The Life of Madame de Pompadour, Royal Mistress and Advisor

The Life of Madame de Pompadour, Royal Mistress and Advisor Madame de Pompadour (December 29, 1721–April 15, 1764) was a French noblewoman and one of Louis XV’s primary mistresses. Even after her time as the king’s mistress came to an end, the Madame de Pompadour remained an influential friend and advisor to the king, especially as a patron of arts and philosophy. Fast Facts: Madame de Pompadour Known For: Beloved mistress of King Louis XV who became an unofficial advisor to the king and an influential leader of the artsFull Name: Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de PompadourAlso Known As: ReinetteBorn: December 29, 1721 in Paris, FranceDied: April 15, 1764 in Paris, FranceSpouse: Charles Guillaume Le Normant dÉtiolles (m. 1741; separated 1745)Children: Charles Guillaume Louis (1741-1742), Alexandrine Jeanne (1744-1754) Early Life: The Reinette Jeanne Antoinette was the daughter of Francois Poisson and his wife Madeline de la Motte. Although Poisson was her legal father and the husband of her mother, it is more likely that Jeanne’s biological father was Charles Franà §ois Paul Le Normant de Tournehem, a wealthy tax collector. When Jeanne Antoinette was four, Francois Poisson had to leave the country due to unpaid debts, and Tournehem became her legal guardian, thus giving even more credence to the rumors that he was her real father. Like many girls from families of means, Jeanne Antoinette was sent to be educated at a convent when she reached the age of five. The education was excellent, and she proved to be a popular student. However, she became ill and returned home four years later. Her mother took her to a fortuneteller, who predicted that Jeanne Antoinette would win the heart of a king. From that point on, those closest to her began calling her â€Å"Reinette† (a diminutive, or nickname, meaning â€Å"little queen†). She was educated at home by the best tutors. Tournehem arranged for her instruction in all the subjects deemed necessary for a woman’s education, in order that she might one day attract the interest of the king. Wife and Socialite In 1740, Jeanne Antoinette married Charles Guillaume Le Normant dÉtiolles, the nephew of her guardian Tournehem. Upon their marriage, Tournehem made Charles his sole heir and gave Jeanne Antoinette an estate (one situated near the royal hunting grounds) as a wedding gift. The young couple were only four years apart in age, and they did fall in love with each other. Jeanne Antoinette promised she would never be unfaithful- except for the king. They had two children: a son who died as an infant, and a daughter, Alexandrine, who died at the age of nine in 1753. As a stylish young married woman, Jeanne Antoinette spent time at many of the elite salons in Paris. She encountered many of the figures of the Enlightenment and, in time, began hosting her own salons at her Étiolles estate, which also attracted many leading figures of the day. Educated and curious, she became a notable and witty conversationalist in the company of these people. By 1744, Jeanne Antoinettes name was being mentioned at court, attracting the attention of Louis XV. Her estate was adjacent to the king’s hunting grounds in the forest of Sà ©nart, so she was permitted to watch the royal party from a distance. To get the king’s attention, however, she rode directly in front of his group- not once, but twice. The king took notice and sent her a gift of venison from the hunt. The king’s official mistress died in December 1744, leaving the position vacant, and Jeanne Antoinette was invited to Versailles to the masked ball celebrating the engagement of the Dauphin. At the ball, Louis publicly unmasked and declared his affection for Jeanne Antoinette. Becoming the Royal Mistress In order to be properly introduced at court, Jeanne Antoinette had to have a title. The king solved this by purchasing the marquisate of Pompadour and giving it to her, making her the Marquise de Pompadour. She became the king’s official mistress, living at Versailles in apartments near his, and was formally presented to the court in September 1745. Notably, she got along quite well with the queen consort, Marie LeszczyÅ„ska, and worked to have a good relationship with the royal family overall. Madame de Pompadour was more than just a mistress. Louis XV respected her intelligence and understanding of social nuance, and as a result, she functioned as an unofficial prime minister and advisor. She supported the First Treaty of Versailles, which created an alliance between former rivals France and Austria, and rallied support behind government ministers whose fiscal reforms helped France become one of the world’s wealthiest countries. Madame de Pompadours influence was not limited to the political sphere. Building on her years in the Paris salons, she championed scientific, economic, and philosophical exploration as well. Her patronage protected the growing theory of physiocracy (an economic theory that emphasized the value of agriculture) and defended the Encyclopà ©die, a fundamental text of the Enlightenment that was opposed by religious figures. Her activities and her common birth earned her enemies and made her the subject of malicious gossip, but her relationship with Louis and the royal family remained mostly unaffected. The King’s Friend and Advisor By 1750, Pompadour ceased being Louis’s mistress, in large part due to her many health problems, including recurring bronchitis, three miscarriages, and chronic headaches. Nevertheless, she maintained her influential position, since their relationship had become much more than just a sexual one. The king did not take a new official â€Å"favorite,† but instead installed a succession of temporary mistresses at a chateau away from court. According to most reports, his heart and loyalty remained with Pompadour. During this era, Pompadour turned her patronage to the arts, which she used to announce her loyalty to the king (through commissions honoring him) and to cultivate her own image. In 1759, she purchased a porcelain factory, which created many jobs and ultimately become one of the most famous porcelain makers in all of Europe. Pompadour herself learned to engrave under the tutelage of Jacques Guay and Francois Boucher, and she was a significant influence in the development of Rococo style. It is likely that she contributed a fair amount to the work of the artists under her patronage. In fact, some historians consider her an actual collaborator on many works. Death and Legacy Madame de Pompadours poor health eventually caught up to her. In 1764, she suffered from tuberculosis, and Louis himself cared for her during her illness. She died on April 15, 1764 at the age of 42, and was buried at the Couvent des Capucines in Paris. Because of her influence on French society and her unusual advisory role to the king, the Madame de Pompadours legacy has endured in pop culture, from the publication of biographies to an episode of Doctor Who to the naming of a particular diamond cut. Sources Algrant, Christine Pevitt.  