Gothic History and Origins

The term Gothic was used in the Renaissance to describe certain types of art and architecture in the Middle Ages. This art was considered inferior, just as the Romans had held themselves superior to the barbarians. In the 18th century, the term Gothic morphed into a genre of literature that had elements of horror. In the late 20th century it morphed again into a style and subculture characterized by heavy eyeliner and all-black clothing. Originally, the Goths were one of the barbarian horseback riding groups that caused trouble for the Roman Empire. Ancient Source on the Goths The ancient Greeks considered the Goths to be Scythians. The name Scythian was used by the ancient historian, Herodotus (440 B.C.), to describe barbarians who lived on their horses north of the Black Sea and were likely not Goths. When the Goths came to live in the same area, they were considered Scythians because of their barbarian way of living. It is hard to know when the people we call Goths began to intrude on the Roman Empire. According to Michael Kulikowski, in Romes Gothic Wars, the first securely attested Gothic raid took place in 238 A.D. when Goths sacked Histria. In 249 they attacked Marcianople. A year later, under their king Cniva, they sacked several Balkan cities. In 251, Cniva routed Emperor Decius at Abrittus. The raids continued and moved from the Black Sea to the Aegean where the historian Dexippus successfully defended a besieged Athens against them. He later wrote about the Gothic Wars in his Scythica. Although most of Dexippus is lost, the historian Zosimus had access to his historical writing. By the end of the 260s, the Roman Empire was winning against the Goths. Medieval Source on the Goths The story of the Goths generally begins in Scandinavia, as is told by the historian, Jordanes, in his The Origin and Deeds of the Goths, chapter 4: IV (25) Now from this island of Scandza, as from a hive of races or a womb of nations, the Goths are said to have come forth long ago under their king, Berig by name. As soon as they disembarked from their ships and set foot on the land, they straightway gave their name to the place. And even to-day it is said to be called Gothiscandza. (26) Soon they moved from here to the abodes of the Ulmerugi, who then dwelt on the shores of Ocean, where they pitched camp, joined battle with them and drove them from their homes. Then they subdued their neighbors, the Vandals, and thus added to their victories. But when the number of the people increased greatly and Filimer, son of Gadaric, reigned as king--about the fifth since Berig--he decided that the army of the Goths with their families should move from that region. (27) In search of suitable homes and pleasant places they came to the land of Scythia, called Oium in that tongue. Here they were delighted with the great richness of the countr y, and it is said that when half the army had been brought over, the bridge whereby they had crossed the river fell in utter ruin, nor could anyone thereafter pass to or fro. For the place is said to be surrounded by quaking bogs and an encircling abyss, so that by this double obstacle nature has made it inaccessible. And even to-day one may hear in that neighborhood the lowing of cattle and may find traces of men, if we are to believe the stories of travellers, although we must grant that they hear these things from afar. Germans and Goths Kulikowski says the idea that the Goths were associated with the Scandinavians and therefore Germans had great appeal in the 19th century and were supported by the discovery of a linguistic relationship between the languages of the Goths and Germans. The idea that a language relationship implies an ethnic relationship was popular but doesnt bear out in practice. Kulikowski says the only evidence of a Gothic people from before the third century comes from Jordanes, whose word is suspect. Kulikowski on the Problems of Using Jordanes Jordanes wrote in the second half of the sixth century. He based his history on the no longer extant writing of a Roman nobleman named Cassiodorus whose work he had been asked to abridge. Jordanes did not have the history in front of him when he wrote, so how much was his own invention cant be ascertained. Much of Jordanes writing has been rejected as too fanciful, but the Scandinavian origin has been accepted. Kulikowski points to some of the far-fetched passages in Jordanes history to say that Jordanes is unreliable. Where some his reports are corroborated elsewhere, they can be used. Where there is no supporting evidence, we need other reasons for accepting. In the case of the so-called origins of the Goths, any supporting evidence comes from people using Jordanes as a source. Kulikowski also objects to using archaeological evidence as support because artifacts moved around and were traded. In addition, archaeologists have based their attribution of Gothic artifacts to Jordanes. If Kulikowski is right, we dont know where the Goths came from or where they were before their third-century excursions into the Roman Empire.

