Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Digital Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Digital Marketing - Essay Example Digital marketing strategy for GAME which is a UK based gaming retail organization which commenced its operations under the ownership of The Game Group Plc. in 1991. By briefly evaluating the current digital marketing activities of the firm, the content of this report is guided through the identification of limitations in the organization’s current digital marketing policies so as to generate an examination on how the firm can improve its strategy for fulfilling organizational objectives. Furthermore, the report also draws the establishment of an effective and successful digital marketing strategy by focusing on setting SMART objectives. According to Richman (2011), the establishment of precise and well-defined organizational objectives is important for acknowledging and taking into account what the firm hopes to achieve by the implementation of a specific strategy. Thus, the setting of objectives must fulfill the criterion that has been set by SMART objectives such that the aims should be â€Å"†¦Specific, Measurable, Agreed Upon, Realistic and Time/Cost limited† (Richman 2011, p. 65). With regard to the prior assessment which was conducted in relation with GAME’S current digital marketing strategy, the conclusions of the report were able to establish that the organization’s website is marked and characterized by certain limitations and weaknesses that must be addressed effectively and immediately as a part of the enhancement and improvement measures in GAME’s present digital marketing policy. Most importantly, the conclusions of the report were able to outline that while the organization’s website provides potential visitors with an extensive amount of information on the homepage, there are several weaknesses in website functionality and features which may be preventing visitors from fully accessing online material and benefitting from the availability of the medium. From a concise perspective, it can be identified that problems in GAME’S

Monday, October 28, 2019

Monna Giovanni and Wife of Bath Essay Example for Free

Monna Giovanni and Wife of Bath Essay The personas crafted by Boccaccio and Chaucer are different. Chaucer’s Wife of Bath receives its recognition from her smart characterization that portrays her as unconventional and eccentric woman with certain strident elements whereas Boccaccio’s Monna is described as a creature of elegance and of high moral stature. Both these women are manifestation of two different faces and facets of the same age. One manifestation of the age is conventional i. e. Monna Giovanni who is utterly loyal and faithful whereas other illustration is unconventional that does take into consideration the conformist norms and values of the contemporary era. Both Wife of Bath and Monna Giovanni hail from higher social stratum. Wife of Bath’s attitude toward men is domineering and she advises other women to do so. She considers them lecherous and mean due to their indifferent attitude toward women. She refers to them as suspicious and lusty-fellows. (234-378) Her own attitude toward men is paradoxical. She is offensive toward them and considers it a good practice to get best out of men. But she expects patience from men in anger and urges them to emulate the well-known tolerance of Job. She expects fidelity from them e. g. she hates the infidelity of her fourth husband but never assure them her own fidelity. In contrast to Wife of Bath’s thoughts toward men, Monna’s attitude toward men is in conformity with the socio-cultural standards. Wife of Bath is does not behave in conformity with the social norms and traditions of the contemporary era. She does not meet the expectations of proper manners of a wife. She married to three aged but well-off husbands in her youth and inherited their wealth. She is of dominant nature and tried to override her fourth husband who was of her age. She had a bad experience with her fifth husband. All of them are now dead but Wife’s hopes are alive to marry anew. Through the summary of her married life (459-462), Chaucer portrays her as clever and selfish woman who unlike the common woman of her age does not marry due to matrimonial and ethical purposes but it was her materialistic desires that make her to marry old husbands. But again her attitude toward marriage is paradoxical as she loves her fifth and last husband due to his expertise in sexual relationship. Wife of Bath has had extramarital relationships as well (lines 461, 467, 476). Unlike Wife of Bath, Monna Giovanni is an epitome of chastity and virtuous. She did not notice the temptations of sentiments and paid no heed to the instigations of her lovers. Boccaccio says in this regard; â€Å"However the lady, no less virtuous than fair, cared not a jot for what he (Federigo) did for her sake, nor yet for him. † She marries and remains faithful to her husband till his death. Furthermore, Wife of Bath takes love and marriage in term of economic benefits and thus equalizes it to prostitution. She uses the economic terminology to denote to the marriage and matrimonial relationships. In contrast to Wife of Bath, Monna considers marriage socio-cultural obligations and takes pride in matrimonial bliss. Her faithfulness to her husband is a result of matrimonial accord. After her husband’s death, she does not usurp his inheritance but forward it to their only son. The only similarity between these characters is their stylish and trendy life. Wife of Bath is a fashionable lady adorned with the grace of the contemporary costumes and ornaments. But Chaucer provides certain references where she seems over-dressed. Monna Giovanni was â€Å"in her day held rank among the fairest and most elegant ladies of Florence†. But we do not find her snobbish and over-dressed. There is a feeling of superficiality about the Wife whereas Monna’s character carries elegance and grace with it.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Essay --

