Movie Review Of The Last Song Film Studies Essay

Movie Review Of The brave out Song Film Studies EssayFor those hopeless romantic who get captured by the plots or meanings of whatever(prenominal) Nicholas Sparks novel, then The Last Song is the film of the year to see. In The Last Song, Sparks captures the heart of his consultation by introducing themes of first love with some hints of disparity end-to-end the film. In his past films such as Dear John, The Notebook, and A Walk to Remember, Sparks successfully promotes the impression of young love with the framework of hope. This makes it the ideal plot for any classic romantic. As first time screenwriter Sparks effectively delivers to his audience a more sentimental film than ever before. The Last Song tells the fable about family, friendship, tragedies, and reconnecting relationships.The Last Song is the tale of a rebellious musical prodigy named Ronnie (Miley Cyrus) who sent to her fathers beach house by her female parent Kim (Kelly Preston) along with her younger brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) for the summer. Ronnie is quite bitter towards the stay with her father Steve (Greg Kinnear) because she blames him for the divorce and leaving the family. She even stops playing the piano and rejects her acceptance into Julliard despite of him. sound and withdrawn at everyone, she explores the town and beach and bumps into a local boy named Will, (newcomer Liam Hemsworth) a wealthy, volleyb all in all playing hunk that becomes charmed by her and falls in love with Ronnie. Despite Ronnies defiant attitude, Ronnies mother Kim hopes that the stay will make water the chance for both Ronnie and Steve to rekindle their relationship. The film collectively brings together all 3 relationships of parallel love of those between a father and daughter, boyfriend and girlfriend, and brother and sister. Most importantly the film gives the audience the chance for Cyrus to break away from her widely known Disney pop culture phenomenon.Miley Cyrus definitely got her work cu t out for her in this film in taking the role of Ronnie in The Last Song. cognise for her popular role as Hannah Montana on the hit Disney Show Hannah Montana, Cyrus is given the chance to break out of her shell, separating from her childish role by transitioning into a more mature role. She surprisingly transforms herself of what we expect to see in the film in the cite of Ronnie, making her lovable and quite engaging. Sparks even had Cyrus in spirit while writing the taradiddle and casting the role for the movie. This film gives her the potential to be capturen seriously in later films by slowly good luck away from her popular alter ego. In being her first adult role, Cyrus portrays everything from a sympathetic friend and daughter to pouting and troubled brat. Cyrus is astonishingly attractive in the way of a girl you might actually want to approach. Her acting is serious, and in working with such actors like Kinnear, the film breaks away from your typical boy-meets-girl st ory line. Director Julie Anne Robinson even does a great job as to focusing on each character by establishing a fear of abandonment in Ronnie because of the divorce. As the film progresses you notice her character transition into the kind, loving young woman she was went out to be. Audience watching the film can hopefully take Cyrus serious as an actress and like the new Miley. Personality and charm can be seen through both Ronnie and Miley, but most importantly though the wait on of the supporting actresses and actors.With the help of her supporting cast and actors, the typecasting in The Last Song gives the film full potential. Her costar Bobby Coleman, (who plays the role of her younger brother Jonah) gives the film more of an unrestrained stance by creating cutesy sayings and bringing out the right emotional feelings in the film without going overboard or too little. Kinnear plays a great character in the film by being the sympathetic dad, with his own secret and troubles that are later seen in the film. His character Steve brings out the best in all the characters in the film, which truly brings the film all together. Even the chemistry between both Cyrus and Kinnears role as daughter and father give an effective tearjerker for dads and their daughters. Kelly Preston, who portrays Ronnies mother Kim, displays her roles as the mother quite well, despite her lack of appearance in the film. As for newcomer Liam Hemsworth, he plays your typical dreamy hunk hes nice, volunteers on his additional time, and captures the heart of pretty much any teenage girl. Other than hiding his Australian accent, Hemsworth was able to deliver the role of what seems to be the perfect boyfriend, but as the audience figures out has troubles of his own. Casting both Hemsworth and Cyrus to play the on-screen couple brought great chemistry between the two characters. Both Sparks and Director Julie Anne Robinson can be original to be appraised for well written screenplay as well as casting.Compared to the novel, the film follows directly with the book, despite forgetting some minor background details from the book. Overall the audience can captures the messages within the film and relates can to each character in some way, whether its experiencing first love, the relationship between a father and daughter, or how remnant we really are to a brother. The main themes of the movie tend to deal with the idea of hope, faith, and the relationship one can have with another person. For the most part, The Last Song is a great family film to see with anyone of all ages. In delivering messages on second chances and the moments in life that lead us home, this should give audiences to give Cyrus a second chance at a more mature role like The Last Song.

