Content vs. Consistency

Not too much by way of forward momentum in this journey since (roughly) this time last week, but as I’ve continually posted each week since starting this blog, I might as well continue.

But should this be the case?

There are times when I scramble for a topic or theme to write and end up with quasi-rambling musings on random things. Then again, as the entries are written directly into WordPress and posted with minimal edits, while the content may not be substantial (or make any sense to the casual reader – is anyone there?) the consistency of posting something is met. There are other times when ideas and musings flow readily, often inspired from Real World events, or the handful of television shows I watch, which (usually) segue into (vague) tidbits about my works-in-progress.

Then there are those rare times when the Muses weave their magic, and interesting (I hope) paragraphs of literary work emerges. There was a time when I had attempted (twice) to use writing prompts as a launching pad for story ideas – the momentum didn’t last (too) long, yet those samples remain posted within this blog.

Regardless of which scenario happens each week (thus far), actual!writing happens on a weekly basis, which keeps the literary engine running, to use a somewhat cliche metaphor. Then again, (to continue with the aforementioned metaphor) if the fuel that feeds the engine is not of the highest quality, is there a point to keep using it? If the gasoline is watered down to ensure the tank is always full, then the journey stalls until the engine reaches a station where there is actual fuel to produce some forward momentum.

This metaphor actually makes sense in the context of my blog writing journey thus far – and it was one I just thought up as I was writing it (and would make for an interesting side story to that fabled Meta Series).

Distractions and Real Life tend to get in the way of the plotting and pondering and eventual writing, even though the mental writing chugs along at a rate too complex to jot down. The infinite variables and the consequences that occur from those variables blend into something Completely Different, and keeping track of the who, what, where, when, why and how gets complicated. Sometimes as soon as the thought (masquerading as a quasi-epic epiphany) emerges, several other tangents flutter about, helping and / or hindering the original idea.

There may be some value to write an entry when I have something meaningful to share. Then again, I’m not sure if there are any followers out there who look forward to reading these weekly entries. Comments are few and far between, so I’m not certain if anyone will notice, given Real World events, and the billions (?) of other bloggers out there.

So, the consistency of writing blog entries each week may cease, but hopefully when the next entry does emerge, there will be content that will bring about some actual forward momentum.

Until next time.

Whenever that may be.

Rewriting History

Well that was a dramatic way to end the season.

Spoiler Alert: This entry contains mild spoilers for the Game of Thrones television series, specifically for the season seven finale. As the eighth (and final) season will air sometime in 2019, there will be time enough to (re)watch the series and analyze the narrative and character arcs to speculate how the epic series saga will conclude.

There were loads of game changing events within the seventh season itself, the bulk of which happened in the 80 minute season finale, many of which have the potential to alter everything that is true within the Game of Thrones universe. The viewers are privy to certain knowledge that shifts the perception of certain characters, and will no doubt have immense impact on the Great War against the Night King, who now has his own dragon that blasted away a part of the Wall, and the army of the dead. The motivation behind the Night King’s quest to invade Westeros is (still?) unknown, which makes this enemy difficult to decipher, and thus is an adversary with whom the protagonists cannot reason. Also, Littlefinger’s “trial” and subsequent death were wholly satisfying and long overdue.

The season seven finale also revealed that the perception of history and of those involved can be distorted to suit those who write and tell it. After all, it’s been said that “history is written by the winners”, and the winners would obviously want to cast themselves (and their actions) in a favorable light, if only to justify those actions (which are almost always negative if seen from an objective vantage point). There will be those who cling to the lies and half-truths to the bitter end, even if they’re told the truth, and there are those who knew (and told) the truth, but were labeled as being delusional for doing so, who will feel validated once others believe that truth. (The ranger of the Night’s Watch who survived the White Walkers’ attack, only to be executed for desertion, deserves an apology for telling the truth).

But I digress.

The notion of rewriting history to fit the perspective of the victors is not a new concept in the writing process – telling a story from a different point of view is a staple in storytelling. Another popular saying (though I don’t know who coined the phrase) is that there are always two sides to every story – though I’d argue that there are three sides: “your” side, “their” side, and the truth (which can be a either of the aforementioned sides, a hybrid of those two sides, or something completely different). Depending on whose version of the truth you believe (or choose to believe), one will be the hero, the other the villain.

Or both can be heroic or villainous, depending on the situation.

As seen in the Game of Thrones series, the characters are complex – not one of them are exclusively “good” or “evil”, though Ramsay Snow Bolton, Walder Frey and Joffrey Lannister Baratheon (to name but a few) are exceptions to this notion.  History (and those who write and tell their story) will cast its characters accordingly, even though history (and historians) should be objective, despite the attempts to whitewash or exclude certain aspects of history for the advancement of a social or political agenda.

As the MASC(D) Chronicles (my novel series saga that has been oft-mentioned yet hardly ever elaborated upon) will 96.8% be set in an alternate universe based off changing one historical point in time, the perspective from which to tell the story, and the perspective from which to impart that version of history will be a challenge. The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive – the narrator’s perspective and opinions need not match those that are accepted by society (and probably should not, as the friction between the two opposing forces adds tension to the overall narrative).

Researching real history and plotting and pondering the causality from the aforementioned divergence has occupied my time, though internal writing never stops (writing and rewriting scenes and scenarios is exhausting within the head space, and would consume scores of notebooks, notepads and a flash drive or two). The main characters are developing, with their allegiances and opinions shifting from one side to the other.

Perhaps I’m overthinking it all, taking a simple (ghost) story and morphing it into a complex (alternate historical) puzzle, but aren’t all the best stories complex and full of twists and turns?

The challenge begins, and the (long) wait for Season eight of Game of Thrones continues (and I think the wait for the next series of Doctor Who with Thirteen is a long one too)

Might as well spend the time plotting, pondering, researching and writing.

Alliances and Ambiguity

In crafting characters and plots within which to fling them or to carefully place them (depending if you’re a pantser or plotter),  figuring out where they (and with whom) stand in the story is critical. The character’s perspective, influenced both by nature (surroundings) and nurture (upbringing), affects how they (re)act (or not) to the events and environments around them. Knowing who the characters are and with whom they choose to associate helps with the overall telling of the story, regardless if they are the protagonists or antagonists (though it’s often been said that the villain is the hero of their own story).

Then again, if everything is divided in absolutes, the characters and the narrative could fall into the Pit of Predictability and / or Sphere or Stereotypes, rendering the story and its characters unbelievable and unremarkable. On the other hand, there is a need for the reader to know (or at least ascertain) which characters are on the “good” side and which are on the “bad” side – “good” and “bad” being subjective, depending on the character’s perspective, and the readers’ interpretation of the story. Grouping characters in this way is convenient in drawing a (figurative) line between the two sides, though each side need not have member(s) who adhere to the ideals adopted by the group as a whole.

That’s where / when the (shocking?) plot twist drops.

The somewhat quasi-random inspiration for this entry is how the current (seventh) season of Game of Thrones is unfolding; the final episode of the season will air tomorrow, and considering what has happen thus far, the alliances that have been forged thus far may break, only to be refashioned out of expediency to battle against a common enemy. Loyalty and trust dwell on a slippery slope in Westeros, and the elaborate schemes within schemes, coupled with personal agendas could doom the characters who are still alive (or in some cases characters who died and subsequently brought back to life).

The moral ambiguity that lies within the world of Game of Thrones (and in the A Song of Ice and Fire series that inspired the TV series) and the complexity of its characters is among the inspirations for my journey in attempting to (and eventually succeeding in) creating an epic series saga. Not everything is simply “right” or “wrong”, “good” or “bad”, though there are instances where it’s clear whether something or someone is right or wrong – there may be those who stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the label, but they’ll learn (hopefully) they’re on the “wrong” side of history. Then again, without the presence of an opposition, how could anyone know when they’re on the right side?

But I digress.

Plotting and pondering all the angles (or as many as can plausibly exist) in the MASC(D) Chronicles is an ongoing process as the plots within plots grow exponentially with the seemingly infinite possibilities brought about by establishing alternate history, thus creating an alternate universe where (just about) anything can happen.

(I do hope that last sentence makes sense, and is somewhat grammatically correct.)

Having the power (as it were) to devise an alternate universe (with its alternative history) is overwhelming and loads of fun, though it can’t all be rainbows and unicorns traipsing about the landscape. I’m sure there’s a well-known quotation (by someone) that light cannot exist without darkness – the laws of Time and Space (relative as they may be in any dimension) dictate that there are Fixed Points in history, events that need to happen in order for the universe to remain intact. So certain Dark moments in history will still happen in the Alternate Universe of the MASC(D) Chronicles, though perhaps not in the same time and place or under the same conditions due to the Left Turn taken from One Key Moment in World History.

Seems the quasi-rambling musings within this entry have meandered a bit – the original title was “Allies and Enemies”, and was to ponder the fragility of grouping certain characters – a quasi-direct reflection on last week’s episode of Game of Thrones “Beyond the Wall” and the alliance between Houses Targaryen / Martell / Tyrell / Greyjoy against House Lannister (spoiler alert – it does not bode well for either side, as military strategy and dragons play a significant role).

Ambiguity quickly became the emerging theme, and a degree of uncertainty is sometimes necessary.

Next week’s entry will no doubt contain reactions and insight into the season finale airing tomorrow night.

Valar Morghulis.

Valar Dohaeris.

Revisiting The Land of Exposition

With all the musing about the State of Things in the Real World (with brief quasi-rambling segues about Doctor Who and Game of Thrones), not (too) much time has been spent on the results of the plotting and pondering (and researching about the plotting and pondering) happening in the various sectors within the Land of Exposition.