Great Leap Forward: Before the Cultural Revolution took place, Mao had an attempt to modernize China’s economy so that by 1988, China would have an economy equivalent to America’s. Mao first announced a Five Year Plan that would last from 1958 to 1963. Mao toured China and thought that China was capable of doing anything they put their minds to, and the top two things Mao wanted to do was to advance their industry and agriculture. By doing this, Mao believed that, the country would change from an agrarian economy, an economy relating to only agricultural and rural matter, to a communist society. He also believed that both agriculture and the industry had to grow to allow the other to grow. Industry could profit if the workers were fed well, and the farmers could prosper if they had quality technology and good tools. To do this, Mao split China into a series of communes. Each commune contained about 5000 families. Everyone in the commune gave up their tools, equipment, food, animals, and anything they owned to the commune. People now worked for their commune and not for themselves. Every life was now controlled by the commune. Twelve families formed one work team and twelve work teams formed a brigade. Each subdivision was give n a certain task or job to complete. For example, one work team would be used to harvest wheat, and another team would bake the wheat, and eventually the entire brigade would produce loafs of bread. By the end of 1958, 700 million people had been placed into 26,578 communes. The speed of this achievement was amazing, however there was propaganda everywhere to try and make the farmers and workers happy. Propaganda packages were delivered to the fields, so the farmers could listen to political speec... ...what actually happened to Lin Biao. Some say it was â€Å"Mao’s elimination of Lin†, by loyal Chinese military planes, but in any case, Lin Biao’s death is still a mystery. After Lin Biao’s premature death, members of his high military command were â€Å"purged†, the Gang of Four feel apart and Zhou Enlai took control over most of the government. After Lin’s death, much of the Chinese population began to feel that the Cultural Revolution not really a â€Å"revolution† but more of an ordinary struggle for power. Zhou tried to stabilized China by putting the educational system back in action, and restoring numerous former officials to power. They both threw their power to Deng Xiaoping, who had been purged in the beginning years of the Cultural Revolution. This move was extremely opposed by the radical communists, Jiang and her allies, who became known as the Gang of Four. Essay -- Great Leap Forward: Before the Cultural Revolution took place, Mao had an attempt to modernize China’s economy so that by 1988, China would have an economy equivalent to America’s. Mao first announced a Five Year Plan that would last from 1958 to 1963. Mao toured China and thought that China was capable of doing anything they put their minds to, and the top two things Mao wanted to do was to advance their industry and agriculture. By doing this, Mao believed that, the country would change from an agrarian economy, an economy relating to only agricultural and rural matter, to a communist society. He also believed that both agriculture and the industry had to grow to allow the other to grow. Industry could profit if the workers were fed well, and the farmers could prosper if they had quality technology and good tools. To do this, Mao split China into a series of communes. Each commune contained about 5000 families. Everyone in the commune gave up their tools, equipment, food, animals, and anything they owned to the commune. People now worked for their commune and not for themselves. Every life was now controlled by the commune. Twelve families formed one work team and twelve work teams formed a brigade. Each subdivision was give n a certain task or job to complete. For example, one work team would be used to harvest wheat, and another team would bake the wheat, and eventually the entire brigade would produce loafs of bread. By the end of 1958, 700 million people had been placed into 26,578 communes. The speed of this achievement was amazing, however there was propaganda everywhere to try and make the farmers and workers happy. Propaganda packages were delivered to the fields, so the farmers could listen to political speec... ...what actually happened to Lin Biao. Some say it was â€Å"Mao’s elimination of Lin†, by loyal Chinese military planes, but in any case, Lin Biao’s death is still a mystery. After Lin Biao’s premature death, members of his high military command were â€Å"purged†, the Gang of Four feel apart and Zhou Enlai took control over most of the government. After Lin’s death, much of the Chinese population began to feel that the Cultural Revolution not really a â€Å"revolution† but more of an ordinary struggle for power. Zhou tried to stabilized China by putting the educational system back in action, and restoring numerous former officials to power. They both threw their power to Deng Xiaoping, who had been purged in the beginning years of the Cultural Revolution. This move was extremely opposed by the radical communists, Jiang and her allies, who became known as the Gang of Four.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Capitalist Society in The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Essay ex

