who do the agents represent in the matrix

Agents are representatives within the Matrix fictional universe.[1] They are guardians within the computer-generated world of the Matrix, protecting it from anyone or anything (most often Redpills) that could reveal it as a false reality or threaten it in any other way.[1]

Agent (The Matrix)

Agents are a group of characters in The Matrix franchise. They are sentient computer programs carefully disguised like average-looking human males,[1] displaying a high-level of artificial intelligence.[2]

Agents also hunt down and terminate any rogue programs, such as The Keymaker, which no longer serve a purpose to the overall Machine objective.[3] They physically appear human, but have a tendency to speak and act in highly precise and mechanical ways.[1]

Agents wear black business suits lined with a gold fabric, white dress shirts, black dress shoes, black neckties with a silver bar clip, square sunglasses, and a communication earpiece. These features are copied from the attire for plainclothes agents of the United States Secret Service, as well as those of the Men in Black conspiracy or the stereotypical G-Man/FBI official. All Agents are Caucasian males (with a minor exceptions of African-American Agent Perry and female Agent Pace from The Matrix Online game), which also provides a dynamic compared to the majority population of Zion, containing many diverse cultures and walks of life. With the exception of Agent Pace, Agents also tend to have common Anglo-Saxon names such as Smith, Jones, Brown, etc. They have sideburns, and their hair is either slicked back or side-parted. Matrix Agents carry Desert Eagle handguns in shoulder holsters that are concealed beneath their suit jackets. In addition to proficiency in the use of firearms, all Agents are masters of the martial arts and hand-to-hand combat.

Agents are programmed with a number of superhuman abilities. An Agent's speed, agility, stamina and reflexes enable them to leap great distances such as across building rooftops, sway their body from side to side to evade gunfire, and perform unusual counter attacks in melee combat (Agent Smith managed to directly counter a punch from Morpheus with a punch of his own to Morpheus's still-moving fist). Agents possess superhuman strength, performing feats such as tearing open a car's roof with one hand and punching through solid concrete. Although they can be momentarily stunned by certain attacks (such as when Neo jabbed his fingers into Agent Smith's throat), they are generally impervious to pain and injury (the upgraded Agent that Trinity shot in the abdomen and shoulder showed no reaction of pain).

In spite of their abilities, they can be caught off guard with a point-blank contact shot aimed directly at their head or a barrage of firepower from a weapon with a high rate of fire, such as that from a “minigun”. Any trauma that is instantly lethal to a vital organ will kill an Agent.

However, being "killed" is a temporary inconvenience, as Agents do not exist in their own bodies as other programs do. Rather, they take over the virtualized body of a Bluepill—a human directly connected to the Matrix—which transforms into the Agent's form until the Agent leaves the body. An Agent can jump from one body to another, either to re-emerge in the Matrix if they "die" (which only kills the host body) or to hunt their quarry by taking over a nearby Bluepill. For this reason, areas with a high population density (crowded apartment buildings, market places, freeways, etc.) are usually avoided by the Zion rebels, who regard every Bluepill as potential threat that could become an Agent at any time. Matrix Agents can also disguise themselves as the host body (when Agent Smith possessed a body on a Matrix SWAT soldier and used it as a disguise until he located Morpheus and his crew hiding in the walls of the bathroom).

Beyond their conventional abilities, Agents possess some level of influence over the Matrix to rewrite aspects of itself. In the first film, Agent Smith was able to plant a suggestion that Neo's mouth has sealed shut which made his mouth disappear on his residual self-image (RSI), and later, the Agents changed the Matrix to trap the rebels inside a hotel by surrounding it with brick walls. It is not explained how this ability works but is most likely based on a line of communication to the Source, rather than an Agent possessing inherent access to manipulate the Matrix's source code.

In addition to their abilities, Agents possess an unspecified level of authority to command civilian law enforcement as both security and first-line enforcers: in particular, they have a heavily-armed SWAT team that serves as their building security. The Agents have branded the Zion infiltrators as terrorists, and the unassuming law enforcement officers will arrest or kill any rebels on the word of the Agents.

With the exception of Smith, who seems intellectually superior to his colleagues (and far more ambitious), Agents show little or no emotion.

In any direct confrontation, an Agent's abilities ensure they would prevail against a normal human opponent that would eventually exhaust their own firepower, stamina, and capacity to sustain pain and injury. All Zion hovercraft crew members know that Agents are extremely dangerous and virtually impossible to eliminate; as such, they are cautioned to escape upon encountering one. According to Morpheus, in the time before Neo was freed from the Matrix, every human that had stood their ground against an Agent was killed. Morpheus and Neo both individually fought Agent Smith in the first movie, and both were defeated, only surviving because Smith needed Morpheus for questioning and Neo due to his self-realization of himself as the One. Later, once Neo had harnessed his abilities as the One, Agents no longer posed a threat to him and he could easily disintegrate Smith, scaring Agents Brown and Jones into fleeing. It is implied in the game Enter the Matrix that one of the main reasons for Neo's ability to defeat Agents was his ability to focus enough to move quickly for far longer periods than could normal rebels. This is the main cause of the player's difficulty in fighting Agents, since when the player is outside bullet time the Agents are able to dodge and counter all hand-to-hand attacks.

Morpheus had been fortunate enough to survive encounters with two Agents (Smith and Johnson) throughout the trilogy. He was defeated soundly by Smith (who beat him to a bloody pulp but left him alive because he needed information from the high-ranking infiltrator), and only overcame Johnson due to the nature of their situation; he did not wear down his opponent, but merely threw him from the top of the speeding truck on which they were fighting, although he only managed to turn the tables on his foe after he was thrown off, due to the unexpected arrival of Niobe, who rescued him.

Niobe has defeated an Agent, but as with Morpheus, there were extenuating circumstances. The fight took place on board a cargo plane in the skies above the Megacity; Niobe lowered the rear cargo ramp and managed to knock Agent Johnson out of the plane.

Ghost has also defeated a single Agent during a raid on a nuclear power plant, again by making use of unique circumstances of the encounter. Agent Johnson challenged him in the control room of the plant, whereupon he damaged one of the high-voltage servers with small arms fire and threw his opponent into it, electrocuting him.

The Oracle's bodyguard Seraph says to Smith in The Matrix Revolutions: "I have beaten you before," but this is not expanded upon. Smith remarks that chasing Seraph is like "chasing a ghost," suggesting a lasting rivalry between the two programs.

Trinity is the only other character to have "stood up" against an Agent and survive, given that she dispatched Agent Jones by a contact shot when he was near to killing Neo, getting in close while the Agent's attention was focused on Neo. If, as Morpheus suggests, no other human had survived an Agent encounter, this would mark the first time that an Agent had been "defeated", albeit the Agent's program then "body hopped" into another Bluepill and was fighting again within minutes.

In the first film, Agents Jones (Robert Taylor) and Brown (Paul Goddard) are credited as Agent Smith's "sidekicks". Smith is given at least one order (or at least a forceful suggestion) by Jones ("order the strike"), and there appears to be some resentment or disagreement between the three on several occasions.

Jones and Brown undergo little character development and do not appear in the sequels, though they are occasionally seen in The Matrix Online. They are mostly silent, but brutal accomplices to Smith, who perform secondary tasks such as holding Neo in place when Smith places a tracking device (possibly a program) inside his body cavity.

Brown chases Trinity across the rooftops in the opening sequence, missing several shots. Brown is also present in the scene wherein Morpheus is interrogated, injecting a truth serum into Morpheus's neck. Finally, Brown is ordered by Smith to check Neo for life signs after Smith shoots him and confirms Neo's death. Brown shows subtle hints of cynically deriding his "superior" Smith, such as when he seems slightly annoyed at him when they are interrogating Morpheus.

Jones is less prominent than Brown in the first movie, but his most notable scene is a confrontation with Neo in a rooftop fight. He then stands above the stricken Neo, uttering the line "[o]nly human," before being shot by Trinity, who managed to get in close enough to shoot him in the head at point-blank range while he was occupied with Neo. From this, it can be deduced Jones perceives the human race much as Smith does, though with less unbridled revulsion. Likely as a precaution, Jones is briefly seen in the background holding Brown back when Neo is about to destroy Smith in the end of the film, and they are last seen fleeing from Neo. Jones seems slightly more jaded and bored with his tasks than the other Agents.

The Matrix Reloaded introduced "Upgraded" Agents, Jackson, Johnson, and Thompson. Their enhanced strength, speed and stamina enable them to engage in protracted combat with Neo. In The Matrix: Path of Neo, the upgraded Agents recover from violent physical injuries in a relatively short time. However, an unarmed Neo is still able to defeat them easily.

The upgraded Agents continue the use of very plain, common, Anglo-Saxon names. A difference is that now their names are all two syllables and end in "-son", while the original Agents had names consisting of only a short syllable. Agent Johnson appears to be the leader of the upgrades, filling the same role as Smith prior to his first "death". Johnson attempts to destroy the exiled Keymaker program, and fights Morpheus on top of a speeding truck.

