Book Review on The Hidden Life of Dogs

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas is a pretty well-known author of a number of books dealing with social lives of animals (dogs and deer, for example) and primitive tribes, both contemporary and ancient (her primary specialization is anthropology). In The Hidden Life of Dogs she tries to get an insight into what she considers to be the real life of dogs, the life people don’t get to see because they, according to her, never ask themselves what their dogs really want. Whether she manages to reach her goal or not is, however, rather debatable. Anthropomorphic Personification of Dogs The Hidden Life of Dogs is written in the manner of a memoir – Thomas describes many years of her interactions with her dogs (a substantial pack of ten huskies and, for some reason, a dingo) and analyzes what she perceives as their psychology, mannerisms, wishes and so on. The problem is that she clearly allows her primary specialization as an anthropologist to get the better of her. She doesn’t simply anthropomorphize her dogs, she doesn’t seem to see any major differences between people and dogs in the matter of psychology. She doesn’t actually analyze their behavior; she simply takes their behavior and gives an explanation based on her conjectures, sometimes providing examples of rather shocking (for a dog-owner) ignorance. For example, in one episode she leads a male dog to his mate with a litter of puppies, and, although he doesn’t see them, he knows the puppies are there. She proceeds to say: puppies are silent, so he doesn’t hear them, he doesn’t see them, I can’t smell them, so he can’t smell them as well – yet, shockingly, he somehow knows they are here. Needless to say, any person who knows anything about dogs knows they have much, much better hearing and the sense of smell than people. Real Life of Dogs or Irresponsibility of an Owner? But it may just be a harmless quirk of an author. What is much worse is her irresponsibility and the fact she doesn’t notice it. There are a lot of things that will make any dog-owner silently curse the author in disbelief. To name a few: She lets her dogs roam urban areas around her home unsupervised, isn’t bothered when they are missing for days on end and seems fascinated when they manage to come back without being hit by a car. She never neuters or spays her dogs, allows them to breed among themselves without regulation and, again, lets them roam on their own. She leaves two bitches with their newborn litters alone in the house, which results in one of them killing the puppies of another one. It is ridiculous to listen about any insights into the life of dogs from a person who allows all this to happen to her pets and doesn’t see anything abnormal about it. She is among those dog-owners that make you wish there were some kind of exam one has to pass before he is allowed to keep a pet.

