The Years of the Rat

The Years of the Rat Following up on JKims entry about excitement for the unveiling of the ring, heres a bit of history and background. Each class year at MIT officially gathers three times once, at the beginning, for the freshman picture; once, at the end, for graduation; and once, halfway through, for the unveiling of the class ring. The design process begins in freshman year with the highly competitive process of choosing the ring committee, or RingComm, of 12 class members, students representing different MIT walks of life. The RingComm next solicits bids for the very lucrative ring contract: 90% of all students will purchase the ring in a typical year; one company actually shuts down their factory for the one week each year of prime MIT ring-buying. Using imagery representing events from their first two years at MIT, and drawing upon suggestions and ideas of the entire class, RingComm designs the ring over a six-month period, unveils it at an extravagant event, and stages a lavish delivery ceremony. How did this all start? The history of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Class Ring dates back to the spring of 1929. C. Brigham Allen, President of the Class of 1929, appointed a ring committee consisting of members from the classes of 1930, 1931, and 1932. Their mission was to design a ring to be used as the Standard Technology Ring. The committees first decision was whether to use the beaver or the Great Dome on the ring bezel. After much debate, the committee decided to adorn the bezel of the ring with the beaver and have a three-piece construction, with MIT and the class year each appearing on a separate shank. Thus the Brass Rat was born as a tradition at MIT. Yes, the ring is known as the Brass Rat. Why? Because it is made of gold and features a beaver on the front. Why a beaver? Another interesting story. In 1914, Lester Gardner of the MIT Club of New York proposed a mascot to President Richard Maclaurin. We first thought of the kangaroo, which, like Tech, goes forward by leaps and bounds. Then we considered the elephant. He is wise, patient, strong, hard working, and like all those who graduate from Tech, has a good tough hide. But neither of these were American animals. We turned to [William Temple] Hornadays book on the animals of North America and instantly chose the beaver. The beaver not only typifies the Tech [student], but his habits are peculiarly our own. The beaver is noted for his engineering, mechanical skills, and industry. His habits are nocturnal. He does his best work in the dark. Now that you have all that background on this important aspect of MIT tradition, I want to use todays entry to catalog the recent history of Brass Rat designs, focusing on the bezel, or front, of the ring. Lets start with the Rat which was just unveiled: the Class of 2010 Brass Rat. The Class of 2009 Brass Rat: The Class of 2008 Brass Rat: The Class of 2007 Brass Rat: The Class of 2006 Brass Rat: The Class of 2005 Brass Rat: The Class of 2004 Brass Rat: The Class of 2003 Brass Rat (stainless steel option shown): The Class of 2002 Brass Rat: The Class of 2001 Brass Rat: And finally, the Class of 2000 Brass Rat (the one currently on my right hand): Which Rat is your favorite? [updated from a previous entry, which shortly thereafter became a Wikipedia page] Post Tagged #Brass Rat

