a 2024 update

 Hey everyone, as I navigate life and of course, dont go to calsses or school anymore, I will share with you what I do work on or is submitted to me, Otherwise any posts I make will likely be scanned and uploaded images of my works as I find them. 

Updates Coming to School Essays and Projects

Hello everyone!

I have been hard at work and I have been really dedicating much of my time to my real life business. I am currently working on authoring a book and building my business. I want to spend more time to dedicating to this website and uploading some work from the past which will consist of transcribing pen and paper work to digital format. Therefore, I am asking for donations. I hope what you find here is of value and has helped get you through your classes. If you find it in your heart instead of a beer, please donate a few dollars to me using paypal and soon, patreon, to help give me more incentive and time to be able to chase down my dream of writing for passion.

Thank you

How to Write a Financial Statement Analysis.

It's that time of year again, the college kids are scrambling to get their term papers in last minute. I added a reflection paper last week and got nearly 100 hits on it overnight. Today, I come with an even better paper, a Financial Statement Analysis for Apple Computers Inc. I spent 2 months composing it. It includes all the key financial ratios: liquidity, ROA, ROE, total asset turnover, DSO, Profit margin, profitability, debt management, the works.


I can't post the entire paper because of the integrated tables and graphs, but I'm going to include some excerpts from it. If you want the whole thing, please purchase my eBook on how to write a Financial Statement Analysis. In my book, I detail each step needed to be taken, the best free sites to get your financial information from, where and how to calculate industry ratios, and proper formatting for the Ratio Analysis section. It's just a quick guide on what to do and how to do it. You can spend $200 to have one done for you in no time, or you can buy my guide and save $198 dollars and actually do the work yourself in half the time you'd have if you tried to do it yourself.


Believe me, when I first starting working on this it took me at least a week to gather information from several sources just on how to START the Financial Statement Analysis.


Here's portions of the document, with graphs excluded:

Apple Computers, Inc. was founded by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ronald Wayne on April 1^st, 1976 (Linzmayer). While there may be an April fool’s joke in the founding date, one cannot deny the success Apple Inc. has achieved as it rose to number two on the Fortune 500 list. Originally located in Steve Jobs Garage (Pederson) Apple Inc. is now headquartered in Lupertino, California and currently worth $255.18 billion, operating 301 retail stores in ten countries, 46,600 full time employees, and annual sales of 65.23 billion (explorepedia).

            Although Apple has seen success in recent years, the company had hard times. During the early eighties, Steve Jobs was struggling against the market controlled by IBM. To compete, Jobs worked relentlessly on the Macintosh computer and during the 1984 Superbowl, Apple aired its famous commercial starring Anya Major. The ad created the buzz as Jobs and Wozniak hoped, generating over $5 million in free publicity (Low End Mac). The Mac sold incredibly well, however, by Christmas of 1984, the public was growing tired of the low specs.

            During the early 90s, Apple did not have any problems with selling computer, but with building them. With over $1 billion in backorders, Apple was unable to acquire the parts fast enough to build the new PowerMac’s. Misjudging the market for the fourth quarter in 1995, Apple pushed the low-cost Performa over the mid-range PowerMac’s. Apple, Inc. posted a $68 million loss for that quarter. In the late 90s, Steve Jobs was appointed interim CEO. Since Apple’s stock price was the lowest it had been in 5 years, Jobs put his best efforts into new marketing strategies. Previously, Apple had sold its products direct to retailers, like best buy. Jobs changed this by offering its products over the web and phone, known as The Apple Store. Within a week, Apple had the third largest e-commerce site on the web and Jobs was able to announce, for the first time in a year, a profitable first quarter of $44 million. Jobs steamrolled the competition and Apple posted its first full year of profitable quarters. Jobs efforts allowed Apple’s stock price to rise to the 20s and in 1999, after the release of several new products Apple’s stock price rose to the high 70s.

            In 2000, Jobs dropped the “interim” from his title and became permanent CEO if the company and announced a new internet, mac-only based applications called iTools. As sales rose, so did the stock price, climbing to 130 by March. However, there was turbulence in the technology industry by mid 2000. Apple’s corporate strategy response, faced with massive sales decreases, was to get into the personal electronic devices market- mp3s, dvds, and digital cameras. The new product line, coupled with complementary software added incredible value to Apple products. The hope was that the new innovations and products would make Mac the digital hub and rejuvenate sales and security. In May of 2001 Jobs announced the opening of retail stores across America offering products like Apple computers, mp3 players, digital cameras, and other “digital lifestyle” products. With the new products and stores, Apple’s sales increased dramatically. Apple released the iPod in 2002 but the company struggled financially until 2003, when it released iTunes. In the first year, the iTunes store sold 70 million+ songs and the iTunes owned over 70% of the legal online music download services. iPods went from “Expensive toys” to must-have Christmas presents, launching Apple into the spotlight; Apple was in the position of having a monopoly for the first time in several decades.

Ratio Analysis

            In this section, Apple’s financial ratios will be covered in detail. The purpose of looking at the financial ratios for Apple is to discover how it compares to the technology and personal computers industry overall. By looking at the past and present performance trends of Apple, a short term forecast of Apple's future performance will be able to be determined. Ultimately, this section will act as a guide to investors; providing data and giving a realistic view of Apple’s financial position and comparison to the industry.

Liquidity Ratios

          Liquidity ratios exhibit a company’s ability to meet short term debt obligations and provide an overall picture of the company’s financial health (Brigham & Investopedia). 

