World Wide Creativity :: Geeks Computers Internet Essays

World Wide Creativity What comes to mind upon hearing "hacker" or "geek?" In many cases, one will envision a male in his late teens who wears dark clothes, is antisocial, sits in front of a computer screen, and breaks into computer systems illegally. While such people do exist, they are more accurately called "script kiddies" or, depending on severity of infraction, "crackers." Hackers, in the general sense, merely enjoy "the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or circumventing limitations" ("Hacker"). Similarly, a geek is "a person who pursues skill and imagination, not mainstream social acceptance" ("Geek"). Hackers and geeks, together, form a creative force with which there is virtually (pun intended) no parallel. Many of the world's greatest inventors and scientists are geeks in this pure sense of the term. As mentioned in the definition, geeks, by their philosophy, whenever possible do not seek out money or similar worldly possessions. However, if either comes with the task, they does not disagree. Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, explains: People have sometimes asked me whether I am upset that I have not made a lot of money from the Web. In fact, I made some quite conscious decisions about which way to take my life. These I would not change—though I am making no comment on what I might do in the future. What does distress me, though, is how important a question it seems to be to some. This happens mostly in America, not Europe. What is maddening is the terrible notion that a person's value depends on how important and financially successful they are, and that that is measured in terms of money. That suggests disrespect for the researchers across the globe developing ideas for the next leaps in science and technology. Core in my upbringing was a value system that put monetary gain well in its place, behind things like doing what I really want to do. To use net worth as a criterion by which to judge people is to set our children's sights on cash rather than on things that will actually make them happy. (107-108). Geeks and hackers seek out, instead of money, the feeling of creating something that may have seemed impossible. This feeling has even been termed a "geekasm," a portmanteau word combining "geek" and "orgasm." By creating things that have been impossible for others, geeks fall in the realm described by Mark Kac as magician genius.

Economics Assignment: Test Paper on Government Intervention

Economics Assignment: Test Paper on Government Intervention on the Price System Section A: MCQ 1. The following happens when subsidy is introduced by the government, except: a) Equilibrium price of the good decreases b) Supply curve of the good shifts to the right c) No shifts in the demand curve d) Market failure caused by positive externalities overcome 2. The market has failed if: a) Market price of the good decreases b) Many companies are going through a recession c) The opportunity cost of producing the good increases ) Excessive amount of resources is devoted for the production of a good 3. What could be the cause of too little production of a good? a) Increased opportunity cost of producing the good b) Social benefits are not considered c) Presence of negative externalities d) Private benefits are not considered 4. Which of the following is an example of market failure caused by moral hazard? a) A person mistreated with the wrong medicine by a doctor b) High production of ciga rettes in a market ) A lighthouse is not available as all fishermen waits for the other to purchase it d) Inaccessibility to education as private sectors monopolize the education sector and sets a very high price Section B: Case Study Indonesia successfully stabilized domestic rice prices for more than a quarter of a century from 1969 to 1996 (see graph below). During that period, domestic prices were roughly equal to world prices on average, but were substantially less volatile. 1. Describe what could cause the peak in the world rice prices in 1974. [2] 2.State and explain a method of government intervention that could cause the stable domestic rice prices in Indonesia and how it is used to stabilize the price. [5] 3. Draw the graph of the effects of the method you stated in (2) on the demand and supply of rice in Indonesia. [2] 4. State one disadvantage of using the method of government intervention you stated in (2). [1] Section C: Essay 1. Explain the problems caused by external ities and how it can lead to market failure. [8] 2. What are some methods of government intervention and what are the advantages and disadvantages on using these methods? 8] [Virginia – JC1 Cromwell] ANSWER KEY Section A: MCQ 1. C 3. B 2. D 4. A Section B: Case Study 1. Rightward shift of the world demand curve/ leftward shift of the world supply = higher EP 2. Maximum price control & price stabilization policies to lessen the effects of unplanned fluctuations in rice supply which is price volatility. [1 for stating, 1-2 for explanation] -how: -purchase excess stocks during surplus production, release buffer stocks during shortage -result: roughly stable supply = stable price [2-3 for how] [max marks 5] 3. 