When Smith was destroyed by Neo at the end of The Matrix, his programming instructed him to return to the Source (the Machine mainframe), either to be destroyed or stored. As a result of Neo's attack, something changed in Smith that allowed him to defy his programming. The change in Smith also disconnects him from the system, setting him "free" from his duties. In effect, this change makes Smith an "Exile" program without purpose. By copying his programming onto others, especially The Oracle, Smith develops similar qualities as the One, such as the ability to withstand dramatic damage and the power of flight. Because Smith feels that he is still a victim to "purpose", he thus makes it his goal to destroy both Zion and The Matrix. Beginning to behave like a virus, he makes multitudinous copies of himself by using humans and other programs in the Matrix as hosts. The copies thereafter display the memories and special abilities of any assimilated programs, such as the Oracle's ability to see the future and control over The Matrix. Smith's ability to copy himself onto others may be a corruption of his original ability to move between hosts before Neo's attack. Neo is shown to be the only person able to withstand such assimilations, Morpheus only being spared because Neo threw off the Smiths that were trying to copy over him; even the Oracle fell victim to the attack, although it apparently required greater effort on Smith's part than usual. Smith eventually assimilates the entire Matrix and is destroyed when Neo, co-operating with the Machines, allows himself to be overwritten by Smith after a protracted fight.

Smith's appearance changes slightly once he loses his status as an Agent. His sunglasses take on an angular shape that is an approximation of the rounded lenses Neo uses. In addition, he removes his earpiece and sends it to Neo as a warning.

The Twins are believed to be Agents of the second Matrix prototype: The Nightmare Matrix. Following when the new Matrix versions came along with the creation of new Matrix Agents, the Twins were seen as worthless and were sentenced to deletion. However, they avoided deletion and become exiles/rogue programs. So they became The Merovingian's henchmen who harbored a safe haven for exiled programs, and later became one of this best henchmen.

Many other agents have appeared in the Animatrix, the Matrix console games, and the Matrix comics. Agents Ash, Bird, Finn, Fine, Gray, and White are the only Agents named there, but other unnamed Agents have appeared as well.

Agent White also appears in The Matrix: Path of Neo as a replacement for Smith after the latter was destroyed by Neo. White appears in only one section of the Redpill Rescue level called The Security Guard. He appears much like Agent Brown but has his own personality, and appears to be stronger than both Jones and Brown at the time as he gives Neo a fair degree of difficulty, even while Neo is the One.

The Animatrix story World Record featured a different style of Agent wearing full-length trenchcoats instead of the usual dark suit.

The Agents lived on in the film's continuation, the MMORPG The Matrix Online. In line with the brokered truce created by Neo at the end of The Matrix Revolutions, Agents were no longer assigned to kill redpills on sight. Instead, they guard various areas of the Matrix that are still restricted to the awakened. The Agents revert to their original programming with the collapse of the Truce.

Red-Eyed "Impostor" Agents appeared at the start of The Matrix Online storyline during chapter 1.1. These "agents" impersonated system representatives and began widespread sabotage and assaults on the awakened redpills in an attempt to stress/break the truce agreement. All three major organizations (Zion, the Machines, and the Merovingian) were quick to deny being responsible for the attacks and the impostors were soon declared a fourth group unto themselves.

It was soon discovered that these beings were not agents at all, but rather were using some kind of disguise technology to try to implicate the machines for their actions. Glowing red eyes and lack of system-issue firearms were flaws in the plan.

It is revealed in a "Report to the General" document that the Red-Eyed Agents are the General's, the Exile who used to command the Sentinels, commandos, taking into consideration that programs could gain access to other shells (like the way the Oracle changed appearance in the movies), made occasional documented reports to the General in various Zion and Machine critical missions, and also hinted that their disguises were malfunctioning.

Gray was one of several Agents trapped in the Matrix during the infestation known as Smith. His program was overwritten with new code, executing instructions which conflicted with his primary architecture. When Smith was defeated and Smith's program was withdrawn from the system, Gray was freed.

The Machine Civilization is run by cautious protocols, and there was still some chance that the Smith code had found a place to shelter within the system, or within an RSI. Agents that had been exposed to Smith were quarantined within the Matrix during the reset â€“ something that is usually never done. Bluepills have their connections to the system attenuated so they never notice the event, and Exiles can seek shelter in a construct, but Agents have no such recourse. Those trapped in the system during the reset were literally turned inside out as their code was deconstructed and recompiled with a vicious error-checking routine.

Even afterward, he has not been allowed to return to the Source, instead relegated to a buffer system created during the reboot â€“ a gateway construct which acts as a Machine analog to the Merovingian's Mobil Avenue Station. In some ways he is almost an Exile, but for the fact that he believes he will eventually be able to return to the Source.

Due to his current situation, Agent Gray was selected to act as recruiter and Controller for human beings that the Machines believe can assist them in controlling the Matrix. Like all Agents he is normally dispassionate and aloof, with a precise manner of speaking, but his forced dealings with humans have left him with somewhat more understanding of them than most Agents.

When dealing with humans, he uses many euphemisms, as he has found that humans often prefer not to say what they really mean. Death is "cessation of awareness"; stealing is "expeditious acquisition". He addresses humans by their gender titles and bluepill last name (e.g. "Mister Anderson"), and seems to have a foolproof way of knowing this information about every human to whom he speaks.

Though Gray resented his assignment greatly at first, he has come to appreciate that he is better at dealing with humans than most other machine Agents. Although he does not enjoy interacting with humans, his efficiency at it gives him a sense of pride.

Occasionally, a remnant of Smith's code has been known to influence his behavior, causing him to develop a misanthropic and homicidal attitude, as well as greatly increasing his power.

Agent Gray is voiced by John Patrick Lowrie.

Agent Pace is the first female Agent, created in The Matrix Online storyline as an attempt by the Machines to better interact with their human liaisons. Agent Pace is somewhat less stern and more personable than other Agents, and often refers to her human liaisons using Italian terms, almost verging on "pet names" if AI could be said to use them (similar to how the Merovingian program decided that he prefers French over other human languages, Pace likes Italian). "Pace" also means "peace" in Italian.


what does the nevada state flag look like

The flag of the U.S. state of Nevada consists of a cobalt blue field with a variant of the state's emblem in the upper left hand corner. The emblem contains a silver star (a reference to the state's nickname, The Silver State), below which appears the state's name. Above the star is a golden-yellow scroll with the words "Battle Born", one of the state's mottos (in reference to Nevada becoming a state during the American Civil War). Below the star and state name are two sprays of green sagebrush (the state flower) with yellow flowers.[1]

Flag of Nevada

The Nevadan state flag from 1905 to 1915

The Nevadan state flag from 1915 to 1929

The Nevadan state flag from 1929 to 1991

The first flag of Nevada was created by Governor John Sparks and Col. Harry Day in 1905. It was based strongly on Nevada's natural resources of gold and silver. The blue of the flag was based directly on the color of the flag of the United States.[2]

The current flag had its origin in a design contest announced in 1926. The winning design, by Louis Shellback III, was subjected to some revision in the state legislature, where there was disagreement between the two houses over the placement of the word "Nevada" on the flag. A compromise was reached, and in 1929 Governor Fred B. Balzar signed into law a bill adopting the new flag. In 1989, however, a legislative researcher discovered that the bill as sent to and signed by the Governor did not accurately reflect the 1929 legislative agreement. The flag used from 1929 until it was revised in 1991 displayed the letters of the word "Nevada" in a complete circle around the flag's single star, with the "N" of Nevada at the uppermost tip of the star indicating its "northern" position in the civil war, and with each of the other letters of the word Nevada located in the spaces between the remaining points of the star, displaying near each junction of the star's pentagonal center. Thus "Nevada" was spelt from the "N" at the top, radiating clockwise E, V, A, D, A, in the spaces between the star's points. A law enacted in 1991 directed that the word "Nevada" appear below the star and above the sagebrush sprays, thus producing the current design.

In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) surveyed its members on the designs of the 72 U.S. state, U.S. territorial and Canadian provincial flags. NAVA's members ranked Nevada's flag 55th out of the 72.[3]


what is the function of the ptt button on a two-way radio

In two-way radios with headsets, a push-to-talk button may be included on a cord or wireless electronics box clipped to the user's clothing. In fire trucks or an ambulance a button may be present where the corded headset plugs into the radio wiring. Aircraft typically have corded headsets and a separate push-to-talk button on the control yoke or control stick. Dispatch consoles often have a hand-operated push-to-talk buttons along with a foot switch or pedal. If the dispatcher's hands are on a computer keyboard, the user can step on the foot pedal to transmit. Some systems have muting so the dispatcher can be on a telephone call and the caller cannot hear what is said over the radio. Their headset microphone will mute if they transmit. This relieves the dispatcher of explaining every radio message to a caller.