The Cover Of A History Of Islam - 975 Words

The cover of â€Å"A History of Islam in America† is very controversial if compared to what is written in the text. My perceptions so far from reading Kambiz GhaneaBassiri book is that he gives factual information on Muslim Black history. But on the cover of the book, the group of people that I see are white skinned immigrants. It confuses me that a historian that spent most of the book from chapter 1-6, discussing the enslavement of African Muslim to the New World and how they had to assimilate to a new society that was forming. So, I’m shocked that from the readings, which mainly discussed African Muslims, and Middle-Eastern Muslim, that there is no depictions on the cover of any person of color. When I think of American history, I mainly focus on the disparities of African Americans faced, slavery, war, and democracy. In class, we talked about how Islam is colorblind and doesn’t hold another race superior to others and that people determine who is higher up i n the class system based on race. If Islam is a colorblind religion, then why do we have many segregated mosque for different ethnicity? Is it because people feel that it’s easier to relate to someone with the same skin color? How is a society supposed to unite when we can’t even hold truth on how America was established and its creation was made from slavery and trespassing. â€Å"Many Muslim immigrants took Christian names to avoid the stigmatization associated with being a Turk or a Muslim A.†(141).Why do people have toShow MoreRelatedEssay on Islam Culture and Beliefs1418 Words   |  6 PagesIslam is one of the worlds greatest monotheistic religions. The followers of Islam are known as Muslims, and they believe in God, Allah. The word Islam is an Arabic word that means submitting and surrendering your will to Almighty God.† The word comes from the same root as the Arabic word salam† which means peace. Islam is the religion of about one and hal f billion people in the world. It is the second largest in the number of followers after Christianity. I chose this religion as a topic ofRead MoreThe Muslim Culture Essay1464 Words   |  6 Pageshumans. Someone that is a Muslim only has an Islamic belief. This word originated in Arabia where this whole culture developed (BBC â€Å"Islam†). Islam followers, or Muslims, were introduced to their culture from the Prophet Muhammad (BBC â€Å"Islam†). The word Islam comes up very often, but who knows what it means? It is said to be the â€Å"submission to the will of God (BBC â€Å"Islam†).† Majority of the U.S. population today see Muslims as bad people only because a certain group attacked the United States. We,Read MoreFaith and the Hijab Essay examples1707 Words   |  7 Pageswanted to learn more about Islam and its followers. I have always felt that there has always been a misconception about the religion and the people. For me, I feel like I have b een very ignorant to many things in connection to Islam. One of the things that had always struck out to me from the religion was why women wore head coverings. I found it not the oddest thing but most certainly I never quite understood. So when we had a chance to research something that pertained to Islam I thought that that wouldRead MoreAbrahamic Religions With Similar Rituals And Practices Essay1606 Words   |  7 Pageshas a perspective of hatred from the Christian community. While Islam and Christianity are distinctively separate religions; they both stem from the same beginnings and are more alike than they may admit. Should they be considered separate Religions? Of course each religion, or denomination of a particular religion, has its own details in which make it unique. There will always be differences in each religion. When comparing Islam and Christianity, there are very distinct differences. An exampleRead MoreThe Veil Is A Symbol Of Religion1312 Words   |  6 Pagesboth culture and religion. In Islam, many women choose to wear a type of veil for religious reasons. A female that covers her head may be deemed as a pious and modest individual. However, there are multiple explanations for why the veil became such an important symbol in the Islamic community as well as across the globe. Despite the fact that a veil is a rather simple object, it is nonetheless full of symbolism and rich history. Unfortunately, this symbolism and history is often ignored by the non-MuslimRead MoreImportance Of Hijab In Islam1031 Words   |  5 Pages Hijab, widely defined as a headdress covering Muslim women is one of the most visible and easily identifiab le symbol of Islam. While in some of the Muslim countries hijab is a cultural and religious norm, it has caused a lot of controversy in other countries, like Western countries which often interpret hijab as a symbol of oppression of Muslim women. There have been various regulations recently even in progressive countries like France regarding wearing a hijab in public places and this shows thatRead MoreThe Autobiography Of Malcolm X As Told By Alex Haley1442 Words   |  6 PagesThe Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley is the story about a man who greatly impacted American history. Malcolm Little, or Malcolm X as he is more widely known, taught what he believed in regards to segregation, racism, and discrimination. Growing up in a large family with a father Earl Little, a Baptist minister, and his mother Louis Little, who was a homemaker, Malcolm’s life at the time seemed very promising. His father’s involvement in support of the Black National gained him m anyRead MoreMalcolm X : A Man Who Changed American History1453 Words   |  6 Pages Malcolm X The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley is the story about a man who greatly impacted American history. Malcolm Little, or Malcolm X as he is more widely known, taught what he believed in regards to segregation, racism, and discrimination. Growing up in a large family with a father Earl Little, a Baptist minister, and his mother Louis Little who was a homemaker, Malcolm’s life at the time seemed very promising. His father’s involvement in support of the BlackRead MoreContributions Of Prominent Women s Islam1079 Words   |  5 PagesContributions