1 for correct demand and supply curve, 1 for drawing maximum price] 4. Do not promote efficiency/protect farmers from full competition in world markets Section C: Essay 1. definition of externalities [1] private, social and external costs [1] * negative externalities: socia l cost-private cost (external cost) [3] lead to overproduction (external costs ignored by decision maker, price will be lower) too many resources devoted for production = market failure * positive externalities: social benefits>private benefits 3]lead to underproduction (social benefits ignored, leftward demand curve) too little resources devoted for production = market failure 2. definition of gov. intervention [] methods: regulation, taxes, subsidies, state production * taxes advantages: Reduce/overcome negative externalities Raise gov. ’s revenue. This revenue could be spent on alternatives disadvantages: Difficult to measure the level of negative externality e. g. what is the cost of pollution from a car? Not effective for goods which have inelastic demand subsidies advantages: Reduce/overcome positive externalities, higher demand for merit goods disadvantages: expensive, gov. could impose higher taxes to cover the cost of subsidies may encourage ineffeiciency in firms as they rely on gov. aid * maximum price control advantages: lower price for consumers, price is less volatile or stable disadvantages: lead to lower supply causing shortage, shortage leads to waiting lists and possible emergence of black markets as people try to overcome shortage

night Essay - 1246 Words

Night is an autobiographical novella written by Elie Wiesel a young jewish boy who tells of his experiences during the Holocaust. Elie is from the small town of Sighet, Transylvania. This book begins in late 1941 and chronicles Elies life through the end of the war in 1945.He had two older sisters, Hilda and Beatrice Wiesel and a younger sister, Tzipora Wiesel. Elie spoke many languages including Hungarian, Romanian, German and he grew up speaking Yiddish. At the beginning of the book Elie has a very strong faith in God and the Jewish religion, but this faith is tested when he is moved from his small town by the Nazis. Elie has to deal with the death of his family, the death of his, innocence and the death of his God at the very young†¦show more content†¦His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? The book also shows us how his innocence was quickly lost, and how fast he grown up. The things that were happening there, he can’t believe that. He feels that he might be dreaming. The author’s thesis and reason for writing this book is quite clear. He wanted this world to know what he saw and experienced when he was a young boy and how it coloured his life forever. He lost his entire family. †Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never (Night,Ch. 3, Pg. 32) Throughout the book, there’s a dark feeling of hopelessness and unreality. It seems difficult to believe that anyone could be so vile so utterly devoid of consicience as to send million of Jews to their deaths . But that was all true, the characters were real in this novel. Elie told us how difficult life was there, as a prisnor.The novel Night, has had much sociological significance on society. Night is Wiesel’s attempt to trace the dissolution of the Jewish community in Sighet, theShow MoreRelatedShadow of the Night619 Words   |  3 PagesShadow of the Night On a freezing, dark blue night of Li, in the Village of Li-Marta. This was an old little village, the houses were nothing but ash and rubble except an old abandoned barn. The barn had creaking floor boards and a rotten wooden roof. In this abandoned barn there lived a young and confident farm boy; his clothes were ragged and full of holes. The young boy was called Rye named after the agricultural god Ren-Rye. As Rye was sitting on the creaking floor boards a thought hit himRead MoreThe Night By Elie Wiesel904 Words   |  4 PagesIn Night by Elie Wiesel, the author reflects on his own experience of being separated from his family and eventually his own religion. This separation was not by any means voluntary, they were forced apart during the Holocaust. Wiesel was a Jew when the invasion of Hungary occurred and the Germans ripped members of his religion away from their home in Sighet. A once peaceful community where Wiesel learned to love the Kabbalah was now home to only dust and lost memories. Most members of that JewishRead MoreNight, By Eliezer Wiesel1585 Words   |  7 Pages There are many important themes and overtones to the book Night, by Eliezer Wiesel. One of the major themes from the book includes the protagonist, and author of his memoire, Elie Wiesel’s ever changing relationship with God. An example of this is when Moche the Beadle asked Elie an important question t hat would change his life forever, as the basis of his passion and aptitude for studying the ancient texts and teachings of Judaism, â€Å"When Moche the Beadle asked Elie why he prayed, Elie couldn tRead MoreNight Market Marketing Essay833 Words   |  4 Pages Preparing for Night Market Success Its funny how some night markets transform almost magically into something romantic even. Is it because of the moon, the lighting, the food, the music or the people? I believe its all of those features that make a momentous night at the market. In light of this, we believe market booths have the ability to return higher profits after dark. Therefore, we have come up with several key ideas to prepare your market stall for night success. Most vendors relyRead MoreStarry Night971 Words   |  4 PagesStarry Night is a beautiful painting, representational in the type of art. The size of the painting is 29 in. by 36  ¼ in., and oil on canvas were the materials used. Van