Actually, it’s been a while since the last (official) visit into that mythical, magical place where plot bunnies plot, and Muses wander about quasi-aimlessly musing about anything and everything. A place where the weather is ideal (which can vary depending on a majority vote), supplies (of every kind) are abundant, and where tolerance and empathy is the standard. It’s a safe haven for writers to escape from the less than ideal conditions of the Real World and plot, ponder, research and (eventually) write. The overall acreage of this fantastical land has never been measured, as it exists on an ever changing dimension in time and space. There are no (real) set borders, though the invading contingent that is/was the Real Life Brigade built a Wall to keep themselves separate from the rest of the land (for reasons not entirely explained). However, the “Wall” ended up being a tall fence that crisscrosses the southern plain, the Babbling Brook of Quasi-Rambling Musings flows through its center. Even though it has no real function, it is a geometrically pleasing piece of architecture (which might have been the real reason it was constructed in the first place).

But I digress.

Among the landmarks within the Land of Exposition is the Character Development Inn is always bustling with muses, writers and other creative types, collaborating and partaking in gourmet cuisine. The vast library occupies nearly half the building, with a fully stocked bar (and corner coffee bar). A quasi-newly renovated theater, with plush, roomy seats, and proscenium stage that can easily be modified into a thrust stage; there’s also a state-of-the-art movie screen that descends from the stage for the occasional film marathons.

Things with the land itself have been calm, with the aforementioned Real Life Brigade ceasing their shenanigans (at least for the time being) and the Land Minds neutralized (though the omnipresent aroma of maple syrup and vanilla still linger in the air, which is not really a bad thing). The Muses and Plot Bunnies (and Plot Ninjas) have used their time to muse and plot, sifting through historical records and Other Known Facts with the hopes of mapping how the (quasi) alternate (historical) universe that is the MASC(D) Chronicles will unfold.

The FanGirl Meter (patent pending) continues to work its own brand of mystical magic, as potential alternative universes are calculated based on the causality brought about from the stealthy minds of the Muses and Plot Beings calculating their alternate universes. Pondering alternative universes from Canon that has not yet been established might be foolhardy and counterproductive, but it’s still fun to potentially plot out fan fiction of a literary work that has yet to exist.

The MASC(D) Chronicles is the primary work in progress, though stray thoughts wander to the other quasi-developed works in progress, and how they could possibly fit within the primary epic saga. Working in themes and Easter eggs (based on my other interests) will be part of the process, as the narrative is sorted out and the characters developed.

A fascinating journey upon which to embark – the Meta saga of How it Happened is quasi- happening right now (I think).

That’s where the fun begins.

On Character Diversity

As a quasi-continuation of the musings surrounding character development and world building,  another vital component is deciding upon race and ethnicity of the characters. The gender and age of those characters was mused upon fairly in depth in a previous entry, so there won’t be as much here, and race and ethnicity was briefly mentioned in that entry as well. Gender, age, race and ethnicity are among the primary pillars upon which define the external characteristics, which can also influence the character’s perspective on the world and on others, and their overall personality. The environment in which the characters live and the circumstances in which they endure play a role in character development. How they are perceived by the general public (whether it’s positive, negative or indifferent) affects how they act (and react) to those around them.

This impromptu entry is a modest (and hopefully political-free) stream of thought stemmed from Current Events happening in the Real World. I tend not to be overly political in these entries, as this blog is meant to chronicle a writer’s journey in creating an epic series saga (with brief segues into discussions / rants / musings about certain television shows). While quasi-rambling thoughts about Real World events seep in every now and then, they are mostly (I hope) fairly harmless, as I am not qualified in any way to talk / write about anything political, as my perspective and opinions are shaped by my personal experiences. My life and experiences are different from others; having said / written that, I can still empathize with the struggles and obstacles endured by others, both near and far.

But I digress.

As mentioned in the entry about gender and age, race and ethnicity should reflect as much diversity as possible, unless the fictional world in which the story takes place is inhabited by beings that are of a single race or ethnicity. This would not necessarily make for an interesting read, unless there is some kind of disruption to that (seemly) singular, hive-mind world…

… and there goes another plot bunny, hopping about high on coffee and jelly beans.

Perhaps that particular plot bunny will find a home in the latter part(s) of the MASC(D) Chronicles.

Diversity exists, and representation matters – whether conforming to established stereotypes (positive or negative) or skewing the aforementioned stereotypes. Regardless on how the characters are created and how they act within the confines of the story, there will be critics. In this hyper politically correct / reactionary world, where social media can swiftly impact the finished product, there will be those who will condemn any (and probably all) deviation to the “accepted” norm of how a race or ethnicity (as well as gender and / or age) is “supposed to be”.  There will also be others who “complain” that the deviation is “not enough” to shatter said stereotypes; needless to say, it seems easier for people to criticize than to praise.

Human nature, I suppose.

Diversity is important in the writing process – there needs to be conflict in order for things to change (hopefully for the better, though change for the worse is a part of the quest to right the wrong and to bring about character development). Conformity can be an end goal, but without different points of view, the story can be bland and ultimately uneventful.

If the protagonist does not have an adversary to fight, what is the purpose of a protagonist?

Is there a point to being a protagonist?

Deep thoughts to ponder while the plotting unfurls once again.

Researching History

Amid the plotting and pondering (and mental writing), a great deal of research goes into crafting a fictional universe – deciding on how much (if any) of it will be based on the Real World, what themes and perspectives to undertake, and the pacing of the overall story. If the tale is set in a wholly alien world (literally on another planet in a galaxy far, far away) or in another dimension, the writer is in full control in deciding on every aspect of that world – its climate(s), the beings who inhabit it, and the (practical) rules that govern the ways things are (or at least supposed to be). If the tale is set in the Real World, whether it be in the near (or distant) past or present, the writer is bound (to a certain degree) to ensure a level of historical and geographical accuracy, lest the reader nitpick on the credibility of the story and its characters. If the tale is set somewhere in between fact and fiction, the writer needs to decide the realty / fantasy ratio and follow through accordingly. In this context, fantasy need not refer to Fantasy, where wizards, dragons, elves, and such exist along side humanity (though it could, depending on the needs of the narrative).

For any of these scenarios, a whole lot of research is required, whether in creating the absolutes in that wholly fictional world, fact checking historical documents (seeking as objective sources as possible) and finding the happy balance between the first two options, when melding reality and fantasy.

Thus far, the MASC(D) Chronicles finds itself quasi-rooted in the third option – a world where history takes a left turn and travels down a path where reality as we know it is quite different. How different remains to be seen (or in this case, plotted and pondered); there is a very specific (historical) time (and place) this will occur, though the alternate history / universe that will unfold due to this disruption in the time/space continuum is (still) a work in progress. There are a few possible paths this divergence can travel, and figuring out which one is the most plausible and would entice a reader to become invested in it (and the characters within) is the (fun) challenging part.

With all this plotting and pondering comes actual research, via (gasp!) actual books, credible, objective tomes that impart the social and political history of the world, as well as online sources, i.e. Wikipedia (though more for quick / reduced version of a specific topic) and watching episodes of “Who Do You Think You Are?”, the genealogy series that explores the family history of Well Known People – actors, writers, singers and entertainers. The series was among the inspirations for the inter-connectivity of the three series that make up the MASC(D) Chronicles, albeit plotted and pondered in chronological order.

As the song goes, starting at the beginning is a very good place to start, though where and when to start is the question to answer.

I have a fair inkling on where and when to start, though sometimes I wonder if working backwards, travelling through time in that manner will solve some of the aforementioned questions.

After all, time doesn’t strictly need to be linear – it’s a wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey ball of stuff, bouncing about quasi-aimlessly in search for a place to land.

The plotting and pondering (and researching) continues.

The Power of Words

Words can hurt.

But I digress.

Why is that?

I have no idea – human nature, I suppose.

What would change?

Would there be any change?

But I digress (again).

I think.

If all goes according to plan, it should be epic.

Whether or not it’ll make sense is relative.


-A A +A
November 28, 2017

The US request to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) opens up the possibility of the trade agreement lapsing. In "The NAFTA Renegotiation: What if the US Walks Away?" authors Dan Ciuriak, Lucy Ciuriak, Ali Dadkhah, and Jingliang Xiao evaluate what would happen if trade between Canada, the United States and Mexico reverted to the rules under the World Trade Organization.

Dan Ciuriak

Dan Ciuriak is Director and Principal, Ciuriak Consulting Inc., and Fellow-in-Residence with the C.D. Howe Institute. He specializes in international trade, finance and development.


Jennifer Johnston borrows $20,900 from her bank to open aflorist shop. She agrees to repay the money in 18 months withsimple annual interest of 10.4%.

a. How much must she pay the bank in 18 months?

b. How much of the amount in part (a) is interest?

Expert Answer

100%(1 rating)

This problem has been solved!


Tesla Should Raise Money Now

Tesla is blowing away most expectations on how many Model 3’s would be ordered with many looking for 100,000 (I was at 200,000). The latest tweet from Elon Musk was 253,000 as of Saturday morning with another update coming tonight and the last one on Wednesday, a week after orders were first taken. (Note: I have ordered a Model 3).

Tesla wrote in its shareholder letter “We expect to generate positive net cash flow and achieve non-GAAP profitability for the full-year 2016. Thus our cash balance at the end of 2016 should increase from the year end 2015 level. We plan to fund about $1.5 billion in capital expenditures without accessing any outside capital other than our existing sources that support our leasing and finished goods inventory.”