..........................

Asset Management Ratios

          Asset management ratios measure how effectively Apple controls assets and inventories. A firm overinvested in its inventories can damage profit by having high operating costs, on the other hand, a firm underinvested in assets will not be operating at optimum efficiency and will be unable to meet demands. Both situations can adversely affect stock price and harm the firm long term, therefore it is highly important to have the right amount invested in assets. 


.........................................................


The total asset turnover ratio is the overall way to analyze how Apple is utilizing all of its assets to generate sales. The industry average is 1.1; Apple falls short of the allowed range at 0.86755. To increase sales margins, Apple could benefit from finding ways to utilize more of its assets or cut down on underperforming equipment. In the end, asset management may not be where it should be, but Apple can remedy the problem with minor changes in certain key areas.


............................................................

Debt Management

            The debt management section covers the financial leverage Apple has. In essence, a firm can finance assets with debt to increase returns to stockholders. Debt is usually a good measurement of the fixed cost to finance a company......................The debt ratio indicates how much debt a firm uses to finance its assets. Generally, the smaller the debt ratio, the better off the firm is. In Apple’s case, they have incredibly good debt management, with no short or long term debt or interest expense, indicating Apple doesn’t take risks, or have no current need for outside financing.

Profitability

            After liquidity, asset management, and debt management are combined, Profitability ratios are the result. Profitability ratios can be explained using the highly important DuPont analysis which gives a much better estimate of Return on Equity, the amount of profit generated on shareholder investments.

..........................................................................

From Grandma’s garage to large-cap growth company, Apple has taken a beating throughout the years. The company owes its success to one man who some say is a visionary; however, with the current health conditions of Steve Jobs, Apple may have to gear-up for another rocky road. Based on the analysis, Apple should perform well in 2011. Given recent trends, Apple is projected to outperform other companies in the Personal Computers industry. An investment in Apple would bring a positive return at a relatively low risk level. For technology’s sake, let’s hope Apple continues to thrive on Steve Jobs’ inspiring quote, “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.¹”

Click here to get the rest of the paper, with graphs and a guide on how to write a Financial Statement Analysis!

**UPDATE (Feb 2014): Due to the use of a third party company, there will sometime be issues with transactions. If any errors or issues occur, a quick email to me with a brief detail and copy of your receipt, I will Email you the PDF version.**

Johnny Cash I Walk the Line short essay.

The following is a short essay I wrote for a friend who needed help in his writing class. I believe the instructions were along the lines of pick a song that has meaning to you and explain why, using lyrics etc.

If you have a similar project, you can follow the format of this essay and include your own story. Always provide a background on the artist and song, what you interpret the meaning as and of course how it relates to you, personally.

Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley were two of the most influential rock artists of the 1950s. The ‘50s is an amazing decade, we had monumental bounds in our social, political, and technological climate as Americans. From Rosa Parks to Satellites, the Korean War and IBM’s first ever Hard -Disk Drive, and even the introduction of the Interstate system all left marks on Americans in the 1950s. However, nothing leaves its mark music. Music is it’s own language, and we’ll see how Johnny Cash communicated through his chart-topping hit, “I Walk the Line.”

“I Walk the Line” is a relatively short song, just coming in under three minutes, however the impact it had on the music industry and people’s lives is immeasurable. Johnny Cash stumbled upon the chords by accidentally playing a song backwards on his cassette recorder. Dorothy Horstman, in an Interview with Johnny Cash, found that he wrote the song backstage before a performance, as his pledge of devotion to his first wife, Vivian Liberto. It has been the center of much debate that Cash wrote the song for June Carter, however the was written in 1956 and the marriage between Johnny and June took place in 1958. He pledged well, even though he had feelings for June, nothing ever happened until the day of the divorce.

Johnny starts the song off with “I keep a close watch on this heart of mine” which could be interpreted as his heart’s feelings, or “the love of his heart.” When he sings the lyrics,

“I find it very, very easy to be true

I find myself alone when each day is through

Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you.”

It’s quite easy to feel the emotion in his voice as well as the love and devotion for his wife. In a sense, he means,” even though I have several chances to cheat on you, I go back to my tour bus and sleep alone. It doesn’t make me upset, because I know in my heart how happy I am with you.” Cash goes on to admit that his love is on his mind as “sure is dark is night and light is day,” which has a deeply honest tinge to it. He basically states that he is willing to go to the ends of the earth to do anything for his wife. You can’t get more honest than a song written backstage before a performance. Everyone can relate, you’re in a bind to get something done, you usually draw from personal experiences to fill in the missing pieces.

The most controversial recurring theme in the song is Cash’s use of the line, “I walk the Line.” This has been debated several times as to what he was trying to convey. Many people say it’s due to his use of drugs and alcohol that caused his first wife to worry about Johnny. What he was saying is that, “I walk a thin line, and I’m really pushing it.” Others say he was in the military, on guard duty, when he wrote it and was literally “walking the line” for duty while thinking of his wife. Personally, I think he didn’t have a set meaning for it. I personally think he left it open for interpretation. I interpret it as a moral standing. Every time he is away he may be tempted to cheat on his wife and he’s walking the line between “good upstanding morals” and “evil degenerate morals.” so, every night on tour, he walks the line and has to decide “Am I good person? Am I going to be faithful to my wife?”