Gogh is using an expressive quality and an emotionalism viewpoint. On the left side of the painting, there is a group of black lines that curve in waves upward, coming to a point. To the lower right, there is a small town that leads up to hills and then mountains. The painting is set at night, and the sky is a wondrous swirl of burstingRead MoreThe Night Sky - Original Writing926 Words   |  4 PagesIt was a dark and stormy night, the wind blows as the ghostly moonlight filled the darkness. George the highwayman made his way toward Bess the innkeeper’s daughter. She was gazing out the window when the two of their eyes met. Hers, black as the night sky, and a dark red love knot placed on her hair. A red dress made of the fabric silk. Her h air was a dark brown, but could have been mistaken as black. Her outfit fit her personality as much as it did the highwayman. I hope he loves poetry.Read MoreSummary Of Night By Eli Wiesel1561 Words   |  7 PagesNight by Eli Wiesel Amrinder Bhuller P.2 Author: The author of Night is Elie Wiesel. In my opinion, he did a very good job in writing this story! Eli was born on September 30, 1928. Eli is currently 86 and has written a lot of books. Eli had served as a prisoner Auschwitz and other concentration camps. He wrote all his experiences in this book. The Night talks about his experiences in these concentration camps and all he went through. Everything is probably historically correct because he wentRead MoreThe s Night - Original Writing1526 Words   |  7 PagesEverything that happened in Elie Wiesel’s night. I will see, smell, and feel the holocaust through the eyes of Wiesel. â€Å"Alright, uh, Yavin. Nice name. I’m Mr. Hiraku. Are you ready?† the teacher asked, looking down at his chart for my name. â€Å"Yes sir.† I answered, a bit shakily. I had used VR before for video games, but never for something so important. â€Å"Alright. I’m going to read you off some side effects involved with this experience. ‘While participating in the Night VR experience software, you may encounterRead MoreNight, Hope, By Elie Wiesel1580 Words   |  7 Pagesthey grabbed onto it as tightly as they could. Throughout Elie Wiesel’s memoir, Night, hope is a recurring theme. Elie and the people he was around were living in the darkest of conditions, but they still were able to shine a bright light on their situation. They remained hopeful, and this inspired the world. Putting all of this together, it is evident that the theme of hope was demonstrated throughout the book Night because Elie and the Jewish people tried to remain hopeful as they were forced intoRead MoreNight Time Tour951 Words   |  4 Pagesonce more at the sea where the sunset splattered colors of red and orange on the rough surface of blue and violet. Although the boardwalk was lively with smells of French fries and the cries of s eagulls, I nuzzled into the car seat and waited for the Night Time Tour to begin. I absolutely loved long car rides; it was the perfect excuse to let idle thoughts roam and to isolate myself from the world. I only observed the outside through the window of the family van, my personal theater. The images that

Exoskeletons for Human Performance Augmentation

By definition, an exoskeleton is a skeleton on the outside of the body. One example of an exoskeleton is the hard outer covering that makes up the skeleton of many insects. Today, there is a new invention that claims the name of exoskeleton. Exoskeletons for human performance augmentation is a new type of body army being developed for soldiers that will significantly increase their capacity. An exoskeleton will allow you to carry more without feeling the weight, and move faster too. History of Exoskeleton General Electric developed the first exoskeleton device in the 1960s. Called the Hardiman, it was a hydraulic and electrical bodysuit, however, it was too heavy and bulky to be of military use. Currently, exoskeleton development is being done by DARPA under their Exoskeletons for Human Performance Augmentation Program lead by Dr. John Main. DARPA began phase I of the exoskeleton program in 2001. Phase I contractors included Sarcos Research Corporation, University of California, Berkeley, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. DARPA selected two contractors to enter the program’s second phase in 2003, Sarcos Research Corporation and the University of California, Berkeley. The program’s final phase, which began in 2004, is being conducted by the Sarcos Research Corporation and focuses on the development of a fast-moving, heavily armored, high-power lower and upper body system. Sarcos Research Corporation The Sarcos exoskeleton being developed for DARPA utilizes a number of technological innovations, including. A combustion-based driver to support advanced hydraulic actuators that produce robotic limb movements with very high strength, speed, bandwidth, and efficiency.A control system that allows the operator to move naturally, unencumbered and without additional fatigue, while the exoskeleton carries the payload. Application-specific packages can be attached to the exoskeleton. These packages could include mission-specific supplies, protective outer coverings capable of operation in extreme threat and weather conditions, various electronic systems, weapons, or supplies and instrumentation for medical support and surveillance. The exoskeleton could also be used to move material in places inaccessible to vehicles, on board ships, and where forklifts are not available.