Capitalist Society in The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller "Death of a salesman" is a "tragedy of a common man". Throughout the play the reader sees how Willy Loman struggles to achieve something, which is beyond his capability. He has a dream, the American dream of success and accomplishment. And yet, he is not able to ever thrive because his idea of how to succeed is wrong. The times have changed, the play is set in the period of an economic boom and increasing desire for material goods in America and the Loman family is now living in a capitalist society, however, Willy seems not to have realised that things have changed. He is constantly battling between the present and the past, the reality and a dream. The play is about a conflict between a man and his society, it's a "hanging fire" between suicide and intolerably changing world. To begin with, however, it is important to identify what is meant by the term "capitalist system". Capitalist system is a type of an economy where the owners of the businesses retain all the profits for themselves. This type of a system encourages people to want more, as they hold total responsibility of how much they earn. The importance of the employer and employee relationship increases, as the workers are judged by the quality of the work they are putting into the company. It becomes a tough competition between the staff to survive and keep their jobs. There is now a need to impress on the employer with the effort and work you put into his firm and consequently climb up the ladder of success. The relationship between Howard and Willy in the play is very ambiguous. Howard on one hand is running... ... physically and mentally. He desperately tries to integrate, but he was left behind the modern world. Unable to control his senses of past and present, mixing and confusing the two, Willy fails to see the flawed nature of the system he functions in. He follows wrong dreams and ideas, which are mainly imposed upon him by the society, only to prove himself; nonetheless he is "crushed" by the unjust, competitive culture. And in addition, his personal failures add to the self-perceived wasted life of a "common man". 1. C.W.E. Bigsby: "A critical introduction to Twentieth-century American Drama"; Volume One 1900-1940 2. York Notes Advanced: "Death of a salesman, Arthur Miller"; editor: Adrian Page, 1998 3. Stratford-upon-Avon Studies: "American Theatre"; general editors: John Russel Brown, Bernard Harris, 1967