Two-way radio

A two-way radio is a radio that can do both transmit and receive a signal (a transceiver), unlike a broadcast receiver which only receives content. A two-way radio (transceiver) allows the operator to have a conversation with other similar radios operating on the same radio frequency (channel). Two-way radios are available in mobile, stationary base and hand-held portable configurations. Hand-held radios are often called walkie-talkies, handie-talkies, or just hand-helds.

Two-way radio systems usually operate in a half-duplex mode; that is, the operator can talk, or he can listen, but not at the same time. A push-to-talk or Press To Transmit button activates the transmitter; when it is released the receiver is active. Full-duplex is generally achieved by the use of two different frequencies or by frequency-sharing methods to carry the two directions of the conversation simultaneously.[1] Methods for mitigating the self interference caused by simultaneous same-frequency transmission and reception include using two antennas,[2] or dynamic solid-state filters.[3]

Installation of receivers and transmitters at the same fixed location allowed exchange of messages wirelessly. As early as 1907, two-way telegraphy traffic across the Atlantic Ocean was commercially available. By 1912 commercial and military ships carried both transmitters and receivers, allowing two-way communication in close to real-time with a ship that was out of sight of land.

The first truly mobile two-way radio was developed in Australia in 1923 by Senior Constable Frederick William Downie of the Victorian Police. The Victoria Police were the first in the world to use wireless communication in cars, putting an end to the inefficient status reports via public telephone boxes which had been used until that time. The first sets took up the entire back seat of the Lancia patrol cars.[4]

As radio equipment became more powerful, compact, and easier to use, smaller vehicles had two-way radio communication equipment installed. Installation of radio equipment in aircraft allowed scouts to report back observations in real-time, not requiring the pilot to drop messages to troops on the ground below or to land and make a personal report.

In 1933, the Bayonne, New Jersey police department successfully operated a two-way system between a central fixed station and radio transceivers installed in police cars; this allowed rapidly directing police response in emergencies.[5] During World War II walkie-talkie hand-held radio transceivers were extensively used by air and ground troops, both by the Allies and the Axis.

Early two-way schemes allowed only one station to transmit at a time while others listened, since all signals were on the same radio frequency â€“ this was called "simplex" mode. Code and voice operations required a simple communication protocol to allow all stations to cooperate in using the single radio channel, so that one station's transmissions were not obscured by another's. By using receivers and transmitters tuned to different frequencies, and solving the problems introduced by operation of a receiver immediately next to a transmitter, simultaneous transmission and reception was possible at each end of a radio link, in so-called "full duplex" mode.

The first radio systems could not transmit voice. This required training of operators in use of Morse code. On a ship, the radio operating officers (sometimes shortened to "radio officers") typically had no other duties than handling radio messages. When voice transmission became possible, dedicated operators were no longer required and two-way use became more common. Today's two-way mobile radio equipment is nearly as simple to use as a household telephone, from the point of view of operating personnel, thereby making two-way communications a useful tool in a wide range of personal, commercial and military roles.

Two-way radio systems can be classified in several ways depending on their attributes.

Conventional radios operate on fixed RF channels. In the case of radios with multiple channels, they operate on one channel at a time. The proper channel is selected by a user. The user operates a channel selector (dial or buttons) on the radio control panel to pick the appropriate channel.

In multi-channel systems, channels are used for separate purposes.[6] A channel may be reserved for a specific function or for a geographic area. In a functional channel system, one channel may allow City of Springfield road repair crews to talk to the City of Springfield's road maintenance office. A second channel may allow road repair crews to communicate with state highway department crews. In a geographic system, a taxi company may use one channel to communicate in the Boston, Massachusetts area and a second channel when taxis are in Providence, Rhode Island. In marine radio operations, one channel is used as an emergency and calling channel, so that stations may make contact then move to a separate working channel for continued communication.

Motorola uses the term mode to refer to channels on some conventional two-way radio models. In this use, a mode consists of a radio frequency channel and all channel-dependent options such as selective calling, channel scanning, power level, and more.

Some conventional radios scan more than one channel. That is, the receiver searches more than one channel for a valid transmission. A valid transmission may be a radio channel with any signal or a combination of a radio channel with a specific Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System (CTCSS) (or selective calling) code.

There are a wide variety of scan configurations which vary from one system to another. Some radios have scan features that receive the primary selected channel at full volume and other channels in a scan list at reduced volume. This helps the user distinguish between the primary channel and others without looking at the radio control panel. An overview:

In professional radios, scan features are programmable and have many options. Scan features can affect system latency. If the radio has a twenty channel scan list and some channels have CTCSS, it can take several seconds to search the entire list. The radio must stop on each channel with a signal and check for a valid CTCSS before resuming scanning. This can cause missed messages.

For this reason, scan features are either not used or scan lists are intentionally kept short in emergency applications. Part of APCO Project 16 set standards for channel access times and delays caused by system overhead. Scan features can further increase these delays. One study said delays of longer than 0.4 seconds (400 milliseconds) in emergency services are not recommended.[7] No delay from user push-to-talk until the user's voice is heard in the radio's speaker is an unattainable ideal.

Some conventional radios use, or have an option for, a talk-back-on-scan function. If the user transmits when the radio is in a scan mode, it may transmit on the last channel received instead of the selected channel. This may allow users of multi-channel radios to reply to the last message without looking at the radio to see which channel it was on. Without this feature, the user would have to use the channel selector to switch to the channel where the last message occurred. (This option can cause confusion and users must be trained to understand this feature.)

This is an incomplete list of some conventional radio types:

In a trunked radio system, the system logic automatically picks the physical radio frequency channel. There is a protocol that defines a relationship between the radios and the radio backbone which supports them. The protocol allows channel assignments to happen automatically.

Digital trunked systems may carry simultaneous conversations on one physical channel. In the case of a digital trunked radio system, the system also manages time slots on a single physical channel. The function of carrying simultaneous conversations over a single channel is called multiplexing.

Instead of channels, radios are related by groups which may be called, groups, talk groups, or divided into a hierarchy such as fleet and subfleet, or agency-fleet-subfleet. These can be thought of as virtual channels which appear and disappear as conversations occur.

Systems make arrangements for handshaking and connections between radios by one of these two methods:

If all physical channels are busy, some systems include a protocol to queue or stack pending requests until a channel becomes available.

Some trunked radios scan more than one talk group or agency-fleet-subfleet.

Visual clues a radio may be trunked include the 1) lack of a squelch knob or adjustment, 2) no monitor button or switch, and 3) a chirp (made famous by Nextel) showing the channel is available and ready at the moment the push-to-talk is pressed.

This is an incomplete list of some trunked radio types:

Simplex channel systems use a single channel for transmit and receive. This is typical of aircraft VHF AM, citizen's band and marine radios. Simplex systems are often legacy systems that have existed since the 1930s. The architecture allows old radios to work with new ones in a single network. In the case of all ships worldwide or all aircraft worldwide, the large number of radios installed, (the installed base,) can take decades to upgrade. Simplex systems often use open architectures that allow any radio meeting basic standards to be compatible with the entire system.

Duplex channel systems transmit and receive on different discrete channels. This defines systems where equipment cannot communicate without some infrastructure such as a repeater, base station or Talk-Through Base. Most common in the US is a repeater configuration where a base station is configured to simultaneously re-transmit the audio received from mobile units. This makes the mobiles, or hand-helds, able to communicate amongst one another anywhere within reception range of the base station or repeater. Typically the base or repeater station has a high antenna and high power, which allows much greater range, compared with a ground vehicle or hand-held transceiver.

Duplex systems can be divided into two types. The term half-duplex refers to systems where use of a push-to-talk switch is required to communicate. Full duplex refers to systems like mobile telephones with a capability to simultaneously receive and transmit. Repeaters are by nature full duplex, most mobiles and almost all handhelds are half duplex.

Some systems use a mix of the two where radios use duplex as a default but can communicate simplex on the base station channel if out-of-range.[8] In the US, the capability to talk simplex on a duplex channel with a repeater is sometimes called talk-around, direct, or car-to-car.

In some circumstances, voice-operated transmit (VOX) is used in place of a push-to-talk button. Possible uses are handicapped users who cannot push a button, amateur radio operators, firefighters, crane operators, or others performing critical tasks where hands must be free but communication is still necessary.

One example of analog radios are AM aircraft radios used to communicate with control towers and air traffic controllers. Another is a Family Radio Service walkie talkie. Analog equipment is less complex than the simplest digital.

Examples of digital communication technologies are all modern cellphones plus TETRA considered to be the best standard in digital radio and being the baseline infrastructure for whole of country networks, including manufacturers such as DAMM, Rohill, Cassidian, Sepura and others, APCO Project 25, a standard for digital public safety radios, and finally other systems such as Motorola's MotoTRBO, HQT's DMR, Nextel's iDEN, Hytera's DMR, EMC's DMR, and NXDN implemented by Icom as IDAS and by Kenwood as NEXEDGE. Only NXDN and Mototrbo are proprietary DMR is an ETSI open standard.