Educating Rita - 1570 Words

New stages of experience often bring about growth and change in one’s life. As one experiences new phases in their life, change is an implicit part of moving ‘into the world’. This is clearly demonstrated in the play Educating Rita, by Willy Russell, where Rita’s growth and change comes about with her education and experiences in her social, working-class life. The Devil Wears Prada, directed by David Frankes and an interview titled 2 of us, John van Tigglemen, also demonstrate how new stages of experience can bring about growth and change in one’s life leading to a transition into a new world. Growth and change often comes about when new stages of experience allow a transition ‘into the world’. This is illustrated in Educating Rita†¦show more content†¦When Rita returns from summer school Frank is quite surprised at Rita’s confidence and progression. Rita not only has become more confident but she has bought new second hand clothes, a symbol of her growth into the world. We are able to see this change in Rita as she fought her old-self at summer school when approached by a professor in regards to Ferlinghetti. Instead of Rita persisting to say ‘Only when its served with Parmesan cheese’ she holds back and replies with ‘Actually I’m not too familiar with American poets’. This is a clear indication that Rita has changed her ways to move into the world of education and her new life. Rita’s confidence in herself is demonstrated as she tells Frank how often she stood up during lectures and asked question s constantly. Further growth in Rita is seen when she quotes Blake, to Frank’s surprise, and it is evident that Rita has come so far. Frank paved the way for Rita’s transition into the educated world and he now finds it difficult to accept she has successfully made a transition from one world to another and no longer needs to depend on him. Jealousy begins to arise in Frank as Rita is now able to analyse and criticise which Frank does not like. Frank believes he has created a monster one he can no longer control, making an allusion to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein ‘Oh I’ve done a fine job on you, haven’t I.’ Rita however believes her growth and change has allowed herShow MoreRelated The Character of Rita in Educating Rita1374 Words   |  6 PagesThe Character of Rita in Educating Rita In the play of Educating Rita, which is written by Willy Russell, there is a student aged twenty-six years old who is a hairdresser and also is a working class called Rita. Rita lives with her husband called Denny however Rita and Denny love each other so very much. Denny wants Rita to have a baby but Rita is on a pill to stop from having a baby, but Denny does not know about it, but then finds out later in the play. Rita wants to explore herself andRead MoreEducating Rita By Willy Russell1469 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Educating Rita† written in 1980 by Willy Russell, is a play that explores the way in which a working class Liverpudlian woman, Rita (Susan), follows the change from unhappiness to happiness. The story is a comedy, which revolves around the growing personal relationship between Rita, and her Open University Literature tutor, Dr. Frank Byrant. Russell often mocks many parts of society at a time when the play was set including education, social class and patriarchy. Rita is used to create comedy withinRead More The Humour in Educating Rita Essays1551 Words   |  7 PagesThe Humour in Educating Rita ‘Educating Rita’ is a humorous play that was written by Willy Russell in 1979, based on his own life. It is set in Liverpool and depicts the perseverance of a working class, 26-year-old hairdresser with no qualifications called Susan, or as she is called throughout the play, ‘Rita’, as she tries to ‘discover herself’ by participating in an English literature course at the Open University. Her lecturer, who is from a more middle class background, Frank, is