idea to comment on the event if it impacted your academic or extracurricular record in a significant way. The Personal Statement for all Other UW Campuses For all of the other University of Wisconsin campuses, youll be asked to respond to this personal essay prompt: Please tell us about the particular life experiences, talents, commitments and/or interests you will bring to our specific campus that will enrich our community. The question is refreshing in its directness, for, in truth, it is asking what every college admissions essay asks- How will you enrich our community? Colleges want more than students with good grades and high test scores; they also want students who will contribute to campus life in a positive way. Before you write your essay or take part in a college interview, youd be wise to figure out your own answer to the question. What is it that you will contribute? Why will the college be a better place because of your presence? Think about your hobbies, your sense of humor, your quirks, your academic passions... all of the features that make you you. Each of the Common Application essay options  is really getting at this very issue. Whether you are writing about a a challenge youve faced, a problem youve solved, an important accomplishment in your life, or an important dimension of your life experiences, a good essay shows that you bring to campus the type of passion and personality that will enrich the university community. Make Your University of Wisconsin Essay Shine You have lots of breadth in choosing what to write about, but youd be wise to steer clear of bad essay topics that often go astray. Also, dont just focus on what to write, but also how you write it. Pay attention to the style of your essay so that your narrative is tight, engaging, and powerful.   Also be sure to follow the tips on the UW website. One important tip relates to your essay length. While the application allows you to write essays that are up to 650 words, UW recommends essays in the 300-500 word range. While you may be tempted to use the entire available space, youd be wise to heed the universitys recommendation and exceed 500 words.

The Malefic Deity of all things Good and Bad Professor Ramos Blog

The Malefic Deity of all things Good and Bad Born into royalty, a beautiful baby girl named Aurora is introduced to her entire kingdom on her christening day. The introduction also includes all the mystical creatures that live in the kingdom, such as faeries. Princess Aurora received an honorable visit from the three great faeries of her kingdom Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. The three great faeries had come to bless the newborn baby with magical gifts such as happiness, song and much more. As Merryweather begins to bless Princess Aurora with a precious gift, a peculiar gust of green fog starts to surrounds everyone as a new fairy appears. Flabbergasted reactions and fear automatically fill the room as the fortuitous, undesired, fairy emits a malevolent aura. The unbidden malefic fairy too wanted to bestow Princess Aurora with a precious gift, casting a powerful wicked curse on the newborn. The curse being that when Aurora turns sixteen years old, she will die before sunset due to pricking her finger on a spinning wheelâ€℠¢s spindle. Merryweather adjusted the curse attempting to make it less harmful. Now when Aurora pricks her finger on the spindle, she will fall into a deep slumber waiting for a true loves kiss to awaken her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fairytale of  Sleeping Beauty has been around since the 16thcentury, and was written by  Charles Perrault, a famous French author. Perrault’s version of the fairytale influenced the two German brothers,  The Grimm Brothers.These philologists were also famous authors who wrote many famous folk tales that are now popular because of Walt Disney, who turned them into the incredible films that we now know today. In Walt Disney’s version of Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora is sent off to a cottage by her royal parents so that she can be taken care of by the three great fairies, who are disguised as her great aunts. All three fairies will then raise Aurora and hide her true identity. Hoping that if she is hidden away from the castle by her sixteenth birthday, the curse from the evil fairy will fall off. On Aurora’s sixteenth birthday is where she will meet her true love, Prince Phillip, who is then kidnapped by t he malefic fairy. Meanwhile the wicked curse succeeds as the evil fairy tricks Aurora into pricking her finger, having her fall into her deep slumber.  Ã‚  Flora, Fauna and Merryweather save the prince where he, and his army, is then put up against the enraged wicked fairy who then shapeshifts into a dragon. The Dragon is defeated and Prince Phillip awakens Princess Aurora with a kiss and they live happily ever after.   The malefic fairy inSleeping Beautyis also known as Maleficent, the Mistress of Evil. Maleficent is the Queen of Moors, played by Angelina Jolie in the Disney film, who was once the guardian of her land, that boarded the human kingdom, protecting it from human invaders. She is a powerful human-sized fairy, with super human strength and magic powers. Maleficent also has the abilities to fly, heal and curse individuals. The way Maleficent was created ties in perfectly with Jeffery Cohen’s third monster theory,â€Å"The Monster Is the Harbinger of Category Crisis.