In some cases, two-way radio is used to communicate analog or digital data. Systems can be simplex or duplex and may employ selective calling features such as CTCSS. In full-duplex systems, data can be sent real-time between two points. In simplex or half-duplex, data can be sent with a time lag between many points.

Some two-way digital systems carry both audio and data over a single data stream. Systems of this type include NXDN and APCO Project 25. Other more advanced systems under the TETRA standard are capable of joining time slots together to improve data bandwidth, allowing advanced data polling and telemetry applications over radio. The method of encoding and decoding the audio stream is called a codec, such as the AMBE or the ACELP family of codecs.

After market GPS tracking and mobile messaging devices can be interfaced with popular two-way radio models providing a range of features.

Analog systems may communicate a single condition, such as water level in a livestock tank. A transmitter at the tank site continually sends a signal with a constant audio tone. The tone would change in pitch to indicate the tank's water level. A meter at the remote end would vary, corresponding to the tone pitch, to indicate the amount of water present in the livestock tank. Similar methods can be used to telemeter any analog condition. This type of radio system serves a purpose equivalent to a four-to-twenty milliampere loop.[9] In the US, mid-band 72–76 MHz or UHF 450–470 MHz interstitial channels are often used for these systems. Some systems multiplex telemetry of several analog conditions by limiting each to a separate range of tone pitches, for example.[10]

Digital systems may communicate text messages from computer-aided dispatch (CAD). For example, a display in a tow truck may give a textual location for a call and any related details. The tow truck driver may press an acknowledge button, sending data in the opposite direction and flagging the call as received by the driver. They can be used for analog telemetry systems, such as the livestock tank levels, as described above. Another possibility is the lubricating oil pressure in a transit bus engine, or the current speed of the bus. Analog conditions are translated into data words. Some systems send radio paging messages which can either 1) beep a paging receiver, 2) send a numeric message, or 3) send a text message.[11]

Digital systems typically use data rates in the 1,200â€“19,200 kilobit-per-second rates and may employ modulation schemes such as frequency shift keying, audio frequency shift keying, or quadrature phase shift keying to encode characters. Modern equipment have the same capabilities to carry data as are found in Internet Protocol. Working within the system's protocol constraints, virtually anything can be sent or received.

Engineered systems are designed to perform close to a specification or standard. They are designed as systems with all equipment matched to perform together. For example, a modern, local government two-way radio system in the US may be designed to provide 95% area coverage in an urban area. System designers use radio frequency models, terrain models, and signal propagation modeling software in an attempt to accurately estimate where radios will work within a defined geographic area. The models help designers choose equipment, equipment locations, antennas, and estimate how well signals will penetrate buildings. These models will be backed-up by drive testing and actual field signal level measurements. Designers adjust antenna patterns, add or move equipment sites, and design antenna networks in a way that will accomplish the intended level of performance.[12]

Some systems are not engineered. Legacy systems are existing systems which were never designed to meet a system performance objective. They may have started with a base station and a group of mobile radios. Over a period of years, they have equipment added on in a building block style. Legacy systems may perform adequately even though they were not professionally designed as a coherent system. A user may purchase and locate a base station with an expectation that similar systems used in the past worked acceptably. A City Road Department may have a system that works acceptably, so the Parks Department may build a new similar system and find it equally usable. General Mobile Radio Service systems are not usually engineered.

1940s tube-type land mobile two way radios often had one channel and were carrier squelch. Because radios were costly and there were fewer radio users, it might be the case that no one else nearby used the same channel. A transmit and receive crystal had to be ordered for the desired channel frequency, then the radio had to be tuned or aligned to work on the channel. 12-volt mobile, tube-type radios drew several amperes on standby and tens-of-amperes on transmit. Equipment worked ideally when new. The performance of vacuum tubes gradually degraded over time. US regulations required an indicator lamp showing the transmitter had power applied and was ready to transmit and a second indicator, (usually red,) that showed the transmitter was on. In radios with options, wire jumpers and discrete components were used to select options. To change a setting, the technician soldered an option jumper wire then made any corresponding adjustments.

Many mobile and handhelds have a limited duty cycle. Duty Cycle is the ratio of listening time to transmit time and is generally dependent on how well the transmitter can shed the heat from the heat sink on the rear of the radio. A 10% duty cycle (common on handhelds) translates to 10 seconds of transmit time to 90 seconds of receive time. Some mobile and base equipment is specified at different power levels â€“ for example 100% duty cycle at 25 watts and 15% at 40 watts.[13]

The trend is toward increasing complexity. Modern handheld and mobile radios can have capacities as high as 255 channels. Most are synthesized: the internal electronics in modern radios operate over a range of frequencies with no tuning adjustments. High-end models may have several hundred optional settings and require a computer and software to configure. Sometimes, controls on the radio are referred to as programmable. By changing configuration settings, a system designer could choose to set up a button on the radio's control panel to function as:

In most modern radios these settings are done with specialized software (provided by the manufacturer) and a connection to a laptop computer.

Microprocessor-based radios can draw less than 0.2 amperes on standby and up to tens-of-amperes on high-powered, 100 watt transmitters.

Base stations, repeaters, and high-quality mobile radios often have specifications that include a duty cycle. A repeater should always be continuous duty. This means the radio is designed to transmit in a continuous broadcast without transmitter overheating and resulting failure. Handhelds are intermittent duty, mobile radios and base station radios are available in normal or continuous duty configurations. Continuous duty is preferred in mobile emergency equipment because any one of an entire fleet of ambulances, for example, could be pressed into service as command post at a major incident. Unfortunately budgets frequently get in the way and intermittent duty radios are purchased.

Time delay is always associated with radio systems, but it is apparent in spacecraft communications. NASA regularly communicates with exploratory spacecraft where a round-trip message time is measured in hours (like out past Jupiter). For Apollo program and Space Shuttle, Quindar tones were used for transmit PTT control.

Though the general life term for the two way radio is 5 to 7 years and 1 to 2 years for its accessories but still the usage, atmosphere and environment plays a major role to decide its life term (radios are often deployed in harsh environments where more fragile communication equipment such as phones and tablets may fail). There are so many speculations on the life term of two way radios and their accessories i.e. batteries, chargers, head set etc.

In government systems, equipment may be replaced based on budgeting rather than any plan or expected service life. Funding in government agencies may be cyclical or sporadic. Managers may replace computing systems, vehicles, or budget computer and vehicle support costs while ignoring two-way radio equipment. Equipment may remain in use even though maintenance costs are unreasonable when viewed from an efficiency standpoint.[14]

Different system elements will have differing service lifetimes. These may be affected by who uses the equipment. An individual contacted at one county government agency claimed equipment used by 24-hour services wears out much faster than equipment used by those who work in positions staffed eight hours a day.

One document says "seven years" is beyond the expected lifetime of walkie-talkies in police service. Batteries are cited as needing replacement more often. Twelve-year-old dispatch consoles mentioned in the same document were identified as usable. These were compared to problematic 21-year-old consoles used elsewhere in the same system.[15]

Another source says system backbone equipment like consoles and base stations are expected to have a fifteen-year life. Mobile radios are expected to last ten years. Walkie talkies typically last eight.[16] In a State of California document, the Department of General Services reports expected service life for a communications console used in the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is 10 years.[17]

Two-way radios can operate on many different frequencies, and these frequencies are assigned differently in different countries. Typically channelized operations are used, so that operators need not tune equipment to a particular frequency but instead can use one or more pre-selected frequencies, easily chosen by a dial, a pushbutton or other means. For example, in the United States, there is a block of 5 channels (pre-selected radio frequencies) are allocated to the Multiple Use Radio System. A different block of 22 channels are assigned, collectively, to the General Mobile Radio Service and Family Radio Service. The citizen's band radio service (""CB"") has 40 channels.

In an analog, conventional system, (the simplest type of system) a frequency or channel serves as a physical medium or link carrying communicated information. The performance of a radio system is partly dependent on the characteristics of frequency band used. The selection of a frequency for a two-way radio system is affected, in part, by:[18]

A channel number is just a shorthand notation for a frequency. It is, for instance, easier to remember "Channel 1" than to remember "26.965 MHz" (US CB Channel 1) or "462.5625 MHz" (FRS/GMRS channel 1), or "156.05 MHz" (Marine channel 1). It is necessary to identify which radio service is under discussion when specifying a frequency by its channel number. Organizations, such as electric power utilities or police departments, may have several assigned frequencies in use with arbitrarily assigned channel numbers. For example, one police department's "Channel 1" might be known to another department as "Channel 3" or may not even be available. Public service agencies have an interest in maintaining some common frequencies for inter-area or inter-service coordination in emergencies (modern term: interoperability).

Each country allocates radio frequencies to different two-way services, in accordance with international agreements. In the United States some examples of two-way services are: citizen's band radio, Family Radio Service (FRS), General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS), Business Radio Service (BRS), and PMR446.