The Major Battles of the Civil War Essay - 1835 Words

The Major Battles of the Civil War No other war seems to hold our focus like the Civil War. Scholars have chosen to make it their lifes work, authors have written reams about it, and we all feel some kind of connection to the Civil War. This paper was created to highlight some of the major battles that took place during that conflict. Major battles usually marked a drastic change in the momentum from one side to the other or led to massive losses of troops. These battles and their results all played a huge part in the outcome of the war. One of the war’s first battles was the Battle of First Bull Run. Todays site of the Battle of First Bull Run is a tranquil pasture surrounded by trees and a split rail fence. Instead of the neigh†¦show more content†¦General Pierre Beauregard, commander of Confederate troops at the Battle of First Bull Run and second-in-command during the Battle of Shiloh, commented that the enemy was given ...the most surprising surprise but the delays allowed Union reinforcements to take their place on the battlefield beside their comrades and drive the rebels back after two days of fighting. No ground was gained, no strategic town was taken, no supply depot was sacked, but the Union victory did force the evacuation of Confederate troops from much of Tennessee and split the rebel forces along the lines formed by the Mississippi River. Albert Sidney Johnson was a Troop Commander in this battle. Johnston was born in Kentucky and obtained his education at West Point. He graduated in 1826. Johnstons first taste of active service came in 1832 during the Black Hawk Indian War. He resigned his commission afterwards only to return to active duty in 1836. He fought against the United States Indians on the River Neches and served in the Mexican War with Major General Zachary Taylor. Taylor made Johnston a paymaster during Taylors presidency. He continued his rise in the ranks by becoming a colonel in the 2nd Calvary, a brevet brigadier general commanding the Utah military district and in 1861 the commander of the Pacific Coast. Johnston was the highest-ranking individual on either side to die in battle. While directing operations during the battle, Johnston wasShow MoreRelatedEssay about The American Civil War: America’s Bloodiest War716 Words   |  3 PagesAmerican Civil War, known as the War Between the States’ by some, was America’s bloodiest war. The Civil War consisted of over 10,000 battles between The Union Army of the North and the South’s Confederate Army, which lasted almost 4 years. The War was fought in 23 states and of the more than 10,000 battles only about 50 were major battles. (Weider, The Civil War, 1) In this paper the reader will learn about important dates of the war also about 4 of the bloodiest battles in the war; the Battle of ShilohRead MoreThe Civil War Of The United States Essay1054 Words   |  5 Pages The American civil war, also known as â€Å"The War Between the States†, is considered to be one of the bloodiest wars in America, lasting fr om 1861-1865. The civil war was a war that was fought between the northern states, also know as the â€Å"Union states† and the southern states, also known as the confederacy states. The northern states were more industrialized and the southern states had more of a agrarian economy, this is what lead to the northern and southern states to have different social, culturalRead MoreThe Battle Of Bull Run1269 Words   |  6 PagesThe Battle of Bull Run was one of the first major battles in the United States Civil War. The battle took place on July 21st, 1861 just twenty five miles southwest of Washington D.C., which was also the center of the Union Government. This battle also convinced the Lincoln administration and the North that the Civil War would last longer than they expected and would be consisting of bloodier fights costing many more lives. The US Civil War is known as the second most deadly war America has ever experiencedRead MoreA New Battle Of The Civil War1396 Words   |  6 PagesA New War To Fight The Civil War was one of the most trying moments in American history. Two opinions trying to outweigh each other caused citizens to choose to be united under two different flags instead of one. Both sides, the Union and the Confederacy, have their own interpretation of how the war happened. For example, a citizen (although their identity is unknown) noted that â€Å"The civil war was a whole new type of warfare. Unfortunately, the only way one could learn how to fight in this new typeRead MoreThe Battle Of Gettysburg And Civil War1375 Words   |  6 PagesThe Battle of Gettysburg occurred July 1-3, 1863 in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and was one of the most significant battles of the American Civil War. Union forces of the North, commanded by Major General George G. Meade met and fought the Confederate forces of the South, commanded by General Robert E. Lee. Many historians believe the battle was a large turning point in the Civil War in favor of the Union (Woodworth, 200 8). However, this is disputable. The battle was also significantRead MoreThe Battle of Antietam Creek600 Words   |  3 PagesThe Battle of Antietam Creek The Battle of Antietam Creek was a very bloody and important battle in the Civil war. The battle was fought by two different armies within the Union and the Confederacy, The Army of the Potomac (Union) and The Army of Northern Virginia (Confederate). Antietam Creek is located just to the east of the Potomac River in Maryland. The battle was fought on a hill just above the west bank of Antietam Creek. The Army of the Potomac, who was on the offensive, was pushing towardsRead MoreThe Battle of Fort Sumter Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pageswill inaugurate a civil war greater than any the world has yet seen†¦you will lose us every friend at the North. You will wantonly strike a hornet’s nest which extends from mountains to ocean. Legions now quiet will swarm out and string us to death. It is unnecessary. It put us in the wrong. It is fatal. –Robert Toombs. (Boerner paragraph 2). The Civil War impacted the course of history forever. But it had to start somewhere and the Battle of Fort Sumter marked the start. The Battle of Fort Sumter hadRead MoreThe Civil War : The Greatest And Most Catastrophic War Essay1275 Words   |  6 PagesThe Civil War is an essential event in America s history. The Civil War determined what kind of nation the United States would be. Would it be a breakable confederation of absolute states or an indivisible nation with an absolute national government ? Northern victory of the war protected the United States as one nation and ended the foundation of slavery which had separated the country initially. However, those results came at the value of many lives.Nearly 625,000 American soldiers lives wereRead MoreThe War Of The Civil War Essay944 Words   |  4 Pages The War of Succession, universally known as the Civil War, was a war unlike any other. According to the Civil War Trust, â€Å" it was the most immensely colossal and most destructive conflict in the Western world between the cessation of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the onset of World War I in 1914.† It commenced when the Confederate army assailed Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. The Civil War was a rigorously catastrophic event for both the North and the South. About 360,000 of the Union’s men wereRead MoreThe Life of Geroge Armstrong Custer884 Words   |  4 Pagesto brigadier general and major general in the regular army on March 13, 1865 and major general of volunteers April 15, 1865 during the American Civil War. Later in 1870’s, Custer moved to the west to fight in the Indian Wars. On June 25, 1876, a battle at Little Bighorn against Lakota and Cheyenne warriors was fought where he led 210 men. Custer and all of his men were killed in the battle. The ba ttle, also known as â€Å"Custer’s Last Stand,† was part of the Black Hills War against a confederation of