The first reason I chose “I Walk the Line” was because it is one of my favorite movies. It was inspiring to see the stuff he went through portrayed on screen. It was well directed, and it was very easy to relate to personally. I had friend in High School (and even back to Junior High) who had a drinking problem. He was the first person I ever had a drink with, when I was a freshman in High School. We ha some really great times together, but I was always worried about the road he was travelling down. I remember, to this day, the one thing he said to me and I can remember it like he was standing right in front of, the room of the house we were in. It was sophomore year and it was the weekend after a party. I was asking him if he was ever scared to get really drunk (as he usually had been doing) and he said in a sort of up-tempo yet pitiful voice, “well, my dad is an alcoholic and that shit runs in the family, so I might as well accept it and start early.”

Although I’ve never been married, this song has a lot of personal meaning to me. This song is like the Lays potato ships commercial “You can’t eat just one!” in the fact that you can’t listen to this song and not think of your loved one, or some love you have had. When I was in High School I was very much in love with this girl, I would never do anything to hurt her. Just like in the song, I found it “very, very easy to be true.” We would spend long nights out by the lake and we even snuck over to each others house late on school nights just to be with each other. We were living the dream. Our relationship was great until her parents wanted to move to Georgia. At nights I found myself alone, but she “had a way of keeping me at her side.” I stayed faithful, the thought of cheating never crossed my mind. After a year or so of this long distance relationship, we both decided that it was almost hopeless to try and continue it. We talked it over and decided that we were both young and it just wasn’t meant to be between us. What led us to this decision was my acceptance into Tennessee Tech. She also grew to like Georgia, so I knew it was hopeless for her deciding to come live, on her own, back in Lebanon.

Johnny Cash Lyrics. I Walk the Line.  2010.       

Horstman, Dorothy (1976). Sing Your Heart Out, Country Boy, Country Music Foundation. p. 144

Bob Stritof. Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash Marriage Profile.

A "Reflection" Paper composed for Business Management

Reflection Paper

          I am pleased to reflect on my experience this semester in Business Management 3510. I feel that it was a successful class which taught me a lot regarding how to function in a team and as an individual. Personally, I do not enjoy classes that don’t challenge me. I have always been one to persevere through difficult situations and challenge myself by undertaking complex tasks. If I am presented with a class that doesn’t meet my intellectual standards I have a habit of making things harder than they have to be in order to challenge myself. That’s why I was content in Business Management 3510, I found the team activities, fun, challenging, and stimulating. I will admit that the Business Simulation was far more entertaining to me than the Functional Presentation; however, I found each equally challenging.

           

          I believe my role in the functional presentation wasn’t as significant as the Simulation. I feel that there was groupthink (George & Jones, 2009, p. 171) occurring quite frequently. This was probably due to the fact that we presented at the end of the semester fresh off the coat-tails of the Simulation project. I made it a point to take on the role of a quasi-leader in the functional team, although everyone pulled their weight in the end. I made it a point to think outside of the proverbial box by taking the team away from the norm (George & Jones, 2009, p.53) of banking that Finance teams had brought to the table in the past. I brought in the investment perspective, which I hoped would be a fresh change. Since July of 2008, I have been invested in some mutual funds offered by American Funds and Southwestern Investment. Bill Zizzi has been a role-model to me ever since I met him and has been a wonderful source of knowledge. This proved incredibly valuable in garnering information for our functional presentation. I contacted Mr. Zizzi, made him aware of the project, and scheduled a meeting with him. Unfortunately, the industry and his company has many regulations so he couldn’t meet with out entire team, though he could meet with one person. Before meeting with Bill, I knew I’d have to have some questions at the ready. Since I didn’t want to get too detailed in the presentation and wanted to keep it mostly simple, I stuck to the basics. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and all kinds of investment options. We talked for an hour until he had other appointments. It’s amazing the knowledge you can gain from just an interview or even in-depth communication with a person who is knowledgeable in a particular field.

       The Functional team presentation was a huge success in my mind. I feel that our roles were very much evened out. I took on role that suited me very well and I think the presentation was better off with the fresh perspective. With investment perspective, I think it was a pleasant change and offered some excitement to the class and the team while working on the presentation. Although I feel that our presentation could have been better if we rehearsed it more thoroughly, in the end I think it exceeded our expectations.

       Through the Functional Team presentation I was able to learn more about the environment I will be subjected to once I enter the Investment Banking world, although not to its fullest extent. During my interview with Bill Zizzi I asked him if he enjoys his job and if it offered a variety of experiences. Bill told me that every day was something new, because the market is an entity of itself and it’s constantly changing there is always a different feel to every workday. This taught me that as a manager in Finance, especially when handling people who handle people’s money, you have to be ready for almost anything. You have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best (...again with the cliche’s). Most importantly, I learned that being a manager is not easy work. At least it’s not easy work if you care about your job or career. To achieve any sort of advancement you have to be effective at your work and you need to bring new concepts to the table. The investing “industry” is high risk and a lot of the time many professional investors fall into investing norms (George & Jones, 2009, p.53) where they will stick with what has been tested and is mostly accepted as trite and true. However, as Bill Zizzi mentioned the stock market and by default mutual fund market are constantly changing, so an investor and consequently a manager who is able to think differently may have a better chance at succeeding because of the new ideas he or she brings to the table. However, this is not always the case. Today we see many entrepreneurs (George & Jones, 2009, p. 176) try to emerge and make a name for themselves, but often times they fail because their ideas may be too radical or they were unable to stay on top of things, another important aspect of being an effective manager. In the investing wold, it’s incredibly important to be on top of things. Not just your employees and clients, a manger who wants to be efficient (George & Jones, 2009, p. 5) will be on top of changing market trends and new IPOs being offered. Investopedia.com defines an Initial Public Offering as, “The first sale of stock by a private company to the public. IPOs are often issued by smaller, younger companies seeking the capital to expand, but can also be done by large privately owned companies looking to become publicly traded.” (Investopedia). As you can see, based solely on the definition a manager who stays on top of changing trends, thinks outside the box, and for example makes an investment in a new company that tailors to societies current trends could stand to make a lot of money for himself and his clients. By the time the stock does really well, it’s usually too late (too late to make incredible gains).