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Ad Comparison Soap

Nick Barnett Bethann Bowman English 101 October 5, 2009 Soap Over the Ages Many of these advertisements feature soap. It makes you smell great and can even attract a member of the opposite sex. Soap advertisements have been baiting men by bringing attractive women into the ads for decades. The soap ads of the 1950s and the ads of today are equally effective; both use sex appeal, although the bluntness and textual content vary greatly, the new ads are more explicit and less wordy. The audience of the 1950s needed soft colors and visual images with many meanings. The Lifebuoy ad uses cartoon people and very pale colors. Visually, this allows the few things in a bright color to stand out. The tag-line â€Å"It smells so good now, it makes me wonder†¦ † stands out along with the Lifebuoy box which is also red to grab the attention of the reader amongst the dull colors surrounding it. The woman in the background has a few possible meanings; sex appeal, appeal to women, or maybe even a figure of cleanliness. Text in an ad of the 1950s is a must and tells exactly what is being advertised and why it is better than the competition. The text in the ad builds up Lifebuoy by saying, â€Å"Now you get protection as long as 3 days. † Lifebuoy also announces its discovery of something new called Puritan. Then, Lifebuoy start bashing the competition with words such as, â€Å" New Lifebuoy protects you longer than the old Lifebuoy, and longer, of course, than any leading toilet soap. † The use of italics with the phrase toilet soap is meant to draw your attention to it and make sure you understand how bad all other soaps are. Lifebuoy also guarantees you will like it or you will receive a refund. The text of the 1950s ad is the bulk of the ad unlike the ads of today. This is most likely due to the culture the 1950s had a slower pace of life than the 2000s. The LYNX advertisement of the 2000s is almost entirely based off images. The focal point of the ad is a woman in nothing but underwear covered in mud with the words â€Å"wash me† written on her. The woman is also standing in a shower and looks like she is getting ready to take off the rest of her clothes. This ad is completely based on sex appeal. Sex has been proven to sell, and in this case, sex is selling body wash. Masculinity is provoked by the very opposite, a feminine body in the blue (male) shower with the blue (male) body wash. LYNX selling point is that if you use LYNX, you will have attractive women wanting you. This an effective strategy, but it is also stereotyping women as sex objects. The â€Å"wash me† written on her stomach is similar to what people write on cars and is used to humor the audience. There is only one line of actual text in the ad it says, â€Å"LYNX Shower Gel. Get Dirty. † The text is used to reinforce the image and the sex appeal of the product. In fifty years, soap advertisers have not changed their visual strategy. Both the ad from the 1950s and the one of the 2000s rely on sex appeal to sell their product. The use of women as the sex object from which they are launching their advertising campaign is also the similar. They both are also risque for their time and push the border between what is appropriate and what is not just a little further. They both imply that if their soap is used, then you too will have a beautiful woman almost naked wanting you. They both also have provocative text to reinforce their sexual images. The 1950s ad says, â€Å"It smells so good now, it makes me wonder†¦ † implies that he is wondering something sexual because there is a woman in a towel in the background. The LYNX ad uses the line, â€Å"Get Dirty. † with the dirty woman in the ad this is obviously a sexual innuendo. Both advertisements use sex to sale their product, that is undeniable, but the degree which they do it is vast. The LYNX ad uses just seven words to sell their product, only two of which tell what the product is. The 1950s ad on the other hand has over five paragraphs of text describing the product in full detail. The Lifebuoy ad takes a shot at the competition in their text and even offers a money back guarantee. The LYNX ad does none of these things in its short, seven word ad. The LYNX ad also has a more blatant use of sexuality. These differences are likely due to the difference in time periods. The ad in the 1950s had to do more than catch attention with sex appeal. It had to describe thoroughly why it was better to win over an audience that placed an astounding importance on quality. The 2000s audience however does not have time to read words in its fast paced society making the limited amount of text convenient to the reader. This audience also more callused to sexuality so a more explicit image is necessary to attract the same amount of attention. Ads for soap have changed dramatically over the years. They have gotten less wordy and more colorful. The style of the soap has even changed from bar form to liquid. The thing that has not changed though, is that selling soap is still all about sex. Works Cited Lever Bros. â€Å"It smells so good now, it makes me wonder†¦ † Advertisement. Lever Bros. Lever Bros, n. d. Web 10 Oct. 2009. Unilever. â€Å"Get Dirty† Advertisement. Unilever. Unilever, n. d. Web. 10 Oct. 2009. Works Sited

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Political Science essays

Political Science essays The uses of politics and power vary widely throughout the world today. They have variety throughout history. Not all governments give power to the people, as our government does. In some nations, the freedom we enjoy every day is not permitted to anyone except a few rulers. In some countries, the government controls industries. In others, such as ours, private individual control industries, although there are government rules they must follow. In some countries, monarchs (such as kings or queens) may rule. In other countries a prime minister, president, or dictator may rule. There are many forms of government. Is one best? Here are a few of the forms of government most commonly found in existence in the world today: Republic: The term republic comes from the Latin words res publica. It means the thing of the people. A republic actually belongs to the people. It is a form of government in which the people elect the representatives who rule the country. The representatives are responsible to the people for the laws that are made. The people can reelect the representatives if they are pleased with the government. In most republics, the right to vote is held only by the citizens of the country. A republic is sometimes referred to as a representative democracy. Ancient Rome and Ecuador are two examples of republics. Democracy: In a democracy, like a republic, the people hold the ruling power. The difference is that the people rule directly in a democracy. The word democracy comes from two Greek words which together mean power of the people demos kratos. Instead of electing representatives to rule the government, citizens in a democracy meet to make laws and run the country themselves. (The idea of democracy began in the city-sates of Ancient Greece, particularly the city-state of Athens.) Today, there are few pure democr ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