Madame de Pompadour Mistree of France. New York: Grove Press, 2002.Eschner, Kat. â€Å"Madame de Pompadour Was Far More Than a ‘Mistress’.† Smithsonian, 29 December 2017, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/madame-de-pompadour-was-far-more-mistress-180967662/.Foreman, Amanda, and Nancy Mitford. Madame de Pompadour. New York Review of Books, 2001.Mitford, Nancy. â€Å"Jeanne-Antoinette Poission, marquise de Pompadour.† Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 25 Dec. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jeanne-Antoinette-Poisson-marquise-de-Pompadour.

2016 Presidential Race - Candidates and Results

2016 Presidential Race - Candidates and Results The 2016 presidential race concluded on the evening of Nov. 8, 2016, with the election of Republican Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States. Trump, a billionaire real-estate developer, businessman and reality-television star, defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. senator from New York and secretary of the Department of State under President Barack Obama.   Trump was widely portrayed as the underdog right up to Election Day given his lack of political experience -   he had never before served in elected office -   and polls that showed he was trailing Clinton badly in key battleground states. Trump, however, stunned the American political establishment and observers around the world by leading a voter revolt against the Beltway elites he railed against on the campaign trail.   Trump won the electoral vote but lost the popular vote, becoming only the fifth president to get to the White House without winning the popular vote.  The only other modern president elected with fewer actual votes than his challenger was  Republican George W. Bush in 2000, who carried 30 states and 271 electoral votes to defeat Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore. Issues in 2016 Presidential Race The 2016 president race was decided by working class white voters, including women who tend to vote for Democrats and were expected to side with the first female presidential nominee from a major party. Those working class white voters  felt left behind by the modest economic rebound from The Great Recession and voted for Trump  because of his promise to renegotiate trade deals with countries including China and levy stiff tariffs on goods imported from these countries. Trumps position on trade was seen as a way to stop companies from shipping jobs overseas, though many economists pointed out taxing imports would drive up costs to American consumers first.His message resonated with white working-class voters, especially those who live in former steel and manufacturing towns. Skilled craftsmen and tradespeople and factory workers have seen the jobs they loved shipped thousands of miles away, Trump said at a rally near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Voters also distrusted Clinton because of the many scandals surrounding her during her tenure as secretary of State and first lady to President Bill Clinton. Clinton could not escape criticism of her use of a personal email account during her time as secretary of State, which appeared to be in violation of the Federal Records Act, a 1950 law that mandates the preservation of most records related to conducting government business.   Late in the 2016 presidential race - many called it the October Surprise of 2016 -   the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced unexpectedly it was conducting a  review Clintons emails, an unprecedented move that enraged her supporters and threw the contest with Trump into doubt.  FBI Director James Comey made the announcement 11 days before the 2016 presidential election, a move many critics said cost Clinton votes. Comey later said the email contained no new information. Still, the damage was done, and the disclosures only served as a reminder of the scandal-ridden Clinton years in the White House. Vice Presidential Running Mates in 2016 Trump chose as his running mate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a former member of Congress known as a ​conservatives conservative. In choosing Pence, the Trump campaign sought to portray the Republican ticket as the  law and order candidates, drawing a stark contrast between themselves and an opponent they portrayed as untrustworthy.  What a difference  between crooked Hillary Clinton and Mike Pence ... Hes a  solid, solid person, Trump said in introducing Pence. Clinton chose as her running mate Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia. Kaine was a Democratic Party insider who was seen as a safe pick, one who would help deliver the swing state of Virginia to Clinton, just as a did for Obama in 2008. Kaine is a  Harvard Law School graduate who served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee and previously was governor of Virginia. Key Dates in the 2016 Presidential Race Here are some of the most important developments during the 2016 presidential election. April 12, 2015: Clinton announces her candidacy, stating:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion.†Ã‚   June 16, 2015: Trump announces his candidacy, stating: We need somebody that literally will take this country and make it great again. We can do that.July 22, 2016: Trump accepts the Republican Partys nomination, stating: My message is that things have to change, and they have to change right now. July 26, 2016: Clinton accepts the Democratic Partys nomination, stating:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Standing here as my mother’s daughter, and my daughter’s mother, I’m so happy this day has come. When any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone.† Nov. 8, 2016: Trump wins the presidential election, stating: Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our nation and renewing the American dream. Polls in the 2016 Presidential Races Polls consistently showed Clinton leading Trump in the national popular vote. In the spring of 2016, when the primaries were still ongoing, Clinton was leading Trump in a then-hypothetical election race by double digits, between 10 and 11 percentage points.   Clintons popular vote narrowed and expanded following the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. But Trump never led the national popular vote, according to an average of all reliable surveys compiled by RealClearPolitics. Those national polls turned out to be accurate; Clinton did win the popular vote. But statewide polls failed to gauge the surge for Trump in the final days of the 2016 presidential race. In Pennsylvania, for example, most polls had Clinton holding a solid lead, but Trump won by a narrow margin. Polls conducted in Michigan, too, had Clinton up by more than 3 points, but Trump narrowly won that state. Pollsters have said their surveys failed to detect a late surge for Trump, and that many Trump supporters who were skeptical of political polls and the media refused to participate, suppressing the Republicans performance in their results. Spending in the 2016 Presidential Race Spending in the 2016 president race totaled nearly $2.7 billion, according to projections from the nonprofit Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C.  That includes spending by the presidential candidates and their campaigns, political parties and independent interest groups trying to influence federal elections. Thats actually a decline from the $2.8 billion spent in the 2008 president race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain. Federal Election Commission data show the presidential candidates raised about $1.5 billion; Clinton led the pack with $564 million. Trump raised about $333 million. Super PACs raised about $615 million.   Electoral and Popular Vote Results of the 2016 Presidential Race Trump won 306 electoral votes to Clintons 232 electoral votes. Though Trumps win was stunning to many, it is not considered a landslide. In presidential elections, a landslide election is  one in which the winning candidate secures at least 375 or 70 percent of the 538 electoral votes in the Electoral College. While Trump won about 57 percent of the electoral vote, he captured less than 46 percent of the actual votes cast. Clinton won the popular vote with 65.9 million or 48 percent of the the votes cast to Trumps 63 million. Trump won 31 states in all to Clintons 19 states. He won a handful of big battleground states that hadnt been captured by a Republican presidential nominee in years, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida and Michigan. This mismatch between the electoral and popular votes came about because Trump won several large states (such as Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) by very narrow margins, gaining all their electoral votes in the process, even as Clinton claimed other large states (such as California, Illinois and New York) by much wider margins, wrote Drew DeSilver of the Pew Research Center.  Trump’s share of the popular vote, in fact, was the seventh-smallest winning percentage since 1828, when presidential campaigns began to resemble those of today. The biggest surprise  of the 2016 presidential race was Trumps ability to recapture key states that had tended to vote for Democratic nominees in the previous president election including: Pennsylvania, where Trump won by less than 1 percentage point to take the states 20 electoral votes.   Florida, where Trump won by a little more than 1 percentage point to carry the states 29 electoral votes. Ohio,  where Trump won by about 18 percentage points to carry the states 18 electoral votes. Michigan,  where Trump won by less than 1 percentage point to carry the states 16 electoral votes. Wisconsin,  where Trump won by less than 1 percentage point to carry the states 10  electoral votes. Iowa,  where Trump won by about 9 percentage points to carry the states 6  electoral votes. The 2016 Presidential Primaries   While Clintons candidacy was years in the making  - she began laying the groundwork for 2016 when she dropped out of the Democratic primaries against Barack Obama  - Trumps candidacy for the White House was quickly dismissed as a lark. He began amid the largest field of presidential hopefuls in 100 years; 17 candidates were seeking the Republican presidential nomination at one point. The unsuccessful Republican candidates were: Jeb Bush, a former Florida governor.Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon. Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor. Ted Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas.Carly Fiorina, a former business executive.Jim Gilmore, a former Virginia governor.Lindsey Graham, a U.S. senator from South Carolina.  Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor.  Bobby Jindal, the Louisiana governor.   John Kasich, the Ohio governor.George Pataki, a former New York governor.Rand Paul, a U.S. senator from Kentucky.Rick Perry, a former Texas governor.Marco Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida. Rick Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin. Clinton struggled to close her partys presidential nomination. Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders drew large crowds during the party primaries because of his passionate speeches about income inequality in the corrupting influence of money in the American political system. Where Clintons campaign suffered from a lack of enthusiasm among young voters, Sanders was benefiting from a similar youth uprising that Obama experienced in 2008.   The  unsuccessful Democratic  candidates  were: Lincoln Chafee, a former governor of Rhode Island.Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard professor.Martin OMalley, the governor of Maryland. Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont.Jim Webb, a former U.S. senator from Virginia.