Tesla used over $2 billion in cash in 2015

Last year the company had a negative operating cash flow of $524 million and capital expenditures of $1,635 million, which led to it using over $2.1 billion in cash. This was partially offset by $569 million received for its financed cars but it did need to raise over $1 billion through increased debt and selling stock and saw its cash balance decline by over $700 million to $1.2 billion.

Tesla Motors unveils the new lower-priced Model 3. (AP Photo/Justin Pritchard)

Could be cutting it close

In running cash flow projections Tesla can probably avoid taking on more debt (excluding the use of its credit line) or selling equity but I would not be surprised if it did and I think it should.

The company will still lose money on a GAAP basis in 2016, which I estimate to be around $800 million ($600 million due to leasing vs. $310 million in 2015) and have a negative operating cash flow of about $400 million. Including the $1.5 billion in capital expenditures Tesla has to come up with almost $2 billion.

I calculate that $800 million could come from collateralized leases, $300 million from Model 3 deposits and $800 million from its line of credit (it has used $135 million of a $1 billion credit line). With $1.2 billion in cash entering the year it has enough cushion if any of these line items change but given Musk’s tweet today that “All efforts focused on accelerating the ramp” it would not surprise me to see management decide to invest more money very soon.

Having more Model 3 orders provides “air cover” if management changes it mind

One of the risks of rising money, especially equity, is that investors will sell their shares. Given the demand for Model 3’s I think they will view increased capital expenditures positively so the impact will be minimal if any (and potentially positive if they feel that Model 3 revenue could flow earlier than expected). However Tesla does not have a good track record on delivering on its guidance.

With the stock at $237, up about 60% from its February low, it is close to where it sold 2.7 million shares in August last year and raised over $642 million. If it did a similar offering it would dilute its share count by about 2%, which would be a small price to pay to have the extra cash. In fact it could probably double the size and not impact the shares. It may be able to avoid the dreaded “Buy the rumor, sell the news” that most stocks have post a major announcement or event.

What does Apple think about this

One small side-note, I wonder what this does to Apple’s thinking about developing a car. Unless it has a design that is revolutionary it may be too late to enter what is about to become a very crowded field with one very strong leader.

Source: StockCharts.com


Stone Age gravesites dating back to 8,000 BCE have yielded amulets with spiral patterns, beads, and pendants carved from amber. One of the first materials used for ornamentation, amber’s placement with the dead in ritualistic formations indicates prehistoric peoples revered this gemstone.

Amber’s Organic Inclusions

However, perhaps fossil is a more appropriate term than stone. This material, actually the hardened resin of ancient trees, often contains bits of plants and small animals, such as insects. These inclusions of preserved remains, coupled with amber’s warm feel, may have stimulated the beginnings of amber symbolism. Cultures from all over the world have associated amber with spirits of the natural world and The Sun.

amber symbolism - Baltic amber

Many ancient cultures traded for amber, especially highly prized pieces from the Baltic Sea area. Archeologists have found Baltic amber as far away as Egypt and in the celebrated graves of Mycenae in Greece. “Insects in Baltic Amber” by Brocken Inaglory. Licensed under CC By-SA 3.0.

Amber Sunshine

Amber’s bright, sunshine colors also enhanced this connection. The Ancient Greek historian Nicias believed amber to be congealed droplets of sweat formed on the Earth as The Sun set beneath the waves. Other ancient writers depicted these “droplets” of fossilized sap as the tears of gods or heroes on various quests.

Animals and Amber Symbolism

Amber symbolism also encompasses the animal world. The Vikings carved amber pieces into animal shapes believed to contain the strengths of the animals. In Ancient Greek and Roman times, women wore amber fish, frog, and rabbit figurines to ensure fertility. The early Chinese believed the souls of tigers became amber upon their release from this plane.

Since amber frequently holds once living things, the classical worshippers of the Mother Goddess believed amber possessed the essence of life itself. Akasha, this animating principle or “fifth element,” bound together the other elements of earth, air, fire, and water.

Amber’s Magical Associations

Not surprisingly, magic workers would often wear amber necklaces, believed to be charged with powerful energies. The possession or gift of such a necklace indicated great power and esteem. In The Odyssey, Penelope’s suitors hope to impress her with gifts. They send their servants to fetch magnificent presents to outdo one another. Of one such gift, Homer writes:

Received a golden necklace, richly wrought,

And set with amber beads, that glowed as if

With sunshine.

Another quality, frictional electricity, may have reinforced the connection between magic and amber symbolism. If you rub amber against wool or silk it becomes electrically charged. In fact, the Greek word for amber, elektron, has given us the words electron and electricity.

In Chinese cosmology, there are five elements. The fifth element is metal, a great conductor of electricity. The fifth element of Akashic beliefs is thought to reside in amber, which can hold an electric charge. Now that’s quite an odd coincidence!

amber symbolism - jewelry

“Pre-Hispanic Ear Jewelry,” on display at the Museum of Amber in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, by AlejandroLinaresGarcia. Licensed under CC By-SA 3.0.


March 2018

IZA DP No. 11413: Social Interactions and Stigmatized Behavior: "Donating" Blood Plasma in Rural China

Despite the resultant disutility, some people, in particular, the poor, are engaged in behaviors that carry social stigma. Empirical studies on stigmatized behavior are rare, largely due to the formidable challenges of collecting data on stigmatized goods and services. In this paper, we add to this limited empirical evidence by examining the behavior of "donating" blood plasma in exchange for cash rewards in China. We do so using two primary data sets: the first is a three-wave, census‐type household survey that enables us to examine the evolving patterns and determinants of "donating" plasma. The second is data on detailed gift exchange records of all households. The data allow us to define reference groups, measure the intensity of social interactions, and identify peer effects using a novel network structure‐based instrumental variable strategy. We find that peer effects influence decisions to "donate" plasma. For example, a one‐standard‐deviation increase in income from "donating" plasma in the peer group increases the value of own plasma "donation" by 0.15 standard deviations. Families with sons have more incentives to "donate" plasma to offset the escalated costs of getting their sons married in a tight marriage market that favors girls.


You are here:

The development of target skills with a computer component

, The University of Tennessee, United States

The University of Tennessee . Awarded

Existing research indicates that effective writing is critical to learning and that the use of computer technology in writing instruction can impact student performance. However, researchers have not provided information about the impact of computer-based programs on the acquisition of specific writing skills. To address the topic of specific skill acquisition, this study examined the impact of computer-based practice on a writing curriculum as measured by adjective and adverb usage in writing samples.

Participants were students from three seventh-grade English classes in an East Tennessee public school. They were randomly divided into two groups. On a weekly basis, each group alternated using pencil and paper and computer-based word processing for writing practice activities. Effective instructional components, such as feedback, scaffolding, and opportunities for active responding were included in both practice situations. Performance on pre-test and post-test writing tasks was measured.

The results indicate that the difference in overall adjective and adverb use, as well as word count, between the two practice options was not significant. However, adverb use increased for both groups from pre-test to post-test writing samples. These results suggest that practice opportunities can enhance the use of recently learned writing skills and that the effectiveness of these practice opportunities is similar across pencil and paper and computer-based responding. The discussion focuses on limitations of the current study and directions for future research.

Abramson, E.M. The development of target skills with a computer component. Ph.D. thesis, The University of Tennessee. Retrieved April 23, 2019 from .

Citation reproduced with permission of ProQuest LLC.


Natural Ways To Boost Your Energy

It is so important to keep our energy levels at an optimal state. After all, it’s what keeps us going throughout the day. If our batteries get drained from all the stressors that we have to deal with, we’d end up feeling exhausted. Although exhaustion is a normal outcome from overworking ourselves, there are moments where we have to put in that extra effort for work, for our family, and for the ones we love.

During such times, we need to find a way to boost our energy and to bring it back to a sufficient level. We need something to pick us up and revitalise our bodies to keep them going and striving. Today, I will share with you a couple of ways that you can boost your energy levels in a natural way.

Start Your Day the Proper Way

Breakfast is the first thing that most of us prepare for in the morning. It’s the time when we have a cup of coffee, while sitting down and eating (quite possibly with a newspaper in our hands), before we venture out to the busyness of life. It’s important that you have a nutritious breakfast to ensure that you’ll have enough energy to last for the day, so get yourself a protein-packed meal. Protein-rich breakfasts help fight off that foggy feeling in your head, by helping your brain cells function properly. A great go to is eggs or a plant based protein smoothie.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

As simple as it may sound, making sure that you’re properly hydrated can actually keep a person from feeling tired. Dehydration means you’ve already lost a significant amount of fluids in your body. The loss of fluids causes a chain reaction in your body, which in turn makes you feel lethargic. To re energise, be sure that you’re drinking about 8 glasses a day.

Get Some Coconut Oil into Your Diet

Coconut oil has triglycerides in them, which is a fast-acting energy source that our bodies can utilise much faster than coffee. Triglycerides are a type of fat that is stored in our fat cells. They are used as a source of energy for our bodies to function and consuming foods high in triglycerides will effectively boost your energy.

Get Pumping and Get Moving

The simple act of moving is what our bodies often need to feel energised and it’s sometimes the best way to boost your energy. You can try out some morning yoga or do some light exercises to wake your body up. If you’re in the office try walking around for a bit and enjoy that mini energy boost that it gives.

In today’s world, everyday life is hectic and busy. It’s fast-paced, and everyone is always moving around from place to place, constantly burning themselves to exhaustion. Though working hard is important, keeping one’s energy level at the most optimal state is just as necessary. No one can keep going on an empty tank, so remember to recharge, revitalise, and re energise.