of Prominent Women in Islam In today’s world, Islam is misrepresented in almost every way and aspect. A major topic which is discussed many times is the role of women and how Islam views and treats women. In Islam, women are put on pedestals and given the utmost respect they deserve and in fact are given rights women in pre-Islamic times were not granted. These rights helped form some of the greatest, most courageous prominent women of our times. Islam has some of the most historicallyRead MoreThesis: In His Book, No God But God, Reza Aslan Recounts1663 Words   |  7 PagesThesis: In his book, No god but God, Reza Aslan recounts the history and teachings of Islam in order to deconstruct the barriers within interreligious comprehension. Within the Arabian desert rests the town of Mecca which houses the Ka‘ba, the pantheon site where the all the pagan Arab pilgrims converged to worship their tribal deities. Although no one knows who built the square, roofless structure, or when it was set up, the Ka‘ba became the center of the religious life in pre-Islamic Arabia, the

The Host Chapter 57 Completed Free Essays

string(38) " I think we need you pretty bad, kid\." It was a small tribunal this time, not like the trial for Kyle’s life. Ian brought only Jeb, Doc, and Jared. He knew without having to be told that Jamie must not be allowed anywhere near these proceedings. We will write a custom essay sample on The Host Chapter 57: Completed or any similar topic only for you Order Now Melanie would have to give that goodbye for me. I couldn’t face that, not with Jamie. I didn’t care if it was cowardly of me. I wouldn’t do it. Just one blue lamp, one dim circle of light on the stone floor. We sat on the edge of the ring of light; I was alone, the four men facing me. Jeb had even brought his gun-as if it were a gavel and would make this more official. The smell of sulfur brought back the painful days of my mourning; there were some memories that I would not regret losing when I was gone. â€Å"How is she?† I asked Doc urgently as they settled in, before they could get started. This tribunal was a waste of my small store of time. I was worried about more important things. â€Å"Which one?† he responded in a weary voice. I stared at him for a few seconds, and then my eyes grew wide. â€Å"Sunny’s gone? Already?† â€Å"Kyle thought it was cruel to make her suffer longer. She was†¦ unhappy.† â€Å"I wish I could have said goodbye,† I murmured to myself. â€Å"And good luck. How is Jodi?† â€Å"No response yet.† â€Å"The Healer’s body?† â€Å"Trudy took her away. I think they went to get her something to eat. They’re working on finding a temporary name she likes, so we can call her something besides the body.† He smiled wryly. â€Å"She’ll be fine. I’m sure she will,† I said, trying to believe the words. â€Å"And Jodi, too. It will all work out.† No one called me on my lies. They knew I was saying this for myself. Doc sighed. â€Å"I don’t want to be away from Jodi long. She might need something.† â€Å"Right,† I agreed. â€Å"Let’s get this over with.† The quicker the better. Because it didn’t matter what was said here; Doc had agreed to my terms. And yet there was some stupid part of me that hoped†¦ hoped that there was a solution that would make everything perfect and let me stay with Ian and Mel with Jared in a way that absolutely no one would suffer for. Best to crush that impossible hope quickly. â€Å"Okay,† Jeb said. â€Å"Wanda, what’s your side?† â€Å"I’m giving Melanie back.† Firm, short-no reasons to argue against. â€Å"Ian, what’s yours?† â€Å"We need Wanda here.† Firm, short-he was copying me. Jeb nodded to himself. â€Å"That’s a tricky one. Wanda, why should I agree with you?† â€Å"If it were you, you’d want your body back. You can’t deny Melanie that.† â€Å"Ian?† Jeb asked. â€Å"We have to look at the greater good, Jeb. Wanda’s already brought us more health and security than we’ve ever had. She’s vital to the survival of our community-of the entire human race. One person can’t stand in the way of that.† He’s right. Nobody asked you. Jared spoke up. â€Å"Wanda, what does Mel say?† Ha, Mel said. I stared into Jared’s eyes, and the strangest thing happened. All the melting and melding I had just been through was shoved aside, into the smallest part of my body, the little corner that I took up physically. The rest of me yearned toward Jared with the same desperate, half-crazed hunger I’d felt since the first time I’d seen him here. This body barely belonged to me or to Melanie-it belonged to him. There really wasn’t room enough for the two of us in here. â€Å"Melanie wants her body back. She wants her life back.† Liar. Tell them the truth. No. â€Å"Liar,† Ian said. â€Å"I can see you arguing with her. I’ll bet she agrees with me. She’s a good person. She knows how much we need you.† â€Å"Mel knows everything I know. She’ll be able to help you. And the Healer’s host. She knows more than I ever did. You’ll be fine. You were fine before I was here. You’ll survive, just like before.† Jeb blew out a puff of air, frowning. â€Å"I don’t know, Wanda. Ian’s got a point.† I glared at the old man and saw that Jared was doing the same. I looked away from that standoff to level a grim glance at Doc. Doc met my eyes, and his face clenched with pain. He understood the reminder I was giving him. He’d promised. This tribunal didn’t overrule that. Ian was watching Jared-he didn’t see our silent exchange. â€Å"Jeb,† Jared protested. â€Å"There’s only one decision here. You know that.† â€Å"Is there, kid? Seems to me there’s a whole barrel of ’em.† â€Å"That’s Melanie’s body!† â€Å"And Wanda’s, too.† Jared choked on his response and had to start over. â€Å"You can’t leave Mel trapped in there-it’s like murder, Jeb.† Ian leaned forward into the light, his face suddenly furious again. â€Å"And what is it that you’re doing to Wanda, Jared? And the rest of us, if you take her away?† â€Å"You don’t care about the rest of anybody! You just want to keep Wanda at Melanie’s expense-nothing else matters to you.† â€Å"And you want to have Melanie at Wanda’s expense-nothing else matters to you! So, with those things being equal, it comes down to what’s best for everyone else.† â€Å"No! It comes down to what Melanie wants! That’s her body!