somewhatRead MoreEssay on Educating Rita Into the World Speech720 Words   |  3 Pagesthe World Speech â€Å"Explain how Educating Rita and Step Brothers portray the consequences of moving into the world† When a person moves into the world, they are often met with consequences for seeking this change. Willy Russell’s â€Å"Educating Rita† and Judd Apatow’s â€Å"Step Brothers† portray both positive and negative consequences of this change. Both protagonists experience the change of moving into a new life; however they are met with different consequences. Rita is first portrayed as a poorlyRead MoreEssay on Educating Rita by Willy Russell1611 Words   |  7 PagesEducating Rita by Willy Russell Educating Rita, is a two-handed play which only has two characters and one set. Educating Rita was written in 1985 by Willy Russell, it looks at how the relationship between two people, Rita and Frank, develops as the play goes on. Educating Rita is the story of Rita, a hairdresser who decides to go to University in order to discover who she really is. When she arrives at University she meets Frank, a lazy alcoholic who doesntRead MoreThe Effect of Summer School on Rita in Educating Rita by Willy Russell751 Words   |  4 PagesThe Effect of Summer School on Rita in Educating Rita by Willy Russell Of course; you dont do Blake without doing innocence and experience, do y? When Frank explains to Rita that after summer school they will study William Blake, Rita says that she has already studied Blake and implies in such a way that she almost disgraces Frank. Before summer school Rita has only been taught Frank and has only learnt his ideas, when she gains her own confidence she then challengesRead More Achieving Humor in Educating Rita by Willy Russell1095 Words   |  5 PagesAchieving Humor in Educating Rita by Willy Russell Written by Willy Russell in 1985, Educating Rita is a comical interpretation of his own life as a young Liverpudlian hairdresser and his aspirations to become educated. The play is based on Rita, the hairdresser who wants a better life, and begins this adventure by enrolling in an Open University course. It is here she meets her tutor, Frank. You could say, the key to her dreams. If I were to direct this play, I would seek to achieve humourRead MoreAnalysis of Educating Rita by Willy Russel Essay669 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of Educating Rita by Willy Russel The opening scene of Willy Russels â€Å"Educating Rita† is very affective in introducing the characters and the theme of the play. He gains the interest of the audience in many different ways. Firstly as the curtain rises we see frank a man in his early fifties in a room on the first floor of a Victorian built university in the north of England. This gives the effect of an intellectual play in a grand environment. As we firstRead More Opening Scene of Educating Rita Essay examples965 Words   |  4 PagesOpening Scene of Educating Rita Explore the ways in which Russell engages the audiences interest in the main characters and themes in the opening scene of Educating Rita and explain whether you think the play written in 1979 is still relevant to 2005. Willy Russell’s play, Educating Rita, written in 1979, is a story about a typical lower class woman called Rita who decides she wants to lead an ‘educated life’ and she tries to do this by getting a private tutor called Frank to teach herRead MoreEssay on Educating Rita - Comparing the Movie and Play963 Words   |  4 PagesEducating Rita - Comparing the Movie and Play       The play Educating Rita by Willy Russell gained great popularity especially during the early eighties. There has also been a movie made from it starring Julie Walters and the more famous Michael Caine. As so often the case, the movie was more elaborate with additional scenes, some of which were spoken of or retold by the actors in the play. The movie also included several actors while the play only featured two, Frank and Rita.