You are on page 1of 1

interpreters unavoidably bring their own personal shadings and colorings to the portrait. The realm of the mind is a subjective area of study. Any kind of psychoanalytic diagnosis or therapy presents the same problem of subjectivity. Handwriting analysis is not infallible. The systematic and critical study of our bodies and minds teaches us about ourselves. We take blood samples to look for possible negative elements in the body and biopsies to test for possible malignancy. These examples could continue, but the point is that analyzing specific information helps us to understand ourselves. Writing is initially motivated by the mind. The intricate nerve-muscle interplay necessary to accomplish the writing task originates in the central nervous system. Therefore the study of writing has its analytical importance in dealing with both the mind and the body. Medical science is demonstrating new interest in the clues handwriting provides to physical illness or abnormality. In the past, the medical focus has been to determine what changes emotional and mental disorders cause in handwriting. Now there are handwriting tests that discriminate between certain medical disorders, such as shaking palsy and Parkinsons Disease or between the hardening of the arteries that nourish the brain and those that feed the heart. Handwriting analysis can distinguish between those crippled with arthritis and those suffering from high blood pressure. Other diseases that indicate a loss of nerve control over fine muscular coordination are tuberculosis, cancer, some psychoses, epilepsy, alcoholism and drug addiction. Such factors as the appearance of a tremor in the writing stroke, changes in pressure or inking patteirns, and rigidity or loss of free flow within the writing are indicative of such physical illnesses within the writer. Graphology dynamically enlarges its scope in combination with insights from other projective techniques. It is now widely applied as an additional diagnostic tool by psychologists and psychiatrists who have found it as helpful as the famed Rorschach inkblot test. The structural ambiguity of the Rorschach inkblots allows a wide variety of interpretation for both patient and psychologist. This is also the case with handwriting when writers unconsciously choose the movements and formations characteristic of their state of mind at that time, and the graphologists draw conclusions on the basis of their training. The academic community resists acceptance of graphology-perhaps because the scientific mind is most comfortable applying sequential thinking to a onedirected end. Students of graphology must by necessity broaden their scope of appraisal from a narrow, linear focus to one of more diversity which provides an understanding of the nature of pattern thinking. Creative minds are more comfortable with the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and gain advantage through their ability to easily appraise patteirn qualities. It is due to a few particularly visionary academicians that graphology has gained its admittedly tenuous footholds in its climb toward deserved respect within the American college and university systems. Interesting to note is the fact that graphology has been part


Letters to Editor

How Safe are Indigenous People?
Going by media reports, it is clear that the NRC update exercise in Assam is not without anomalies. As is the reported case, one person from Morigaon district could make his way to the first draft of the NRC despite he being declared a foreigner by a foreigners tribul. The verdict of the foreigners tribul was affirmed by the Gauhati High Court too, but then the foreigner – obviously an illegal Bangladeshi – could enter his me in the updated NRC. If this is the case, where is the question of any security for the indigenous people of Assam?
But perhaps many will ask: who is indigenous in Assam? My answer, as a layman, is simple: anyone who was in Assam at the time of Independence, regardless of religion and mother tongue, is an indigenous person in Assam in the political sense though it may not be so in the ethnic sense. But political sense is far more important than ethnic sense, practically.
Secondly, anyone who has acquired Indian citizenship after Independence by following the due process of law or got himself/herself turalized as Indian citizen in Assam is an indigenous person here, again in the political sense.
There is no need for any hi-fi intellectual semirs and conferences to decide who is indigenous — this is my basic point.
The debate is essentially about Indian citizens in Assam versus the illegal Bangladeshis settled very well in Assam. When we realize this, all rrow-minded thoughts will evaporate and we may then have a peaceful and flourishing Assam.
In fact the real question is: how safe are the indigenous people of Assam, given the rate at which illegal Bangladeshis still continue to swell in our State?
Piyush Barman,

Doubtful NRC
We have seen the report of a foreigner, med Md Ali Ahmed, from the Lahorighat area of Morigaon district, being in the list of the first draft of the updated NRC published on December 31 last year. How is this possible?
Assam NRC Coorditor Prateek Hajela says that the updated NRC will be free from any error. How is he making this assurance, given that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh find it so easy to get their mes registered in the updated NRC? We are fed up with such claims when we know that illegal Bangladeshis have built huts of different kinds to shelter their huge families across the char areas beside the Brahmaputra as well in our precious tural marks and xatra lands.
The government led by a son of the soil seems to have made only false promises to come to the rescue of the sons of the soil of the State without any concern at all for their safety and security.
rayan Kotoki,
Ganeshguri, Guwahati.


Startup Careers

Staff Product Engineer at VeriSilicon
Chengdu, CN

Staff Product Engineer

Develop expert level understanding of IP product offerings, including capabilities, competitiveness, and the applications.

Define new feature or product specification based on in-depth understanding of customer requirements.

Engage with customer in technical evaluation, provide respond to technical requests or questions, and managing the engagement.

Maintain good customer relationship, support and resolve their issues, identify needs and new opportunities.

Perform technical training, presentation, and demo to customers, sales, and engineers.

4+ years hands-on experience in product or application engineering in the relevant semiconductor area.

Familiar with Software development.

Familiar with all stages of the ASIC design flow (including specification, architecture, and design implementation).

Working experience in one of the fields in graphics, video, multi-media, image processing or computer vision.

Skillful in analysis, generate ideas, and provide innovative solutions to solve technical problems.

Self-motivated, team work, and good communication skills in English.

Requirement #2 (software background) and #3 (hardware background) are alternative.

Please send your resume to our Human Resources Department.


Ancient Bead Necklace

Virtually all of the small glass beads were found in Java and are from the Early Classical Period, 750 - 900 C.E. They are considered to be Indo-Pacific beads, sometimes called Trade Wind beads. This necklace contains various shades of these blue, green and yellow beads. The large central red bead is a type of white heart bead, a vintage bead from the Venetian African trade.

Item code: bd38

Back to bead jewelry…

For a detailed background on these special beads, click here.


Brittany is 19 years old and was found out that she had melanoma on  November 24, 2004.

Brittany and her boyfriend, Jeff, went on  a canoe trip to raise money for cancer and to raise awareness for melanoma. They did a 3 mile trip into a river that brought them to a lake where placed a wreath in the water for all those who have lost their life to mm.

<<home  | Brittany's Patnet  |  on to CamillaPB>>


Moruya Books

This article was written on 06 Dec 2018, and is filled under Information/News.

Jarrah’s Picks

Jarrah is a lovely young fellow who is undergoing work experience in the shop for the week.

He’s been learning the ins-and-outs of the book trade and learning some new skills.

Here are a few titles that caught his eye!

Australia: What Happened?

Ben Pobjie

When our politicians are too busy playing musical chairs to run the country, our cricketers are doing suspicious things with sandpaper, and a murderous starfish with twenty-one arms roams freely around the Great Barrier Reef it seems about time that we, as a nation, ask a tough question: how the heck did it come to this?

In Australia – What Happened? TV columnist, comedian and history buff Ben Pobjie turns an incredulous eye on the history of Australia to bust open the national mythology, reveal the truth about what it means to be an Australian and work out what happened to all our best-laid plans.

What’s the real story of the Aussie larrikin? How exactly did sheep ruin everything? What impact did the Gold Rush have on Australian culture? And what do you mean ‘murderous starfish’? All these questions and more will be answered in this hilarious and historically accurate account of our wayward nation.

Jerusalem: The Biography

Simon Sebag Montefiore

What would Nietzsche do?

Marcus Weeks

Ever wondered if Schopenhauer could fix your broken heart? How Heraclitus might help you if you lost your phone? Given the chance, would Foucault leave the toilet seat up? With sections on Relationships, Self and Identity, How to Live, Art and Aesthetics, and Politics, there is an answer to each of modern life’s questions here. Each section is comprised of a collection of questions, from ‘Is Shakespeare better than the Simpsons?’ to ‘Should I get a takeaway tonight?’; from little niggling questions, to the great mysteries of human existence. With Marcus Weeks’s illuminating commentary on each philosopher’s answer to the question at hand, you’ll be spouting Socrates and discussing Descartes before you know it. A guide to life, of sorts, and also a fantastic introduction to philosophy for anyone looking to broaden their knowledge of the subject.

The Secret Network of Nature: The Delicate Balance of All Living Things

Peter Wohlleben

Did you know that trees can influence the rotation of the earth?
Or that wolves can alter the course of a river?
Or that earthworms control wild boar populations?

Drawing on the latest scientific discoveries and decades of experience as a forester and bestselling author, Peter Wohlleben shows us how different animals, plants, rivers, rocks and weather systems cooperate, and what’s at stake when these delicate systems are unbalanced.

The earth’s ecosystems are too complex for us to compartmentalise and draw up simple rules of cause and effect; but The Secret Network of Nature gives us a chance to marvel at the inner workings and unlikely partnerships of the natural world, where every entity has its own distinct purpose.

And the more light that is shed on relationships between species, the more fascinating nature’s web becomes.

Comments are closed.


The Crunchy Con Manifesto - A Proposal for Actual Conservation of Something

A Crunchy–Con Manifesto

Love Your Enemies - A Review

Publishing tends to go in trends, which is not unexpected since contemporary events tend to drive the topics of discussion and publishers are attempting to gain revenue by producing quality content that deals with the themes everyone is discussing. One of the recent, recurring themes is the divided nature of our political climate. Ben Sasse’s book, Them, is a recent entry on the subject. Arthur Brooks, former president of American Enterprise Institute, has recently published the fruit of some of his research on the topic in a book entitled, Love Your Enemies.