The Lightweight Cars Competitors And Their Structures Engineering Essay

The Lightweight Cars Competitors And Their Structures Engineering EssayThe Atom prototype fig was tested to determine the place of its global torqueal starchyness. This value was calculated to be 1330Nm/deg. This value was to be improved upon by the fol outseting methodThe creation of a Finite Element baseline validation put using MSC Patran/Nastran softw argon compared favourably with the physical test results with a torsional stiffness value of 1352Nm/deg for a stool of 47 Kg and an efficiency of 88g/Nm/deg.The discussed modifications had been suggested to Atom upon initial appraisal of the chassis were incorporatedd into this baseline model and resulted in increases in two torsional stiffness and efficiency.Further, the design improvement study makeed resulted in a maximum torsional stiffness of 6448Nm/deg, an increase of 377% oer the baseline model. A maximum increase in efficiency of 286% to 23g/Nm/deg for a mass of 148.3Kg attended this increase in torsional stiffness.F ollowing optimisation of the model to gain minimum mass for a stiffness of 6000Nm/deg a torsional stiffness of 6030Nm/deg was realised for a mass of 127Kg, giving an increase in efficiency of 322% over the baseline model to 20.99g/Nm/deg.ACKNOLEDGMENTSFirst, I would like to thank my parents for their support and encouragement done come forward my university autoeer.I would like to sincerely thank my supervisor Mr. Mike Dickison for his continual support and enthusiasm for this thesis. Thanks to Brunthinthorpe Car Ltd for providing a very(prenominal) interesting design travail and great support throughout.Fin every(prenominal)y, a special thanks to all my friends at Coventry who have made this such a great year.INTRODUCTION1.1 Bruntingthorpe Sports Cars LtdBruntingthorpe Sports Cars Ltd has been tough in the Lightweight elevator car industry for a number of years. They have produced work for many former(a) companies.1.2 Aims of ProjectThe purpose of the design projectTo perform a torsion test on the prototype chassis to determine its torsional stiffnessTo create a finite element model of the chassisTo incorporate a design improvement study and note the effects on the global torsional stiffness of the chassisTo attempt an optimisation for maximum efficiency.The following limitations are given for this projectThe personate shape is fixed and thitherfore the overall external shape of the chassis must not be alteredOverview of body-build TypesDefinition of a ChassisThe chassis is the framework to which everything is attached in a vehicle. In a new(a) vehicle, it is expected to fulfil the following functions bring home the bacon mounting points for the disruptions, the steering mechanism, the railway locomotive and gearbox, the final drive, the fuel tank and the seating for the occupantsProvide rigidity for accurate handlingProtect the occupants against external impact.While fulfilling these functions, the chassis should be light abounding to reduce iner tia and offer satisfactory performance. It should also be tough enough to resist fatigue slews that are produced due to the interaction between the driver, the engine and federal agency transmission and the road.Ladder frameThe history of the ladder frame chassis dates back to the times of the supply drawn carriage. It was apply for the verbalism of body on chassis vehicles, which meant a separately constructed body was mounted on a droping chassis. The chassis consisted of two parallel beams mounted down each side of the car where the front and rear axles were leaf sprung beam axles. The beams were mainly channel sections with lateral cross members, then the name. The main factor influencing the design was resistance to bending just there was no consideration of torsional stiffness.A ladder frame acts as a grillage coordinate with the beams resisting the cut back forces and bending loads. To increase the torsional stiffness of the ladder chassis cruciform bracing was add ed in the 1930s. The torque in the chassis is reacted by placing the cruciform members in bending, although the connections between the beams and the cruciform must be rigid. Ladder frames were used in car construction until the 1950s but in racing unless until the middle(prenominal) 1930s . A typical ladder frame is shown below.ladderFig. 1 Ref. 2Twin subwayThe ladder frame chassis became obsolete in the mid 1930s with the advent of all-round independent suspension, pioneered by Mercedes Benz and railway car Union. The suspension was unable to operate effectively due to the lack of torsional stiffness. The ladder frame was circumscribed to overcome these failings by making the side rails deeper and boxing them. A closed section has approximately one thousand times the torsional stiffness of an outspoken section. Mercedes initially chose rectangular section, later switching to oval section, which has gamey torsional stiffness and high bending stiffness due to increased sectio n depth, while Auto Union used tubular section. The original Mercedes design was further improved by mounting the cross members through the side rails and welding on both sides. The efficiency of checkmate organ pipe chassis is usually low due to the weight of the large tubes. They were still in use into the 1950s, the 1958 Lister-Jaguar being an practice of this type .Fig. 2 Ref. 2Four tubeAs designers sought to improve the bending stiffness of a chassis, the twin tube chassis evolved into the four tube chassis. The original twin tube design was modified by adding two more longitudinal tubes that ran from the front of the car, around the cockpit opening and on to the rear of the car. The slither by and bottom side rails are connected by vertical or diagonal members, essentially creating a very deep side rail and thus improving the bending characteristics. The two sides are joined by a series of bulkheads, normally located at the front, foot tumefysprings, dash area, seatback , and rear of the chassis.A significant increase in bending stiffness was realised but there is little increase in the torsional stiffness due to the lack of triangulation cause lozenge of the bays.lotus21formula1_1961Fig. 3 lotus 21 Ref. 4BackboneThe backbone chassis has a long history in automobile design with its origins credited to Hans Ledwinka, an get up with Czech automaker Tatra. Ferdinand Porsche worked with Ledwinka in the 1920s and arguably learned much of his craft from him. When a chassis derives its torsional stiffness from one large central tube running the length of the car, the resistance to twist depends almost entirely on the cross-sectional area of that tube. Clearly, that cross section can be much bigger than the typical drive shaft tunnel. Depending on the vehicle configuration it is possible to arrange for an