What exactly makes a good counsellor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What exactly makes a good counsellor - Essay Example All a counselor does is dealing and communicating with human beings in need of help and guidance. Therefore, a good counselor should be a compassionate human, a gentle friend and a sympathetic listener, before every other thing. The role of counseling today is evidently on the rise in every walk of life, whether it is work, health, family, personal, social or individual lives of human beings.This paper provides an investigation into the core traits or characteristics that conjure up, in the truest sense, the picture of a good counselor.For this purpose, the paper provides a brief exploration of the term 'counseling' to illustrate what the role of counsellor actually entails and then proceeds to the crux of the discussion, i.e., an evaluation of the essential features that make a good counselor in any field.Counselling, fundamentally is a term used to refer to the collaboration of a person with other people to help them easily cope with the problems encountered in life and guide them to act decisively and hopefully towards their goals. As Burks and Stefflre (1979, p14) define it,"Counseling denotes a professional relationship between a trained counsellor and a client. This relationship is usually person-to-person designed to help clients to understand and clarify their views of their life space, and to learn to reach their self-determined goals through meaningful, well-informed choices and through resolution of problems of an emotional or interpersonal nature". Hence, the authors' words mentioned above comprehensively pen down the complete picture of a counsellor's role and responsibility in effectuating significance and instigating substance into one's life. The main purpose of the counselling profession revolves around the word 'help', i.e., whatever the counsellor does is meant only to help, assist or guide a person or client to bring about change in his life in a successful or at least in a satisfied and confident fashion. Man-tak Yuen (1993, p30) depict that, "in counselling, the client is helped to increase self-consciousness, develop positive self-concept, commit in relationships, achieve in tasks, and strive for meanings in life". What Makes A Good Counsellor At the essence of this paper is the exploration of the aspects crucial for the development of a good counsellor. Observed efficaciously, there appears to be a bundle of attributes that the researchers (e.g. Man-tak Yuen (1993), Combs, Richard and Richard (1976), and Peavy (1997) etc.) point out to be essential in building a good counsellor. What actually is pre-eminent in becoming a good counsellor is a cluster of human, social and professional values instigated into a single personality. These specific qualities or features, as they may be referred to, are important in developing the personality of the counsellor to the extent that he can be able to guide others in an efficient and responsible manner. Some of these dimensions have been specified by Man-tak Yuen (1993, p32) as "positive self-concept, belief in human dignity and potentiality, acuity, and counsellors' capacities to orientate towards goal and communicate respect, empathy, genuineness and concreteness are essential personal qualities of an effective counsellor". All these qualities are, in essence, personal and human qualities that are imperative for a counsellor for the reason that if he lacks these traits for himself, there will remain less probability that he inspires these attributes into other human beings. In order to help clients invigorate effective personal qualities into their lives, the counsellor needs to experience these values primarily. People are different in their backgrounds, approaches, thoughts, feelings, attitudes and responses. To know how to communicate and help different kind of people, a good counsellor should be ready to learn to dig out the perceptions of people he comes across. Combs, Richard and Richard (1976) (as cited in Man-tak Yuen, 1993, p30) explain this as, "when we know how people see themselves, much of their behaviours become clear to us, and often we can predict with great accuracy what they are likely to do next".

Three benefits of making change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Three benefits of making change - Essay Example Change is not necessarily well-received in most situations of life. In fact, resistance to change is one of the most fundamental behaviors embedded in human nature. We dislike change because of our concerns and insecurities associated with the unpredictable circumstances. However, many successful people attribute their success to change (Chibukhchyan). Discomfort and lack of ease is commonly experienced in the initial stages of embracing a change because while doing so, an individual essentially comes out of his/her comfort zone, but as he/she starts to get used to the changing circumstances and comes to terms with it, he/she happens to realize and discover such talents and opportunities that might never have become evident otherwise. Some changes are evitable while others are not. Even if an individual tends to avoid changes, there is hardly anything he/she can do about the inevitable changes. One such change is the process of aging and the changes it causes in the physical as well as biological features of an individual. For example, the colorful hair becomes dull and grey as an individual ages. Many people, particularly men even experience hair loss as they age. However, if people embrace this change and try to take the necessary measures to adjust and adapt to it, they can bring a very positive change in their lives. For example, an individual can do hair enhancement to feel better and combat the risks of hair damage and hair fall with aging. â€Å"Unlike surgical and cosmetic interventions that are used to update other physical features (e.g., lasers, face lifts, tummy tucks, teeth implants), enhancements to our hair are much less radical, and yet they can make a huge difference in how we feel about our agi ng appearance† (Diller). It takes willpower, hard work, and self-discipline to change (Losee), but an emotional relationship with someone worthy and positively influential is the catalyst for change. Many people suffering from diseases need to bring