Brooks is an economist who has spent his academic career researching happiness and charitable giving. His recent books have dealt with the idea of compassion and social healing, as in his book, The Conservative Heart. The message that Brooks comes back to is that having an ideological bias does not require despising the other side. In fact, this book highlights the reality that holding others in contempt is a recipe for continued discord and personal unhappiness. Brooks sets out in Love Your Enemies to show the science behind finding common cause and engaging in respectful dialogue. This is needed not just for personal happiness, but to help heal the bleeding wounds in the American civic culture.

The book opens by describing the culture of contempt. Brooks makes the case that this is not just a culture of disagreement, but that an essential characteristic of the political wrangling is that it hopes for the destruction of those who hold opposing views. Our political opponent is not just wrong, but also morally evil. This attitude has taken over the culture because of the popular misconception that seeking the obliteration of those that disagree is the only possible solution. In Chapter Two, Brooks shows that this just isn’t true; nice guys do not finish last necessarily, whether in love or politics.

Our political discord is significant because it largely inhibits any progress toward a common vision of good. This leads people that want action on some front or another to see authoritarian leadership as the only possible way to achieve results. It is no accident that the abuses of power in recent presidents (Bush, Obama, and Trump) are increasing in magnitude and divisiveness.

Finding a way to respect people who disagree ideologically is needed, so Brooks explores some of the concepts of moral structures, drawn from Jonathan Haidt’s remarkable book, The Righteous Mind. This research is invaluable because it helps unlock the reasons why people come at moral questions from diametrically opposed perspectives. While this doesn’t lead to agreement, it at least enhances understanding. This understanding will, in turn, help readers to begin to deconstruct irreconcilable ideas about identity, so that we can recognize the goodness that comes from identity and differentiation, but also avoid the trap of making personal identification the only significant aspect of our interactions.

Brooks also deals with the importance of stories, noting that personal stories help to break down divides, emphasizing the humanity of the individual. As Brooks notes, stories motivate compassion, statistics convince the already converted. He goes on to deal with the popular (particularly on the left) misconception that competition leads to division. Brooks astutely notes that competition nearly always requires cooperation: this is true is sports, where the rules of the game are an essential bedrock that enable the competition to exist. Politics, too, would benefit from more competition. The polarization of the two major US parties is largely due to the fact they do not have to compete for geographical regions, but can head for extremes to please the tail ends of the ideological spectrum. Brooks then concludes the body of the book by arguing that he really wants healthy disagreement in society, because it is the best way to hash out ideas and pursue the common good.

Based on his research, Brooks closes the book by proposing five rules to help undermine the culture of contempt, which I will cite here, because they are so helpful:

Rule 1. Stand up to the Man. Refuse to be used by the powerful.

Rule 4. Disagree better. Be part of a healthy competition of ideas.

Rule 5. Tune out: Disconnect more from the unproductive debates.

Love Your Enemies is not an epoch shaping book, but it is a timely, important discussion of a major problem of our day. This is a book that should be read by people on both sides of the political spectrum, because no one (besides the cable news networks and our global political adversaries) are really happy with the status quo. The best way out of the eternal cycle of bickering we are presently experiencing is for a critical mass of individuals to begin to adopt some of the principles Brooks outlines in this book.

The Power of Christian Contentment - A Review

download (7).jpg

Seemingly paradoxically, Western society is both discontent and complacent. We are surrounded by waves of unhappiness and perpetual reminds that we should want something more than what we’ve got, alongside similar messages that some things are better left unchanged or unconsidered. This paradox is exactly the reverse of what the Christian life should look like. We should perpetually be discontent with the presence of sin in our lives and the world, meanwhile we should be supremely satisfied with God’s provision for us.

Andy Davis, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Durham, promotes a positive vision of satisfaction in Christ in his recent book, The Power of Christian Contentment. Davis is a modern-day Puritan, meaning that word in the very best sense possible. He has read deeply in the Puritan tradition, and that influences how he preaches, what he writes about, and how he lives his life. Davis is, personally speaking, one of the more consistently cheerful Christians I have encountered because he generally forces his mind back to a positive focus on finding contentment in God’s goodness.

This book is built on the general ideas presented in the classic Puritan work, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by pastor Jeremiah Burroughs. Davis does a great deal more than simply summarize Burroughs’s sermons, though, he shows the contemporary reader the Scriptural foundations of Christian contentment and points us toward the means to develop a more carefully content disposition in this life.

The Power of Christian Contentment is divided into four parts. Part One points out the general discontentedness of our culture and shows the vision of contentedness that Paul presents as normative for Christians. In Part Two, Davis gives practical instructions for how to attain to Christian contentment. He begins with definitions, presents a vision for its application, and shows how Scripture, especially the life of Christ, reveal contentment. Part Three explains why Christian contentment is terrifically valuable, especially in our culture of wealth that is unlike any culture previously in existence. In the final section, Part Four, Davis shows that contentment is not complacency—it is not simply emptying the mind and heart of desire as some Eastern religions propose—and he also helps show how to protect the disposition of contentment in a world that is perpetually telling us that more, different, better, faster, higher, sexier, and newer is exactly what we need.

All of Davis’s books are helpful, from his book on spiritual disciplines, An Infinite Journey, to his book on church revitalization. He is personally one of the most consistent Christians I have met, which is significant as we read his explanations about how we should live and grow as Christians. The ministry that has been established to collect his teaching, Two Journeys, is a gift for those seeking for consistent expository teaching built on the orthodox Christian tradition.

One of the central elements of The Power of Christian Contentment is that our satisfaction in Christ is a primary tool for evangelism. Everyone is unhappy about something. Our political climate is entirely structured on creating unhappiness that only abolishing the other party can possibly fix. Economically, no matter how much we have, one side reminds us that someone else has more (which is unfair, they say) and the other side reminds us that some people are keeping us from getting more (also inherently unjust, in the eyes of some). Davis’s argument is that when we have Christ, we have everything we need. When we are satisfied in Christ’s provision, that shows and that satisfaction is attractive to the harried masses around us who are convinced that fewer social restrictions or a larger bank balance are the keys to eternal satisfaction.

Davis’s general framework is that there are two infinite journeys toward Christlikeness. One journey is the external journey, which entails the outworkings of the gospel in life. Christians are, without question, called to fight injustice, feed the hungry, and care for the socially downtrodden. The second journey is the internal journey, which focuses on the continual progress in sanctification. Both journeys are essential aspects of the Christian life.

This book unquestionably deals with the internal journey. It is focused on the very big problems that we are each having in our own hearts. Much of the social injustice in this world is, in fact, caused by widespread discontent that leads people to take advantage of others, seek personal gain over the common good, and fight against those that stand in a different place. We must engage in the process of pushing back the effects of the fall in the world around us, but if we do that to the neglect of personal sanctification, we will find that we will fail at both attaining personal holiness and social justice.

The Power of Christian Contentment is an important book for our time, and likely for years to come. This is a volume that is vital for pastors, as they seek to exemplify holiness to their people. It is also a significant book that will benefit the average church-goer as they pursue life in Christ.

Integrated Justice and Equality - A Review

Social justice is a contentious topic among Christians these days. A large reason for that is that the term has many and varied definitions. While the term was originally used to discuss ensuring actual justice within society, it has come to be interpreted as a means to privilege some ideological groups over others, to justify inherently unjust economic systems, and to excuse violence for certain, approved causes.

download (5).jpg

 The corruption of the term has led it to be a polarizing phrase between theological stripes of Christians. Progressives who claim faith in Christ recoil when conservatives attempt to use the term to describe their efforts. Sometimes the affirmation of “social justice” leads Progressives to advocate for causes that undermine true justice. Those on the right often repudiate the term, even when the term is meant appropriately. Often the negative reaction to the term “social justice” leads conservatives to reject important works that are biblically warranted.

 In his book, Integrated Justice and Equality: Biblical Wisdom for Those Who Do Good Works, John Addison Teevan sets out “to encourage the good works of compassion that Christians want to do to make the gospel while differentiating between good works and social justice.” He notes that in order to do that, he must begin by disambiguating his terms. Throughout the text, Teevan is arguing for what he calls integrated justice, which is justice built on a traditional, biblical understanding of justice.

 In Chapter One, Teevan argues toward a biblical notion of justice, which is often significantly different than many perceive. Through historical argument, Teeven establishes his position that social justice is a term that originated outside of the church by those who found the work of the social gospel attractive, but liked even the traces of gospel that were left in the movement. He surveys the recent historical discussion, interacting critically with contemporary, conservative Christians. Chapter Two provides a survey in greater detail of understandings of justice, especially in those traditions that have impacted Western culture. In the third chapter, Teevan outlines the historical evolution of social justice, which he argues is largely rooted in Rawl’s understanding of politics. He also develops his critiques of social justice with the notion of a biblical, integrated justice. These two chapters provide the foundation for the rest of the volume.

 The remaining three chapters offer critiques of social justice, arguing it tends to undermine true justice, and bring the book to a close. In Chapter Four, Teevan critiques the notion that economic inequality is inherently unjust through practical examples of perfectly just inequality and the problems associated with attempts to create equal outcomes. The fifth chapter argues against redistributive economic systems designed for “fairness,” which often do not accomplish their stated goals. At the same time, Teevan is critical of capitalism, because he recognizes the limits of the economic system. All economic systems rely upon the virtue of the people. The final chapter brings together the concepts of the earlier chapters to outline specific warnings, conclusions, and practical applications for the reader. What he produces is a call to activism, but an activism grounded and controlled by the norms of Scripture and a traditional understanding of justice.