approximately rectangular tube of substantial dimensions. This arrangement fits in well with conventional side-by-side seating, with the large centra l twiste forming a centre console. Such an arrangement was utilised by Colin Chapman on the lotus Elan .backbone_elan_1962Fig. 4 1962 white lily Elan backbone chassis Ref.4SpaceframeAlthough the spaceframe demonstrated a logical development of the four-tube chassis, the space frame differs in several key areas and offers enormous advantages over its predecessors. A spaceframe is one in which many straight tubes are arranged so that the loads experienced all act in either tension or crunch. This is a major advantage, since none of the tubes are subject to a bending load. Since space frames are inherently stiff in torsion, very little genuine is needed so they can be lightweight.The growing realisation of the need for increased chassis torsional stiffness in the years following World warfare II led to the space frame, or a variation of it, becoming universal among European road race cars following its appearance on both the white lotus Mk IV and the Mercedes 300 SL in 1952. Whil e these cars were not strictly the first to use space frames, they were widely successful, and the attention they received popularised the idea.lotusmarkVI_1952Fig. 5 1952 Lotus Mk.IV spaceframeStressed skinThe next logical step for chassis development was the accentuate skin design. This is more difficult to construct than a spaceframe with the accurate folding, forming, boring and riveting of pall stigma or modern composite materials. The lessons learnt in the aircraft industry do not usually apply directly in self-propelled practice. The loads on aircraft are widely distributed the lift that holds a plane up, for pillowcase, is spread over the entire area of its wings. On a race/sports car, the loads are much more concentrated, being focused on the suspension mounting points.Even when a method is developed to accept forces and spread them over a load bearing skin, it becomes extremely inconvenient to make any modifications and may even require a major redesign. Analysis of the stresses in stressed skin construction is more difficult.The continuous surface considerably complicates access for repair or replacement of the cars mechanical fixingss. This may also explain wherefore stressed skin construction was virtually unheard of in race cars before the modern mid-engine configuration. The majority of mid-engine race cars end their stressed skin construction at the back of the cockpit, with either a space frame or the engine itself forming the remainder of the anatomical structure. For all these drawbacks, stressed skin construction can potentially outperform any other form of race car construction in legal injury of torsional stiffness.Load CasesA chassis is subjected to ternary load cases bending, torsion and dynamic loads.The bending (vertical symmetrical) load case occurs when both wheels on one axle of the vehicle encounter a symmetrical bump simultaneously. The suspension on this axle is displaced, and the compression of the springs causes an upward force on the suspension mounting points. This applies a bending moment to the chassis about a lateral axis.bendingFig. 6 turn Load case Ref. 2The torsion (vertical asymmetric) load case occurs when one wheel on an axle strikes a bump. This loads the chassis in torsion as well as bending. It has been found both in theory and in practice that torsion is a more severe load case than bending.torsion2Fig. 7 tortuousness Load case Ref. 2The dynamic load case comprises longitudinal and lateral loads during acceleration, braking and cornering. These loads are usually ignored when analysing structural performance.A torsionally stiff chassis offers a number of advantagesAccording to vehicle dynamics principles for predictable and safe handling the geometry of the suspension and steering must remain as designed. For o stingingr dictum the camber, castor and toe angles could change with torsional twist or the steering geometry could change causing bump steer.Once again according to vehicle dynamics principles a suspension should be stiff and well damped to obtain good handling. To this end the front suspension, chassis and the rear suspension can be seen as three springs in series as shown in Fig. 8. If the chassis is not sufficiently stiff in torsion then any advantages gained by stiff suspension leave be lost. Furthermore, a chassis without adequate stiffness can make the suspension and handling unpredictable, as it acts as an undamped spring.Rear Suspension drift SuspensionChassisFig. 8 Chassis and suspension as springsMovement of the chassis can also cause squeaks and rattles, which are unacceptable in modern vehicles.Simple Structural SurfacesThe simple structural surfaces method SSS originated from the work of Pawlowski and is described in the notes by Brown and the book by Brown, Robertson and Serpento. These references should be consulted for a thorough understanding of this approach.The SSS method provides a simple way of determining load paths throu gh a structure. Each surface is assumed only to have in-plane stiffness and no out-of-plane stiffness. Each surface is acted on by forces, e.g. the engine mounts. For equilibrium, adjacent surfaces must provide reactions. This process is continued throughout the structure and determines the load on each SSS. It can then be realised if an SSS has insufficient supports or reactions and therefore determines the continuity of load paths and the structures overall integrity.ssssssFig. 9 Ref. 2 Fig. 10 Ref. 2As can be seen in the SSS example in Fig. 9 the box structure is loaded in torsion by the moment Ms, which causes the shear forces Q1 and Q3. All the surfaces are in complementary shear, and the structure is stiff in torsion. If one shear surface is removed, none of the complementary shear forces can exist.The torsion load is then transferred to the floor of the box via the edge forces Q, so the floor panel is loaded out of plane rather than in complementary shearThe Lightweight cars competitors and their structuresAtom Car Atom car is a brilliant example of the lightweight sports car philosophy. You strip out all the heavy crap that sits in the big fat sports cars, put in a small, light but compelling engine, and you have something you can have amazing fun in. The Atom, like its fellow lightweights the Caterhams and the Elises, delivers high thrills for low costs. This is a brilliant weekend car, a trackday car, that you can go very fast in very easily. And I like doing that (on the track obviously) which is why this reckons my third and final garage space.Ariel Atom 500 V8 built to celebrate 10th birthdayTo mark the occasion, Ariel employees assembled an example of their upcoming Ariel Atom 500 V8 high performance car in a personal