† (6)She was born with different features that humans do not have, in order to protect her enchanted forest, making her unique, peculiar and intimidating. Cohen states that,â€Å"Monsters are generally disturbing hybrids whose externally incoherent bodies resist attempts to include them in any systematic structuration. And so the monster is dangerous, a form suspended between forms that threatens to smash distinc tions†(Cohen 6).Because Maleficent is not human, she is already a target, but because she also uses her powers, that humans do not possess, for evil, she is categorized as a monster. Cohen’s fourth monster theory also ties into the way Maleficent is looked at and how she isn’t given a chance to prove that she means well,â€Å"The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference.† (7)As Cohen explains that,â€Å"monstrous difference tends to me cultural, political, racial, economic and sexual† (Cohen 7). Believe it or not, Maleficent was once a young, kind-hearted fairy with a soul generated by love. In her forest is where she met her love interest Stefan, a human boy who accidentally wandered his way into Moors. As she helps Stefan find his way back, they both discover that they have many things in common and he then promises to visit her again. As time pasts Stefan visits Moors enough for the two to develop feelings and fall in love with each other, as they grow older and mature. On Maleficent’s sixteenth birthday is when Stefan presented her with aTrue Love’s Kiss. However, after that, years pass and he stops visiting Moors. Unfortunately, the enchanted forest then becomes under attack by the greedy King Henry, and his army, yet victory is with Maleficent and her army of mystical creatures/fairies. King Henry was terribly wounded during the battle of Moors and demands that Maleficent is killed before he passes. Stefan, who now serves for the King, is sent to slay Maleficent but cannot find it in him to do so. He pays Maleficent a visit one last time and spends the night with her, drugs her, and cuts off her wings. Stefan then presents them to King Henry, who is on his deathbed, as proof that he has slain Maleficent. The injured Maleficent is heartbroken and betrayed, filled with so many emotions. She takes in a crow as her servant to â€Å"be her wings† and demands him to find Stefan, who has just been announced the new king with a newborn child born. Maleficent was infuriated to find out that King Stefan betrayed her and traded in her wings for royalty turning her into The Evil Queen of Moors, cr eating a dark kingdom. She was the uninvited malefic fairy, full of revenge for King Stefan, that casted the spell on the newborn, Princess Aurora. Due to the curse, the King sent Aurora away for safety, and frantically made sure that every spinning wheel in the kingdom was destroyed. Thesis fiveâ€Å"TheMonster Polices the Borders of the Possible† (12)ties in very well with this because once Maleficent made her appearance and cursed Aurora, a new fear was introduced. No one wanted to leave the Kingdom, and so much was improvised because of the Mistress of Evil. â€Å"The monster prevents mobility, delimiting the social spaces through which private bodies may move.† (Cohen 12). Love at first sight Later on, Maleficent ends up finding the cottage, due to her crow, where baby Aurora is being kept. She dryly mutters the hate she has for the baby and calls her â€Å"Little Beastie† before leaving. She is then reunited with the Aurora who seems to be five years old and Maleficent is shown saving the child from falling. Maleficent then begins to watch over Aurora as she grows older. Fifteen years later, Princess Aurora misinterprets Maleficent as her Fairy Godmother as Aurora realized that she was being watched by Maleficent, all her life. Months pass and Maleficent has pretty much raised Aurora as her own, becoming benevolent and tries to reverse her curse unsuccessfully. This is where Aurora meets Prince Phillip and a few days later falls to her slumber, on her sixteenth birthday. Maleficent puts a sleeping spell on Prince Phillip so that when he wakes up, he is next to the Princess and can kiss her awake, but the kiss fails because it is not true love. Prince Phillip is dr agged out the room and Maleficent enters and kisses Aurora on the forehead, where she then awakens. The movie ends with Maleficent fighting King Stefan and his army, along-side with her crow that she turned into a Dragon. Aurora sets Maleficent’s wings free as they get re-attached to her and she then takes on King Stefan and his army, successfully. Peace will now be restored between the two kingdoms. Princess Aurora awakens The Mother Daughter bond Overall, after learning about Maleficent’s side of the story, you learn that she was always a kind-hearted fairy, with a pure soul who still had so much love in her heart. Maleficent was not always a monster.