The Development and Applications of the Zoom Lens in Cinematography Essay Example for Free

The Development and Applications of the Zoom Lens in Cinematography Essay With the birth of cinema just over a hundred years ago, the progresses made between now and then on the techniques of cinematography have never ceased to amaze audiences. Certainly, many of us could remount moments in our lives when we have felt awed by the movies and satisfied that our money’s worth was redeemed in a flurry of special effects; however, very few of us would be inclined to understand just how much effort was put into designing a very necessary part of any film production: the lens. Not only is a properly designed lens crucial to the quality of picture, but it could also save valuable time and money for the DP and Producer, respectively. This is especially true for the zoom lens, and serves as a main initiator for the constant research that is going into the instrument. Unlike fixed focus lenses, zoom lenses are image-forming optical systems which are capable of producing images of different sizes of an object from any definite distance (Clark, 4) How it achieves this effect is by moving groups of lenses within the system in a carefully coordinated fashion, using the lenses to appropriately bend the light and focus for our viewing purposes. As simple as it may sound, the science of zoom lens design is an extremely complicated subject that involves rigorous mathematical calculations that are beyond the scopes of this term paper. The zoom lens has always been essential and existent all-throughout the history of film and cinematography and it has been used it so many films that can help depict various elements such as character emotion and setting tones. However, in order to provide a general understanding of key aspects in zoom lens design, an attempt will be made to summarize one hundred years of technological advancements. Perhaps the very first hints of a zoom lens may be spotted in an 1834 article from the Proceedings of the Royal Society, by Peter Barlow (Clark, 3). Barlow noticed that by combining a negative lens (bi-concave lens) with a telescope, which contained positive lenses (bi-convex lens), he could vary the magnification of the viewed object in any proportion while never having to lose sight of the object. Although interesting, this was a discovery made only for applications on a visual instrument, and not one which could be used in combination with the photographic camera. In the 1890’s, the development of the varifocal telephoto lenses produced the first camera-associated zoom-like lenses (Kingslake, 4). These lenses used a similar two-lens system when compared to Barlow’s, yet they provided more readily varied focal lengths by utilizing a rack and pinion mechanism to control the distance of separation between the two lenses. Unfortunately, these lenses proved to be extremely cumbersome to operate, a possible attribution to its lack in popularity at that time. Not only was the image quality inadequate due to the focusing limitations of the photographic plate, a large bellows extension was required to compensate for the varying image distance during zooms (Clark, 4) At around the same period in 1902, C. C. Allen took a different approach towards creating a variable-focus lens (Clark, 4). The â€Å"Allen lens†, as it came to be known, utilized a three-lens system that contained an axially movable middle lens and two stationary outer lenses. This system was unlike the telephoto lens in that it did not require a bellows extension as its image distance remained identical for two positions of the middle lens. While there was the presence of focus defects with lens movement beyond these two positions, they were usually tolerable over a narrow range of focal lengths. This narrow focal range inevitably placed great limitations on this system’s zooming capacity. The stage has been set for the two major types of zoom lens that shall remain in constant competition with each other over the next 100 years: Machinally compensated and optically compensated zoom lenses. The telephoto lens could be thought of as the ancestor of all mechanically compensated lenses (Clark, 5). These lenses are heavily dependent on the use of cams to produce an independent, non-linear relationship between the movements of its zoom elements, which in turn achieve the change in power of the lens and maintain the image at some fixed plane (Clark, 12). On the other hand, the Allens lens could be thought to be the originator of all optically compensated lenses (Clark, 5). These lenses maintained a fixed, linear relationship between the movements of its zoom elements, often though means that directly connect the elements together. Like the Allen lens, all optically compensated zoom lens inescapably produces focus defects, resulting in a final image which oscillates around a mean focusing position (Clark, 30). With the above designs nowhere near perfect, subsequent improvements in lens design all worked to improve both the zoom range and the correction of lens aberrations. In 1932, the Bell Howell Cooke â€Å"Varo† zoom lens became the first ever true zoom lens developed for 35mm cinematography (Warmisham and Mitchell 339). The â€Å"Varo† was a mechanically compensated zoom lens which used cams to operate a variable three-element system, and provided a maximum 3:1 zoom (40 to 12 mm); however, the design was flawed in that with an increasing focal length, the aperture would decrease, creating difficulties in maintaining corrections (Clark, 6). It was still too early and too ambitious of a move for mechanically compensated zoom lenses to be wielding three elements at a time, and lens designers soon reverted back to using only two zoom elements at a time (Clark, 26). After a slow start in the 1930’s, optically compensated zoom lenses came zooming back with the announcement of the â€Å"Zoomar† lens in 1946, developed by F. G. Back for Zoomar Incorporated (Clark, 8). This lens, made for motion-picture cameras, was in improved optically compensated zoom lens that had five positive-component optical elements, the second and fourth being coupled to move together axially. This