The Components Of Lifecycle Of Network Security - 812 Words

The present era can be referred as a digital era as well, which has created various opportunities for organizations to conduct business and deliver different services over the internet. The cyber security is basically a practice that helps organizations minimize risks, helps the security operations in an effective manner, provide authentication and access control for resources, guarantee availability of resources and also helps to achieve regularity for enhancing own business network. The basic components of the security include; confidentiality (maintaining privacy of the data), integrity (detecting the data is not tampered), authentication (establishing proof of identity, non-repudiation (ability to prove that the sender actually sent the data), availability (computer assets are available to authorized parties when needed), and access control (access to information resources are regulated). The problems of network security include: †¢ increase in network attacks †¢ increased sophistication of attacks †¢ lack of awareness †¢ lack of security policies †¢ lack of proper laws. The components of lifecycle of network security are plan, design, implement, operate, and optimize. Information / Internet threats: Internet threats are malicious software programs designed to target users when they are online. Threat is a potential occurrence that might compromise the assets. An asset is a resource of value. The threat is linked to vulnerability (vulnerability is a weakness in theShow MoreRelatedImpact Of Cloud On The Organization s Network Infrastructure1485 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction: The central theme of this essay focuses on the impact of cloud on the organization’s network infrastructure. While going through the impact we will also analyze how to optimize network performance for cloud and we will also discuss about how the cloud impact the lifecycle orchestration and the organization. The key aspect o the cloud is discussed in detail with suitable examples. Background: The cloud computing is noting but storing the data and information n the internet, insteadRead MoreA Short Note On Network Enhancement Requirements For A Company s Network1382 Words   |  6 Pagescurrent security countermeasures are insufficient due to increasing number of physical connections which are unauthorized to the company s network. so, as the previous network designers we have to implement more security countermeasures which are helpful for the present situation of the Intertrode company. 1.1. Network Enhancement Requirements: As part of this, we have to implement the following security measures to help remedy this issues: 1). Implement IP security to excludeRead MoreSecurity Assessment - Aircraft Solutions Essay examples1349 Words   |  6 PagesCourse Project: Security Assessment and Recommendations – Phase I amp; II Aircraft Solutions Table of Contents Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..1 Company Overview†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..1 Hardware Vulnerability†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...2 Policy Vulnerability†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 Hardware Solution†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Policy Solution†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...5 Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Executive Summary The purpose of this paper is to explore and assessRead MoreRisk Management : An Essential Part On Computer Security Planning1455 Words   |  6 Pagesall the treats, no matter how secure the system is. 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To assist the Change Manager in ensuring that no urgent Changes are made during particularly volatile business periods To assist the Change Manager in evaluating EmergencyRead MoreDefining Microsoft Windows Vista943 Words   |  4 PagesMicrosoft. There are many factors that contributed to the re-inventing of Longhorn to Microsoft Vista; chief among them was the rapid rise of security as critical unmet needs across all target markets for this operating system. Microsofts chairman and CEO Bill Gates announced the Trustworthy Computing Initiative in early 2002 which was the direct result of the security shortcomings in Windows XP Professional, XP Home, and previous generation client and server operating systems. The Longhorn developmentRead MoreHci / 520 Data Management1058 Words   |  5 Pagessystem is an organized structure that has inputs and outputs that carry out a specific activity. A system is a group of components that makes up a complex functioning unit. 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Mechanical lock can also have rotating dial to further increase the security of the lockRead MoreNetwork System Analysis Risk Management670 Words   |  3 PagesNetwork System Analysis Risk Management Introduction The multifaceted nature of risk as it relates to a healthcare provider is evident on how comprehensive the access controls, compliance, security and staff level-based access privileges are in the Natividad Medical Center. The complexity of these factors and the level of traceability and audit controls are accentuated by the Health Insurance and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and its many requirements and stipulations for reporting (Dennis, 2005)Read MoreCloud Computing : A Solution For Resources Management1341 Words   |  6 Pagesupgrades, security and performance. However, cloud’s safety and standardization have been a challenge when different types of clouds need to be connected. Resource management issues as Quality of service (QoS) and the increasing of complexity and functionality failures are a constant in cloud computing environments, and should be considered by customer when looking for cloud solutions to adapt their organization’s requirements. This paper will ex plain the structure, and different components of hybrid

Different Parenting Styles, Authoritative, Authoritarian,...