All About Americas Gilded Age

All About Americas Gilded Age The Gilded Age. The name, popularized by American author Mark Twain, conjures images of gold and jewels, lavish palaces, and wealth beyond imagination. And indeed, during the period we know as the Gilded Age - the late 1800s to the 1920s - American business leaders amassed huge fortunes, creating a suddenly-rich baron class with a fondness for ostentatious displays of newfound wealth. Millionaires built palatial and often gaudy homes in New York City and summer cottages on Long Island and in Newport, Rhode Island. Before long, even refined families like the Astors, who had been wealthy for generations, joined in the whirlwind of architectural excesses. In large cities and then in upscale resort communities, noted established architects like Stanford White and Richard Morris Hunt were designing enormous homes and elegant hotels that mimicked the castles and palaces of Europe. Renaissance, Romanesque, and Rococo styles merged with the opulent European style known as Beaux Arts. The Gilded Age of architecture usually refers to the opulent mansions of the super-wealthy in the United States. The well-to-do built elaborate second homes in the suburbs or in rural settings while at the same time many more people were living in urban tenements and the decaying farmlands of America. Twain was being ironic and satiric in naming this period of American history. Americas Gilded Age The Gilded Age is a time period, an era in history with no specific beginning or end. Families had accumulated wealth from generation to generation - profits from the Industrial Revolution, the building of the railroads, urbanization, the rise of Wall Street and the banking industry, financial gains from the Civil War and Reconstruction, the manufacturing of steel, and the discovery of American crude oil. The names of these families, such as  John Jacob Astor, live on even today. By the time the book The Gilded Age, A Tale of Today was published in 1873, authors Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner could easily describe what  was behind the ostentation of wealth in post-Civil War America. There is no country in the world, sir, that pursues corruption as inveterately as we do, says one character in the book. Now here you are with your railroad complete, and showing its continuation to Hallelujah and thence to Corruptionville. For some observers, the Gilded Age was a time of immorality, dishonesty, and graft. Money is said to have been made off the backs of an expanding immigrant population who found ready employment with men of industry. Men such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie are often considered robber barons. Politcal corruption was so pervasive that Twains 19th century book continues to be used as a reference for the 21st century U.S. Senate. In European history this same time period is called the Belle Époque or the Beautiful Age. Architects, too, jumped on the bandwagon of what is often called conspicuous consumption.  Richard Morris Hunt (1827-1895) and Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886) were professionally trained in Europe, leading the way to making architecture a valued American profession. Architects the like of Charles Follen McKim (1847-1909) and Stanford White (1853-1906) learned opulence and elegance by working under the leadership of Richardson. Philadelphian Frank Furness (1839-1912) studied under Hunt. The sinking of the Titanic in 1912 put a damper on the boundless optimism and excessive spending of the era. Historians often mark the end of the Gilded Age with the stock market crash of 1929. The grand homes of the Gilded Age now stand as monuments to this time in American history. Many of them are open for tours, and a few have been converted to luxury inns. The 21st Century Gilded Age The great divide between the wealthy few and the poverty of many is not relegated to the end of the 19th century. In reviewing Thomas Pikettys book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, economist Paul Krugman reminds us that It has become a commonplace to say that we are living in a second Gilded Age - or, as Piketty likes to put it, a second Belle Époque - defined by the incredible rise of the one percent. So, where is the equivalent architecture? The Dakota was the first luxury apartment building in New York City during the first Gilded Age. Todays luxury apartments are being designed all over New York City by the likes of Christian de Portzamparc, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, Herzog de Meuron, Annabelle Selldorf, Richard Meier, and Rafael Vià ±oly - they are todays Gilded Age architects. Gilding the Lilly Gilded Age architecture is not so much a type or style of architecture as it describes an extravagance that is not representative of the American population. It falsely characterizes the architecture of the time. To gild is to cover something with a thin layer of gold - to make something appear more worthy than it is or to attempt to improve that which needs no improvement, to overdo, like gilding a lilly. Three centuries earlier than the Gilded Age, even British playwright William Shakespeare used the metaphor in several of his dramas: To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,To throw a perfume on the violet,To smooth the ice, or add another hueUnto the rainbow, or with taper-lightTo seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.- King John, Act 4, Scene 2 All that glitters is not gold;Often have you heard that told:Many a man his life hath soldBut my outside to behold:Gilded tombs do worms enfold.- The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 7 Architecture of the Gilded Age: Visual Elements Many of the Gilded Age mansions have been taken over by historic societies or transformed by the hospitality industry. The Breakers Mansion is the largest and most elaborate of Newports Gilded Age cottages. It was commissioned by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, and built oceanside between 1892 and 1895. Across the waters from the Breakers you can live like a millionaire at  Oheka Castle on Long Island in New York State. Built in 1919, the Chà ¢teauesque summer home was built by financier Otto Hermann Kahn. Biltmore Estate and Inn is another Gilded Age mansion that is both a tourist attraction and a place to rest your head in elegance. Constructed for George Washington Vanderbilt at the end of 19th century, Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina took hundreds of workers five years to complete. Architect Richard Morris Hunt modeled the house after a French Renaissance chateau. Vanderbilt Marble House: Railroad baron William K. Vanderbilt spared no expense when he built a house for his wifes birthday. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt, Vanderbilts grand Marble House,  built between 1888 and 1892, cost $11 million, $7 million of which paid for 500,000 cubic feet of white marble. Much of the interior is gilt with gold. The Vanderbilt Mansion on the Hudson River was designed for Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt. Designed by Charles Follen McKim of McKim, Mead White, the  Neoclassical Beaux-Arts Gilded Age architecture is uniquely set in Hyde Park, New York. Rosecliff Mansion was built for Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs - not a household American name like the Vanderbilts. Nevertheless, Stanford White of McKim, Mead White designed and constructed the Newport, Rhode Island cottage between 1898 and 1902. Sources Why We’re in a New Gilded Age by Paul Krugman, The New York Review of Books, May 8, 2014 [accessed Jun 19, 2016]Getty Images include Rosecliff Mansion by Mark Sullivan; Biltmore Estate by George Rose; Gold Room of Marble House by Nathan Benn/Corbis; and Vanderbilt Mansion on the Hudson by Ted Spiegel/Corbis