arrangement allowed the decrease of image shift that is typical of optically compensated zoom lenses (Kingslake, 5). Unfortunately, with as many as twenty-two optical elements altogether, the Zoomar lens suffered from an inability to correct for the Petzval sum, a lens aberration which results in a severely curved image plane. As if to answer for this flaw, in 1949 the SOM-Berthiot â€Å"Pan-Cinor† lens was introduced (Kingslake, 5). Developed by R. H. R. Cuvillier, this was yet another optically compensated zoom lens; however, it differed from the Zoomar in that instead of using an all-positive lens system, the Pan-Cinor lens coupled a pair of positive components with a negative component in between them (Kingslake, 5). This simple addition of a negative component provided the necessary correction to lens aberration such as the Petzval sum, and ultimately made the Pan-Cinor lens far superior to the Zoomar lens (Clark, 9). Meanwhile, led by H. Hopkins, the mechanically compensated zoom lenses had their share of progress from 1945-1950 (Clark, 9). H. Hopkins was able to design a system that was basically symmetrical, with two negative middle units which mirrored one another’s movements and two identical, fixed positive outer units, this symmetry greatly aided in the correction of lens aberrations (Clark, 24). One of the most renowned advances in the field of optically compensated zoom lens was made in 1953 by L. Reymond (Clark, 9). By reversing the powers of the Pan-Cinor lens, he created a system comprised of two coupled negative elements moving with a positive stationary element between them; in addition, Reymond added another stationary positive element to the front of the unit, making it a four-lens optically compensated zoom unit. What this setup was able to achieve was a drastically reduced image plan oscillation as well as four points of correct focus throughout the zoom range instead of the traditional three points (Clark, 9). This was truly a breakthrough for optically compensated zoom lenses. For the mechanically compensated zoom lens, it had to wait until 1971 for its next breakthrough (Clark, 26). In response to the demands made for a zoom lens optimized with a wider angle of view and shorter working distance, G. H. Cook and F. R. Laurent introduced a three-zoom-element system. This lens was capable of covering the most frequently used focal lengths of the fixed-focus lenses in 35 mm cinematography, and produced comparable image quality to fixed-focus lenses (Clark, 27). This brings us to the end of a period in zoom lens development in which there is a clear-cut difference between one class of lens versus the other. Although many cinematographers may prefer the sharp focus of the mechanically compensated lens over the simplistic operation of the optically compensated lens, a merging of their best qualities was inevitable in pursuit of perfection (Clark, 28). As the complexity of zoom lens design increased with higher expectations for performance, manual design would no longer suffice. Soon, lens designers found the perfect solution: the computer. With the progression of zoom lens development into the 1970’s, computer optimization programs became a standard tool for lens designers (Kienholz, 1443). These programs increased the efficiency of lens design drastically, as observed when Kienholz re-designed a 1956 lens using the Grey program on a CDC 6600 computer in 1970. Post-optimization, it was shown that the final lens had 11. 8%, 4. 9% and 9. 7% reduction in lens distortion for the wide-angle, intermediate, and telephoto positions of the zoom lens (Kienholz, 1451). In addition, there were improvements in almost all parameters including lateral color and image quality throughout the zoom range. Computer optimization programs can also be seen to work in tandem with other technological advancements. In the early 1990’s, â€Å"aspherical lens† became hot research item due to its exceptional ability to correct aberrations that were commonly associated with conventional spherical lens (Betansky, 657). The use of aspherics would therefore provide ways to decrease the number of lens elements originally used for the purposes of aberration correction, making a zoom system more compact (Yatsu, Deguchi and Maruyama, 663). At the same time, the design of zoom lenses containing aspherical components became even more complicated due to an increased in design parameters. Here, computer optimization programs were used to analyze the parameters one by one and generate a proper design solution (Yatsu, Deguchi and Maruyama, 663). Today, computer programs have become so powerful that precise prediction of various aberrations is possible (Usui et al. , 389) These new simulation programs allow DP’s to give input as to what â€Å"look† they think the perfect zoom lens should produce while allowing researchers to translate their expectations into technical designs. We have truly arrived at a new era for the design of zoom lens, where lens designers, with help from DP’s, can create very practical technical masterpieces that convey artistic ideas from the director’s mind into the audience’s eyes. Now the a general history of the zoom lens has been provided, now we will be looking at how the zoom lens has been used in film productions. With its varifocal properties, the original purpose of a zoom lens was to allow cinematographers to use one lens only throughout the entire shooting process, thereby generating more efficiency. However, the ability of the lens to zoom during shots and the visual effects generated in such shots became much more valuable tools for creative directors. Film makers often choose to employ zoom lens due to its ability to relay a sense of realism to the audiences- by zooming in from a distance, it is possible to simulate the effect of watching someone or some act in secrecy. One example of a film that used this effect extensively is Steven Spielberg’s Munich (2005), which depicted the trauma that hits an Israeli assassin who was seeking revenge from the terrorists responsible from the 1972 Munich massacre. Spielberg and his DP not only used the zoom effect to depict a more realistic fitting sense of espionage, but they also wanted to make the film feel as if it were really taking place in the 