This essay explores the four different types of parenting styles, authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved. The exploration of each parenting style is examined, and the outcomes of each parenting style for the child is learned. Each parenting style has positives and negatives, but overall this essay informs the reader about which parenting style is best linked to success in their child’s education. Information for this essay has been gathered from three sources, the sources being the Journal of Education and Human Development, the writing of Abesha A. Gota, and the writing of Crystal Lombardo. Each source connects the four different parenting styles, and the results of them on children in school. The focus of how children act in school, and how well they perform academically is a direct effect of the parenting styles used on children. Every parent uses one of four parenting styles with their children. Those parenting styles are categorized as uninvolved parenting, permissive parenting, authoritative parenting, and authoritarian parenting. As it was written by Abesha A. Gota, â€Å"As discussed earlier, it is evident that parents in all cultures (i.e., in both individualistic and collectivistic cultures) are the primary socialization agents responsible for transmission of cultural values, beliefs, traditions, and norms which are necessary for the attainment of cultural standards of competence to their children† (Gota, 2012, p.62). EachShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Differing Parenting Styles796 Words   |  3 Pagesthree main styles of parenting widely accepted in the field of Psychology, which are authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative. A fourth style, uninvolved/neglectful, is also being more widely recognized. The likes of Erickson and Baumrind have long since contributed to research efforts on t he effects of parenting styles on child development. With numerous factors influencing both the parents and the child’s response to the parenting style is can be difficult to assess the best style for an optimalRead MoreParenting Styles Have Impact On Society1096 Words   |  5 PagesParenting styles have had an impact on society for centuries. The way caregivers bring up the children they are responsible for, paves the way to their future and personality. Children are continuously interpreting the things that their caregivers do. Including messages, body language, conversations, actions and the different styles of parenting. Various parenting styles continue to reflect the different patterns in parental behaviours. These are influenced in their family environments in which bothRead MoreDiana Baumrind s Effect Of Parenting Styles On Children Essay1312 Words   |  6 PagesDiana Baumrind’s effect of parenting styles on children Baumrind was born into a Jewish community in the New York’s Jewish enclaves. 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Different cultures and family belief systems come into play in dependent experiences. The experience-dependent aspects of development are the experiences that create diversity among infants and young children. Parents and or caregivers have a very dominantRead MoreThe Fbi Behavior Analysis Unit1443 Words   |  6 PagesKarley Pecosky Psychology Parenting Styles The FBI Behavior Analysis Unit can profile a person down to the type of household they grew up in. Behavior as an adult, especially of a psychopath, is usually in correlation to a traumatic event of their childhood, usually involving their parents. The FBI has the ability to analyze all the behaviors of a person and tell you what kind of car they are mostly likely to drive, what profession they are most likely involved in, and in most cases, links toRead MoreYouth Violence : A Growing Issue Of The United States1470 Words   |  6 PagesParenting Matters Youth violence has become a growing issue in the United States. 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Negative examples can be harmful to a child’s development andRead MoreParenting Styles, Authoritarian, Authoritative, Permissive And Uninvolved981 Words   |  4 PagesParenting style has a big impact on how children develop into adults, and there are important implications for their future success. (Ronald Riggio, 2014) How a parent treated their child will follow the child for the rest of its life. Different parenting styles and their punishments that follow can affect the child mentally (psychological disorders) and physically (obesity). While we all know some forms of punishment is uncal led for such as persistence spanking is not typically just punishment but