record of five hours, fifteen minutes. The Ariel Atom 500 V8 is a highly-anticipated ultra light-weight sports car that has been in the making for around two years. The car, although its not your conventional car perse, is more o f a superbike with four wheels. Ariel has confirmed the car will use a 500 horse superpower thats 373kW V8 in the car that will weigh around 500kg. With a superbike like power-to-weight, the Ariel Atom 500 V8 is sure to be the scariest car ever to hit the market. The engine will be a 32-valve Hartley 3.0 -litre V8 which was derived from merging two Suzuki Hayabusa 1300cc superbike four-cylinder engines together. The engine is said to spin to 16,500rpm, like a superbike. And with a gearbox that allows flat-shifting, like a superbike, Ariel says the car will easily achieve 0-160km/h in under six seconds and go on to a conduce speed of 270km/h like a superbike. In a recent Autocar report, Atom designer Simon Saunders summed up the Atom 500 V8 build in a few words, The GT-R is the daily driven car that performs excellent everywhere. The Zonda F is the supercar for the long exploration trips through Europe. The Atom is the little insane car for scaring the crap out of yourselfLOTUS E VORNhttp//www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/evora-chassis.jpgLotus is increasingly building on its 60 year history of creating more with less with all its recent efforts on electric and crisscross drive cars. Besides the power train work, Lotus has plenty of experience with lightweight structures. The latest evolution of that is the architecture of the new Evora sports car that first appearanceed at the capital of the United Kingdom Motor Show this summer. Lotus has now won an award for the aluminium chassis of the Evora at the Aluminium 2008 trade fair at Messe Essen in Germany. The Lotus architecture is comprised mainly of aluminium extrusions combined with some casting. The components are in part riveted together but are primarily joined by gum-like bonding. Lotus developed much of the technology while creating the Elise and has created structures with greater strength and lower weight. With the combination of aluminium structures and the expertise that Lotus al so has in march on composites, car makers can tap into a lot of technology to help reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency.Lotus provides an automotive structure with a unique approach. They combined adhesive bonding techniques with mechanical joining, resulting in innovative and creative solutions. Lotus used their expertise in lightweight materials to complete this structure, achieving a low weight and a high structural stiffness and therefore ensuring a major impact on environmental and sustainable performance. The Lotus Evora demonstrates an ingathering of our core competencies in aluminum and composite body engineering, jointing techniques and vehicle systems integration. Lotus pioneered the technology of bonded aluminum extrusions for use in road vehicles and has successfully developed high performance cars for other car companies around the world. One great advantage of our low volume vehicle architecture technology is that it can be used by one car producer expression to develop a range of niche products, or by a group of car manufacturers looking to share investment, but still retain a high degree of end product separation. The Evoras chassis is an evolution of the Lotus vehicle architecture from the Lotus aluminum crossover concept vehicle previously showcased at the Geneva Motor show, and allows for the development of a range of vehicles up to a gross vehicle weight of 1,900 kg. This architecture has been designed to be more applicable to mid-volume applications by utilizing low capital investment manufacturing processes. The Evora structure progresses the Lotus bonded and riveted technology used in the Elise family of vehicles with unique extrusions and folded panels, whilst providing contemporary ease of ingress/egress, build modularity and improved, lower cost repairs. The Lotus Evora employs a composite roof as a stressed structural member to give an exceptional vehicle stiffness of 26,000 Nm per degree, thanks in part to the seatbelt anch orage frames secondary function as a roll over structure, and partly because the high-tech composite body panels are stressed items. However, despite this high stiffness, the complete chassis and modules weigh just 200 kg (prototype weight), helping to keep the weight of the whole car to just 1350 kg (prototype weight). To deliver this high performance structure, bonded and riveted high grade aluminum extrusions and simple, elegant folded sheet elements are used in the lower structure, which complements the stressed composite roof upper structure. Attached to the high strength central tub are sacrificial energy absorbing sub frames of extruded aluminum at the front and lightweight welded steel at the rear. These sub frame modules also offer advantages in terms of convenience and low cost of repair, and during manufacturing can be brought to the production line fully assembled, ready to be attached to the fully assembled tub.LUSO LM23Luso Motors is a Portuguese car design and develop ment house which has brought us a lightweight sports car LM 23. This design inspired from the Lotus 23b. The Luso Motors 23 is powered by a 150-horsepower 1.0-litre Honda CBR1000 engine, is pair to a six-speed sequential transmission. According to LusoMotors founder Ernesto Freitas says customers can choose a number of different engines, including a Subaru turbo boxer. This sport car features a steel tube frame chassis, reprise skin aluminium pervert sheets, riveted and glued with inner foam reinforcements, the outer skin is made out of fibre trash and century fibre components. It weighs just 881 pounds, a lightweight sports car, and 150 hp The car will start at 15,000(about $23,600).Deronda G400(http//www.sportscarzone.com/deronda-g400-a-race-bred-exotic-sports-car/)Close your eyes and build the ultimate two-seat sports car. stolon with a lightweight, tube-frame chassis and then add race-bred suspension and oversized brakes. Wrap the vehicle in an aero-inspired carbon fiber bo dy shell, but keep the disinterested cockpit open for wind-in-your-hair enjoyment. Lastly, wedge a huge, torque-laden, tire-shredding engine into the middle of the chassis, and tune the exhaust note so it scares the gophers out of your neighbors front lawn. Now, open your eyes and take a look at the Deronda G400.We recently had an afternoon with this exceptional hand-built brute in the mountains above Malibu. With a mid-mounted V8 sourced from a Chevrolet Corvette and the curb weight of a Smart fortwo, the Deronda seems powerful enough to move the economy. Whats the story behind the car? Who makes it, and how? Most importantly, can