 This is a volume much more likely to convince the uncertain that to lead to converts. Those longing for a better society but who are repulsed by the gross depravity of much of the social justice movement will find an outlet to pursue true justice in this volume.

 At the same time, Teevan appears to concede the term social justice too quickly. Notably absent from his volume is a discussion of the development of the early Roman Catholic use of the term social justice, which was much more biblical than present parlance. It may be possible yet to redeem the term and turn it to good use.

 Overall, this is a much needed, accessible volume that is both biblically informed and economically accurate. Teevan provides a helpful critique of the social justice and gives a sound justification for his newly coined term. His critiques are honest and forthright. He does not demean, mock, or dismiss, which make this book a useful resource for the church. Additionally, Teevan moves beyond his critique into encouraging practical application, which is necessary to move conservative Christians from theory to action.

Why Liberalism Failed - A Review

I think there are probably a half dozen people in the world that think things are about as good as they could be. They are probably either in a coma or eating ice cream at the moment. For the rest of us, it is pretty obvious that something stinks in the kingdom of Denmark.

In the United States and across the Western world, liberal democracies are teetering on the edge of populism. The levels of misery are climbing in areas of the United States as more and more people are dying “deaths of despair,” often by overdosing on opioids in an attempt to dull the ache inside.

Where did we go wrong? What happened to the home of the free and the brave?

For some, the growing sense of dis-ease fuels a call to return to some earlier state of supposed greatness. This is a call to turn back the clock to halcyon days when contentment was higher (in some circles) and the stressful influences of social isolation were much less prevalent. For others, the same conditions are cause for increasing centralized government control, increasing redistribution of wealth, and passing laws to make people conform to the sort of behaviors that are deemed beneficial by the people that really know. Both of these call for variations of a sort of social liberalism (distinct from progressivism). Patrick Deneen argues that the best remedy for what ails us is moving away from liberalism, because the populism and dis-ease we are experiencing is a feature, not a bug, of the liberal political order.

Although the meaning of the term “liberal” or “liberalism” has changed over the years and is often used to denote progressivism, liberalism is a broader political philosophy that includes both classical liberals (i.e., conservatives) and progressive liberals (i.e., progressives). As a definition of the term, Deneen writes, “Liberalism was premised upon the limitation of government and the liberation of the individual from arbitrary political control.” This led, in its early application, to a representative democracy in the United States with assurance of free speech, the freedom of religion, and robust property rights. In its early implementations, liberalism was supported by the premodern political order that still believed in virtue as a necessary and worthy human ideal.

For all the benefits of liberalism (and there are many), it has within it the seeds of its own demise. Liberalism lacks the ability to reproduce virtue, because its foundation lacks substance. Liberalism is something of a content-free philosophy. It functions more as an organizing framework for other substantive philosophies. However, this contentlessness quickly becomes its own content, much like Seinfeld, a show about nothing, had a strong satirical message that tended to deconstruct social norms. Just as Seinfeld worked because it borrowed the substance from the world and made it appear irrelevant, so liberalism has worked borrowing from the substance of other philosophies.

That’s all fine and well until there are no other philosophies broadly held by a culture that are strong enough to support liberalism. According to Deneen, that is what we are experiencing. Thus, we have an anti-culture that really serves as a reaction to whatever came before. We have a progression toward dis-integration of social structures to the point that even obvious realities like maleness and femaleness are up for debate, or, in truth, considered to be forms of violent oppression by an elite, but culturally powerful minority.

Deneen’s book is a bit jarring in its pessimism, but there were few points that I could find strong counter arguments. If anything, I think he may simply be a bit more negative about our chances of maintaining the goods of liberalism than is really warranted. Time will tell. I still think that Jonah Goldberg’s Suicide of the West may be the better path, where we push toward a more beneficent version of liberalism. It is, as Goldberg argues, very hard work, but I think it may still be the way to go.

Still, Deneen’s proposed path forward, which he does not bring up until the conclusion of the volume, is worth considering. He argues that we need to move away from liberalism to something new. He proposes three initial steps:

1.       First, acknowledge the legitimate achievements of liberalism. There is no question that our material condition has benefited greatly from the advancement of philosophical liberalism, with the ability to move, to innovate, and to retain more of what we produce.

2.       Second, he argues we must “outgrow the age of ideology.” This will require us to “focus on developing practices that foster new forms of culture, household economics, and polis life.” I think what this means in context is focus more on people than on big ideas and grand restructuring of the world.

3.       Third, we must implement the first two steps, by building on and not abandoning the good things that have come before. This is the least clear of the three steps, but I think Deneen is calling for progress that does not try to begin de novo, as the Enlightenment project of liberalism. The hope is that we can use the positives of liberalism in combination with the treasures of ancient wisdom to forge a more humane future.

Why Liberalism Failed deserves to be read and the ongoing discussion that has spawned from Deneen’s work is worth the attention it has received. Nearly everyone agrees that something is wrong. The two main answers we have in the US in the DNC and GOP do not seem have anything like a realistic vision for future flourishing. A healthy conversation about what society ought to be and how it ought to be shaped is a necessary and worthy endeavor.

The Christian Mind - A Review

I picked up Harry Blamires’ 1963 book, The Christian Mind expecting to find an early entry into some of the worldview dialogues that have unhelpfully afflicted certain corners of conservative Christianity. While I still believe the term worldview can be helpful, it has, in certain circles, been coopted by a technique of applying simplistic categories and teaching people to argue against them as a way of apologetic debate. The result of that reductionistic development has been largely unhelpful in developing Christians and evangelizing the lost. However, thankfully, The Christian Mind is a robust appeal to a thick Christianity that resists the corrosive influences of secularism.

Blamires begins the book by diagnosing the problem: there are too few Christians who think distinctly from the secular world. The church, by and large, has a few bastions of thought and topics but no recognizable network of integrated thinking. Thus, the book opens up with a striking declaration: “There is no longer a Christian Mind.”

He explains that there are Christian influences in the world and that there are differences between elements of the Christian life and the world: “There is still, of course, a Christian ethic, a Christian practice, and a Christian spirituality.” As important as these things are, however, they fall short of the all-encompassing, unifying beauty of the Christian mind. On the whole, Christians have been better catechized to think like the modern world than as biblically saturated Christians.

According to Blamires, there are six marks of the Christian mind: (1) Supernatural Orientation; (2) Awareness of Evil; (3) A Unified and Concrete Conception of Truth; (4) Acceptance of Authority; (5) Concern for the Person; and (6) A Sacramental Outlook.

Each of these categories must be expanded and filled with explicitly Christian meaning, but the outline is helpful. Someone who denies the possibility of miracles and the truth of at least the miracle of the resurrection cannot be meaningfully Christian. A person who denies the reality of sin and evil cannot know repentance for their own sin, and thus cannot be a Christian. One who believes truth is subjectively determined and that there is not objective truth cannot be said to be Christian in any serious way. An individual who cannot abide the authority of Scripture and, to some degree, of the traditional theology of the Church, cannot be counted a member of those who think as a Christian. Those who do not value people as individuals and show concern for their spiritual and physical well-being do not show the marks of a Christian mind. And, finally, those that deny the goodness of creation are not thinking like Christians.

To be clear, one can fail at some of these categories and still be in Christ, though there are categories that are necessary for salvation. Blamires’ point is not to figure out who is and who is not a Christian, but rather to point out the characteristics of a mind that is shaped by authentic Christianity.

It would be a mistake to consider these one at a time, as well, since a broader emphasis of the book is the unity of the Christian vision of the world. But it is a unity that has at least these six attributes.

Blamires’ vision of the Christian mind is worth recovering, because he is calling Christians to think more faithfully and consistently. It would be a beautiful thing for Christians to lead the world in promoting beautiful art, thoughtful fiction, and an illuminating critique of the world around us.

An interesting facet of Blamires’ depiction of the Christian mind is that he does not argue for unanimity on prudential arguments. The Christian mind transgresses thought categories that we typically apply, like “liberal” or “conservative,” and individuals who are embodying the Christian mind fully may arrive at entirely different conclusions based on their reasoning.

In fact, the book is highly critical of those who think politically rather than as Christians first, he writes, “They will think pragmatically, politically, but not Christianly. In almost all cases you will find that views are wholly determined by political allegiance.” But, he also notes that even in 1963 it was difficult to find a conversation about the issues that matter that was truly Christian. Blamires is highly critical of the supposed virtue of loyalty, as a result of this thought pattern:

Loyalty may be said to be evil in the sense that if any action is defended on the grounds of loyalty alone, it is defended on no rational grounds at all. “I do this out of loyalty to my party” is irrational and amoral unless is it consequent upon, “My party is operating wholly and in every particular for the benefit of the human race.” “I do this out of loyalty to my leader” is irrational and amoral unless it is consequent upon, “My leader’s character, or purpose, or policy, is such that it ought to be supported.” Loyalty is in itself not a moral basis for action. Loyalty to a good man, a good government, a good cause, is of course a different matter. But in these cases, where one stands by a man, or a government, or a cause, because it is good, one is standing by the good. The basis of action in these cases is moral in that one is serving the good; and thus the concept of loyalty is redundant. One can therefore say fairly that whenever the virtue of loyalty is quoted as a prime motive or basis for action, one has the strongest reason for suspecting that support is being sought for a bad cause.

The book is filled with this sort of clear reasoning, which makes it helpful and worthwhile, especially in our turbulent times of constant chatter and questionable allegiances. This is the sort of volume that should remain in print and be read widely and deeply by Christians seeking to live faithfully for Christ in our present world.

We Have Forgotten

We have forgotten that it is possible to be wrong without animus. This is why society is so terribly unforgiving.