Development organisation in an urban facility Free Essays

As we venture into this major event of building a manufacturing factory, which will be situated within a major residential development area, concerns are being raised about noise and the impacts it will have on the health of the community nearby. Since relocating, the company to a different place is an uphill task and very expensive, we have involved the local community in the decisions that might affect them due to the operations of our factory. In line with our goal to embody environmental sustainability and to support economic activity that will improve the quality of life of the nearby community and the urban residents, we will engage the residents in discussions to obtain their views and to alleviate their worries. We will write a custom essay sample on Development organisation in an urban facility or any similar topic only for you Order Now In consultation with the community, which consists of people with various economic, education and occupation backgrounds, we have brought their needs, concerns and aspirations and presented them in this strategy. PURPOSE, AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTATION STRATEGY We believe that a strategy is needed to provide a coordinated and effective approach to consulting our neighbouring residents. Industrial noise generated from stationary sources such as production plants, refineries, manufacturing facilities, factories, pumping stations, etc. can affect people in various ways depending on a number of key variables. The discussion would involve the residents nearby and not factory workers. Noise emissions from factories to the environment pose the greatest challenge to the industry and the regulators to establish and maintain appropriate limits. Noise is considered a biological stressor and excessive exposure to it is a health risk since it can contribute to the development and aggravation of stress related conditions such as high blood pressure, ulcers, migraine headaches, coronary disease and colitis. The body usually responds automatically to noise as a warning signal. Though reactions to a one time exposure to noise do not result in any irreversible effects, research suggests otherwise in some cases.   The purpose for this strategy is to provide clear guidelines on how to undertake the consultations and then implement the recommendations. The aim of this strategy is to minimize the noise levels that emanate from our factory into the environment by seeking the views of the neighbouring community and giving them a chance to influence our decisions. Our agreed objectives is to carry out a consultation that is inclusive, accessible and valuing diversity; communicate back the results of the consultation back to the community; implement the results of our consultation. TRANS-CULTURAL CHALLENGES Why Culture? To determine these challenges, a framework definition of culture is important. Culture defines how we work, communicate, interact, decide, act and respond in the working world. Our backgrounds such as race, gender, or national origin shape our culture. Our economic status, groups that we join, where we live brand us with different cultures. Conflict resolution draws much from our cultural backgrounds. Since our factory is sited in a major urban residential area, the nearby people hail from different cultural backgrounds shaped with their economic status, place of birth etc. We expect to be misunderstood by some of our neighbours while illustrating to them our strategy, much of this might be because of different cultural values. Just as anthropologists Avruch and Black (1993) stated â€Å"†¦One’s own culture provides the â€Å"lens† through which we view the world; the â€Å"logic†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ by which we order it; the â€Å"grammar† †¦ by which it makes sense†, we expect people to respond to our solution differently. Some might also interpret it as â€Å"abnormal†, â€Å"weird†, or â€Å"wrong† (Avruch Black, 1993). Facing the Challenges To carry out this consultation, the influence of culture on our communication has to be understood. As engineers, we will be tasked with interpreting to the community what we believe and have tested to be low noise and with minimum or no health hazard. We will also be expected to help in the decision making process for the implementation of the consultation results. We must also involve some representatives of the community in the daily operations of the factory and the environmental safety achieved at different stages. Sample Project In a survey conducted on cross-cultural challenges involved in Japanese overseas projects, 33 Japanese professionals from various organizations educational institutions in Japan responded to the survey. This research investigated the challenges faced by the Japanese workers in international projects. Most of them preferred cross-cultural training to better equip them with what to expect from other cultures. Effectiveness of trans-cultural approaches Training for our employees is necessary for them to understand the complaints that might be raised from time to time by the residents during the operations of the factory. The residents will also be notified of the allowable noise levels recommended by organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO). In doing these, we expect to improve our interaction and communication with the residents and achieve our goal of environmental sustainability to improve the quality of life of the nearby community. LIST OF REFERENCES: Avruch, K. and Black, P. (1993). Conflict Resolution in Intercultural Settings: Problems and Prospects. Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice Integration and Application. Manchester: Manchester University Press. How to cite Development organisation in an urban facility, Papers