the Deronda be tamed? Read our full adventure after the jump.The Deronda was originally developed in the United Kingdom by Andy Round, a successful aeronautical engineer. Round wanted to purchase a lightweight high-performance road car, but was frustrated and dissatisfied with what he found after looking at offerings from Caterham, Ultima and Westfield. In a bold move, Round decided to build his own sports car using the most advanced components and materials he could get his hands on. Driving dynamics and safety were key priorities, while styling was to be influenced by Formula 1 and Le Mans Series race cars. The first prototype, manufactured by Fabrication Techniques, was called the Deronda F400. Powered by a turbocharged Audi 1.8-liter four-cylinder rated at 210 hp, Rounds new open-cockpit sports car made its debut at the 2004 Auto sport International Racing Car Show in the UK.At this point, Auto sport Development, a North American manufacturer and importer of unique street and race cars, was sufficiently impressed with the engineering and design of the Deronda that it wanted to build it. Discussions ensued, and the company licensed the estimables to build and sell the car on this continent. Before production started, the team of engineers at Auto sport made a few changes in order to appeal to American drivers. The small 1.8-lit er Audi engine was dropped, and a Corvette-sourced 6.0-liter V-8 took its place. To accommodate the much larger power plant, the team stretched the wheelbase by five inches (increasing overall length by eight inches). The brakes were upgraded, and the suspension was modified to accept the new running gear. The finished product was called the Deronda G400. Available directly from Sirius Motorsports, it is sold turn-key and according to the company, it is 50-state street legal (when licensed as a component car).Each Deronda begins as a pile of two-inch diameter (.095 wall) 4130 chromium molybdenum tubes. Stronger and more durable than standard 1020 steel, chrome moly is steel that has been alloyed with small amounts of chromium and molybdenum to increase its strength. The tubing is precisely cut and placed on a large jig where it is TIG-welded by hand. Safety is principal, so the frame is engineered with double side-impact protection tubing, and double rollover hoops (four in total). Crash structures are built into the front and rear for additional occupant protection. Once complete, the intricate frame weighs 650 pounds bare.A custom suspension, comprised of unequal-length control arms with horizontal mounted shocks, is bolted to the rigid platform. Massive cross-drilled Baer rotors are installed with dual-piston caliper Corvette C5 brakes up front (CNC-milled with the Deronda logo) and single-piston C5 calipers on the rear. Aluminum alloy front wheels measure 18-9-inches ( exhausting 235/30R18 rubber), while the rears measure 18-10-inches (with 285/35R18 tires).Placed mid-engine in the chassis is a new 6.0-liter LS2 engine (as used in the Corvette C6), mated to a durable Porsche G50 five-speed transaxle, with power delivered to the rear wheels. With stock headers, and environmentally-friendly catalytic converters, the engine is rated at 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. A 14-gallon foam-filled ATL fuel cell keeps the power plant fed, and increases safety (a tank -fed fire-suppression system is optional). The exhaust is fitted with a muffler, but it still lets plenty of the engines anger out the back end.The skin of each Deronda is comprised of a change of fiberglass and carbon fiber body panels. The head rest, dashboard, rear wing, and fenders are all carbon fiber. Twin minimally-padded fiberglass seats with six-point harnesses are installed, and the windshield is DOT-legal single-piece of laminated glass with a windshield wiper. The entire build process, from tubing to a finished vehicle, takes about eight weeks. The final curb weight is a mere 1,890 pounds.Simple, hitherto functional, is the best way to describe the cabin. The dashboard presents only the most critical information. While the vehicle obviously lacks doors and a roof, heat arrives from air spilled around the front-mounted radiator. down in the mouth vents, not unlike ports found on light private aircraft, are able to bleed fresh air into the foot wells. Modeled with dimen sions similar to the Porsche 996, the cockpit is cooperative even for someone who is 62 tall or taller. The seats and pedals are both adjustable for a custom fit to accommodate nearly everyone. after(prenominal) a perplexing process of flipping switches and pushing buttons, the brawny V8 spins to life and settles to a smooth idle. Stock Corvette headers dump hot gasses into the cats before they are expelled out twin howitzer-looking mufflers. The sound that penetrates the air is a deep irate rumble that will send chills up your spine.With the clutch fully depressed, we slip the milled aluminum gearshift into first gear and slowly release the clutch. Without drama, we pull away. Lacking power steering, the small, flat-bottomed Sparco steering wheel is very heavy at low speeds. The driveway to the main road is steep, but the needle nose of the Deronda offers surprisingly generous ground clearance. As the traffic breaks, we pull into traffic pointing the car down Californias famed Mulholland Drive towards the Santa Monica Mountains. Warned about the power under our right foot, we treat the gas pedal as if it were a made from blown glass we dont need to spin this vehicle just outside the gate. With the road clear, we goose the accelerator. It is immediately apparent that this could be the quickest car weve ever driven.The engine spools to the called-for throttle input as if the transmission is in neutral, yet the car is firmly in gear. A light touch on the gas pedal is met by the white needles on the primary gauges rapidly sprinting clockwise around their dials. Behind you, the yammer of the LS2 seems to scorch the pavement like the DeLorean in Back to the Future. Gearing doesnt seem to have much effect on the acceleration, either. Whether the transmission is engaged in second or fifth gear, 400 lb.