          Through my experiences and everything I have learned, there are a few things I will incorporate next time I have to be a manager. First, I will use what I have learned to establish a close, personal relationship with my team members, people I am managing, and clients. It’s seems having professional relationships, not only relationships but people who like you, is the best way to advance any career in the business world. The information that can be gained is priceless. When I have to manage a team or project, I will definitely make sure that I expand my knowledge of the topic as thoroughly as possible; this individual experience has served me well not only with the functional presentation, but the business simulation, as well as with other past experiences. To have yet another cliche, knowledge is power.

          The Marketplace Business simulation was something I had mixed feelings about. I was anxious to begin, but once I started I was full-force. My “official” role was Brand Manager and VP of Finance. However, my actual role felt more as “Paragon of Marketplace Business Simulation Excellence” ...or something like that. Donnie Holder worked very hard to help our team achieve the standing we received. However, I think I was the only one who pored over the Coaching tips for hours trying to gain a leg-up in the competition. As I gained knowledge of the simulation, every subsequent team meeting, I was the one explaining game mechanics and “suggesting” what our next move should be. By “suggesting,” I mean I would know what to do and Donnie seemed fine with every suggestion I put forth. I took the lead in almost every major decision that had to be made, from when to open sales offices and how much to advertise. I designed every advertisement and every brand. Of course, I am entirely happy with the way things turned out, and I did take the responsibility of all this by being a point-man (think of a lineman in football or the soldiers who charged the beach on Normandy). Also, I mentioned that I love to bite off more than I can chew to challenge myself.

          The marketplace Business Simulation actually gave me a lot of insight into myself. I’m glad I had the experience of working with the team I was in. Donnie Holder and myself developed a Friendship Group (George & Jones, 2009, p. 368). I enjoyed his company and working with him as I hope he feels the same. I was hoping to earn first place, but I’m sure this is to be expected given this generation who’s had their needs catered to their entire lives. I know I put forth a lot of effort into the Marketplace project, but I think if I had done my research much sooner, and concentrated harder from the beginning, we would have done much better.

          Although I wasn’t the CEO, I sure felt like it. Effectively putting me into the role of manager during team meetings. Donnie was the manager in the sense he coordinated when and where we would meet. I however, made the decisions as to where we would be taking the company and deciding the next steps we should take. I learned a lot about the role of a manager and decision making (George & Jones, 2009, p. 156). After we received the results from the first quarter we released out product, we actually lost money. If this were any regular person, they would probably pull money out or not reinvest. I knew that it takes money to make money, that there was no way we could succeed if we didn’t spend. It’s another important lesson I learned about managing a business. When we received the results for the following quarter, we were pleased to see that we had made money. We assumed that it would be a good idea to use around the same amount we used in the previous quarter, we were wrong. It turns out there is a direct relationship to the amount of money spent on advertising and expanding your sales force to the amount of money that you bring in. Essentially, it is important to not let your money accumulate, why sit on your assets, when you could be using them to expand and grow? As a manager it’s important to learn from your mistakes.

          When it is time for me to manage an lead a business, I will not make the mistake of being to conservative, however the opposite is true as well. We were unable to see the final results of the last quarter, but we did not do too well, we did well enough to remain in second. Our team decided to spend more than we probably should have. This means to me that there is an equilibrium to spending. Too much or to little is harmful, it is important to understand the market in order to reach the maximum earning power.

Works Cited:

Investopedia ULC. 12/7/2010. . 2010.

Interview. Bill Zizzi. Southwestern Investment.


George & Jones (2009). Essentials of Contemporary Management (4th Ed.). New York, New York:
McGraw-Hill-Irwin.

Raymond-James Financial Services. 12/7/2010. . 2010.

Just giving an update.

That's it for now, I'm currently working on another bullshit project in Writing. I am going to post my favorite work though as soon as I scan and upload some images I need. It's about advertising and stuff. If you guys like any of my essays, please feel free to let me know in comments! Also, feel free to use my ideas and work as long as you cite me. Just a word of warning, however, most teachers may not find it a good idea to use my stuff but then again, if you were like me in High School, you don't care. So that, said, just know all my stuff contains ruthful imnformation I have researched. Unless, of course, it is my personal opinion. 

A story using the character "BeoWulf" in a modern sense.

Thank God teachers don't play video games, or atleast my English teacher. I totally plagiarized this story. SORRY MRS. CHOPPIN!! I wrote it the night before it was due. Anyone who's played the most popular game of all time will see what I mean. Credit is given now, at the end.

David Hill

Choppin         

 

                                                Beowulf and the Covenant

 

            It was the beginning of a legendary war, and the Covenant were drawing ever closer to the Pillar of Autumn. The Covenant are a beastly race, descendants of Grendel. They left earth long ago tired of being oppressed, and one day they would again combat the human race.