We have forgotten that it is possible to disagree without despising. This is why our friendships are so fragile, sparse, and transient.

We have forgotten that it is possible to forgive without retribution. This is why the quest for social justice often turns to mobs and unrelenting abuse.

We have forgotten that it is possible to be correct without being in control. This is why politics has become the supreme interest in society.

We have forgotten that it is possible to be right about some things and wrong about others. This is why the list of acceptable voices from history continues to diminish.

We have forgotten that it is possible to be different without being degraded. This is why attempts to find equality lead to eradication of excellence.

We have forgotten that it is possible for cost and value to be different. This is why conspicuous consumption is still rampant.

We have forgotten that it is possible to be new without being better. This is why our hunger for more goes unabated and ancient books go unread.

Creation and New Creation - A Review

The doctrine of creation has largely been swallowed whole in evangelical and fundamentalist circles by questions of the age of the earth. For example, theology texts like, L. S. Chafer’s Systematic Theology, Charles Ryrie’s Basic Theology, and Elmer Towns’s Theology for Today deal with the creation as a question of origins. For Chafer, this discussion is embedded in a chapter about the doctrine of man, rather than in a standalone chapter. Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology has a chapter on the doctrine of creation, but the questions he seeks to answer are, “Why, how, and when did God create the universe?”

These are not unimportant questions or unworthy of discussion. However, the age of the earth and the exact time that it took God to make something from nothing does not exhaust the depth of the doctrine of creation by a longshot.

In a recent book published by Hendrickson, Sean McDonough does a masterful job highlighting the importance of the doctrine of creation, especially as it relates to the new creation. He rightly recognizes that God’s first creation project was always intended to simply continue into his future creation project, with ongoing creation (or providence) in the middle.

The book is divided into nine chapters. Chapter One shows how closely the new creation is connected to the account of the original creation. The second chapter deals with the nature of God as creator, since it is vital to understand his nature to recognize the distinctions between him and what he has made. In Chapter Three, McDonough presents various theories why God made the world. In the fourth chapter, the topic of the relationship of time to the created order is considered.

Chapter Five considers the nature of creation ex nihilo, in particular evaluating the relationship of God to his creation. In the sixth chapter, McDonough discusses the influence of Plato’s dualism on the Christian tradition’s understanding of creation. In Chapter Seven, the question of how creation was made is considered. This leads McDonough to consider the place of humans within creation in the eighth chapter. And, in Chapter Nine, the beauty of the world and its value for God and as a testament to God’s goodness comes to the fore.

Creation and New Creation: Understanding God’s Creation Project is largely an expository book. McDonough presents a survey of Christian thinking, digesting theological writing from Irenaeus to Karl Barth. The overall position McDonough presents is well within the boundaries of Christian orthodoxy, and he handles those on the fringes fairly with appropriate criticism.

The most significant aspect of this book is that it serves as a reminder to Christians that creation is not something that happened at some hotly debated point in the past. Rather, creation began when God spoke all things into existence out of nothing, but it is ongoing as he sustains the world by the power of his word, and will eventually be brought to perfection in the new creation when all things are made new. This has been God’s plan from the beginning and it is so much bigger than an argument over the number of hours in a day, the compatibility of scientific theories of origins, and a discussion of human origins.

Connecting creation to new creation emphasizes the telos of this world. God intended his handiwork of a purpose, and it is trending in a particular direction. His will cannot be foiled. This is a liberating reality. It frees us to delight in the goodness he has created while looking forward to the beauty of the renovated creation, once the sin has been purged. This book is an important one, particularly for evangelicals, seeking to remediate the lack of vigorous treatments of creation in our tradition.

Creation and New Creation is a valuable book. McDonough writes well and demonstrates that he has done extensive research. This is a volume that will be best suited to people with theological training or extensive reading in their backgrounds. Those that are equipped to engage with it will find it well worth their while.

Social Media Justice and the Gospel

One of the common complaints against Christianity—what Tim Keller calls defeater beliefs—is that a good God…a loving God…would not judge sin and wouldn’t punish it if he did. He would just wipe it away and forgive it without judgment. We are taught by culture not to like violence, so we like to believe that a just God would also be non-violent.

Miroslav Volf, a theologian at Yale and a Croatian who had personal experience with the gross injustices of ethnic cleansing and genocide in former Yugoslavia argues that a God who punishes evil through judgment is necessary to keep people from seeking revenge:

If God were not angry at injustice and deception and did not make a final end to violence––that God would not be worthy of worship. . . . The only means of prohibiting all recourse to violence by ourselves is to insist that violence is legitimate only when it comes from God. . . . My thesis that the practice of non-violence requires a belief in divine vengeance will be unpopular with many . . . in the West . . . [But] it takes the quiet of a suburban home for the birth of the thesis that human non-violence [results from the belief in] God’s refusal to judge. In a sun-scorched land, soaked in the blood of the innocent, it will invariably die . . . [with] other pleasant captivities of the liberal mind.

Our belief in a God who violently judges sin is necessary to restrain our hearts from desiring immediate and exorbitant revenge on the people that seek to do us harm. This is why Habakkuk calls for the judgment of the Lord in chapter 2 of his short book, rather than trying to settle all of the scores with his own hands.

In fact, in the history of Christianity, some of the worst evils that have been perpetrated in the name of Christ have been caused by people not trusting into God’s justice, but trying to bring about their own version of justice in their own time.

Social Media Justice

As Christians living in a world that celebrates injustice, often presenting it under the cloak of goodness or true justice, we find ourselves given a tool to announce our disapproval of everything bad. Thus, we think, we can stand against real injustice, even if it only via posts or tweets.

This is the mentality of the social media warrior. In fact, in our age, the digital assaults on people’s reputations that are perpetrated in the name of injustice are not much different that murder. The goal of many social media warriors is to destroy the life of their victims, but without the shred of mercy that actually killing them would entail.

An example of this is the recent brouhaha over the interaction between the Native American activist Nathan Phillips and a boy from a parochial school. That case itself has turned into a Rorschach test for your political position, so I will leave that unending debate over who was right (if anyone) in that situation to others.

However, what we should not miss is that there was an instantaneous urge to crush, smash, and destroy by those that hated the look on the boy’s face in the initially miscaptioned photo. To be clear, the opposite reaction could have been obtained from the other side if an activist wearing a charged political slogan had been caught in a pose that could have been represented as disgust, smarminess, or disrespect of one of the political right’s favored populations. The problem is not left vs. right, it is the urge to destroy.

And there were calls for destruction. Based on questionable interpretations of the event, which were driven largely by an inflammatory caption on a photo posted by a bot Twitter account run out of Brazil, people who consider themselves good and just and consistent in their pursuit of justice were calling for assault and even execution of the child in the photo. There were dozens of physical threats made against the school itself. All of this in the name of justice. Again, when the tables are turned, there are voices on the right that are just as nasty in their pursuit of justice.

This is exactly the sort of “justice” that Habakkuk is warning against: Justice that is really unjust because it is brought about in our way by our hands, instead of according to God’s judgment.

I believe in a God of judgment because it is the clear expectation of the authors of the Old and New Testaments. The need for a just God of judgment reinforces my belief in the God described by the Bible. The rise of the social media warrior with his virulent, destructive cruelty in the name of justice reminds me why Christianity must be true, else we have no hope.

We need a just God who will make the wrong things right. That is part of the gospel. Just as is the fact that salvation is available for all who believe in accept the power of the atonement to cover our sins, and put faith only in that for our final redemption. God is just. Our attempts to force justice in this world will bring about injustice. Thank God that he sent Christ to keep those who receive him, who believe in his name, from bearing the deserved wrath for our sins on our own shoulders. Thank God for being a God who is both just and gracious at the same time.

Scientism and Secularism - A Review

Depending on who you talk to, you may find yourself in a conversation with someone who thinks there is a fundamental conflict between science and Christianity. This typically happens on the fringes of both Christianity and the so-called scientific community. If there is a group of Christians who find science antagonistic toward their religion, it is often (but not exclusively) fundamentalists. And, beyond the realm of actual science, there are secularists the suppose that the information of science fundamentally undermines the tenets of religion.

Secularists who claim that science undermines fundamental religious claims are not, however, actually proclaiming the superiority of science. Instead, they are presenting a case for what is better known as scientism. According to J. P. Moreland, scientism is “the view that the hard sciences alone have the intellectual authority to give us knowledge of religion.”

In his recent book, Scientism and Secularism: Learning to Respond to a Dangerous Ideology, Moreland argues for a distinction between science and scientism. He also argues that scientism is fundamentally corrosive to society and leads people away from truth.

In popular culture, scientism has overtaken other religious systems as a dominant plausibility structure. In other words, it is how many people make sense of the world around them. Not only does this often displace belief in God, but it undermines the ability of those who hold to scientism to accurately evaluate competing, non-scientistic perspectives that might provide better access to truth.

Scientism has influenced several of the shifts our culture has witnessed in recent decades. The first is that it has taught people that science sums up the totality of accessible knowledge, while religion is blind faith divorced from reality. This myth may help people coexist, but it does much less to encourage the pursuit of truths that cannot be known empirically, much less fairly evaluate those that haven’t adopted the current orthodoxy of scientism.

A second shift caused by scientism is the pursuit of immediate gratification instead of honest pursuit of truth. All the truth that can be known is knowable by science. Scientism claims that all there is in this world is material. Therefore, there are no consequences to pursuing whatever comes easiest to hand.