† They were both crouched halfway between sitting and standing now, their fists clenched and their faces twisted with rage. â€Å"Cool it, boys! Cool it right now,† Jeb ordered. â€Å"This is a tribunal, and we’re going to stay calm and keep our heads. We’ve got to think about every side.† â€Å"Jeb -† Jared began. â€Å"Shut up.† Jeb chewed on his lip for a while. â€Å"Okay, here’s how I see it. Wanda’s right -â€Å" Ian lurched to his feet. â€Å"Hold it! Sit yourself back down. Let me finish.† Jeb waited until Ian, the tendons standing out in his taut neck, stiffly returned to a seated position. â€Å"Wanda is right,† Jeb said. â€Å"Mel needs her body back. But,† he added quickly when Ian tensed again, â€Å"but I don’t agree with the rest, Wanda. I think we need you pretty bad, kid. You read "The Host Chapter 57: Completed" in category "Essay examples" We got Seekers out there lookin’ for us, and you can talk right to ’em. The rest of us can’t do that. You save lives. I got to think about the welfare of my household.† Jared spoke through his teeth. â€Å"So we get her another body. Obviously.† Doc’s crumpled face lifted. Jeb’s white caterpillar eyebrows touched his hairline. Ian’s eyes widened and his lips pursed. He stared at me, considering†¦ â€Å"No! No!† I shook my head frantically. â€Å"Why not, Wanda?† Jeb asked. â€Å"Don’t sound like a half-bad idea to me.† I swallowed and took a deep breath so my voice wouldn’t turn hysterical. â€Å"Jeb. Listen to me carefully, Jeb. I am tired of being a parasite. Can you understand that? Do you think I want to go into another body and have this start all over again? Do I have to feel guilty forever for taking someone’s life away from them? Do I have to have someone else hate me? I’m barely a soul anymore-I love you brutish humans too much. It’s wrong for me to be here, and I hate feeling that.† I took another breath and spoke through the tears that were falling now. â€Å"And what if things change? What if you put me in some-one else, steal another life, and it goes wrong? What if that body pulls me after some other love, back to the souls? What if you can’t trust me anymore? What if I betray you next time? I don’t want to hurt you!† The first part was the pure and unadorned truth, but I was lying wildly through the second. I hoped they wouldn’t hear that. It would help that the words were barely coherent, my tears turned to sobs. I would never hurt them. What had happened to me here was permanent, a part of the very atoms that made up my small body. But maybe, if I gave them a reason to fear me, they would more easily accept what had to be. And my lies worked, for once. I caught the worried glance Jared and Jeb exchanged. They hadn’t thought of that-of my becoming untrustworthy, becoming a danger. Ian was already moving to put his arms around me. He dried my tears against his chest. â€Å"It’s okay, honey. You don’t have to be anyone else. Nothing’s going to change.† â€Å"Hold on, Wanda,† Jeb said, his shrewd eyes suddenly sharper. â€Å"How does going to one of those other planets help you? You’ll still be a parasite, kid.† Ian flinched around me at the harsh word. And I flinched also, because Jeb was too insightful, as always. They waited for my answer, all but Doc, who knew what the real answer was. The one I wouldn’t give. I tried to say only true things. â€Å"It’s different on other planets, Jeb. There isn’t any resistance. And the hosts themselves are different. They aren’t as individualized as humans, their emotions are so much milder. It doesn’t feel like stealing a life. Not like it feels here. No one will hate me. And I’d be too far away to hurt you. You’d be safer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The last part sounded too much like the lie it was, so I let my voice trail off. Jeb stared at me through narrowed eyes, and I looked away. I tried not to look at Doc, but I couldn’t help one brief glance, to make sure he understood. His eyes locked on mine, clearly miserable, and I knew that he did. As I quickly lowered my gaze, I caught Jared staring at Doc. Had he seen the silent communication? Jeb sighed. â€Å"This is†¦ a pickle.† His face turned into a grimace as he concentrated on the dilemma. â€Å"Jeb -† Ian and Jared said together. They both stopped and scowled at each other. This was all just a waste of time, and I had only hours. Just a few more hours, I knew that for certain now. â€Å"Jeb,† I said softly, my voice barely audible over the spring’s gushing murmur, and everyone turned to me. â€Å"You don’t have to decide right now. Doc needs to check on Jodi, and I’d like to see her, too. Plus, I haven’t eaten all day. Why don’t you sleep on it? We can talk again tomorrow. We’ve got plenty of time to think about this.† Lies. Could they tell? â€Å"That’s a good idea, Wanda. I think everyone here could use a breather. Go get some food, and we’ll all sleep on it.† I was very careful not to look at Doc now, even when I spoke to him. â€Å"I’ll be along to help with Jodi after I eat, Doc. See you later.† â€Å"Okay,† Doc said warily. Why couldn’t he keep his tone casual? He was a human-he should have been a good liar. â€Å"Hungry?† Ian murmured, and I nodded. I let him help me up. He latched on to my hand, and I knew he would be keeping a tight hold on me now. That didn’t worry me. He slept deeply, like Jamie. As we walked from the dark room, I could feel eyes on my back, but I wasn’t sure whose. Just a few more things to do. Three, to be precise. Three last deeds to be completed. First, I ate. It wouldn’t be nice to leave Mel with her body uncomfortable from hunger. Besides, the food was better since I’d been raiding. Something to look forward to rather than endure. I made Ian get the food and bring it to me while I hid in the field where half-grown sprouts of wheat replaced the corn. I told Ian the truth so that he would help me: I was avoiding Jamie. I didn’t want Jamie frightened by this decision. It would be harder for him than for Jared or Ian-they each took one side. Jamie loved us both; he would be more evenly torn. Ian did not argue with me. We ate in silence, his arm tight around my waist. Second, I went to see Sunny and Jodi. I expected to see three glowing cryotanks on top of Doc’s desk, and I was surprised that there were still just the two Healers, set in the center. Doc and Kyle hovered over the cot where Jodi lay inert. I walked quickly to them, about to demand to know where Sunny was, but when I got closer, I saw that Kyle had an occupied cryotank cradled in one arm. â€Å"You’ll want to be gentle with that,† I murmured. Doc was touching Jodi’s wrist, counting to himself. His lips pressed into a thin line when he heard my voice, and he had to begin over again. â€Å"Yeah, Doc told me that,† Kyle said, his gaze never leaving Jodi’s face. A dark, matched set of bruises was forming under his eyes. Was his nose broken again? â€Å"I’m being careful. I just†¦ didn’t want to leave her alone over there. She was so sad and so†¦ sweet.