            For hundreds of years, they flew to a far away planet, where their technology increased exponentially double of humans. There, they constructed they’re (life-giver), a ring which could reproduce the conditions of any weather they wanted, controlled from central control rooms throughout it.  This ring would spin in the middle of space with the power of centrifugal force, to recreate gravity. This became the Covenant’s home. After a time they were set on fulfilling their (blood-lust). (This is where we will continue with they’re attack on the human race.)

            The Covenant were drawing closer still, a loud crash and a tremor was felt by the crew aboard the Pillar of Autumn. The ship was being breached. It was time to release him, the super warrior, Master Chief, the hero of the mankind. As they began to release Master Chief from his cryogenic chamber, something went terribly wrong, an explosion, shots, or a failure in electronics. The cause is still unknown, but one fact is, Master Chief did not survive. Immediately, a distress signal was sent back to earth for someone, something.

            He had been in seclusion, for unknown reasons, but as news reached earth of the Covenant’s attack, he knew it was time. Beowulf immediately left on a journey to get to the Pillar of Autumn. He arrived at the closest military base, found a craft, and embarked on his heroic journey. For when the future is in danger, there is no time to hesitate.

            As Beowulf arrived at the Pillar of Autumn, the military were still battling and defending against the Covenant. Beowulf grabbed the nearest (boom-stick) along with an assault rifle, he went to work.

            Beowulf ran down the corridor, his assault rifle in hand. Turning left into the mess hall, it was time for battle. He took cover next to a fellow soldier behind and over turned table. He turned around on his knees, looked up to see his foes. Once he got a good idea of their positions, he jumped up with a loud cry. The enemy fired upon him with their plasma guns, he dodged, shot back, took cover at a column closer to the enemy. His kill count was at five already. He continued on throughout the Pillar of Autumn. Killing any and all of the Covenant he came across, showing no mercy. He showed no fear and no mercy, the Covenant began to grow tiresome and fearful, they couldn’t find a way to defeat this human. Eventually they had to retreat to their ship; Beowulf was too great a warrior for them to overcome. The Covenant had been defeated for now…

Bibliography

www.bungie.com

Microsoft and Halo

A term paper on Christology.

I wish I could go back with the knowledge I have now and absolutely tear this paper up. By that, I mean I would write a kick-ass paper compared to this.

Christological emphases are based throughout the gospels. Sometimes, however, many questions arise due to dissimilarities among the various writers. These differences can cause questioning among any readers of the bible, even the faithful. Those who expect the Bible as the literal word of God definitely come face to face with this problem. Although these differences do exists, the similarities among the gospels are greater. Therefore, each of the gospels can be used concurrently to strengthen faith, rather than weaken it.

            Upon reading the four different synoptic gospel accounts, it becomes blatantly obvious that none of them are exactly the same. Matthew and Mark do seem to be highly similar in the recounting of the death of Jesus. In Matthew and Mark both, before Jesus dies, he “cried in a loud voice ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” Whereas in Luke, Jesus also “cried out in a loud voice” but, Instead said “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!” In John, however, Jesus simply says “It is finished.” Other similarities are seen among Matthew, Mark, and Luke, being the fact that Simon is addressed as being a helper to carry Jesus’ cross; this fact is excluded from John’s account. The temple being torn into two is another difference that is in all three gospels except for Luke. Other dissimilarities include the centurions who witnessed Jesus dying. Matthew and Mark the centurion says “Truly this man was the son of God.” In Luke the Centurion is quoted for saying “This man was innocent beyond doubt.” In John this centurion is never mentioned, but a completely different detail is added in that does not appear in any of the other gospels. John tells us about a soldier who thrust a spear into Jesus’ side and water flowed out. Aside from the obvious similarities, like the fact that Jesus died, Matthew and Mark are very similar, in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Jesus is crucified with 2 criminals but, the way he is treated by the revolutionaries in each of the gospels are different.

            Each of the writers of the gospels places a specific emphasis on a certain event or events in each of the stories. For instance John heavily emphasizes who Jesus appeared to after he was risen and the events of his death were not greatly emphasized. John’s gospel is definitely a high Christology because by Jesus saying “It is finished” shows us that Jesus knew that his purpose was to save the world from sin. Luke’s gospel puts most of his emphasis on the appearance of Jesus on the road to Emmaus, and the disciples. Luke’s gospel is without a doubt of High Christology. Throughout his gospel, Jesus hints to the fact that he is divine. In Luke before Jesus dies, he is talking with the revolutionaries and one asked to be remembered when Jesus arrived in the Kingdom. Jesus replied, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” simply showing that Jesus does know he is divine. In Mark, the main focus is on the Crucifixion of Jesus, Marks Christological emphasis is a suffering Jesus, low Christology, and focusing on the crucifixion helps to emphasize this. Matthew also focuses on the Crucifixion of Jesus, and Matthew’s Christology is also Low Christology, emphasizing the same as Mark.