Amateur radio operators nearly always use frequencies rather than channel numbers, since there is no regulatory or operating requirement for fixed channels in this context. Even amateur radio equipment will have "memory" features to allow rapidly setting the transmitter and receiver to favorite frequencies.

The most common two-way radio systems operate in the VHF and UHF parts of the radio spectrum. Because this part of the spectrum is heavily used for broadcasting and multiple competing uses, spectrum management has become an important activity of governments to regulate radio users in the interests of efficient and non-interfering use of radio. Both bands are widely applied for different users.

UHF has a shorter wavelength which makes it easier for the signal to find its way through smaller wall openings to the inside of a building. The longer wavelength of VHF means it can transmit further under normal conditions. For most applications, lower radio frequencies are better for longer range and through vegetation. A broadcasting TV station illustrates this. A typical VHF TV station operates at about 100,000 watts and has a coverage radius range of about 60 miles. A UHF TV station with a 60-mile coverage radius requires transmitting at 3,000,000 watts. Another factor with higher frequencies (UHF) is that smaller sized objects will absorb or reflect the energy more which causes range loss and/or multipath reflections which can weaken a signal by causing an "Out of Time/Out of Phase" signal to reach the antenna of the receiver (this is what caused the "Ghost" image on old over the air television).

If an application requires working mostly outdoors, a VHF radio is probably the best choice, especially if a base station radio indoors is used and an external antenna is added. The higher the antenna is placed, the further the radio can transmit and receive.

If the radios are used mainly inside buildings, then UHF is likely the best solution since its shorter wavelength travels through small openings in the building better. There are also repeaters that can be installed that can relay any frequencies signal (VHF or UHF) to increase the communication distance.

There are more available channels with UHF. Since the range of UHF is also not as far as VHF under most conditions, there is less chance of distant radios interfering with the signal. UHF is less affected than VHF by manmade electrical noise. So as you see, radio technology is very dynamic and you must make the choice of what to use based on your individual situation.

The useful direct range of a two-way radio system depends on radio propagation conditions, which are a function of frequency, antenna height and characteristics, atmospheric noise, reflection and refraction within the atmosphere, transmitter power and receiver sensitivity, and required signal-to-noise ratio for the chosen modulation method. An engineered two-way radio system will calculate the coverage of any given base station with an estimate of the reliability of the communication at that range. Two-way systems operating in the VHF and UHF bands, where many land mobile systems operate, rely on line-of-sight propagation for the reliable coverage area. The "shadowing" effect of tall buildings may block reception in areas within the line-of-sight range which can be achieved in open countryside free of obstructions. The approximate line-of-sight distance to the radio horizon can be estimated fromÂ : horizon in kilometers = 3.569 times the square root of the antenna height in meters.

There are other factors that affect the range of a two-way radio such as weather, exact frequency used, and obstructions.[19]

Not all two way radios are hand-held devices. The same technology that is used in two way radios can be placed in other radio forms. An example of this is a wireless callbox. A wireless callbox is a device that can be used for voice communication at security gates and doors. Not only can they be used to talk to people at these entry points, personnel can remotely unlock the door so the visitor can enter. There are also customer service callboxes that can be placed around a business that a customer can use to summon help from a two-way radio equipped store employee.

Another use of two-way radio technology is for a wireless PA system. A wireless PA is essentially a one-way two way radio that enables broadcasting messages from handheld two-way radios or base station intercoms.

As two-way radios became the leading method of two-way communication, industries like movie and television production companies, security companies, event companies, sporting events and others needed to find a solution to use two way radios that was cost-effective and economically smart. Instead of buying two-way radios these companies began renting two-way radios short term and long term. The two-way radio rentals is a significant and important component of two-way radio businesses. Many have become reluctant to buy two way radios because of the duration of their event or the necessity to save money. Renting two way radios has brought comfort to customers in renting two way radios because the price and non commitment to owning such two way communication devices. Customers can rent anything from two-way radios to two-way radio equipment like speaker microphones or repeaters.


what is burger king's chicken nuggets made out of

BK Chicken Nuggets are small, thin pieces of formed, white meat chicken, breaded and lightly spiced. Sizing is contingent on regional preferences of franchises: sizes include three-, four-, five-, six-, and eight-piece portions. When first introduced there was a larger, twenty-five piece "party pack" sold in a carry box that has since been discontinued.

Burger King chicken nuggets

BK Chicken Nuggets are a fried chicken product sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King. It is one of their snack oriented products designed for convenience of consumption.

Aliases/international naming

The Burger King chicken nuggets officially made their debut in a menu revision in 1985 to address the absence of a chicken based finger product to McDonald's Chicken McNuggets. Original portion sizes were six-, nine-, twelve and a twenty-five piece party pack. At the time the product had to be withdrawn over limited availability of chicken meat from producers; the product was re-introduced about six months later.[6] Originally made with sliced fillets of chicken, the product was reformulated into a formed, chopped-chicken product several years later.[1] Beginning in the 2000s, BK began to reconfigured the shape of them from strips to three pointed crowns which were sold in the U.S., Canada, and other markets until 2011.

In January 2008, Burger King reformulated these products to eliminate trans fat in the manufacturing of the product, expecting to replace the preceding product by Summer 2008. In 2011, the product was again reformulated, replacing the crown shaped product with a standard chicken-nugget-type product. A twenty piece serving size was reintroduced. With the purchase of Burger King by 3G Capital in 2010, the company began introducing new and reformulated products. Chicken Tenders were the first product line altered, with a new version introduced in March 2011. In January 2013, Burger King changed the name of the product to BK Chicken Nuggets and reconfigured the shape of them to slightly resemble the shape of Chicken McNuggets more in 2014. Currently these products are sold in the US, Canada and other regional markets.

The name Chicken Tenders is a registered trademark of Burger King Holdings and is displayed with the "circle-R" (Â®) symbol in the US and Canada. Burger King currently only has European trademarks on Chicken Tenders in Spain. The term King Nuggets is not trademarked in Europe.


who dies in the maze runner death cure

Returning to the outside world, they are attacked by some WICKED survivors, including Janson. However, Thomas and the other immunes are able to take them down, and Thomas strangles Janson to death. Thomas is almost trapped by a piece of falling debris on the way to the Flat Trans that takes them to the promised "safe place". Teresa pushes him out of harms way, but dies in Thomas' place. The survivors including Thomas, Minho, Gally, Frypan, Clint, and others from Group A, Aris, Harriet, Sonya, and a few others of Group B, as well as Brenda and Jorge finally make it through the portal to a lush paradise.

The Death Cure

The Death Cure is a 2011 young adult dystopian science fiction novel written by American writer James Dashner and the third book, fifth chronologically, in the Maze Runner series.[1] It was published on October 11, 2011 by Delacorte Press and was preceded by The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials and followed by the series prequels, The Kill Order and The Fever Code.

The protagonist, Thomas, is held in solitary confinement, but is eventually released by Assistant Director Janson, also known as Rat Man by the Gladers, who tells the Gladers and Group B that there is a cure for the Flare (a deadly disease). Many of those present were immune to the Flare while some were not, and escaping would serve no purpose, for people in the outside world despise the Immunes. The Gladers are offered the chance to restore their memories and remove the controllers in their heads. Without the devices, Thomas, Teresa, and Aris will no longer be able to communicate telepathically.

Janson read out names of people who were not immune to the flare, which included Newt. Thomas is devastated. Thomas, Minho, and Newt were the only ones to choose not to undergo, because he feels they will be no help to finding the cure if they don't get their memories back. All three of them escape before having chips removed, with the help of Brenda and Jorge, who are revealed to be working for WICKED and were sent to the Scorch as an assignment. Thomas feels betrayed, but Brenda convinces him she had no choice and most of her behavior was not a deception, and Thomas forgives her. Soon afterward, the Gladers discover everyone who had undergone the restoration procedure had abandoned them; Newt gives Thomas a note and tells him to open it "when the time is right".

The five of them then go to Denver looking for a man called Hans who can take out Thomas, Minho, and Newt's mind controlling chips. Newt is unable to continue, because he would have been placed into confinement with other Cranks. In the airport, a black-suited man directs them to an address. Waiting for them is Gally, who has joined a group called the Right Arm, and is determined to put an end to the trials and experiments. He tells them WICKED is capturing every Immune they can find to prepare another cycle of the Trials. Gally also reveals the decaying cities are home to many who suffer from the Flare, but partake of a drug called Bliss, which slows down brain functioning and can help Cranks not feel pain from the Flare.