† â€Å"I’m sure she’d appreciate it, if she knew.† He nodded, still staring at Jodi. â€Å"Is there something I’m supposed to be doing here? Is there some way to help?† â€Å"Talk to her, say her name, talk about things she’ll remember. Talk about Sunny, even. That helped with the Healer’s host.† â€Å"Mandy,† Doc corrected. â€Å"She says it’s not exactly right, but it’s close.† â€Å"Mandy,† I repeated. Not that I would need to remember. â€Å"Where is she?† â€Å"With Trudy-that was a good call there. Trudy’s exactly the right person. I think she’s gotten her to sleep.† â€Å"That’s good. Mandy will be okay.† â€Å"I hope so.† Doc smiled, but it didn’t affect his gloomy expression much. â€Å"I’ve got lots of questions for her.† I looked at the small woman-it was still impossible to believe that she was older than the body I wore. Her face was slack and vacant. It frightened me a little-she’d been so vibrantly alive when Sunny was inside. Would Mel†¦? I’m still here. I know. You’ll be fine. Like Lacey. She winced, and so did I. Never like Lacey. I touched Jodi’s arm softly. She was much like Lacey in some ways. Olive skinned and black haired and tiny. They could almost be sisters, except that Jodi’s sweet, wan face could never look so repellent. Kyle was tongue-tied, holding her hand. â€Å"Like this, Kyle,† I said. I brushed her arm again. â€Å"Jodi? Jodi, can you hear me? Kyle’s waiting for you, Jodi. He got himself in a lot of trouble getting you here-everybody who knows him wants to beat him senseless.† I grinned wryly at the big man, and his lips curled up at the corners, though he didn’t look up to see my smile. â€Å"Not that you’re surprised to hear that,† Ian said beside me. â€Å"When hasn’t that been the case, eh, Jodi? It’s good to see you again, sweetheart. Though I wonder if you feel the same way. Must have been a nice break to get rid of this idiot for so long.† Kyle hadn’t noticed his brother was there, attached like a vise to my hand, until Ian spoke. â€Å"You remember Ian, of course. Never has managed to catch up to me in anything, but he keeps trying. Hey, Ian,† Kyle added, never moving his eyes, â€Å"you got anything you want to say to me?† â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"I’m waiting for an apology.† â€Å"Keep waiting.† â€Å"Can you believe he kicked me in the face, Jodes? For no reason at all.† â€Å"Who needs an excuse, eh, Jodi?† It was oddly pleasant, the banter between the brothers. Jodi’s presence kept it light and teasing. Gentle and funny. I would have woken up for this. If I were her, I would have been smiling already. â€Å"Keep it up, Kyle,† I murmured. â€Å"That’s just right. She’ll come around.† I wished I would get to meet her, to see what she was like. I could only picture Sunny’s expressions. What would it be like for everyone here, meeting Melanie for the first time? Would it seem the same to them, as if there were no difference? Would they really grasp that I was gone, or would Melanie simply fill the role I had? Maybe they would find her entirely different. Maybe they would have to adjust to her all over again. Maybe she would fit in the way I never had. I pictured her, which was picturing me, the center of a crowd of friendly faces. Pictured us with Freedom in our arms and all the humans who had never trusted me smiling with welcome. Why did that bring tears to my eyes? Was I really so petty? No, Mel assured me. And they’ll miss you-of course they will. All the best people here will feel your loss. She seemed to finally accept my decision. Not accept, she disagreed. I just can’t see any way to stop you. And I can feel how close it is. I’m scared, too. Isn’t that funny? I’m absolutely terrified. That makes two of us. â€Å"Wanda?† Kyle said. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I’m sorry.† â€Å"Um†¦ why?† â€Å"For trying to kill you,† he said casually. â€Å"Guess I was wrong.† Ian gasped. â€Å"Please tell me you have some kind of recording device available, Doc.† â€Å"Nope. Sorry, Ian.† Ian shook his head. â€Å"This moment should be preserved. I never thought I’d live to see the day that Kyle O’Shea would admit to being wrong. C’mon, Jodi. That ought to shock you awake.† â€Å"Jodi, baby, don’t you want to defend me? Tell Ian I never have been wrong before.† He chuckled. That was nice. It was nice to know that I’d earned Kyle’s acceptance before I left. I hadn’t expected that much. There was no more I could do here. There was no point in lingering. Jodi would either come back or she would not, but neither outcome would change my path now. So I proceeded to my third and final deed: I lied. I stepped away from the cot, took a deep breath, and stretched my arms. â€Å"I’m tired, Ian,† I said. Was it really a lie? It didn’t sound so false. It had been a long, long day, this, my last day. I’d been up all night, I realized. I hadn’t slept since that last raid; I must have been exhausted. Ian nodded. â€Å"I’ll bet you are. Did you stay up with the Heal-with Mandy all night?† â€Å"Yeah.† I yawned. â€Å"Have a nice night, Doc,† Ian said, pulling me toward the exit. â€Å"Good luck, Kyle. We’ll be back in the morning.† â€Å"Night, Kyle,† I murmured. â€Å"See you, Doc.