-ft. of torque propels the lightweight G400 as if it were being launched from a 12-gauge shotgun.On public roads, with the wheels wrapped in street tires, the Der onda is seriously challenged for grip (the car is equipped with an adjustable electronic traction control that can be totally defeated). The wide Toyo Proxes T1R rubber on the rears immediately spins under full throttle initiating the electronic reigns, so we simply avoid the last 40% of the accelerators travel. Even driven at only 6/10ths, the car offers more power than nearly everything else on the road. The company doesnt have cited official 0-60 mph times, but under the right conditions were sure its comfortably in the low three-second range. Deronda says the G400 runs out of gears at an ample 183 mph well above the top ends of most minimalist competitors.Redline is a tick under 6,000 rpm, but you simply dont need to go there. The car pulls all the time, regardless of the engine speed or gear. Lug it around township in fourth at 1,200 rpm and it will deliver enough torque to annihilate the random Subaru WRX that begs to race. For all of its power, the engine is surprisingly tractable and diffused to control. Drive it gently, and you flow with the traffic without concern. Step on the gas and the Deronda growls before it rips your head off. Rarely do you find a car with a bite that so exactly matches its bark.Blinding acceleration aside, the overall impression is that the Deronda drives much more like a race car than a street car. Without power assisted steering or brakes, the primary controls feel much heavier that those on any high performance road vehicle. Both hands, and both feet, are unendingly interacting with the wheel, clutch, brake, and accelerator. Involving would be a supreme understatement.derondafd 02 opt Deronda G400 A race bred exotic sports carAfter time spent following the roads curving through the mountains, we became much more comfortable in the Deronda. Excellent front visibility allows the driver to precisely place the wheels exactly where intended. While the steering was a labor at low speeds, the effort eased as our velocity in creased. The lack of assist soon becomes an asset as the steering feels quick, accurate and very direct.Our unsatiated appetite for the accelerator pedal kept us off the brakes, but eventually traffic forced us to call them to duty. As our speeds were relatively low (50-70 mph in the canyons), we couldnt get a lot of heat into the pad compound. The initial application of the pedal seemed futile as the drilled rotors continued to slide between the pads. Only when our foot really got on it hard did the Corvette-sourced stoppers feel strong. This car is fitted with generous rotors and track-ready pads, but it was clear we were underutilizing them. It also needed softer street pads (while there is a cockpit-adjustable brake-bias knob, we didnt touch it).Open to the world, the cabin was surprisingly comfortable at speed. The driver and passenger sit low in the chassis, and the large, canopy-like windscreen does an excellent seam deflecting the slip stream around the cockpit. It was c ool outside, but we could feel some warm air spilling into the foot wells. Rearward visibility was poor, even through the tunnel-vision out-of-door mirrors, and all you can see is the jet-black carbon fiber wing (visibility really didnt matter, as nobody passed us). However, even though the Deronda is smaller than most of the other traffic on the road, we never had an overbearing feeling of being undersized. Quite the opposite, actually, as the incredible power delivery and nimble handling made us feel as confident in traffic as a squirrel running from a small child.We never tired of darting through the canyons in the needle-nose Deronda. In fact, we felt like a fighter pilot. Our forward view was through a large glass canopy, we were strapped down with thick shoulder harnesses, and the engines loud roar filled the void left by our wake. Like a jet, the G400 is agile, powerful, and built for speed.Without a doubt, a prepared Deronda would dominate most conventional sports cars on a race track a thought that has already crossed the minds of the team at Autosport Development. With a safe, strong, and proven chassis already developed, a closed -cockpit monocoque body for the platform wouldnt be too much of a stretch. We wouldnt be surprised to see something rolling out of the factory in the near future wearing competition attire.derondafd 13 opt Deronda G400 A race bred exotic sports carIf you have to question the styling, the choice of power plant, or whether the seats have enough padding, the Deronda G400 is not for you. With a base price of $64,000 (most customers spend about $95,000 by the time they get done customizing), it may be out of reach. If it is in your budget, take note, Sirius Motorsports is on track to han

Supporting Embryonic Stem Cell Research Essay -- Embryo Embryonic Stem

Supporting Embryonic Stem Cell Research Scientific research has the ability to garter the terminally ill and disabled. Some people find this research is morally wrong. If this research sponsors people with disease and disability would you condone it? Today in The linked States t present is controversy facing embryologic stem electric electric cell research.People are dying because of the legal and moral obstacles involved in embryonic stem cell research. American citizens with illnesses and disease could be treated if this research was to continue at a much faster pace. With federal funding scientists believe they will be able to have much success with embryonic stem cell research. Humans are suffering from serious illnesses every day and these restrictions are move a hold on maybe one day finding a cure.Embryonic stem cell research is experimental research that uses aborted fetuses and embryos to help cure certain illnesses and diseases. Embryonic stem cells are cells taken from aborted embryos. Embryonic stem cells are very different than any other cells in the body. These embryonic stem cells are considered blank cells. This means that embryonic stem cells can be programmed to be almost any kind of cell, tissue, or organ in the body. Stem cells have three general properties they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods they are unspecialized and they can give rise to specialized cell types. Embryonic stem cells are primitive (undifferentiated) cells from the embryo that have the potential to become a wide variety of specialized cell types, states The National shew of Health. In other words, embryonic stem cells are the most versatile cells in the body. They are able to take on ... ...ents Council on Bioethics. The avouchment made by that ethics within the law are holding back future of embryonic stem cell research. The Solution The problem here is basic. Embryonic stem cell research holds the key to a wide variety of medical advances. This research being very controversial because of morals is extremely regulated and poorly funded. There are many different solutions can be proposed in favor of embryonic stem cell research. 1. Vote for more liberal governemnt officals in favor of the research. 2. Educate and inform the people around you about the benefits of stem cell research. 3. Donate money to nonprofit organizations such as The Stem Cell Research Foundation. These donations can be written of your income tax returns. Donations would help speed up the research process and eventually deduct the healing process.