â€Å"We sometimes see archetypically evil characters redefined primarily by the telling of their backstories to provide rationale for their behavior and to evoke sympathy or pity from the audience† (Donnelly).She was betrayed and heartbroken by King Stefan. She became the heartless, vengeful, sorceress the kingdom knew her as and was deemed as an evil monster that would represent evil, because of King Stefan’s doings; therefore, King Stefan created this monster.â€Å"Thesis Seven: The Monster Stands at the Threshold. . . of becoming† (20).Limits were taught about the monsters we create and how monster are our children.She was feared by all and was the shadow of her former self until she experienced what true love felt like. True love was something she never truly believed in due to her treacherous past with Stefan. In the end, Maleficent’s cold heart turned pure again due to Princess Aurora. This Mistress of evil easily gets a 5/5. Seeing Disney create the reasoning to Maleficent’s actions inSleeping Beautyand to learn about her side of the story was truly intriguing and taught a lesson of how true love conquers all. Annotated Bibliography Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. â€Å"Monster Culture (Seven Theses).† Monster Theory: Reading Culture, University of Minnesota Press, 1997, pp. 3–25. This source is a credible published book source that cites the sources being used in the text, and it was a really helpful article that I used to help describe Maleficent as a monster. All seven of the monster culture theses is relevant to Maleficent, though thesis seven seemed to be the most relevant in Maleficent’s case. Thesis seven explains how Monsters stand on the threshold of becoming. Maleficent was a kind-hearted fairy with a pure soul who was betrayed by her love interest King Stefan. He steals her wings as a trophy to present to the previous King to gain royalty, and because of this unfortunate event, this is what poisons her pure heart and turns her into a revengeful, wicked creature. Dartnall, Jane. ‘Sleeping Beauty’The Cambridge Guide to Childrens Books in English, edited by Victor Watson, Cambridge University Press, 1st edition, 2001.Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/childbooks/sleeping_beauty/0?institutionId=5312. Accessed 18 Jul. 2019. This credible article explains the story of sleeping beauty and where it originates from. The original dark twisted version vs. the story that we know and are familiar with because of Charles Perrault, which is where Walt Disney got his ideas from when creating the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty. The well-known version that we love. This article was helpful for me as it explains where the idea of Maleficent originates from, from the old fashion fairytale. It also shows proof that Maleficent was always evil at the time until we were able to see her side of the story in the movie. Donnelly, Colleen Elaine. â€Å"Re-Visioning Negative Archetypes of Disability and Deformity in Fantasy: Wicked, Maleficent, and Game of Thrones.†Disability Studies Quarterly, dsq-sds.org/article/view/5313. I found this journal to be very useful as it talks about how there are some characters in fantasy and horror stories/films that embody terror and evil, because we say so. Once an evil character tells their side of the story as to why they became monsters, we then humanize these characters or â€Å"monsters† due to pity and sympathy. Stories liked this, which is relevant to Maleficent, places the audience in their shoes as it shows us how they’ve become isolated from the rest of society, due to stereotypes that are learned. The oblivious behaviors categorizes monsters into â€Å"others† when we do not know their back story. â€Å"IN FAIRYLAND The Finest of Tales by the Brothers Grimm.†Kirkus Reviews, vol. 86, no. 24, Dec. 2018, p. 76.EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=a9hAN=133505448site=ehost-live. This scholarly article was very useful for me as it explains the two famous Grimm Brothers and the mystical stories that they have gifted us with. This article explains the fairytales we know and love, and explains every creature created by the Grimm brothers. What stood out to me was the topic on Fairies, since Maleficent is a fairy. It talks about the idea of fairies and where they originate from and how they came to be about, of course along with other famous fairytales and creatures. Weinstock, Jeffrey Andrew. Introduction: Monsters are the Most Interesting People.The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters, Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock, Ashgate Publishing, 1st edition, 2014.Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/ashgtmonster/introduction_monsters_are_the_most_interesting_people/0?institutionId=5312. Accessed 18 Jul. 2019. This is a credible scholarly article that I found to be really intriguing and extremely helpful when explaining hot monster are actually created by us and how we are still somewhat fascinated with monsters because they change over time. Monsters are just plain and simply interesting to us. Whether it is literature and cinema, to folklore, we are still fascinated by monsters because they reflect our own anxieties. That human creativity does not compare to the monster we created, to entertain us.