Being Wrong Chapter 5 Free Essays

Samantha Merlin October 14, 2012 IGE 120 MWF 11:45-12:50 Reading Response: Being Wrong: Chapter 5 by Kathryn Schultz At the beginning of chapter 5 â€Å"Our Minds, Part Two: Belief† Schultz informs us that Alan Greenspan testifies before congress on October 23, 2008 because of the financial crisis. The chapter then leads on to expand on theâ€Å"Greenspan moments† which is basically when beliefs fail us. Belief in casual conversation is a conscious belief, such as morality, politics, ourselves or others. We will write a custom essay sample on Being Wrong Chapter 5 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Philosophers include all unconscious beliefs too, like believing that the sky is dark outside if you’re in your bedroom at night with the blinds closed and that the sun won’t rise for many more hours and when it does it will do so in the east. Both explicit beliefs like â€Å"everyone hates me† and implicit ones â€Å"the sky is blue† serve as a function of helping me figure out where to sit when I enter a room. Once an implicit assumption is violated, it becomes explicit. If I suddenly fall through the floor, my implicit assumptions about the solidity of the floor suddenly appear in my conscious. The beliefs at the acute ends of the implicit and explicit range breaks down most strikingly when they are revealed incorrectly. However, holding a belief can have many outcomes. Belief in overall perspective led to spending $300 million and $30 million per year on LIGO. We have distal beliefs because we need to be able to theorize about some things, but end up theorizing about everything. The theorizing process is quick and automated and doesn’t require us to intentionally activate it, so we cant stop theorizing. We tend to mainly notice our theories when they’re wrong. Babies as young as seven months are already theorizing about gravity. Alison Gopnik assumed that the theory drive exists particularly esfor early childhood, but functions throughout lives, just like sex drive exists precisely for fertile years, but works before and after. Although we are good at making theories, we are not good at realizing we made them. We have a tendency toward â€Å"Naive realism† which means that our perception matches reality. Anyhow, this can not be true because there are things that we can not perceive like infrared and molecules. All children under the age of four are Naive realists because they believe that we can not believe things that are wrong. The chapters main idea was that if you believe that your beliefs are true, you will assume that those that disagree with you are ignorant of facts, are idiots or evil. Just from reading this chapter I have come to the conclusion that Schulz takes on a heavy topic that most of us don’t understand. The broad majority of people either feel they have to be right at all costs, or that being wrong is a personal failure. In reality, being wrong is what helps us grow and understand our world better. It was impossible not to think about politics while reading this, either. Each political party has a hard and fast set of beliefs that define them, and anyone not advocating to those beliefs is wrong and needs to be corrected. Unluckily, even when presented with evidence to the contrary relating to one of their closely-held views, it is nearly impossible for the person to adjust their thinking and admit they were wrong. There’s no discussion and consideration of views to come up with a compromise or to learn from others. It’s often a duel to the death to be right while proving the other person wrong. In the end, nobody gains from that. In class i’d like to discuss whether people thought that Being Wrong had a great message and can make a difference in someone’s life or thought it can’t cause any type of dramatic change of perspective. I feel that it can make a person’s life more productive and enjoyable. Unfortunately, I have little hope that the average man on the street who is affected by the need to always be right will ever take the time to read and understand the message of this chapter or the whole book in general. How to cite Being Wrong Chapter 5, Papers

Why Strategic Management Is Important to a Business free essay sample

Why is strategic management important to a corporation? For many years, businesses have been failing and this failure has been attributed to the inability of managers to strategically manage business processes and operations. As a result of these failures, more business managers are paying keen attention to strategic management because of its importance to the continuity of a business. Strategic management is a strategy that is focused on long-term planning within an organization that takes into consideration both the internal and external environment. Strategic management is important to corporations for different reasons, in that, it provides the management with the ability to plan for the future, making the most of a corporation’s competitive advantage, analyzing and neutralizing threats to the corporation. Strategic management involves the set of managerial activities that allows managers to set goals and implement tactics to plan for the future. Corporations have a responsibility to their various stakeholders and their main aim is to make a profit. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Strategic Management Is Important to a Business or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As such, decisions are made that will ultimately benefit the corporation. Managers are aware that there are many forces in the business environment that will impact the corporation and as such plans have to be made in an effort to combat such forces. The government, competitors, employees or customers among others may have or expect certain actions from the corporation, thus, the corporation must take a strategic position in an effort to plan for the future. The corporation will therefore scan the environment to determine its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and develop strategic alternatives to ensure that strengths are a source of competitive advantage and weaknesses are eliminated. Additionally, opportunities can be explored where the corporation may diversify its product offerings and develop strategies to overcome threats. This will allow the corporation to develop a reputation of consistency based on the corporation’s success. This is all involved in the process of strategic management. This strategic position may mean proper, regular and direct dialogue between the various stakeholders and trading partners of the corporation. It may also incorporate detailed analyses of the positioning in relation to markets that may be achieved through independent market research or changes to the strategic plan or goals. Strategic management is also important because it allows a corporation to put a strategy into action. A strategy in this sense is a step by step plan through which a corporation will achieve a stated goal. This can be done through organizing, enabling and managing change. Management will need to organize its resources and deploy technical or human resources to strategic positions to ensure that value is achieved and customers and the society at large benefits from the strategic management process. The strategy that is implemented should be feasible and use the corporation’s resources efficiently. Therefore, the goal to be achieved should be attainable and done within a timely manner. This will ensure that the corporation remains stable in the face of adversity. The corporation should also be sufficiently equipped to manage change. This may come in the form of new government regulations or standards or new methods of operation that requires technical changes. The corporation should be poised to deal with such changes by foreseeing trends in the environment and adapt measures to ensure that a competitive advantage is maintained. As such, risks can be determined and acted upon. Strategic management is also important to the corporation for making strategic choices. Management should make decisions that facilitate change at different levels within the corporation. They should ensure that they benefit from corporate level strategies that oversee the overall operation of the business through the implementation of s strategy to achieve company goals and objectives. Secondly, in this case, management should formulate business level strategies which will allow the corporation to achieve its corporate level strategy. These business level strategies will be better able to use up the corporation’s competitive advantage and implement a proactive approach which will enable the corporation to seize opportunities available in the external environment. The corporation will also be better able to formulate development strategies or procedures or methods of operations. Because of threats brought on by competition or economic and social factors, the corporation may need to change its mode of operation or processing. It may mean training of workers or a different product offering. Whatever the change required, there should e a strategic plan in place to ensure the longevity of the corporation and the achievement of corporate goals and objectives while carrying out its corporate social responsibility. It is important therefore that strategic plans are made known to stakeholders and approved where appropriate. Additionally, there should be a monitoring system to ascertain the progress of the strategy t o determine if it is in line with achievement of strategic goals. Finally, stakeholders should be made aware of all relevant information to be had from the corporation. There should be no embellishment of the truth. In concluding, good strategic management is important to corporations because it allows managers to choose a strategic position, put a strategy into action and make strategic choices. It therefore will determine higher organizational performance especially when strategic goals are achieved. It will also require managers to examine and adapt to business environmental changes so as to maintain a competitive edge. This will help in coordinating diverse business units in an attempt to focus on organizational goals and provide involvement in the managerial decision making process.