Realism and the War on Terror Essay -- essays research papers

Realist thought on international relations adjoin comfortably within the context of the spectacular warfares of the twentieth century. Powerful nations possessing massive military forces took aim at one another to affect the hierarchical structure of the international system for the good of their protest security and power. These wars, however, differ greatly from todays unconventional war on terrorism. Therefore, the realist theories of yesterday, while still useful, require at least some tweaking to summate the present situation. Probably the most obvious critique of realism with regard to the war on terrorism is that it is a theory that deals with international relations. The belligerents in the war on terrorism are not endlessly conventional nation-states. Therefore, any theory that seeks to explain international relations must be amended to fit the framework of a situation in which nations are not the only players. This is not simply a matter of diction either. Non-state a ctors do not always act like states possessing a cohesive foreign policy and a desire for self-preservation and advancement. Furthermore, terrorist organizations are not tied to any specific area of push down surrounded by well-defined borders that are protected with conventional military forces. This is not to say that terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda and Hezbollah are just devoid of the motivations on which traditional nation-sates act like the desire for power, wealth, and security beca...

Reunification in Homers Odyssey :: Homer Odyssey Essays

Reunification in Homers Odyssey In Homers epic poem, the Odyssey, the main theme is the reunification of the family, as Odysseus struggles to return home and rejoin his wife and son. Throughout the Odyssey, we are shown examples of families good ones that prosper and bad ones that do not. As Telemakhos struggles to become a man and Odysseus struggles homeward, the conceit of rose-cheeked family life is stressed. At the end, when all conflicts are resolved and Odysseus is reunited with wife and son, the lesson that a united family can overcome any obstacles is shown and is one that todays families should heed. As the Odyssey begins, we match a family in disarray. Odysseus whereabouts are unknown. Penelope has spent four years keeping the suitors at bay and spent 20 years crying for Odysseus. And Telemakhos has braggy up confused and unsure of himself, without a real father figure. Simultaneously, as a result, we see a kingdom also in disarray. Ithaca has no king, thusly no father figure. And the sons of the kingdom, hence the suitors, have no guidance and act in an egregious manner. They eat and drink all day, slowly depleting Odysseus cattle and booze stock. They gamble and constantly harass Penelope and Telemakhos. As Telemakhos, who is ignorant of how real family life should be, travels in search of his father, he learns about family life. In Pylos, he meets Nestor, who asks his son, Peisistratus, to surveil him. This is important because it is the first time Telemakhos has a real friend. In Sparta, he meets King Menelaos and Helen, who are in the midst of the celebration of a double wedding. here he is shown what a real family should be. Menelaos and Helen have had their troubles. But since they were reunited after the Trojan War, their lives together have been happy and their relationship is loving, honest, and healthy. By the same token, their kingdom thrives, because of this healthy family relationship. Menelaos brother, Agamemnon, does not have a healthy family relationship. His family is held up to everyone as what a family should not be. It is ironic that the marriages of two brothers, Agamemnon and Menelaos, to two sisters, Helen and Clytemnestra, should be such exact reversal in their outcome. During his absence during the Trojan War, Agamemnons wife, Clytemnestra, took a lover, Aigisthos. Upon Agamemnons return, Clytemnestra kills him and his slave-mistress, Cassandra.

Date Rape and Acquaintance Rape Essays -- The Tragedy of Date Rape

Date misdemeanour is not a r are incident. Surveys indicate that in 84% of rape cases, the victim knows the attacker, and 57% of rapes occur on dates (Warshaw 11). However, what is level off more surprising than these high statistics is that most incidents of date rape go un business relationshiped. some(prenominal) theories exist that fork up to explain this phenomenon. For example, adult maley women whitethorn refuse to retrieve that their friend raped them. In fact, they could eventually convince themselves that it never exceeded. Additionally, there is wonder following the attack in which memory and emotions become mixed up. When alcohol or drugs are involved, the women may have no memory of the attack whatsoever. hitherto if the victim does remember the attack, they could be left with a sense that they permit themselves be taken advantage of. In cases such as this, the victim may blame them self instead of the attacker. The shame involved in both being battered by or hurting someone we care for makes it life-threatening to tell anyone, even those closest to us. People in abusive relationships a good deal work hard at making it seem as if nothing is wrong. They try to convince themselves and others that its not really that bad, or that it doesnt happen all the time. (Hicks 18)Additionally, societal perceptions dictate that a woman should know how to set limits, and that they are responsible for their own actions. Many women, thinking cover charge on their inner experiences, depart respond affirmatively when asked the question mother you ever had sex with a man when you didnt want to, because he used physical force against you? save at the same time offer a firm no when asked Have you ever been raped? (Bender 10-11)While victims of date rape rarely report the crime, the psychological effects are just as bad as if a stranger raped them. Since fewer women seek counseling or sermon for date rape than for rape by a stranger, the effects can b e even more severe. In recent years, public attention has been bony to the prevalence of date rape through the media and researchers. However, many believe that date rape is still the most widely under-reported crime. (Warshaw 11-14)Date rape has existed for as grand as recorded history. In fact a date rape is expound in the Old Testament (2 Sam. 13 1-15) committed by Amnon, boy of Kind David. Despite its long history, public awareness and attention has not been draw ... ...sion.Educators choose to ignore the reality that acquaintance rape happens in subordinate highs, senior highs, and colleges across the country. Moreover, some school officials find it easier to punt the problem back to uninformed parents rather than risk calling attention to a workable negative situation in their own institutions. (Warshaw 169)Often, parents are