70’s. This gave the setting of the film a more authentic feel to the audience. A similar usage of the zoom lens can be seen in Alan Rudolph’s Afterglow (1997). Being a film with a plot that revolves around adultery and emotions, Rudolph wanted to give his shots a voyeuristic feeling (A Luminous Afterglow). By combining long takes with well-choreographed zoom shots, Rudolph was able to guide the audience through performances developed during the course of a shot and allow them to â€Å"watch† the actors, exploring the scenes in ways they would never dare. Perhaps one of the most well-known zoom effects is the â€Å"dolly zoom†, or alternatively called the â€Å"Vertigo zoom†. This technique was pioneered by Alfred Hitchhock in his classic film Vertigo (1958). This effect basically stimulates the dizzying sensation of vertigo by zooming in one direction and dollying in another direction (Ashcer and Pincus, 98). In Vertigo, the main character John â€Å"Scottie† Ferguson develops a severe case of altophobia. The dolly zoom is used to show an altophobic reaction in Scottie’s point of view to show the audience what the character is experiencing due to his case of vertigo. Thus far, this same effect has been widely popularized in features from the Thriller or Horror genres, commonly used to express extreme emotions of the subjects (Valluri). Another example is a film again by Steven Spielberg. In Spielberg’s thriller film Jaws (1975), he was able to re-popularize the â€Å"Vertigo zoom† in a memorable shot of a dolly zoom into a character’s stunned reaction at the climax of a shark attack on a beach (after a suspenseful build-up). With the widespread application of zoom lenses in the film industry today, it is hard to imagine that even just thirty years ago, it was considered impossible to produce a zoom lens whose image quality is comparable to ones generated by fixed focus lenses (Clark, 2). Indeed, the application of zoom lens has always been essential and existent all-throughout the history of film and cinematography and it has been used it so many films that can help depict various elements such as character emotion and setting tones. Zoom lenses have come a long way in over a hundred years, and it is without a doubt that with the progression of cinematic technology, even more picture-perfect zoom lenses would be developed to fit the needs of the motion picture production communities. Works Cited Ascher, Steven, and Edward Pincus. The Filmmaker’s Handbook. New York: Plume, 1999 B, Benjamin. â€Å"The Price of Revenge. † American Cinematographer 87. 2 (2006) 1-3. 6 April 2010 http://www. theasc. com/magazine/feb06/munich/page1. html. Clark, A. D.. Zoom Lenses, Monographs in Applied Optics Vol. 7. New York: American Elsevier Publishing Company Inc. , 1973. Fumiaki, Usui, Jun Osaya, Ken Ito, And Laurence Thorpe. â€Å"A New HD Cine Zoom Lens For Digital Motion Pictures. † SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal. Oct/Nov (2005): 383-395 Kienholz, D. F.. â€Å"The Design of a Zoom Lens with a Large Computer. † Applied Optics. 9(6)(1970): 1443-1452. Kingslake, Rudolf. â€Å"The Development of the Zoom Lens. † Journal of the SMPTE. 69(1960): 534-544.

Classics - Tragedy :: English Literature

Classics - Tragedy It seems that the nearly all critics of Medea are unanimous in one prominent feature of the play alone, and that is in their immense abhorrence for Jason. Kitto says 'In him (Jason) it is impossible to find anything that is not mean ´, while Lucas says 'Jason is utterly selfish, and utterly unconscious of his selfishness'. It is hard to find anything kind about Jason as on face value he is such an obvious villain. But all these comments on the Medea centre round a study of Medea herself, while making passing comments on Jason, as and when they see fit, yet they all see Jason as the other main character in the play. When one devotes the largest proportion of study on Jason, rather than Medea, a picture of kinder, caring Jason is created. Thus I believe that a case can be made for Jason - he is no paragon of kindness or any good quality, but he does not quite deserve such comments as 'The unrelieved baseness of Jason is revolting'. Vellacott says in his introduction to the play that 'to appreciate the balance of this play we must take care not to pre-judge Jason'. This is an essential point to make, as Jason has all the elements of a typical villain - he has a wife who devoted his life to him, yet he now deserts her for his own sexual satisfaction. Yet as Jason says himself, on numerous occasions, he is not getting married for solely for his own merit, but for those of Medea and his children as well: 'It's not for the sake of any woman that I have made this royal marriage, but, as I've already said, to ensure your future... and build security for us all' (P.35) Such speeches and comments cannot just be ignored - he says this as these are his genuine motivations, the reasons why he has gone about his actions. The nurse, a character who in the early stages is heavily biased against Jason, even says 'Jason is a prisoner in a princess' bed' (P.4) Whether Euripides meant this to mean that he was literally a prisoner, or just captive to her good looks we cannot be sure, but either way she is showing that Jason cannot be completely at fault. Jason is acting just like most men in his position would - Medea is an exile, so Jason is not bound to her in marriage in the true spirit, and as we have seen, she is being betrayed for her own benefit[page]. Medea says herself that it is acceptable for a men to divorce: Classics - Tragedy :: English Literature Classics - Tragedy It seems that the nearly all critics of Medea are unanimous in one prominent feature of the play alone, and that is in their immense abhorrence for Jason. Kitto says 'In him (Jason) it is impossible to find anything that is not mean ´, while Lucas says 'Jason is utterly selfish, and utterly unconscious of his selfishness'. It is hard to find anything kind about Jason as on face value he is such an obvious villain. But all these comments on the Medea centre round a study of Medea herself, while making passing comments on Jason, as and when they see fit, yet they all see Jason as the other main character in the play. When one devotes the largest proportion of