Thomas and his friends find Hans, and he removes Minho and Thomas' control chips, though Thomas is uncontrollably forced to resist; Brenda, Jorge, and Minho have to hold him down in order for Hans to perform the surgery on Thomas. They visit a cafÃ©, where a man is found to be partaking of Bliss and captured by security, and Thomas is captured by the guard, who wants to give him to bounty hunters, who will end up giving him to WICKED. Janson, in a holographic form, uses a police vehicle to rescue Thomas and tells him he must return to WICKED to save Newt. Minho, Thomas, Brenda and Jorge return to the Berg and find a note: Newt has been taken to the Cranks. Minho convinces the four of them to go to the Crank Palace in a rescue attempt, and they meet Newt after bribing the guards. Newt angrily tells them to leave, and the Cranks chase them out. Thomas remembers the note Newt gave him and reads it to find Newt had implored Thomas to kill him. Thomas despairs about not having read the note earlier, but the four end up going back to Denver.

In Denver, they discover that Teresa and the other Immunes were all captured. Thomas and Minho knock out the guards and threaten to shoot their toes off if they don't take them to their leader. Thomas and Brenda discover the "leader" is actually the Right Arm's leader, Vince. Vince tells them they are copying WICKED's design and plan to take over their headquarters building. On his way to the Right Arm's Bergs, Thomas sees Newt with a group of cranks taking over Denver. With a pistol in his pocket, Thomas tries to convince Newt to come with him, but Newt begs for Thomas to shoot him, rather than having to succumb to the Flare and become inhuman; Thomas eventually ends up shooting his friend in the head, putting him out of his misery.

Working for the Right Arm, Thomas arrives at WICKED's headquarters and discovers Janson intends to complete the cure by examining Thomas's physical brain structure; an act that will result in his death. Thomas is able to plant a device that disables all of WICKED's weapons, but is forced to begin the deadly brain surgery as the Right Arm begins storming the facility.

Thomas wakes up to find himself not dead after all and finds a note from Chancellor Paige, leader of WICKED; it reveals they already have enough resources to build the blueprint for the cure from the Trials and his brain is not needed, but that some WICKED staff did not believe in the violence that WICKED was causing for a cure. It also reveals the location of the Immunes the Right Arm "sold" to WICKED to gain access, and a "safe place" where Thomas should take them all. Thomas and his friends re-enter the Maze to find WICKED's captured Immunes. They quickly learn the Right Arm does not intend to occupy WICKED headquarters; they intend to destroy it. Explosions rock the Maze, while chunks of debris come crashing down, killing some Immunes within. The Grievers come out of where they were stored, but Teresa shows Thomas how to manually shut them down.

The epilogue reveals the Flare was deliberately engineered and released by the government as a form of population control after the sun flares, believing it kills quickly and it stops spreading after a while, but escalated beyond control, and WICKED was unable to find a cure. The Chancellor realized the Immunes were their only hope from the beginning; as such, she enacts a plan with Brenda and Jorge to send the Immunes through a flat trans. While the rest of the world will crumble, the remaining Immunes will rebuild society and restore the human race. This, she claims, is the reason "WICKED is good."

Critical reception for The Death Cure was mixed.[2][3] Commonsensemedia gave the book three out of five stars, commenting that the book's oppressiveness kept it from being more memorable than they wanted it to be.[4] The Deseret News also commented on the book's bleak nature, but praised it as being "both conclusive and satisfying".[5] The Horn Book Guide and Kirkus Reviews both gave positive reviews, with the Horn Book Guide opining that the book's conclusion was "thought-provoking".[6][7]

Maze Runner: The Death Cure will be released on January 26, 2018. Wes Ball confirmed that, if he returns to direct, the film will not be split into two films.[8] In March 2015, T.S. Nowlin was confirmed to write the script.[9] On July 9, 2015, it was revealed that filming is set to begin in February 2016.[10] On September 16, 2015, it was confirmed that Ball would return to direct the third film.[11] The film began principal photography on March 14, 2016 in Cache Creek, British Columbia. On March 19, 2016, Maze Runner star Dylan O'Brien was critically injured on-set when he was struck by a car during a stunt sequence.[12] On March 20, 2016, director Wes Ball announced production was shut down to allow O'Brien time to recuperate from his injuries. Dylan O'Brien, who plays the protagonist, Thomas, has recovered. On April 22, 2017, the studio delayed the release date once again in order to allow more time for post-production.[13]


who said better to reign in hell than serve in heaven

Satan, formerly called Lucifer, is the first major character introduced in the poem. He was once the most beautiful of all angels, and is a tragic figure who famously declares: "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven." Following his failed rebellion against God, he is cast out from Heaven and condemned to Hell. Satan's desire to rebel against his creator stems from his unwillingness to be subjugated by God and his Son, claiming that angels are "self-begot, self-raised,"[13] and thereby denying God's authority over them as their creator.

Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608â€“1674). The first version, published in 1667, consisted of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse. A second edition followed in 1674, arranged into twelve books (in the manner of Virgil's Aeneid) with minor revisions throughout and a note on the versification.[1][2] It is considered by critics to be Milton's major work, and it helped solidify his reputation as one of the greatest English poets of his time.[3]

The poem concerns the biblical story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Milton's purpose, stated in Book I, is to "justify the ways of God to men".[6]

In his introduction to the Penguin edition of Paradise Lost, the Milton scholar John Leonard notes, "John Milton was nearly sixty when he published Paradise Lost in 1667. [The biographer] John Aubrey (1626â€“97) tells us that the poem was begun in about 1658 and finished in about 1663. But parts were almost certainly written earlier, and its roots lie in Milton's earliest youth."[7] Leonard speculates that the English Civil War interrupted Milton's earliest attempts to start his "epic [poem] that would encompass all space and time."[7]

Leonard also notes that Milton "did not at first plan to write a biblical epic".[7] Since epics were typically written about heroic kings and queens (and with pagan gods), Milton originally envisioned his epic to be based on a legendary Saxon or British king like the legend of King Arthur.[8][9] In the 1667 version of Paradise Lost, the poem was divided into ten books. However, in the 1672 edition, Paradise Lost contained twelve books.[10]

Having gone totally blind in 1652, Milton wrote Paradise Lost entirely through dictation with the help of amanuenses and friends. He also wrote the epic poem while he was often ill, suffering from gout, and despite the fact that he was suffering emotionally after the early death of his second wife, Katherine Woodcock, in 1658, and the death of their infant daughter. Milton remarried five years later in 1663.[11]

The poem is divided into "books" (ten originally, twelve in Milton's revised edition of 1674). The Arguments (brief summaries) at the head of each book were added in subsequent imprints of the first edition.[12]

The poem follows the epic tradition of starting in medias res (Latin for in the midst of things), the background story being recounted later.

Milton's story has two narrative arcs, one about Satan (Lucifer) and the other following Adam and Eve. It begins after Satan and the other rebel angels have been defeated and banished to Hell, or, as it is also called in the poem, Tartarus. In Pandæmonium, the capital city of Hell, Satan employs his rhetorical skill to organize his followers; he is aided by Mammon and Beelzebub. Belial and Moloch are also present. At the end of the debate, Satan volunteers to corrupt the newly created Earth and God's new and most favoured creation, Mankind. He braves the dangers of the Abyss alone in a manner reminiscent of Odysseus or Aeneas. After an arduous traversal of the Chaos outside Hell, he enters God's new material World, and later the Garden of Eden.

At several points in the poem, an Angelic War over Heaven is recounted from different perspectives. Satan's rebellion follows the epic convention of large-scale warfare. The battles between the faithful angels and Satan's forces take place over three days. At the final battle, the Son of God single-handedly defeats the entire legion of angelic rebels and banishes them from Heaven. Following this purge, God creates the World, culminating in his creation of Adam and Eve. While God gave Adam and Eve total freedom and power to rule over all creation, he gave them one explicit command: not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil on penalty of death.

The story of Adam and Eve's temptation and fall is a fundamentally different, new kind of epic: a domestic one. Adam and Eve are presented as having a romantic and sexual relationship while still being without sin. They have passions and distinct personalities. Satan, disguised in the form of a serpent, successfully tempts Eve to eat from the Tree by preying on her vanity and tricking her with rhetoric. Adam, learning that Eve has sinned, knowingly commits the same sin. He declares to Eve that since she was made from his flesh, they are bound to one another â€“ if she dies, he must also die. In this manner, Milton portrays Adam as a heroic figure, but also as a greater sinner than Eve, as he is aware that what he is doing is wrong.

After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve have lustful sex. At first, Adam is convinced that Eve was right in thinking that eating the fruit would be beneficial. However, they soon fall asleep and have terrible nightmares, and after they awake, they experience guilt and shame for the first time. Realizing that they have committed a terrible act against God, they engage in mutual recrimination.

Meanwhile, Satan returns triumphantly to Hell, amidst the praise of his fellow fallen angels. He tells them about how their scheme worked and Mankind has fallen, giving them complete dominion over Paradise. As he finishes his speech, however, the fallen angels around him become hideous snakes, and soon enough, Satan himself turned into a snake, deprived of limbs and unable to talk. Thus, they share the same punishment, as they shared the same guilt.