A Pinter puzzle still unsolved Essay Example For Students

A Pinter puzzle still unsolved Essay The Roundabout Theatre Companys new mounting of Harold Pinters The Homecoming opened in New York last October just a few days after the tragicomic, hothouse confrontation between Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill. Suddenly, this once enigmatic play (routinely referred to in the late 60s as Pinters puzzle) seemed all too clear, almost didactically so. Ruth, the lone woman in the Homecoming, is involuntarily dragged into an all-male household, where three predatory members of the clan proceed to project upon her various male fantasies of womanhood: madonna and whore, earth mother and bitch goddess. In Anita Hills version of this story, only the fantasies were changed: spurned-woman-out-for-revenge, innocent dupe of Thomass political opponents, nut-case whose delusions were so powerful she could successfully negotiate a polygraph test. But the most compelling parallel between life and art was the role played in both by a nerdish character named Teddy: Pinters (as well as the Senate Judicia ry Committees) embodiment of detachment, ineffectuality and moral cowardice. It was as if The Homecoming had transformed before our eyes into one of those disease-of-the-week docudramas culled from the pages of People magazine. Of course, at the same time, it also felt as if Thomass confirmation hearings had been secretly scripted by Harold Pinter. As in: Who put the pubic hair on my Coke can? Is there a more Pinteresque moment anywhere in Pinter? All of the playwrights classic stategies were in evidence: the defamiliarizing of the commonplace, the sexualizing of objects, the verbal power plays, the territorial imperatives. Pinter, weve all been taught, is supposed to be about the weasel under the cocktail cabinet. But here, on the Senate committee, the weasels were very much out in the open: a Hatchetman named Orrin, the smarmy Specter of Arlen, and a Simpson considerably less benign than Bart. The Homecoming had never seemed timelier. And that was precisely the problem. Timeliness and relevance are ultimately impovershing to all great plays (and I believe that The Homecoming will prove to be the most enduringif not endearingof Pinters works). Such plays (we used to call them classics) always by definition transcend the period in which they were created. But thats because they simultaneously speak to and transcend every period, including the one in which theyre revived. Without an aura of strangeness and distance, great plays shrink in stature. They deliver only a quick fix that fades as fast as the headlines they momentarily, if powerfully, evoke. (Literature, as Ezra Pound once reminded us, is news that stays news.) So in approaching Pinters play we might bear in mind Andre Gides famous admonition to his eager admirers: Please, do not understand me too quickly. Where then does the problem lie? With the Roundabouts production? The Zeitgeist? The headlines? The play itself? Arguably, all of the above. But rather than assigning blame, Id prefer to raise a few questions that may help to clarify the nature of my complaint. Is the only problem that the Roundabouts production makes the play seem paaraphrasable, that it enables us all too easily to say what Pinters Puzzle is about (e.g., the objectification of women or something that sounds similarly fashionable)? Put differently: Should an ideal production of The Homecoming be infinitely more ambigous than this one? Not necessarily. For despite all the talk about puzzles and puzzlement, the most distinctive quality of the legendary Peter Hall/Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Homecoming that came to Broadway in 1967 was not its opaqueness or ambiguity, but rather its clarity, its concreteness and specificity. Not specificity of meaning, mind you but of sound and gesture, a palpable physicality which strongly suggested that any search for meaning would ultimately lead one back to the clean, sensuous surface of the production. For me, this was the theatre experience that best illustrated the wisdom of Susan Sontags then immensely influential essay, Against Interpretation. Transparence, wrote Sontag, is the highest, most liberating value in art. . . .Transparence means experiencing the luminousness of the thing in itself, of things being what they are. And in her oft-quoted, aphoristic conclusion to the essay, she maintained, In place of a hermeneutics we need an erotics of art. But Sontags essay and Pinters play were written in the mid-1960s. Clearly, times have changed. Is it possible to ever again view this play the way we did then? The answer to that question is yesyou can go Homecoming again. That at least, was what I concluded after seeing Peter Halls 25th anniversay staging of Pinters play in London last spring. Perhaps the earth didnt move beneath my feet as it seemed