            When reading the Bible, it is often very easy to begin to question faith. It should be kept in mind though, that’s all faith is, faith. Faith is trust in something because you as a person believe it to be true. Although the gospels vary greatly as you read through each one, it should not be cast aside as untrue. Many people take the Bible as the true spoken word of God, or actual factual accounts. If this is the case, then it they can be scarcely judged as key examples to this type of writing. (Fitzmeyer, 9) The most common way to explain the differences in each gospel is the “Q” source, or Quelle. Matthew and Luke both draw from this source whereas mark does not. The differences occur because of other independent sources believed to be had by the individual writers. (Fitzmeyer, 9) The differences among each of the synoptic gospels could prove that they were not written to be factually accurate but for some other reason, faith. The gospels are so different because of each of the sources, and the fact that they were written at different times, in different places, trying to affect different audiences. Christ was a man who did in fact exist. Christ shows up in many non-Biblical texts and manuscripts. Even though some of these are obscure and vague, it still proves that Jesus was real and he was sentenced to death by Pilate. So, the fact that each gospel may vary in details the fact does not change that Jesus died for our sins, thus instead of reading the Bible as the literal word of God, it should be read to strengthen ones faith by studying these differences and coming to know the truth much closer.

            The Gospel of John is the story that resonates the most with me because it is seemingly independent from the other 3 gospels. It talks about fulfilling scripture passages and you just get the feel of more of an epic, a greater feel of glory.

            The provided painting Crucifixion is by a German Artist Matthias Grunewald. It was an altarpiece dated at 1503. Matthias lived from c1475-1528 (Pioch) and was born in Wurzburg. In 1504 he became a resident of Seligenstadt where he worked and completed most of his paintings. During his lifetime he was a court painter for an Archbishop until 1514, and then after the Thirty Years War began, he became the court painter for Albrecht von Brandenburg. He married in 1519 and had a son named Andreas, whom he later apprenticed to Arnold Rucker. In 1528 Grunewald died in Saxony. (Dictionary of World Biography: The Renaissance) This painting, Crucifixion, by Grunewald uses various symbols and effects. First the lighting on Jesus and the angle of all surrounding figures gives a sense of rising. The lamb with the cross is obviously the Lamb of God, who died for our sins. The suffering of Jesus and the lamenting characters represent the human nature of Christ, only to be contrasted by the lamb and the lighting which give allusion to the divine Christ.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Bible

Dictionary of World Biography: The Renaissance, Salem Press 1999

July 27, 2002 Nicolas Pioch (http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/grunewald/)

An Essay on Duke Wellington

I got a horrible grade on this so I don't recommend using this.

David Hill

               

 

                                                                                Duke Wellington Essay

                Wellington is among the top military leaders of history, he made a name for himself when he defeated a much larger force than his, in India. Among other battles, such as Salamanka and Waterloo, this led to his success, Wellington’s ideology of war helped evolve the classical sense of warfare to the cautious affair it is today.

                In school, Wellington did not excel as a student; he was at the lower end of his class. Family matters for Wellington were not much greater, his brothers did very well causing his mother to be disappointed in him; with lost hope, she sent him to serve in the army. The early life of Wellington had the most profound effect on him as a general; it prepared him to be the perfect general for the changing style of warfare. Being conservative was what made Wellington great. His clarity of mind and energy made him a hero. He would ride all over the battlefield, checking on the situation, and figuring out what he had to do next. Orders were written in perfect form amidst heavy gunfire and commotion. All of this lets us into the mind of Wellington, he knows that Rash decisions are bad. Unlike the time of Alexander when glory was the only thing that mattered, the way Wellington was raised and who he was prepared him to be a great general in the changing definition of war.

                Every day, Wellington followed a specific routine of shaving, eating, and other daily activities. He hardly slept, when he would go to bed, he would fall instantly asleep and slept for 6 or less hours every night. He was meticulous, the scale on which he was fighting had changed, and much larger than Alexander’s; yet, no advances in communications technology had been seen. On top of that, you cannot be Alexander the Great with this new scale of battle. Wellington was not grandiose, he would dress in ordinary civilian clothes, he did not elevate himself as Alexander or Napoleon did. Even though Wellington had contempt for his soldiers calling them “scum of the earth” he was still personal with nice to them and personal with them. He had to be, Wellington had so much to command over with his alliances. This meant Wellington had to me more cautious and he was already this.

                It is possible to think that Wellington was not brave, because he had to stay near the back or because he doesn’t fight as much as the typical soldier. This is untrue due to the scale, Wellington would need to stay near the back so he could see what was going on, so he could give orders and direction to his troops. Although he doesn’t get involved directly in the action as much, he is still closely involved in battle. In one instance a cannonball flew straight under Copenhagen’s neck. Wellington was brave, brave with responsibility. Warfare was now more about country versus country, where the people were supportive of the cause. The scale had changed so much that Wellington knew he was needed to win. Throwing his life away for glory would be foolhardy.

Something I had to write for who knows why.

Another essay from senior year. Obviously, I had horrible writing then.

David Hill

Mr. Peper

Theology 12

8-19-2007

 

                                                            Honi the Circle-Drawer

"Once they said to Honi the Circle-Drawer, 'Pray that rain may fall,' He said to them, 'Go out and bring in the Passover ovens that they may not be softened.' He prayed, but rain did not come down. What did he do? He drew a circle and stood within it and said, 'Lord of the universe, Your sons have turned their faces to me, for I am as a son of the house before You. I swear by Your great name that I will not move from here until You have mercy on Your sons.' Rain began dripping. He said, 'Not for this have I prayed, but for rain (that fills) cisterns, pits, and caverns.' It began to come down violently. He said, 'Not for this have I prayed, but for rain of goodwill, blessing, and plenty.' It came down in moderation until Israel went up from Jerusalem to the Mount of the House because of the rain." That’s a paragraph from the Mishnah, it is also the most common story of Honi and what he is pretty much famous for. (http://www.christian-thinktank.com/mq4.html)