reluctant to consider that their sinless child could commit date rape or could put themself in a position to be date raped. However, if these at titudes are changed and teachers and parents begin to educate teenage people about date rape, the prevalence of date rape will begin to drop drastically.Works CitedBender, David Date despoil San Diego Greenhaven Press, 2008Hicks, John Dating madness Brookfield Millbrook Press, 2007Lindquist, Scott The Date Rape Prevention Book Naperville Sourcebooks, 2012Mufson, Susan Straight Talk near Date Rape unfermented York Facts On File, 2009Parrot, Andrea Date Rape & Acquaintance Rape New York Rosen Publishing Group,2008Thornhill, Randy. The History of Rape. Cambridge MIT Press, 2012Warshaw, Robin. I Never Called It Rape New York Harper & Row, 1994 Date Rape and Acquaintance Rape Essays -- The Tragedy of Date RapeDate rape is not a rare incident. Surveys indicate that in 84% of rape cases, the victim knows the attacker, and 57% of rapes occur on dates (Warshaw 11). However, what is even more surprising than these high statistics is that most incidents of date rape go un reported. Several theories exist that try to explain this phenomenon. For example, many women may refuse to believe that their friend raped them. In fact, they could eventually convince themselves that it never happened. Additionally, there is confusion following the attack in which memory and emotions become mixed up. When alcohol or drugs are involved, the women may have no memory of the attack whatsoever. Even if the victim does remember the attack, they could be left with a sense that they let themselves be taken advantage of. In cases such as this, the victim may blame them self instead of the attacker. The shame involved in either being battered by or hurting someone we care for makes it hard to tell anyone, even those closest to us. People in abusive relationships often work hard at making it seem as if nothing is wrong. They try to convince themselves and others that its not really that bad, or that it doesnt happen all the time. (Hicks 18)Additionally, societal perceptions dictate that a woman should know how to set limits, and that they are responsible for their own actions. Many women, thinking back on their sexual experiences, will respond affirmatively when asked the question Have you ever had sex with a man when you didnt want to, because he used physical force against you? but at the same time offer a firm no when asked Have you ever been raped? (Bender 10-11)While victims of date rape rarely report the crime, the psychological effects are just as bad as if a stranger raped them. Since fewer women seek counseling or treatment for date rape than for rape by a stranger, the effects can be even more severe. In recent years, public attention has been drawn to the prevalence of date rape through the media and researchers. However, many believe that date rape is still the most widely under-reported crime. (Warshaw 11-14)Date rape has existed for as long as recorded history. In fact a date rape is described in the Old Testament (2 Sam. 13 1-15) committ ed by Amnon, son of Kind David. Despite its long history, public awareness and attention has not been drawn ... ...sion.Educators choose to ignore the reality that acquaintance rape happens in junior highs, senior highs, and colleges across the country. Moreover, some school officials find it easier to punt the problem back to uninformed parents rather than risk calling attention to a possible negative situation in their own institutions. (Warshaw 169)Often, parents are reluctant to consider that their perfect child could commit date rape or could put themself in a position to be date raped. However, if these attitudes are changed and teachers and parents begin to educate young people about date rape, the prevalence of date rape will begin to drop drastically.Works CitedBender, David Date Rape San Diego Greenhaven Press, 2008Hicks, John Dating Violence Brookfield Millbrook Press, 2007Lindquist, Scott The Date Rape Prevention Book Naperville Sourcebooks, 2012Mufson, Susan Straight T alk About Date Rape New York Facts On File, 2009Parrot, Andrea Date Rape & Acquaintance Rape New York Rosen Publishing Group,2008Thornhill, Randy. The History of Rape. Cambridge MIT Press, 2012Warshaw, Robin. I Never Called It Rape New York Harper & Row, 1994

Three Cheers for Madness :: Nabokov Heller Montaigne Essays

Three Cheers for MadnessThree of Psychologys Least Wanted sit next to my desk and flap me closer A graying Humbert licks the corner of my eye and throws me a pitifully seductive glance an anxiety-ridden Yossarian repeats over and over that the whole world is trying to kill him, and an near robotic Montaigne sits as a kind of mediating force between the others, his head snapping back and forth from Humbert to Yossarian while his hands open and close books so quickly champion might imagine his purpose is only to get a whiff of each covers staling odor.I need no special full stop to deem them all nutcases. What I know of Humbert and Yossarian comes by way of Vladimir Nabokov and Joseph Heller, respectively, as they are the creators, surveyors, and closest contacts of the deceivingly fictional characters. Brilliant in their ability to characteriseto sculpt flat words into the kind of real live, dynamic human beings one might well share a cab withNabokov and Heller slue a rousing gl impse into the souls of two intensely confusing personalities and succeed in making us forget that the characters are only the brainchildren of the writers, and not the writers themselves. character Michel de Montaigne seems to look on from afar, speculating in an essay entitled On Books about his impatience for a number of acclaimed writers and their works, while confessing his particular curiosity to know the mind and natural opinions of writers. Knowing well that Nabokov is not the sex offender he appears to have studied so intimately, and that Heller is not the soldier living amidst the amazement he so thoroughly seems to understand, Montaigne would understand that from the display of their writings that they make on the world-stage, we may indeed judge their talents, but not their character or themselves (167). But this is more than I can handle, as my conceptions of these characters as well as the writers who shaped them seem altogether disturbing. While writing out their pr escriptions for blow out of the water therapy (the paranoid soldiers frustratingly ambiguous remarks have earned him a bit more of it than the others), Humbert nudges forward his notebook of scattered words and doodlesa notebook containing his deepest thoughts about Dolores Haze (or Lolita), the twelve-year old girl with whom he has been completely infatuated his entire middle-aged life. I expect to run my eyes over dysphemistic passagesperverse diagrams, evenreflecting his disconcertingly base attraction to the pre-teen.