Venus And Adonis Essays - Literature, Religion, Operas, Mythology

Venus And Adonis Essays - Literature, Religion, Operas, Mythology Venus And Adonis Venus and Adonis: Images of Sexuality in Nature Love is the answer, but while you are waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty good questions. - Woody Allen Throughout his plays and poetry Shakespeare imbeds numerous and diverse themes, many of them relating to love, sexuality, life, death, religion and countless others. In his poem Venus and Adonis Shakespeare tackles the theme of sexuality as a representation of love, and a function of Nature. The characters of Venus and Adonis, often times reminiscent of an Elizabethan fallen Adam and Eve, create a sexually charged poem that lends much of the power and influence of love and life and death to Nature. Shakespeare creates a natural phenomenon that physically links the love and actions of these two characters to the forces, both positive and destructive, to Nature herself. The poem allows Venus and Adonis a certain power or authority over the forces that lie within the powers of Nature, but Shakespeare's creation of this sexual narrative as a depiction of erotic desire as a tragic event leads the characters to inevitable misfortune, and a complete loss of control over their circumstances. Shakespeare's text can be broadly divided into three sections. The first being Venus' expressions of love for Adonis, the second involving Adonis' death and the hunt, and the third and final section focuses on Venus' reaction to the loss of Adonis. In the first third, Venus tries with increasing desperation to entice Adonis into sex. The pastoral setting on the primrose bank is ideal for the sexually charged analogies she creates. She bombards him with oxymorons involving hot ice, showers him with floral metaphors, launches into an extended variation on the old carpe diem theme, and cracks familiar puns on words such as harts and deer. Venus seems to have inspired control over her own body, and wondrously metamorphosizes her form to suit her purpose, making it heavy enough to need trees to support it, then giving the violets she lies on the strength of trees (152). For all its desperation, the first section is energetic and hopeful, emphasizing Adonis' youth and Venus' constantly self-renewing flesh. The descriptions of love found here are wholly sexual and physically based, but there is a desperate strength in Venus' repeated attempts and persistence. However, at the center of the poem Adonis announces that he intends to hunt the boar the next day. Venus collapses with the boy on top of her, and follows what ought to be the sexual climax of Venus' attempts to lure Adonis into her bed, but all Venus gets from the encounter is frustration: 'all is imaginary she doth prove' (597). In this next section of the poem, which takes place in the forest, Venus speaks of fear, the fear of the boar and the terror of the hunted hare. Death, which has been a veiled presence throughout the first half, becomes the controlling factor of the second. Instead of urging Adonis to beget, Venus warns him that he will be murdering his own posterity if he fails to make love (757-60). The youthfulness of Adonis, which had been described in such vital terms in the first section, able to 'drive infection from the dangerous year' (508), suddenly finds itself subjected to more infections than it can hope to cure: As burning fevers, agues pale and faint, Life-poisoning pestilence and frenzies wood, The marrow-eating sickness whose attaint Disorder breeds by heating of the blood (739-42). At the same time Venus loses control over her body. As she hurries through the woods after the sound of Adonis' horn, her body is subjected to the intrusive gropings of bushes: Some catch her by the neck, some kiss her face, / Some twine about her thigh to make her stay (872-3). This attack on Venus' physical body, and her inability to stop it renders her even more powerless, and her dominating sexuality is turned to frightened reserve as she searches for Adonis. Her efforts to entice Adonis through her pastoral metaphors have failed, even after she evidences her love through the tangible elements of Nature. In the first half of Shakespeare's poem Venus struggles to create a poetic Eden out of the substance of Adonis' body and her own. She tells him that