Onias is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Honi. As read above, all Onias did was pray to God for rain, and he got it. Oh, and he drew a circle in the ground and told God he wasn’t going to move until it rained.  Josephus, a skeptic of miracle workers, regarded Onias as a “righteous man” and “beloved of God.” (http://members.aol.com/FLJOSEPHUS/HoniTheCircleDrawer.htm)

 In Honi’s time he was considered a miracle worker, but he shouldn’t be grouped with Jesus for that fact alone. Honi was called “Son of the House” which means literally “Closeness to God.” John Dominic Crossan (how ironic that he appeared!) is said to have argued that Onias, by drawing circles, was simply performing magic. But, Josephus was adamant that he was a righteous man, who prayed to God and got results. (http://www2.ida.net/graphics/shirtail/honithe.htm)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glenn Miller December 5, 2001 http://www.christian-thinktank.com/mq4.html

G.J. Goldberg http://members.aol.com/FLJOSEPHUS/HoniTheCircleDrawer.htm

Kerry A. Shirts http://www2.ida.net/graphics/shirtail/honithe.htm

This is a horrible attempt at a book report Senior Year.

Taking it back a little old school. This is from My senior year in High School. This was a poor attempt at a book report about Thomas Merton's book.

David Hill

Mr. Peper

Theology 12

8-28-07

 

                                                            Merton Book Report

 

            In his statement, Merton is trying to say that the Bible is not just a book to be read – “it is beyond literature.” When he states it is “beyond religion” he means that no religion out there can tell you exactly what it means, the reader has to read it for themselves and interpret it and apply meaning to their own life. He reaffirms the previous point – “beyond the devout” and when he says “the cleansing awe of initiation into ritual and mystery” he means that there’s more to it than all the traditions we get from the Bible. “Beyond the healing and transforming sense of self-transcendence” means there’s more to it than reading it for spiritual comfort. The Bible is full of contradictions.

            Merton view on reading scripture is that when reading the Bible, one will be faced with contradictions to one’s faith and the fact that it’s hard for non-believers and even more so for believers. I Agree with Merton because the Bible is full of some of the most controversial topics. Also since the Bible is written by so many different authors, how can it all be brought together in one? It’s also true that when you read the Bible it’s hard to make sense of it all which leads to confusion and misunderstanding.

This is an essay about Norman Rockwell's Painting the Runaway.

Before you begin, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has visited and supported me. I will posting more essays and works very soon from my upper division college courses. If you like my work, and want to support me, please check out the links to the right and read my other blog posts or support me by clicking the link below:

No doubt, this is one of my favorite essays.

Norman Rockwell’s Runaway

            Norman Rockwell is a man of tremendous talent. His paintings are so incredibly life-like allowing many people to mistake them for photos at first glance. His painting, The Runaway, is simply a still painting, silent during the initial observation, with two figures eying each other, one a veteran policeman and the other a young boy of about six. Critic John Berger proposes that people expect to me mystified when they view art as it’s currently displayed (103). However, artists often tell stories in their paintings and most people have already had these stories spoon fed directly to them instead of discovering it on their own by asking the painting questions. Asking the painting questions and engaging it in a sort of faux conversation can help reveal to a person much more about a painting than they observe on first observation. The following is a demonstration of this technique used with Rockwell’s painting to better understand and explain what is happening.

D: Are you telling a story?

P: Yes.

D: Is it a short story with a few details or a long intricate story?

P: I’d say it’s fairly short, only spanning the time period of a few hours.

D: Why is everything so focused and detailed in the very center yet fades as you move away from that center?

P: This is to help better tell the story of what is happening. This technique is to draw attention to the two main characters of my story.

D: Speaking of those two main characters, what has actually just happened?

P: I’m telling a story of a young boy who has obviously run away from his home. The moment captured in this painting is the moment after the officer sat down next to the boy and he slowly began to lean over until the boy looked up at him. Therefore, there is no conversation yet between the two characters.

D: What details and props do you use to add to the story?

P: Obviously, the knapsack underneath the boy’s stool is a dead giveaway and explains the majority of the title and its encompassing story. Of course, the setting plays a big part; the setting is a small café or bistro, which the boy has stopped in to grab a bite to eat, probably a piece of pie- what he gets to eat is not really important. The coffee cup to his right suggests there was a patron there not long ago. Finally, the owner’s facial expression says he could be thinking many different things. He finds the situation amusing, of course, but it’s almost as if he was the one who notified the officer. Whether he was the culprit who alerted the law or not is simply for the viewer to decide allowing multiple stories to unfold with each mindset the painting is viewed in. The waiter is probably a close friend of the officer and both know the boy’s folks. It sets the scene for what kind of town they are in – a small early 1950s suburb, similar (and I emphasize the word similar) to something you would have seen on The Brady Bunch.

D: Point of view in paintings can be critical to the story told, is there any significance in the view you chose?

P: Very much. This could easily have been done from the opposite side, from the owner’s perspective, yet that would not have achieved the comedy gained from seeing his facial expression in full glory. If painted from the boys perspective, it may not have the same effect either. It would put the viewer in the boys head and see what he is seeing. As a young boy, you may not have a full grasp on the situation, meaning the smirk on the owner’s face would not stand out as much or may be viewed entirely differently. By choosing the perspective I chose, it helps move the story along and gives the viewer a chance to speculate and to also be able to  enter the painting. Am I just now entering into the café to see this happen? Or have I just gotten up to exit, leaving my coffee, passing the officer, and glancing back to see what will become of the boy? This gives the viewer a chance to experience two different stories in the context of one.