† Doc glowered at me, but Ian’s back was to him, and Kyle was staring at Jodi. I returned Doc’s glare with a steady gaze. Ian walked with me through the black tunnel, saying nothing. I was glad he wasn’t in the mood for conversation. I wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on it. My stomach was twisting and turning, wringing itself into strange contortions. I was done, all my tasks accomplished. I only had to wait a bit now and not fall asleep. Tired as I was, I didn’t think that would be a problem. My heart was pounding like a fist hitting my ribs from the inside. No more stalling. It had to be tonight, and Mel knew that, too. What had happened today with Ian had shown me that. The longer I stayed, the more tears and arguments and fights I would cause. The better the chance that I or someone else would slip up and Jamie would find out the truth. Let Mel explain it after the fact. It would be better that way. Thanks so much, Mel thought; her words flowed fast, in a burst, her fear marring her sarcasm. Sorry. You don’t mind too much? She sighed. How can I mind? I’d do anything you asked me to, Wanda. Take care of them for me. I would have done that anyway. Ian, too. If he’ll let me. I’ve got a feeling he might not like me so much. Even if he won’t let you. I’ll do whatever I can for him, Wanda. I promise. Ian paused in the hall outside the red and gray doors to his room. He raised his eyebrows, and I nodded. Let him think I was still hiding from Jamie. That was true, too. Ian slid the red door aside, and I went straight to the mattress on the right. I balled up there, knotting my shaking hands in front of my hammering heart, trying to hide them behind my knees. Ian curled around me, holding me close to his chest. This would have been fine-I knew that he would end up sprawled out in all directions when he was really asleep-except that he could feel my trembling. â€Å"It’s going to be fine, Wanda. I know we’ll find a solution.† â€Å"I truly love you, Ian.† It was the only way I could tell him goodbye. The only way he would accept. I knew he would remember later and understand. â€Å"With my whole soul, I love you.† â€Å"I truly love you, too, my Wanderer.† He nuzzled his face against mine until he found my lips, then he kissed me, slow and gentle, the flow of molten rock swelling languidly in the dark at the center of the earth, until my shaking slowed. â€Å"Sleep, Wanda. Save it for tomorrow. It will keep for the night.† I nodded, moving my face against his, and sighed. Ian was tired, too. I didn’t have to wait long. I stared at the ceiling-the stars had moved above the cracks here. I could see three of them now, where before there had been only two. I watched them wink and pulse across the blackness of space. They did not call to me. I had no desire to join them. One at a time, Ian’s arms fell away from me. He flopped onto his back, muttering in his sleep. I didn’t dare wait any longer; I wanted too badly to stay, to fall asleep with him and steal one more day. I moved cautiously, but he was in no danger of waking. His breathing was heavy and even. He wouldn’t open his eyes till morning. I brushed his smooth forehead with my lips, then rose and slid out the door. It was not late, and the caves were not empty. I could hear voices bouncing around, strange echoes that might have been coming from anywhere. I didn’t see anyone until I was in the big cave. Geoffrey, Heath, and Lily were on their way back from the kitchen. I kept my eyes down, though I was very glad to see Lily. In the brief glimpse I allowed myself, I could see that she was at least standing upright, her shoulders straight. Lily was tough. Like Mel. She’d make it, too. I hurried to the southern corridor, relieved when I was safe in the blackness there. Relieved and horrified. It was really over now. I’m so afraid, I whimpered. Before Mel could respond, a heavy hand dropped on my shoulder from the darkness. â€Å"Going somewhere?† How to cite The Host Chapter 57: Completed, Essay examples

Cloud computing in Robotics

Question: Discuss about the Cloud computing in Robotics. Answer: Introduction: The aim of the project is to focus on the development process, testing, and evaluation of an infrastructure for mobile cloud robotics. The project takes the advantages of approaches based on cloud computing in robotics. It provides localization and large area mapping to the heavy computing process. Objective: The objective is to offloading the mechanism of calculation from the customer and giving access to the constant server. The mass of the robots can be reduced by the movement of data processing procedure into the cloud environment. The sensor technologies for example RGB D cameras should be used in the development of the infrastructure for light weight mobile robots. Background: From the last decade, service robots popularity is increasing very fast. Robots are built in order to help the humans in their daily life schedule. The mobile robots gather information from real time environment for analyzing the cloud environment (Guoquiang, 2011)). The cloud environment supports the feature of 3D mapping, intelligence in the sensor networks, awareness of situation, and others. The implementation of faster CPU is needed in the construction of robots. The dynamic environment of the houses is the major problem faced by the robots in carrying out their work. The emerging new trends in cloud computing stability, high transfer rate, low cost, popularity, easily accessibility with the internet brings the focus on the new trend of cloud computing technology (Kamei, 2010). The data security should be provided in hosting the confidential information over the cloud. In the cloud robotics, the organization takes place in two tiers one is the machine to machine level and other is the machine to cloud level. The main focus is on offloading the mechanism of calculation from the customer and giving access to the constant server. The following are the classification of the cloud model: Software as a service Platform as a service Infrastructure as a service With the emerging issues related to the economics and ergonomics, mobile robots are highly developed to do complex task by making their running time increased and weight reduced. The total mass, life of the battery, size, total costs associated with mobile platform are the features which have an impact on the current development state of robots (Peterson, 2013). In the development of robotics in cloud, the concentration