Eve appeals  to Adam for  reconciliation of their actions.   Her encouragement enables them to approach God,  and sue for grace, bowing on suppliant knee, to receive forgiveness.  In a vision shown to him by the angel Michael, Adam witnesses everything that will happen to Mankind until the Great Flood. Adam is very upset by this vision of the future, so Michael also tells him about Mankind's potential redemption from original sin through Jesus Christ (whom Michael calls "King Messiah").

Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden, and Michael says that Adam may find "a paradise within thee, happier far". Adam and Eve also now have a more distant relationship with God, who is omnipresent but invisible (unlike the tangible Father in the Garden of Eden).

Satan is deeply arrogant, albeit powerful and charismatic.[citation needed] Satan's persuasive powers are evident throughout the book; not only is he cunning and deceptive, but he is also able to rally the fallen angels to continue in the rebellion after their agonizing defeat in the Angelic War. He argues that God rules as a tyrant and that all the angels ought to rule as gods.[14] Though commonly understood to be the antagonizing force in Paradise Lost, Satan may be best defined as a tragic or Hellenic hero. According to William McCollom, one quality of the classical tragic hero is that he is not perfectly good and that his defeat is caused by a tragic flaw, as Satan causes both the downfall of man and the eternal damnation of his fellow fallen angels despite his dedication to his comrades. In addition, Satan's Hellenic qualities, such as his immense courage and, perhaps, lack of completely defined morals compound his tragic nature.[15]

Satan's status as a protagonist in the epic poem is debated.  Milton characterizes him as such, but Satan lacks several key traits that would otherwise make him the definitive protagonist in the work. One deciding factor that insinuates his role as the protagonist in the story is that most often a protagonist is heavily characterized and far better described than the other characters, and the way the character is written is meant to make him seem more interesting or special to the reader. [16] For that matter, Satan is both well described and is depicted as being quite versatile in that he is shown as having the capacity to do evil whilst retaining his characteristic sympathetic qualities and thus it is this complex and relatable nature that makes him a likely candidate for the story's overarching protagonist.[16]

By some definitions a protagonist must be able to exist in and of himself or herself and that the secondary characters in the work exist only to further the plot for the protagonist.[17] Because Satan does not exist solely for himself, as without God he would not have a role to play in the story, he may not be viewed as the protagonist because of the continual shifts in perspective and relative importance of characters in each book of the work. Satan's existence in the story involves his rebellion against God and his determination to corrupt the beings he creates in order to perpetuate evil so that there can be a discernable balance and justice for both himself and his fallen angels. Therefore, it is more probable that he exists in order to combat God, making his status as the definitive protagonist of the work relative to each book. Following this logic, Satan may very well be considered as an antagonist in the poem, whereas God could be considered as the protagonist instead.

Satan's status as a traditional hero in the work is similarly up to debate as the term "hero" evokes different meanings depending on the time and the person giving the definition and is thus a matter of contention within the text. According to Aristotle, a hero is someone who is "superhuman, godlike, and divine" but is also human.[18] A hero would have to either be a human with God-like powers or the offspring of God. While Milton gives reason to believe that Satan is superhuman, as he was originally an angel, he is anything but human. Therefore, according to Aristotle's definition of a hero alone, Satan is not a hero. Torquato Tasso and Francesco Piccolomini expanded on Aristotle's definition and declared that for someone to be considered heroic one has to be perfectly or overly virtuous.[19] Satan repeatedly demonstrates a lack of virtue throughout the story as he intends to tempt God's creations with evil in order to destroy the good God is trying to create. Satan goes against God's law and therefore becomes corrupt and lacking of virtue and, as Piccolomini warned, "vice may be mistaken for heroic virtue".[18] Satan is very devoted to his cause, although that cause is evil but he strives to spin his sinister aspirations to appear as good ones. Satan achieves this end multiple times throughout the text as he riles up his band of fallen angels during his speech by deliberately telling them to do evil to explain God's hypocrisy and again during his entreaty to Eve. He makes his intentions seem pure and positive even when they are rooted in evil and, according to Steadman, this is the chief reason that readers often mistake Satan as a hero.[19]

Although Satan's army inevitably loses the war against God, Satan achieves a position of power and begins his reign in Hell with his band of loyal followers, composed of fallen angels, which is described to be a "third of heaven". Satan's characterization as the leader of a failing cause folds into this as well and is best exemplified through his own quote, "to be weak is to be miserable; Doing or Suffering", as through shared solidarity espoused by empowering rhetoric, Satan riles up his comrades in arms and keeps them focused towards their shared goal.[20]  Similar to Milton's republican sentiments of overthrowing the King of England for both better representation and parliamentary power, Satan argues that his shared rebellion with the fallen angels is an effort to "explain the hypocrisy of God", and in doing so, they will be treated with the respect and acknowledgement that they deserve. As scholar Wayne Rebhorn argues, "Satan insists that he and his fellow revolutionaries held their places by right and even leading him to claim that they were self-created and self-sustained" and thus Satan's position in the rebellion is much like that of his own real world creator.[21]

Adam is the first human being created by God. Finding himself alone, Adam complains and requests a mate from God, who grants his request and creates Eve to be Adam's conjugal companion and helpmate. God appraises Adam and Eve most of all his creations, and appoints them to rule over all the creatures of the world and to reside in the Garden of Eden. Adam is more gregarious than Eve, and yearns for her company. His complete infatuation with Eve, while pure of itself, eventually contributes to his deciding to join her in disobedience to God.

Unlike the biblical Adam, before Milton's Adam leaves Paradise he is given a glimpse of the future of mankind by the Archangel Michaelâ€”including a synopsis of stories from the Old and New Testaments.

Eve is the second human created by God, who takes one of Adam's ribs and shapes it into a female form of Adam. Not the traditional model of a good wife, Milton's Eve is often unwilling to be submissive towards Adam. She is the more intelligent of the two and more curious about external ideas than her husband. Though happy, she longs for knowledge, specifically for self-knowledge. (Her first act in existence is to turn away from Adam to look at and ponder her own reflection.) Eve is beautiful and though she loves Adam she may feel suffocated by his constant presence. In Book IX, she convinces Adam to separate for a time and work in different parts of the Garden. In her solitude, she is tempted by Satan to sin against God by eating of the Tree of Knowledge. Soon thereafter, Adam follows Eve in support of her act.

The Son of God is the spirit who will become incarnate as Jesus Christ, though he is never named explicitly because he has not yet entered human form. Milton believed in a subordinationist doctrine of Christology that regarded the Son as secondary to the Father and as God's "great Vice-regent" (5.609). Milton's God in Paradise Lost refers to the Son as "My word, my wisdom, and effectual might" (3.170). The poem is not explicitly anti-trinitarian, but it is consistent with Milton's convictions. The Son is the ultimate hero of the epic and is infinitely powerfulâ€”he single-handedly defeats Satan and his followers and drives them into Hell. After their fall, the Son of God tells Adam and Eve about God's judgment: He, the Son, volunteers to journey into the World and become a man himself; then he redeems the Fall of Man through his own sacrificial death and resurrection. In the final scene, a vision of Salvation through the Son of God is revealed to Adam by Michael. Still, the name Jesus of Nazareth, and the details of Jesus' story are not depicted in the poem,[22] though they are alluded to when Michael explains that "Joshua, whom the Gentiles Jesus call," prefigures the Son of God, "his name and office bearing" to "quell / The adversarie Serpent, and bring back [...] long wander[e]d man / Safe to eternal Paradise of rest."[23]

God the Father is the creator of Heaven, Hell, the world, of everyone and everything there is, through the agency of His Son. Milton presents God as all-powerful and all-knowing, as an infinitely great being who cannot be overthrown by even the great army of angels Satan incites against him. Milton's stated purpose for the poem is to justify the ways of God to men, so he portrays God as often conversing about his plans and his motives for his actions with the Son of God. The poem shows God creating the world in the way Milton believed it was done, that is, God created Heaven, Earth, Hell, and all the creatures that inhabit these separate planes from part of Himself, not out of nothing.[24] Thus, according to Milton, the ultimate authority of God over all things that happen derives from his being the "author" of all creation. Satan tries to justify his rebellion by denying this aspect of God and claiming self-creation, but he admits to himself the truth otherwise, and that God "deserved no such return/ From me, whom He created what I was."[25][26]

Raphael is the archangel whom God sends to warn Adam of Satan's infiltration of Eden and to warn that Satan will try to curse them (Adam and Eve). Raphael also discusses at length with the curious Adam some details about the creation and about events that transpired in Heaven.

Michael is a mighty archangel who fought for God in the Angelic War. In the first battle, he wounds Satan terribly with a powerful sword that God fashioned to cut through even the substance of angels. After Adam and Eve disobey God by eating from the Tree of Knowledge, God sends the angel Michael to visit them in the garden. Before he escorts them out of Paradise, Michael shows them visions of the future that disclose an outline of Bible stories from that of Cain and Abel in Genesis through the story of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

Milton first presented Adam and Eve in Book IV with impartiality. The relationship between Adam and Eve is one of "mutual dependence, not a relation of domination or hierarchy." While the author placed Adam above Eve in his intellectual knowledge and, in turn, his relation to God, he granted Eve the benefit of knowledge through experience. Hermine Van Nuis clarifies, that although there is stringency specified for the roles of male and female, Adam and Eve unreservedly accept their designated roles.[27] Rather than viewing these roles as forced upon them, each uses their assignment as an asset in their  relationship with each other. These distinctions can be interpreted as Milton's view on the importance of mutuality between husband and wife.