Film Critique (the Blind Side) - 1392 Words

Week Five Individual Film Critique Neil A. Burgheimer HUM/150 Week Five Individual Film Critique This week for the final film critique I chose to review The Blind Side (2009). In this film Sandra Bullock plays Leigh Anne Tuohy, a successful interior designer. Her husband Sean Tuohy played by Tim McGraw is the owner of over 85 fast food franchises including Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, and Long John Silver’s. In the film Leigh Anne takes a boy named Michael â€Å"Big Mike† Oher into her home and provides him with the opportunity of a lifetime. Actor Quinton Aaron takes on the role of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of Leigh†¦show more content†¦There are also quite a few scenes in the film in which the cameras depth of field and focus are used in different ways to either focus only on one particular subject in the shot or focus on all subjects both near and far using a deep focus. As far as the context of the film is concerned I believe it would be possible to take certain scenes and piece them together in such a way as to illustrate a theme, but I believe watching the entire film really brings everything together. I have no personal influences or biases that affected my opinion of the film. I believe that this film is a very heartfelt and enjoyable story and there are no overtones that should cause the viewer to be influenced otherwise. Overall I love the story and I think that the Tuohy family set an amazing example for others to follow. This film has many genres to include biography, drama, and sports genres. The most prevalent genre for this film is the biography genre. The Blind Side (2009) tells the story of Michael Oher, the first round NFL draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens. Through the film the life and times of Michael are chronicled from his early childhood upbringing in the aptly named Hurt Village, to the life he now lives as a professional football player in the NFL. The film also incorporates many theatrical elements of a drama and due to the nature of the film it may also fall into the sports genre. This film was very enjoyable to watch and there are many reasons that I would watchShow MoreRelatedThe Blind Side Movie Analysis947 Words   |  4 PagesThe Blind Side, directed by John Lee Hancock, is a true story about Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a African American homeless boy who is taken in by an upper-class white family and faces the challenges of stereotypes in their society. Oher’s story has reached millions through the book The Blind Side: Evolution of the Game, written by Lewis Michael, and its movie adaption The Blind Side. Throughout the movie, you watch Oher face multiple social standards and overcome them. Oher struggles with notRead MoreAnalysis Of The Film Unforgiven966 Words   |  4 Pagesthe film The Little Train Robbery was released. It was a parody of The Great Train Robbery, and it had the same plot except an all child cast. It was the first movie to critique or make fun of another movie. The director had a point to get across to the audience and he did that through the use of children actors. Almost ninety years later the biggest western actor at the time did the same thing, except without the humor. He directed the film Unforgiven, and through it he was able to critique certainRead MoreMy Movie Critique of the Blind Side2106 Words   |  9 PagesMy Movie Critique of The Blind Side Shannon Cowper English 225: Introduction to Film Michael Warren February 2, 2014 Some people may feel that if a movie wins an academy award that it is a great movie because the film critics have experience, the film critics are paid professionals, and also that the film critics decide which movies are nominated for an academy award so the movie must be good. But this is where many people beg to differ regarding the film critic’s reviews on a particularRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Dear White People By Justin Simien919 Words   |  4 PagesRacism Still Exist The feature film â€Å"Dear White People† Directed by Justin Simien is a smart and a fearless debut as I have seen from an American filmmaker in quite some time: open to encourage and confident in its own originality. And he deserves the won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. We have heard it a lot that We have a black President so racism must be over? We have seenRead MoreThe Between The Underworld And The Orderly World1424 Words   |  6 PagesTheis blurring of the lines between the underworld and the orderly world is also highlighted in the editing. At one point in the film there are two meetings going on at the same time, one between members of organized crime and one between the police. The actions that occur in each meeting are meant to parallel each other, and Lang triesis trying to confuse the audience on who the police are and who the criminals are. A series of match and cross cuts are used to create this effect. Not only do theRead MoreHow Technology Has Changed The Development Of Today s Society1300 Words   |  6 Pagescontaining cameras has led to a shift in culture and a new found passion for amateur filmmaking among society. Several cultural factors, globally and locally, have contributed to the success of mobile devices and amateur film. Technology is not just shaping culture; modern film and internet culture is shaping the development of today’s society. Globally, the self-concept of many cell phone and social media users is being manipulated. Cell phone use for photography and videography has led to an increaseRead MoreJane Austen s Emma And Clueless Comparison1655 Words   |  7 Pagestitular character, one can look at Emma as a satirical work regarding the restrictions and conventions of 19th century society. This satirical element later went on to inspire Heckerling’s interpretation as she adapted the story of Emma into the cult film, Clueless, which goes on to highlight the phenomena of cliques amongst the youth of America. Both works use the element of exaggeration in order to explore the gender stereotypes and expectations placed upon society during their respective eras. HeckerlingRead MoreEssay about The Origins of Life: Evolution vs Intelligent Design1634 Words   |  7 Pagesis absolute.† The United States has been a country, in which the separation of church and state has been adopted and assumed to be prac ticed, but there has been a perennial conflict disrupting the balance between church and state. In his innovative film, The Revisionaries, director Scott Thurman exposes how the public education system has become the latest battleground in the face of an old conflict – between religion and science – challenging the ideological edifice on which the nation stands. TheRead MoreThe Movie The Bride Of Frankenstein And Mad Love Directed By Karl Freund2024 Words   |  9 PagesThe point of a film is to share a message through entertainment; it can be thought that films made in the same era can share a common goal. This is not always the case, like in the films The Bride of Frankenstein directed by James Whale and Mad Love directed by Karl Freund. These two films both talk about romantic love but they do so in different ways. Romantic love occurs when two people share intimacy and a strong connection. Love has been something in the past that has driven people and has forced Read MoreEssay about The Power of Horace McCoy’s They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?2674 Words   |  11 Pagessupported essay. Nearly half a century has passed since most films and texts in the Noir tradition were created, yet one may wonder how much is really known about these popular American products. Scholars remain fascinated by many aspects of Film Noir, yet it appears that its fictional precursors (such as the texts of Cain, McCoy and Hammett) may have been too quickly ignored within the canon. Many have enthusiastically studied, for example, Film Noir’s ground-breaking effects on lighting and acting techniques