should also be given on security threats in the cloud computing environment. The security threats are usually associated with the size and significance of the cloud environment. The offloading of the complex calculation, capability of high data storage, and the tools for communication makes the cloud computing popular among the robotics (Burski, 2009). The decision of offloading requires three strategies for execution. Firstly, individual robots requires standalone execution, secondly, the group of robots requires collaborative execution, and lastly execution of the c loud. The hybrid model is used for partial execution of all the three strategies which are used for offloading the robots (Wen, 2008). The cloud computing advantages and features are more useful for mobile robots. The mass of the robots can be reduced by the movement of data processing procedure into the cloud environment (Michael, 2012). By making use of cloud based services the operating time of the robots can be increased. Description: Platform for Cloud robotics: A distributed agent with collective intelligence (DAVANCI) is the most popular cloud robotics project. The aim of this project is to take the advantages of approaches based on cloud computing. It provides localization and large area mapping to the heavy computing process. The objective of the cloud based robotics project is to provide training learning of labeling data. Components needed in robotics in cloud: The global library of images should be provided which carries the series of images, objects, and maps to make the expert system Support of parallel computation for statistical modeling based on sample, planning related with the motion and task, collaboration with multi robots, coordination and scheduling of the system, and etc. Policies related with the dynamic control and outcome sharing with the robots Sharing of the open source data and design which is needed for programming, construction of the hardware, and experimentation. Methods for evaluation, learning and recovery from error on generation of demand from human Interaction of human and robots Challenges: In the development of cloud robotics the following issues and challenges come forward which are summarized below: Size of the automatic infrastructure required for the robotics Load balancing operations which are used for computation between local and the cloud Representation on the basis of knowledge In the automation of cloud, collective learning is proposed. Software as a service is used for providing platform Integration and collaboration with the fault tolerant control Collection of the big data Wireless communication is used for connecting with the cloud Support of system architecture for the development of robotics clouds Infrastructure which support open access is needed Sharing of the workload Standard and protocols used for the development of robotics in cloud Constraints of resources Constraint of information gathering Constraint of learning Constraint of communication Constraint of Computation Constraint of security Constraint of optimization framework Establishment of trust Risks associated with the robotics in cloud: Security in environment: In the development of robotics in cloud, the concentration should also be given on security threats in the cloud computing environment. The security threats are usually associated with the size and significance of the cloud environment Security related with the data privacy: the data security should be provided in hosting the confidential information over the cloud. Problems related with the ethics: The unethical activities can be done by the robot if it get out of control Limitation with Robotics in cloud: Cloud does not support sensor and controller feedback which are required for controlling the motion of the robots At the time of high latency response, the cloud based application get slower and unavailable On board processing, real time execution of the task are required Methodology: The methodologies which are used for collecting the data for the proposed topic on Robotics in cloud computing is given below: Qualitative and Quantitative methodology: The exploratory and descriptive study is needed to conduct the research on the proposed topic. The exploratory study helps to focus on the challenges and the problem discovered in doing research on the topic. The descriptive study helps in describing the characteristics of the variable, platform used to support cloud computing, and others. Data source The primary and the secondary resources are used for conducting research on the topic of robotics. The surveys are the important part of collecting the required information. Newspaper, internet, and magazines are the secondary source of collecting information. Questionnaire methodology: It is the least expensive method for collecting the updated information on the topic of robotics in cloud computing. It is the most trusted method of collecting the information. It is method of collecting statistical data from the vast number of people. The question should be well designed to collect the relevant information which in turn helps to analyze the data in a better way. Well defined questions and data collected from it make the clear picture in the mind of the reader. System Architecture: In this architecture, the organization takes place in two tiers one is the machine to machine level and other is the machine to cloud level. In the M2M environment, wireless links are used for providing communication between groups of robots. For this purpose, virtual ad-hoc cloud is used. Project Plan and Deliverables: No of WEEK Scheduling of the task 1st Seeking of time from supervisor of the project 2nd The topic of cloud computing in mobile robotics should be evaluated carefully 3rd Proposal for the project should be submitted 4th Collection of feedback and comments about the topic 5th Collection of the data and research work for the proposed topic of robotics in the cloud 6th Finalization of the report and documentation 7th Submission of the mid semester report 8th Preparation of the feedback report 9th Analyzing the final data through questionnaire 10th Documentation should be prepared on detailed description 