When examining the relationship between Adam and Eve, some critics apply either an Adam-centered or Eve-centered view of hierarchy and importance to God. David Mikics argues, by contrast, these positions "overstate the independence of the characters' stances, and therefore miss the way in which Adam and Eve are entwined with each other".[28] Milton's narrative depicts a relationship where the husband and wife (here, Adam and Eve) depend on each other and, through each other's differences, thrive.[28]
Still, there are several instances where Adam communicates directly with God while Eve must go through Adam to God; thus, some have described Adam as her guide.[29]

Although Milton does not directly mention divorce, critics posit theories on Milton's view of divorce based upon their inferences from the poem and from his tracts on divorce written earlier in his life. Other works by Milton suggest he viewed marriage as an entity separate from the church. Discussing Paradise Lost, Biberman entertains the idea that "marriage is a contract made by both the man and the woman".[30] These ideas imply Milton may have favored that both man and woman have equal access to marriage and to divorce.

Milton's 17th-century contemporaries by and large criticised his ideas and considered him as a radical, mostly because of his Protestant views on politics and religion. One of Milton's most controversial arguments centred on his concept of what is idolatrous, which subject is deeply embedded in Paradise Lost.

Milton's first criticism of idolatry focused on the constructing of temples and other buildings to serve as places of worship. In Book XI of Paradise Lost, Adam tries to atone for his sins by offering to build altars to worship God. In response, the angel Michael explains that Adam does not need to build physical objects to experience the presence of God.[31] Joseph Lyle points to this example, explaining "When Milton objects to architecture, it is not a quality inherent in buildings themselves he finds offensive, but rather their tendency to act as convenient loci to which idolatry, over time, will inevitably adhere."[32] Even if the idea is pure in nature, Milton thought it would unavoidably lead to idolatry simply because of the nature of humans. That is, instead of directing their thoughts towards God, humans will turn to erected objects and falsely invest their faith there. While Adam attempts to build an altar to God, critics note Eve is similarly guilty of idolatry, but in a different manner. Harding believes Eve's narcissism and obsession with herself constitutes idolatry.[33] Specifically, Harding claims that "... under the serpent's influence, Eve's idolatry and self-deification foreshadow the errors into which her 'Sons' will stray."[33] Much like Adam, Eve falsely places her faith in herself, the Tree of Knowledge, and to some extent the Serpent, all of which do not compare to the ideal nature of God.

Milton made his views on idolatry more explicit with the creation of Pandæmonium and his allusion to Solomon's temple. In the beginning of Paradise Lost and throughout the poem, there are several references to the rise and eventual fall of Solomon's temple. Critics elucidate that "Solomon's temple provides an explicit demonstration of how an artefact moves from its genesis in devotional practice to an idolatrous end."[34] This example, out of the many presented, distinctly conveys Milton's views on the dangers of idolatry. Even if one builds a structure in the name of God, the best of intentions can become immoral in idolatry. Further, critics have drawn parallels between both Pandemonium and Saint Peter's Basilica,[citation needed] and the Pantheon. The majority of these similarities revolve around a structural likeness, but as Lyle explains, they play a greater role. By linking Saint Peter's Basilica and the Pantheon to Pandemonium—an ideally false structure—the two famous buildings take on a false meaning.[35] This comparison best represents Milton's Protestant views, as it rejects both the purely Catholic perspective and the Pagan perspective.

In addition to rejecting Catholicism, Milton revolted against the idea of a monarch ruling by divine right. He saw the practice as idolatrous. Barbara Lewalski concludes that the theme of idolatry in Paradise Lost "is an exaggerated version of the idolatry Milton had long associated with the Stuart ideology of divine kingship".[36] In the opinion of Milton, any object, human or non human, that receives special attention befitting of God, is considered idolatrous.

The writer and critic Samuel Johnson wrote that Paradise Lost shows off "[Milton's] peculiar power to astonish" and that "[Milton] seems to have been well acquainted with his own genius, and to know what it was that Nature had bestowed upon him more bountifully than upon others: the power of displaying the vast, illuminating the splendid, enforcing the awful, darkening the gloomy, and aggravating the dreadful."[37]

Milton scholar John Leonard interpreted the "impious war" between Heaven and Hell as civil war:[38][pageÂ needed]

Paradise Lost is, among other things, a poem about civil war. Satan raises 'impious war in Heav'n' (i 43) by leading a third of the angels in revolt against God. The term 'impious war' implies that civil war is impious. But Milton applauded the English people for having the courage to depose and execute King Charles I. In his poem, however, he takes the side of 'Heav'n's awful Monarch' (iv 960). Critics have long wrestled with the question of why an antimonarchist and defender of regicide should have chosen a subject that obliged him to defend monarchical authority.

The editors at the Poetry Foundation argue that Milton's criticism of the English monarchy was being directed specifically at the Stuart monarchy and not at the monarchy system in general.[39]

In a similar vein, critic and writer C.S. Lewis argued that there was no contradiction in Milton's position in the poem since "Milton believed that God was his 'natural superior' and that Charles Stuart was not." Lewis interpreted the poem as a genuine Christian morality tale.[40][page needed] Other critics, like William Empson, view it as a more ambiguous work, with Milton's complex characterization of Satan playing a large part in that perceived ambiguity.[40][page needed] Empson argued that "Milton deserves credit for making God wicked, since the God of Christianity is 'a wicked God.'" Leonard places Empson's interpretation "in the [Romantic interpretive] tradition of William Blake and Percy Bysshe Shelley."[38][page needed]

Blake famously wrote, "The reason Milton wrote in fetters when he wrote of Angels & God, and at liberty when of Devils & Hell, is because he was a true Poet and of the Devil's party without knowing it."[41] This quotation succinctly represents the way in which the 18th- and 19th-century English Romantic poets viewed Milton.

Empson's view is more complex. Leonard points out that "Empson never denies that Satan's plan is wicked. What he does deny is that God is innocent of its wickedness: 'Milton steadily drives home that the inmost counsel of God was the Fortunate Fall of man; however wicked Satan's plan may be, it is God's plan too [since God in Paradise Lost is depicted as being both omniscient and omnipotent].'"[38][page needed] Leonard calls Empson's view "a powerful argument", he notes that this interpretation was challenged by Dennis Danielson in his book Milton's Good God (1982).[38][page needed]

The first illustrations to accompany the text of Paradise Lost were added to the fourth edition of 1688, with one engraving prefacing each book, of which up to eight of the twelve were by Sir John Baptist Medina, one by Bernard Lens II, and perhaps up to four (including Books I and XII, perhaps the most memorable) by another hand.[42] The engraver was Michael Burghers (not 'Burgesse' as given in the Christ's College website). By 1730 the same images had been re-engraved on a smaller scale by Paul Fourdrinier.

Some of the most notable illustrators of Paradise Lost included William Blake, Gustave Doré and Henry Fuseli. However, the epic's illustrators also include John Martin, Edward Francis Burney, Richard Westall, Francis Hayman, and many others.

Outside of book illustrations, the epic has also inspired other visual works by well-known painters like Salvador Dalí who executed a set of ten colour engravings in 1974.[43] Milton's achievement in writing Paradise Lost while blind (he dictated to helpers) inspired loosely biographical paintings by both Fuseli[44] and Eugène Delacroix.[45]


who sang this is halloween in the nightmare before christmas

"This Is Halloween" is a song from the 1993 film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, with music and lyrics written by Danny Elfman. In the film it is performed by the residents of the fictional "Halloween Town", which is the film's main setting, and introduces the town's Halloween-centered lifestyle. The song is featured in both HalloWishes at the Magic Kingdom and at Disneyland's Halloween Screams. In Calaway Park, it is featured in the haunted mansion. It is also used as the background music for the Halloween Town world in the video game Kingdom Hearts. The song is featured in the video game Just Dance 3.

This Is Halloween

Differently from the vast majority of Disney movies, in several countries The Nightmare Before Christmas was released only with subtitles, since the movie was originally thought to be "too dark and scary for kids",[1] and was thus released as a product for adults. However, some countries did rerecord the song anyway, along with the whole movie, in their own languages.

"This Is Halloween" was covered by Marilyn Manson in 2006 for the special edition release of the film's soundtrack and subsequently included on the 2008 cover album, Nightmare Revisited. The song was also covered by Panic! at the Disco for the 2006 soundtrack reissue.[2][3] On the 2011 album V-Rock Disney, which features visual kei artists covering Disney songs, Sadie covered this song.[4]