Online Shopping Vs. Market Shopping Essay Example For Students

Online Shopping Vs. Market Shopping Essay Cathy HuangMr. Allen and Mr. BuysJunior Humanities Periods 3+402/24/2016Online shopping vs in-store shoppingThesis: Online shopping is better than in-store one and will have more customers in the future. Since the internet came out and developed, online shopping has become important parts of many people. With the rapid development of the Internet in the world, more and more people began to start online shopping due to its convenience, time-saving and benefits. For the definition, Online shopping is an act of purchasing items or services on the Internet and has grown in popularity over years. Narrowly speaking, it can be understood as searching online information and having online deals. But broadly speaking, if one section of shopping is finished online, it will be regarded as online shopping. What you need to learn is just to click your mouse and to wait instead of going out by foot or driving. According to a recent survey, people in favor of online shopping are far more than those in favor of in-store shopping. Abramovich shows his survey for behavior of shopping that: â€Å"Seventy-two percent of Millennials research and shop their options online before going to a store or the mall. †(Abramovich) The fact that people choose online shopping more than in-store one also shows in the Percentage of GDP 2016. â€Å"Experts estimate the share of the internet economy in the GDP of the United States to reach 5.4 percent. The developed market average is projected to be 5.5 percent.† (â€Å"Share of the internet economy in the gross domestic product in G-20 countries in 2016†) For example, China has grown its economy in a high speed in recent years. Among the main reasons, the development of electronic business plays an important role in it.. .014. Web. 26 Jan. 2016.Butler, Sarah. Grocers Rush to Open dark Stores as Online Food Shopping Expands. The Guardian. 06 Jan. 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.Fowler, Geoffrey. Do Online Grocers Beat Supermarkets? WSJ. 7 Jan. 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.Grey, Paul. (2013) How Many Products Does Amazon Sell? | ExportX. ExportX. 15 Dec. 2013. Web. 23 Feb. 2016. Johnson, Sheree. New Research Sheds Light on Daily Ad Exposures. SJ Insights LLC. 29 Sept. 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.Share of the internet economy in the gross domestic product in G-20 countries in 2016. Statista. Web. 26 Jan. 2016.Shao, Heng. $9.3 Billion Sales Recorded In Alibaba s 24-Hour Online Sale, Beating Target By 15%. Forbes .com LLC, 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2016.The Economist Newspaper. The Alibaba Phenomenon. The Economist, 23 Mar. 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2016.