11th Organization of the entire work and preparation of the final 12th Finalization of the presentation and practice of delivering the presentation 13th Submission of the final report and oral presentation Week 1: Seeking of time from supervisor of the project In this week the discussion should takes place with the supervisor for the tools, the infrastructure, operating system, and others used in the development of the robotics based on cloud computing. Week 2: The topic of cloud computing in mobile robotics should be evaluated carefully The topic should be modularize and distributed among the team member for carrying out their work by keeping aim and objective of the proposal. In this week only background and methodology should also be prepared. Week 3: Proposal for the project should be submitted After the completion of the aim, objective, background, description, and methodology the proposal should be submitted. Week 4: Collection of feedback and comments about the topic After the submission of the proposal to the supervisor, wait for the response from the supervisor in the form of comments and feedback. Week 5: Collection of the data and research work for the proposed topic of robotics in the cloud The collected data, comments and feedback helps in preparing the final midterm report on the topic of robotics in cloud computing Week 6: Finalization of the report and documentation The development of future plans should takes place about research the topic. Simultaneously, the preparation of presentation should takes place. Week 7: Submission of the mid semester report The report of midterm semester should be submitted to the supervisor. Week 8: Preparation of the feedback report The supervisor should provide the feedback on the submitted report of midterm semester for doing modification in the proposed report before the submission of the final report. Week 9: Analyzing the final data through questionnaire Minimum of 10 questions should be prepared for questionnaire to analyze the data. The question should be well defined which covers all the topic and areas of the report Week 10: Documentation should be prepared on detailed description The data collected by the questionnaire on the proposed topic should be synchronized and organized in the form of diagrams and flowchart. Week 11: Organization of the entire work and preparation of the final Finalization of the report and organization of the presentation should takes place in this week for analyzing the result of research clearly in the form of facts and figures. Week 12: Finalization of the presentation and practice of delivering the presentation For the perfection in the oral presentation, the report should be practiced thoroughly. Week 13: Submission of the final report and oral presentation After preparing the final report, it should be submitted to the supervisor. Conclusion: This paper focuses on the development process, testing, and evaluation of an infrastructure for mobile cloud robotics. The mass of the robots can be reduced by the movement of data processing procedure into the cloud environment. The mobile robots gather information from real time environment for analyzing the cloud environment (Koken ,2014). The cloud environment supports the feature of 3D mapping, intelligence in the sensor networks, awareness of situation, and others. The main focus is on offloading the mechanism of calculation from the customer and giving access to the constant server. In this paper, we proposed the architecture for the cloud robotics which gives the details of challenges in the current robots. The implementation of the cloud robots results in sharing of computational resources, information and data gathers from the resources, and accessing of the new knowledge. The aim of this project is to take the advantages of approaches based on cloud computing. It provides localization and large area mapping to the heavy computing process (Buhalis, 2014). This paper gives the clear picture of the methodology used for collecting the data for the research, schedule and deliverable of the project. References: Guoquiang, H. (2011).Cloud Robotics: Architecture, challenges and Application. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ygwen/Paper/HTW-NM-12.pdf [Accessed 23 Aug. 2016]. Kamei, K. (2010).Cloud Networked Robotics. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=4cad=rjauact=8ved=0ahUKEwj0wpmw-tfOAhUYS48KHTYnA2oQFgg4MAMurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.teknologisk.dk%2F_root%2Fmedia%2F48448_Cloud%2520Networked%2520Robotics.pdfusg=AFQjCNGMHvsHOLrE6SQplqo7cSfPepGrTAsig2=iOQ5taFE79MGHTLktigtAQbvm=bv.129759880,d.c2I [Accessed 23 Aug. 2016]. Peterson, H. (2013).Cloud Robotics: 5G paves the way for mass market automation. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://www.ericsson.com/res/thecompany/docs/publications/ericsson_review/2016/etr-5g-cloud-robotics.pdf [Accessed 23 Aug. 2016]. Burski, B. (2009).The use of cloud computing in mobile robotics. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: file:///C:/Users/admin/Downloads/burski_garbacz_use_2_2014.pdf [Accessed 23 Aug. 2016]. Wen, L. (2008).Cloud Robotics survey. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://goldberg.berkeley.edu/pubs/T-ASE-Cloud-RA-Survey-Paper-Final-2015.pdf [Accessed 23 Aug. 2016]. Michael, S. (2012).Building knowledge-enabled cloud robotics Application. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=10cad=rjauact=8ved=0ahUKEwj0wpmw-tfOAhUYS48KHTYnA2oQFghiMAkurl=https%3A%2F%2Frobohow.eu%2F_media%2Fspecial%2Fbib%2Ftenorth13unr.pdfusg=AFQjCNHSdvT1jqbHI_DEnbI-lX_DwmAbDQsig2=iNFU0cnSJltOHC18D89prgbvm=bv.129759880,d.c2I [Accessed 23 Aug. 2016]. Koken, B. (2014).Cloud Robotics Platform. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=8cad=rjauact=8ved=0ahUKEwj0wpmw-tfOAhUYS48KHTYnA2oQFghVMAcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhrcak.srce.hr%2Ffile%2F197339usg=AFQjCNF76WjUpJlgznupoCYmbgQLyPySVAsig2=4whrCUU68T0rUFLdbpXWXgbvm=bv.129759880,d.c2I [Accessed 23 Aug. 2016]. Buhalis, S. (2014).A study on Cloud Robotics. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://www.ijircce.com/upload/2015/april/47_4_A_Study.pdf [Accessed 23 Aug. 2016].