to in 1967 when I saw the RSC production of the play in New York. But it convinced me that I hadnt been merely imagining, misremembering or embellishing things all these years. What I remembered deserved to be remebered as one of the three or four most formative experiences of a theatregoing life. In 1967, I was a precocious (maybe precious is the more accurate word) 18-year-old, determined to appear More Sophisticated Than Thou. My principal enthusiasms of the period included Alain Robbe-Grillets and Alain Resnaiss Last Year at Marienbad, Bergmans Persona, Antonionis Blownup, Andy Warhols silkscreens of Marilyn Monroe, the music of the Velvet Underground, the dances of Merce Cunningham and, of course, the essays of Sontag. Was there a place for the theatre in this celestial pantheon? Halls production of The Homecoming went a long way toward persuading me that the theatre might, on occasion, be able to hold its own alongside this cool, brainy, elegant company. The heart of Halls and Pinters strategy seemed to me to lie in Ruths response to the pseudo-philosophical bantering of Lenny and Teddy (e.g., Take a table. Philosophically speaking, what is it?). Lenny prattles on about this business of being and non-being, but Ruth emphasizes the palpability of the here and now. She may or may not speak for Pinter at this moment; but it seems to me that she affirmed (by physically embodying through speech and gesture) the very same values that distinguished this glacially elegant production as a whole: The Renaissance condition EssayLenny: Excuse me, shall I take the  ashtray out of your way? Ruth: Its not in my way. Lenny: It seems to be in the way of  your glass. The glass was about to fall.  Or the ashtray. Im rather worried  about the carpet. Its not me, its my  father. Hes obsessed with order and  clarity. He doesnt like mess. So, as I  dont believe youre smoking at the  moment, Im sure you wont object if I  move the ashtray. (He does so.) Lenny gets a laugh when he suggests that his father is obsessed with order and clarity: but the obsession he describes is evident nonetheless throughout the production. Given the fact that John Burys setting for the Hall production was so uncluttered to begin with, the ashtray and glass assumed an eerie prominence and intensityrather like the remaining pieces in the final moments of a championships chess match. Lenny continues the match as follows: Lenny: And now perhaps Ill relieve  you of your glass. Ruth: I havent quite finished. Lenny: Youve consumed quite  enough, in my opinion. Ruth: No, I havent. Lenny: quite sufficient, in my own  opinion. And then a few lines later: Lenny: Just give me the glass. Ruth: No. (Pause) Lenny: Ill take it, then. Ruth: If you take the glass. . .Ill take  you. Whether it was the moment when Lenny first invades Ruths private space by searching across her body for the ashtray, or the moment when Ruth decides to retaliate by pressing her hand firmly down on top of the glass, the blocking was wo cleanly chiseled that the results were positively sculptural. This was equally true of many other moments in Halls production: the stunning physical tableau at the end (Ruth sitting in the displaced patriarchs chair as he pathetically grovels on the floor, begging her for a kiss) or the scene in which Teddy, Ruths husband, is left holding her empty coat while she slow-dances with one of his brothers and then rolls on and off of the couch with another brother, or the precisely choreographed way in which the elderly uncle Sam collapses, presumably of a heart attack, toward the end of the play. These sequences were always realistic and yet strangely ritualized, as physically palpable as that glass of water, yet mysteriously reverberent, evoking distant ec hos of Lear, Oedipus and Greek tragedy. Ironically, Halls original production arrived at the very moment the American experimental theatre was becoming increasingly committed to a theatre of the body. (And as coincidence will have it, playing concurrently with Roundabouts revival of The Homecoming was a reconstruction at nearby La Mama ETC of Tom OHorgans production of Rochelle Owenss Futz, which also originally played in New York in 1967.) But the physical concreteness of The Homecoming was very different from the sort of physicality that informed the work of OHorgan, the Living Theater, the Open Theater or the Performance Group. The overtly choreographic stylization in a production like Futz was bodily with a vengeance, but it often bordered on group mine. And as a result, ones attention was ultimately deflected away from the body itself and onto what the body represented. In addition, much of this work was so determined to advertise the new freedom presumably offered by the liberated life of the body that it lacked the exacting physical discipline of Halls production. That sort of discipline was presumably at odds with the orgiastic and egalitarian ethos at the heart of so much of the company-created work of the period. So, paradoxically, at least for me, the most palpable and sensual theatre of the body was not to be found in the perpetual motion machines of Tom OHorgan (or for that matter, even in the work of Jerzy Crotowski) but in the unmistakably British collaboration of Harold Pinter, Peter Hall and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Critic Roger Copeland teaches at Oberlin College.