That leads to the third major shift caused by scientism, which is the adoption of a minimalist ethics. This rejects the idea that there is a good or bad, apart from the apparent benefit or harm measured by surveys, metrics, and calculations. This, of course, leads to bad science, where those who expound the conclusions that naturally and obviously arise from their data can be ridiculed, ousted from tenured posts, and assaulted if their conclusions go against the presuppositions of the mob. If scientism is true, and measured harms provide the evidence of actions to avoid, then what is not measured cannot be wrong.

Moreland is right to note that scientism is a significant problem, and that it is pervasive in our culture. His book rightly shows how fake-science, which is what scientism is, leads to militant secularism. Therefor his book serves as a warning for Christians to identify the influences of scientism, particularly in their own homes, and root them out.

Scientism and Secularism is a book for Christians trying to figure out what is wrong with the world. How have we gotten to the place where there are intelligent people who will argue in public that all decisions must be made based on empirical evidence? Moreland traces some of the influences that led to the current situation, but, more significantly, he explains why scientism is wrong and even self-refuting.

At points this book is a little dense for the average reader. Moreland is communicating some complex philosophical ideas as clearly as can be, but there is a level of complexity in his arguments that cannot be reduced without detriment. This book will most benefit those who have some background and interest in philosophy. At the same time, if a reader is willing to plow through the sections where Moreland is a bit more technical, then there is much to be gained for the educated laity. It offers both warning and antidote to a philosophical movement that is growing in strength and is threatening to displace both sound science and well-formed orthodox Christianity in the minds of many both inside and outside the church.


If you have just applied for a login please wait for your advice that it has been activated.

If not, then either your User Name or Password was incorrect, please try again.

Please remember that your user name and password are case sensitive - if a character is in the incorrect case you'll simply be returned to this screen.

Log In


Molecular Target Synopsis
Domains and Structures
Drugs and Clinical Candidates
Ligand Efficiency Plot
Family Cladogram
Interaction Network
Gene Expression
Gene Copy Number Variation
Germline Genetics

ARL13B (Q3SXY8) - Overview - Molecular Target Synopsis

ARL13B, ADP-ribosylation factor-like protein 13B
UniProt Q3SXY8

Also Known as AR13B_HUMAN, ARL13B, ARL2L1

Cilium-specific protein required to control the microtubule-based, ciliary axoneme structure. May act by maintaining the association between IFT subcomplexes A and B. Binds GTP but is not able to hydrolyze it; the GTPase activity remains unclear. Required to pattern the neural tube. Involved in cerebral cortex development: required for the initial formation of a polarized radial glial scaffold, the first step in the construction of the cerebral cortex, by regulating ciliary signaling. Regulates the migration and placement of postmitotic interneurons in the developing cerebral cortex. May regulate endocytic recycling traffic; however, additional evidences are required to confirm these data. Monomer (By similarity). Interacts with PIFO. Interacts with IFT complex B components IFT46 and IFT74.

Isoforms / Transcripts (Protein Coding)

Sub-cellular localization

UniProt: ARL13B is active in the following subcellular-locations: cell projection, cilium, cilium membrane.
GO terms: ARL13B is active in the following subcellular-locations: axoneme, ciliary membrane, cilium, motile cilium, non-motile cilium.

GO terms

Gene Copy Number Variation

In COSMIC - Cell Lines Project ARL13B has gain in 6 cell-lines, loss in 1 cell-lines and no signal in 998 cell-lines. (see details)

Gene Expression

In NCI60, the highest expressing cell lines are: MDA_N, OVCAR_8, NCI_ADR_RES

In Array Express (RNA-seq of 675 commonly used human cancer cell lines), the highest expressing cell lines are: Hs 746T, HCC12, NCI-H1155

In Array Express (RNA-seq of long poly adenylated RNA and long non poly adenylated RNA from ENCODE cell lines), the highest expressing cell lines are: MCF-7, SK-N-SH, HSMM

(see details)

3D Structures

At greater than 35% identity similarity to ARL13B there are:
55 structures (130 chains) solved
44 are solved in complex with at least one small molecule ligand

(see details)
Molecular Target 3D Synopsis

Screening and Chemistry

ARL13B has been screened with compounds ( bioactivities). (see details)


Max Fou'ing Arash

Since Arash is a single-use wave killer, would it be worth it to use HP or at least ATK Fous on him to ensure he kills enemies with higher HP? Or is simply max leveling enough to take care of most things?

If you have fous laying around and no one else to use them on, then ATK would be fine

Arash has a small chance of not 1 hit k.o. an enemy with 21k+ hp (ie, ember dailies). If you aren’t using any attack buffs, some fous will help eliminate that risk.

Every 3* ATK Fou increases his NP damage by about 150 (300 versus Saber), roughly speaking.

I always recommend to give fous to servants you usually use, no matter the rarity.

YES! I maxed mine’s attack. It’s very worth it especially if you use him a lot.

Max his last skill while you’re at it.

I found that Arash cannot always consistently kill hands on ember dailies when he doesn’t have class advantage. Fou’ing him changed this. So yea, I’d say that giving him fou cards is worth it.

Okay, I’ll max ATK Fou him. Thanks for all the input everyone!


It was like walking into the stadium where Sachin Tendulkar was performing magic with his bat as the crowd cheered and chanted his name, and not the hotel in Mumbai where the song was being launched. You just had to close your eyes to be transported back in time to Sachin creating magic with his bat with the chant of ‘Sachin-Sachin…’ reverberating around the stadium. unnamed (5)The atmosphere at the launch of the second song by A. R. Rahman from the upcoming film “Sachin: A Billion Dreams” was not unlike a cricket match. The first song from the album ‘Hind Mere Jind’ had already raised expectations.

When the song was played, the effect was electrifying! As the song ended, the invitees and audience picked up the chant and it was only when Sachin accompanied by A. R. Rahman came on to the stage that the auditorium became quiet. They were joined by the director James Erskine, the producers Ravi Bhagchandka of 200NotOut and Dr. Shrikant Bhasi of Carnival Pictures, lyricist Irshad Kamil, distributor Anil Thadani and Shikha Singhi from Junglee Music.

Fielding questions Sachin said, “The chants were my supporters’ way of showing their love. I have been inspired by their chant and it has helped me face difficult situations on the field knowing that I have the country with me. I admire the way that Rahman has created an inspirational anthem around this chant.”

Speaking on his composition, Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman said, “It was a challenge to compose music that would recreate the energy and mood that permeated the stadium when Sachin Tendulkar played cricket! I hope that this musical ode to fans of Sachin matches up to Sachin’s magical performances on the field. Creating the soundtrack for the film has been a memorable experience.”unnamed (6)Ravi Bhagchandka, Producer, 200NotOut said, “Even if I was sitting at home and watching Master play, I used to get goosebumps on hearing the chant go around the stadium. Today when I heard the song, I got the same feeling. I am thankful to Rahman for creating this ode to the fans of Sachin. Rahman has created musical magic and has beautifully woven in the chants of “Sachin…, Sachin…” with music to create a stirring anthem.”

Dr. Shrikant Bhasi, Producer, Carnival Pictures said, “This song is an anthem celebrating the achievements of the greatest cricketer who took Indian cricket to its zenith through sheer dedication, talent and hard work.

Just when everyone though that the evening had come to an end, there was a surprise in the wings! Sukhvinder Singh, the popular Bollywood singer, who has sung ‘Sachin… Sachin…’ came on stage to regale the audience with a live rendition of the song!

The “Sachin…, Sachin…” anthem is the second song to be released after “Hind Mere Jind”. The music of the film is being released by Junglee Music, a division of Times Music. It is expected that the “Sachin…, Sachin…” anthem will create the same buzz as “Hind Mere Jind” with fans appreciating the beautiful lyrics and music.

The biographical drama ‘Sachin: A Billion Dreams’ is scheduled to hit screens worldwide on May 26th, 2017.


Victoria and da Vinci made innovative advancements

Victoria Noa
Art Pd.6

Probably the most notorious rivals of fifteenth century art in Italy were the infamous Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. While both artists seem alike in many ways, there were many things that set them apart from one another, making them very different.

Need essay sample on Victoria and da Vinci made innovative... ?We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you for only $13.90/page

order now

Both artists were very talented, and had an ambition to paint. However, they both had a rough upbringing, and led harsh lives. They had went through childhood without one or both of their parents. They were both skilled in architecture, helping their careers in different ways. Both artists were mentored – however by different people – which helped give each artist a better insight to their work. Both Michelangelo and da Vinci made innovative advancements to the Renaissance age, Michelangelo creating the modern staircase and and da Vinci created many architectural monuments.

While their legacies and upbringings are quite similar, there are many more characteristics about each artist that make them different. The were both rivals, and da Vinci had the ambition to pursue his career completely based on art’s sake, yet Michelangelo was partially in it for the money. Michelangelo was a sculptor, poet, and engineer, meanwhile da Vinci was a scientist, inventor, and philosopher. Michelangelo struggles with mathematics and languages, while da Vinci thrived in mathematics, and applied it to his artwork. Leonardo proved to be more of a genius than Michelangelo, excelling in anatomy, zoology, botany, geology, optics, aerodynamics, etc.

Both Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci created works of art that were paintings, drawings, and sculpture. Michelangelo did fresco artwork, which is painting a mural upon fresh or wet lime plaster. Leonardo did mural, which is basically painting on a wall or ceiling. Michelangelo did relief work, which is sculptures embedded in walls, which is something Leonardo did not do.

Clearly, two of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance are both have many things in common and things that make them different. These characteristics helped get each artist to be as well known as they are today, their legacies influencing may other artists.

Get your custom essay sample

Let us write you a custom essay sample

from Essaylead

Check it out