It’s interesting approaching an essay with the goal of writing a paper discussing a painting because I was skeptical at first but, I actually surprised myself. As I did the question and answer session I started out with the basic understanding of the painting and the simple story of what I previously perceived. However, as I went on I could see more and more story unfold and actually learned some new stuff I hadn’t otherwise noticed. The activity really helped open up my mind to the complexity behind the simple moment captured in this painting.

            Berger has expectations about how people view art today. He expected that art  has become warped because of reproductions; the impact of seeing a piece in its own glory is removed from modern society. He expects people to be told what the interpretation is, not to discover it themselves (107). I don’t fully agree with him, that is, there is validity in what he says but, I think there’s other things to consider. I think that there are many paintings out there that people look at and don’t have a clue, so they expect to be told to care about it and told that it’s worth something. On the other hand, everyone will come across some form of art or some painting they are drawn too or that catches their attention. These same people may never have had the chance to even experience art if it hadn’t been for reproductions.

            After World War II was over, there was a man on the scene who was redefing painting with Abstract Impressionism. In 1947, describing one of his current works, Pollock said, “The painting has a life of its own (Malyon).” This quote is very interesting coming from a man whom was the forerunner of Abstract Expressionism, an art form with no visible agenda. I chose this quote because it clearly defines many paintings other than Pollock’s, such as Rockwell’s. The Runaway by Norman Rockwell clearly has as life of its own. Along with being extremely lifelike, The Runaway (and Rockwell) showcase(s) something that is not seen very often in paintings- comedy, the sort that is fresh, harmless, and is easy to relate to. Another striking feature of the painting is the complexity and detail put into it, only to describe a simple and peaceful time.

            Rockwell paints with such detail and realism that his style is easily recognized. That’s why this painting sticks out to me, because it’s the most detailed and lifelike painting I’ve seen and at the same time, memorable. Rockwell doesn’t fit into any genre of painting, so it’s hard to classify his work; the best answer is Extreme Realism. This may seem a little unfair to other artists because he did paint during the Realism time period which was from 1865-1915 according to Patricia Penrose.  

            When I think of comedy, the first thing I think of is stand up comedians on a stage doing their bit or routine. If you asked me to list all the comedy and the incarnations of different forms it has taken, I could not list them all. I would not say art had comedy and if I did, it would be one of the last things I’d contribute. Comedy in painting isn’t the most mainstream of concepts. This is due to the sheer amount of mainstream art out there that doesn’t include comedy, so we just mill about not noticing it. The comedy featured in Rockwell’s The Runaway is refreshing; it’s a small comedic story that unfolds the longer we view it. The Runaway tells a story that all Americans can relate to at some time or another in their childhood, which was thinking about running away from home at a very early age. What would happen if you decided to act out the scene? In The Runaway your fate is foretold in a way that is almost ironic.

            Nostalgia is a feeling many people have when seeing something that jogs their memory and takes them back to something they enjoyed. Nostalgia is also a large theme in The Runaway, along with his other pieces. As Berger states, “When in love, the sight of the beloved has completeness which no words and no embrace can match: a completeness which only the act of making love can temporarily accommodate (Berger 97). Rockwell paints art that is like a lost lover, whom you constantly made love to and it was great just not memorable. When a picture of the lover is viewed, it takes you right back to the times of excitement and overwhelming joy that you didn’t realize you had when it was happening because you took it for granted. As the world changed drastically, you can hear an elderly person recounting, “The times were a changin’,” and you don’t realize how life was until it’s lived and you are long past those years. You even forget these years, now focused on your future, your life, your job, and anything else of urgent importance. However, upon seeing a Rockwell painting, it briefly slows you down and allows you take a short look back. All of a sudden, you realize how peaceful and simpler the times were when you were a younger person. Even though Rockwell painted things of the past- depictions of times that are now long forgotten in this generation of youngsters, it still gives them the same nostalgic feeling because of tradition, history, and our good old parents and grandparents.

            Norman Rockwell’s ability to paint with such Extreme Realism has caught the attention of many people throughout the years he painted. To this day, Rockwell’s works continue to grab a hold of people and allow them to have a moment of recollection. Whether they grew up in the post World War II era or not does not matter, what matters is the history we know as a nation. This history doesn’t even have to be understood or understood past a level of what the child in The Runaway could grasp. This is why I have been a fan of Rockwell’s ever since my father and I were cleaning out the garage and we found a collection of my dad’s old Rockwell paintings. We were going through it and The Runaway caught my eye because I could relate immediately. I could instantly associate with the young boy, reminding me of myself and the ventures I conjured up in my head. That reason, the ability to capture people the moment they glimpse, glance, peer, or blink at, is why Rockwell has an ability to create timeless masterpieces that are going be marveled at for years to come.

           

Works Cited

Berger, John. “Ways of Seeing.” Ways of Reading. 8^th ed. David Barthomae and

Anthony Petrosky. Boston/New York: Bedford/St, Martin’s, 2008.

Malyon, John. “Jackson Pollock.”  Artcyclopedia. 2008. 4 February 2009.             

<http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/pollock_jackson.html>

“Norman Rockwell Art.” Greg Lane Fine Arts. 4 February 2009.

<http://www.greglanefineart.com/norman-rockwell-art.php>

Penrose, Patricia. “American Realism.” American Collection. 4 February 2008.

<http://www.ncteamericancollection.org/amer_realism.htm>