Common Ground Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Common Ground - Assignment Example Concentrates on limited points of comparison, which do not exceed three. The analysis attempts to reframe the issues discussed in the opposing essays. Establishment of a common ground in opposing essays is devoid of personal bias and therefore avoids taking of positions. The essay is fair and accurate presentation of the opposing views. The essay gives an almost equal attention to the different opposing viewpoints without judging either of the proposed arguments. The essay should be easy to follow through the provision of a forecasting statement alongside a thesis. The essay uses clear topic sentences and labels its positions consistently with repetition of key words identifying different points of disagreement and agreement. The paper identifies the time in which the issue arose as the â€Å"age of innocence† and â€Å"Steroid Era†. The issue started around the 1990s and took strong roots in 2006. The paper piques the interest of readers using star players linked with steroid related scandals. The use of the names of known players involved in public scandals is relevant in providing minimal background information. The essay locates the time in which the opposing essays were developed linking it to issues surrounding Abu Ghraib. The use of Abu Ghraib involves a publicized event in the period and thus raises the interest of readers without revealing many details. The paper articulates the credentials of the authors of the opposing essays. The paper focuses on two points creating disagreement and they include fairness and health risks. He identifies agreement by the two authors on the possible side effects resulting from the use of steroids while the two disagree on the ethical issue surrounding who bears the responsibility for taking steroids. The paper analyzes the different arguments fronted on issuers of torture and morality placing the disagreements in what can be

E-government benefits Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E-government benefits - Research Paper Example Convenience is also characterized by availability of many channels brought about by e-government that enables the citizens to choose where and when to receive government services. In addition, citizens with disabilities do not have the trouble of moving from one geographical area to the other seeking government services. Secondly, e-government has simplified application processes. Yigitcanlar & Baum (2006) asserts that citizens can easily apply for government services easily. Through the government websites, a citizen can get answers to his or her question without wading through hundreds of irrelevant information. With e-government, records can be signed digitally, certified legally and delivered electronically to the appropriate locations via the internet. Information can easily be accessed using a standardized feel and look using MassCares suite applications. A MassCares suite application has enabled citizens to serve themselves because routine work of government officials has been automated. In addition, citizens can visit many government agencies with a click of the mouse. With e-government, application process has also been made simpler through single-windows and single-sign –on. Third, e-government has increased citizen’s effectiveness and efficiencies. ... Citizens have found out e-government reduces the amount of time, money as well as materials spend on seeking government services. This is because correspondence between the government officials and citizens can be done via email, shot messaging services or chat rooms. Furthermore, e-government has reduced the chances of citizens making errors in application because automation informs the user in real-time when the error occurs and allow him or her to rectify it on the spot. Effectiveness and efficiency brought about by e-government has enabled some citizens to plan better their personal and professional work. Fourth, e-government has increased democratization. Citizens can easily express their opinions on government policies and activities via online surveys or blogs. In fact, it has been established that citizens especially those who are younger participate on online discussions of political issues and are appealed by e-voting procedures. The citizens can easily exert direct and pro minent influence to legislative processes by increasing their political participation on issues affecting them. According to Roy (2004), e-government allows citizens to interact with government officials as well as politicians on major issues affecting their lives. Instant-messaging, online interactive survey, audio/video presentations and blogging will allow government officials and politicians see and understand people’s views (Alston, 2003). Fifth, e-government has increased transparency and accountability in government agencies. With e-government, citizens (voter) are allowed to get insight on how government decisions and policies are made in real time basis.