What words are used to describe Odysseus as an epic hero in the introduction of Homer's The Odyssey?

Odysseus is described as "storm-tossed" because Poseidon throws him around in the ocean so violently, trying to kill him for blinding his son, Polyphemus, the Cyclops.  Zeus also sent a storm that delayed Odysseus and his crew on Thrinacia, the island where the sacred cattle of the sun god, Helios, are tended. The terrible storms Odysseus endured help to classify his journey as an epic one.

Odysseus is also described as "heartsick" because he tries so hard to get home for so many years (he was away for ten years for the Trojan War and then almost another ten while he tried to get home after the War), and so many obstacles appear to prevent him from returning to Ithaca safely.  The sheer length of his journey, in addition to the number of obstacles he faces, make it epic.  He even loses his entire crew over the course of several years because of their own stupid or disloyal or reckless actions. 

What is the European Union doing to help solve the Greek debt crisis?

The Greek debt crisis of 2010, resulting from the financial crisis of 2008, has been a major test of how the European Union can solve economic problems. The EU is an unusual organization in that it has created a monetary union without a fiscal union. It has the problem of not having the ability to adjust fiscal policies. 

Had Greece retained the drachma, it would have had the ability to devalue its currency to reduce debt. Since this is not the case, the European Commission, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund (often known as the "troika") have to take measures to avert a sovereign debt default and worsening of the financial woes of Greece, while reducing the chance of a "Grexit" (Greek exit from the EU).

There have been several stages to the troika's attempts to help out Greece. The main type of help being given is extended loans to help Greece avoid defaulting on its sovereign debt. Thus far, the bailout has amounted to €240 billion, something resented by many taxpayers in other EU nations. 

The troika has also helped renegotiate terms with Greece's creditors, reducing the amount of the debt and extending the repayment schedule. Perhaps even more important in the long run, each tranche of bailout money depends on Greece meeting certain conditions for reforming its fiscal policies, reducing wastefulness in government, making its tax system more efficient, cracking down on tax evasion, and engaging in various labor and business reforms to ensure Greece's long-term fiscal health.

What are the two subatomic particles that make up the nucleus of an atom?

The nucleus of an atom is made up of two subatomic particles: the proton and the neutron.

Atoms constitute the main building blocks of matter and they are made up of smaller subatomic particles consisting of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.

In the nucleus, the proton is electrically charged, carrying a relative positive charge but the neutron carries no electric charge and it is neutral. The nucleus is surrounded by electrons which carry a negative charge and they are arranged in shells or energy levels around the nucleus.

The atomic number of an atom is the number of protons in the nucleus and atoms are arranged in the periodic table in the order of their atomic number. Atoms do not have an overall electric charge because the number of electrons (carrying negative charges) in the atom is the same as the number of protons in the atom (carrying positive charges) in the ground state.

Give an example of a transverse wave.

Waves can be classified as either longitudinal and transverse. This classification is based on the relative direction of motion of particles and the wave propagation. If the particle displacement is in the same direction as the wave propagation, the waves are known as longitudinal waves. If the particle displacement is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation, the waves are known as transverse waves.

Ripples on the surface of a water body are transverse waves, since the waves propagate in a horizontal direction, while the particles move in a vertical direction. Similarly, waves on a string are also transverse waves, since particles are displaced in a direction which is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagates.

Sound waves, on the other hand, are longitudinal waves. 

One can find more examples of longitudinal and transverse waves in everyday life.

Hope this helps. 

How did the Italian Renaissance period end?

The end of the Italian Renaissance occurred during the late 15th century through the early 16th century. The period of proliferation of education, science, and the arts came to an end for a number of reasons.

During this time, the Catholic Church controlled much of the wealth that fueled the progressive works created during the Italian Renaissance. As the beliefs of the Catholic Church were questioned by men like Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformation was born. Many, previously staunch, Catholics turned away from the church, which resulted in a reduction in its economic domination. The Counter-Reformation was formed, which stifled the creativity of the great thinkers as they strove to adhere to Catholic teachings out of fear.  

Instead of being one united country, Italy was divided into independent city-states. These independent states were ripe for war with other countries. They were small and less fortified than other countries in Europe. In particular, France waged war against these smaller states, which proved to be costly, and meant there was less money to devote to arts, science, and education. Knowing the implications of the French gaining the wealth of the Italian peninsula, Spain and Germany became involved in the disputes. In 1527, they overtook Rome, which signaled the end of the Papacy and its financial support of the Renaissance.

Successful world exploration also caused the demise of the Italian Renaissance. Christopher Columbus ventured to find a trade route to India, instead finding islands off the coast of South America, which peaked the interest of further exploration. When Vasco da Gama discovered a water route for European trade with India, much of the wealthy trade was diverted from Italy to Portugal and other European countries, leaving the city states of Italy with a sinking economy.

For these reasons, the visionaries and economic means necessary to sustain the Italian Renaissance were stifled, causing it to move away from Italy to other parts of Europe.

How many pages are in Chapter 2 of the novel That Was Then, This Is Now?

In the 2008 edition of the novel That Was Then, This Is Now published by Speak, there are seventeen pages in Chapter 2. The first page of the chapter begins on page 25, and the last page of the chapter ends on page 42. In the Google Books version of That Was Then, This Is Now there are eight pages in Chapter 2. In Chapter 2, Bryon and Mark visit their mother in the hospital, and she encourages them to talk to the boy who is lying in the next room because nobody has come to visit him. Mark volunteers to talk to the boy while Bryon goes to get something to eat. Bryon meets Cathy who is a waitress at the snack bar and asks her to hangs out. When Bryon goes back upstairs, he ends up talking with the boy across the hall. Mike Chambers tells Bryon that he was beaten up after he took a black girl home. Bryon is affected by Mike's story and thinks that it is unfair that people who try to help others end up getting hurt.

Do you think the speaker in ''The Road Not Taken'' made a wise choice?

In “The Road Not Taken,” the narrator remembers a time when he was faced with a decision. It may have been the choice between two physical roads that led in two different directions. Or, if the road image is seen here as a metaphor, it may have been the choice between two major life decisions – like whether or not to go to college, whether or not to get married, whether or not to move to another city or state to get a better job, etc. We have to make these decisions without knowing if they will turn out to be the “right” ones for us in the long run. Sometimes we look back with regret and wonder if our lives would have been better if we had made other choices and gone the other way. Only we can judge this outcome for ourselves.

The last stanza of the poem holds the key to your answer:

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Now, his choice that day “made all the difference” in his life. But he anticipates that in the future, he’ll be telling this story “with a sigh.” Does this mean he already regrets the decision? Or will he sigh to his audience for another reason? He could sigh in frustration that he has to explain himself to others. What do you think? I have always read this poem thinking that the narrator was pleased with his decision not to follow the road that everyone else did.

Then again, the title of the poem is “The Road Not Taken.” Does it refer to the road that everyone else avoided? Or to that popular road that the narrator did not take in the end? Is the narrator now wistfully considering what would have happened if he had made the other choice? I tend to champion people who do things differently, so I think the narrator made the wise choice in taking the road less traveled. But I think you could argue this case either way.