study on Jason, rather than Medea, a picture of kinder, caring Jason is created. Thus I believe that a case can be made for Jason - he is no paragon of kindness or any good quality, but he does not quite deserve such comments as 'The unrelieved baseness of Jason is revolting'. Vellacott says in his introduction to the play that 'to appreciate the balance of this play we must take care not to pre-judge Jason'. This is an essential point to make, as Jason has all the elements of a typical villain - he has a wife who devoted his life to him, yet he now deserts her for his own sexual satisfaction. Yet as Jason says himself, on numerous occasions, he is not getting married for solely for his own merit, but for those of Medea and his children as well: 'It's not for the sake of any woman that I have made this royal marriage, but, as I've already said, to ensure your future... and build security for us all' (P.35) Such speeches and comments cannot just be ignored - he says this as these are his genuine motivations, the reasons why he has gone about his actions. The nurse, a character who in the early stages is heavily biased against Jason, even says 'Jason is a prisoner in a princess' bed' (P.4) Whether Euripides meant this to mean that he was literally a prisoner, or just captive to her good looks we cannot be sure, but either way she is showing that Jason cannot be completely at fault. Jason is acting just like most men in his position would - Medea is an exile, so Jason is not bound to her in marriage in the true spirit, and as we have seen, she is being betrayed for her own benefit[page]. Medea says herself that it is acceptable for a men to divorce:

The Main Theme of “On Liberty”

The main theme of on liberty was the individual. Everything else, society, education,government and so forth had their basis in the individuals rights to his own liberty. Noone, no member of society, government, even God, if he appeared before an individual, could inforce his will upon him. That is not to say that you couldnt change someones mind through discussions, but instead, that noone had a right to force his views upon another. Your happiness is yours(individual) to enjoy without any infringements. Conversations between individuals or groups of individuals is essential in eveloping the notion of liberty. Mill claims that you should feel free to convey your views openly without forcing them onto others. After all, a man who learns from noone but himself has a fool for a teacher. There is however an exception to this rule. That is, if an individual in any way harms or comes onto anothers rights to liberty, or causes a social threat, hence he or she is subjected to forced inclinations by other members of society. For example, walking around nude on the streets of Cairo might be youre cup of tea, alas, in Cairo they prefer coffee. In other words, if ou offend other individuals, you are in fact infringing on their rights as free citizens who poses a sovereign mind. However if you choose to remain nude while in the comfort of your hotel room in Cairo, then there is no reason why you According to Mill, education is a fundamental requirement for being an individual as well. But once again, there should be no forceful applications towards what is being taught. Man is after all, a rational being and has the capabilities to reason things through. Education serves more as a guide then as a factual basis for each individual. No wo individuals can have the exact same experiences in life. Therefore, it is up to the individuals themselves to conclude what they perceive to be their own ideas of happiness. An individual who follows traditions and customs soleley because they are inherrent in society, is nothing more than an animal. The very fact that you can reason said mill, means that you have the option of disregarding all customs and traditions if you feel they are not beneficial towards your happiness. That is not to say that you shouldnt follow customs and traditions, merely that you ought not to, for the sake of eing just another brick in the wall. The progressive nature of humans leads to the ultimate conclusion that there is no need for a governing force outside society consisting of individuals that have their own interests at heart. There should not be a government, a monarch, a ruler that is outside society. Instead, it should be attached to the people, having their best interests at heart. Rulers are not needed to protect the people from themselves. In fact, they should be in all regards, responsible to the people and subjected to being removed by he people, beacause it is the people who ultimately have the power. This is a true democratic state, with individuals as the microscopic entities that make it up. Members of this society must not allow themselves to be surpressed by any group who claim to be their legitimate representative of the state. This will subdue individual growth and sovereignity, creating a state with tyranny at its heart. TO avoid this, individuals should freely express themselves, their beliefs, ideas and so forth. No government has the authority to silence individuals who convey their eliefs as the truth. Even if there are a thousand people with a thousand different views, it is for the benefit of society as a whole to hear them out, for there is a chance that among the various beliefs, one of them may contain the essence of truth. Noone has the right to silence another merely because they express conflicting views. Members of society must be able to keep an open mind towards other individuals â€Å"truths†. Reason and logic will see to it that they are capable of readjusting and reconstructing themselves if they find that there is truth in what another individual ays. This is exactly why individuals and society are The only way a state can progress is by allowing its members to progress. Supression of individual rights and happiness will lead to nothing more than stagnation. Governments are the watchdogs of the people, granting them liberty to expand without inteferences. Mill undoubtedly believed in laissez-fairre for the very reason that it promoted individuality with minimum government intervention. All said, Mills on liberty held the individual as the nucleus of society, with everything else revolving.