Fear - Argumentum ad Baculum

Appeal to Force/Fear - Argumentum ad Baculum The Latin term argumentum ad baculum means argument to the stick. This fallacy occurs whenever a person makes an implicit or explicit threat of physical or psychological violence against others if they refuse to accept the conclusions offered. It can also occur whenever its claimed that accepting a conclusion or idea will lead to disaster, ruin, or harm. You can think of the argumentum ad baculum as having this form: Some threat of violence is made or implied. Therefore, the conclusion should be accepted. It would be very unusual for such a threat to be logically relevant to the conclusion or for the truth-value of a conclusion to be made any more likely by such threats. A distinction should be made, of course, between rational reasons and prudential reasons. No fallacy, the Appeal to Force included, can give rational reasons to believe a conclusion. This one, however, might give prudential reasons for action. If the threat is credible and bad enough, it might provide a reason to act as if you believed it. It is more common to hear such a fallacy in children, for example when one says If you dont agree that this show is the best, Ill hit you! Unfortunately, this fallacy isnt limited to children. Examples and Discussion of the Appeal to Force Here are some ways in which we sometimes see the appeal to force used in arguments: You should believe God exists because, if you dont, when you die you will be judged and God will send you to Hell for all of eternity. You dont want to be tortured in Hell, do you? If not, it is a safer bet to believe in God than to not believe. This is a simplified form of Pascals Wager, an argument often heard from some Christians. A god is not made any more likely to exist simply because someone says that if we dont believe in it, then we will be harmed in the end. Similarly, belief in a god is not made any more rational simply because we are afraid of going to some hell. By appealing to our fear of pain and our desire to avoid suffering, the above argument is committing a Fallacy of Relevance. Sometimes, the threats can be more subtle, as in this example: We need a strong military in order to deter our enemies. If you dont support this new spending bill to develop better airplanes, our enemies will think we are weak and, at some point, will attack us - killing millions. Do you want to be responsible for the deaths of millions, Senator? Here, the person doing the arguing isnt making a direct physical threat. Instead, they are bringing psychological pressure to bear by suggesting that if the Senator does not vote for the proposed spending bill, s/he will be responsible for other deaths later on. Unfortunately, no evidence is offered that such a possibility is a credible threat. Because of this, there is no clear connection between the premise about our enemies and the conclusion that the proposed bill is in the countrys best interests. We can also see the emotional appeal being used - no one wants to be responsible for the deaths of millions of fellow citizens. The Appeal to Force fallacy can also occur in cases where no actual physical violence is offered, but instead, just threats to ones well being. Patrick J. Hurley uses this example in his book A Concise Introduction to Logic: Secretary to boss: I deserve a raise in salary for the coming year. After all, you know how friendly I am with your wife, and Im sure you wouldnt want her to find out whats been going on between you and that sexpot client of yours. It doesnt matter here whether anything inappropriate has been going on between the boss and the client. What matters is that the boss is being threatened - not with physical violence like being hit, but rather with his marriage and other personal relationships being destabilized if not destroyed.