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free Essays on Dryer

II. Problem Statement We have been using a high cost desiccant in our facility to remove water from an air stream. Someone has suggested that we test â€Å"kitty litter† and a different desiccant as potential replacements. However, these materials, although cheaper than the current mole sieve material, are not so inexpensive that we can simply discard them when they become saturated. Your job is to: Determine the H2O uptake for each of the materials. Determine the optimum drying conditions for each material. Do not exceed 80 deg C in the batch dryer. Scale up the process to 12 T/day on a continuous belt dryer that is 4 ft wide and 50 ft. long for the best candidate. Report your findings to management with your recommendations. Temperature control should be included. Include PFD in both reports. III. Introduction A desiccant is a material that readily soaks up water vapor from surrounding air. The desiccant will continue to adsorb moisture until it becomes saturated. These desiccants or adsorbents are generally classified as amorphous or structured, and hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Many different substances exist which are capable of adsorbing, but few are of industrial significance. Commonly used industrial desiccants include silica gel, molecular sieves, activated carbon, and activated alumina. These desiccants are used to eliminate moisture or other impurities from gas streams. Once the desiccant is saturated with moisture, it can be recycled through a process of regeneration. The regeneration process is a form of drying, in which water or some other liquid is evaporated from a solid material to reduce the content of liquid to some acceptable value. During regeneration, hot air or inert gas is used to dry the adsorbent. This is a form of thermal vaporization which is a highly energy intensive process. Various different types of drying equipment are available depending on the ... Free Essays on Dryer Free Essays on Dryer II. Problem Statement We have been using a high cost desiccant in our facility to remove water from an air stream. Someone has suggested that we test â€Å"kitty litter† and a different desiccant as potential replacements. However, these materials, although cheaper than the current mole sieve material, are not so inexpensive that we can simply discard them when they become saturated. Your job is to: Determine the H2O uptake for each of the materials. Determine the optimum drying conditions for each material. Do not exceed 80 deg C in the batch dryer. Scale up the process to 12 T/day on a continuous belt dryer that is 4 ft wide and 50 ft. long for the best candidate. Report your findings to management with your recommendations. Temperature control should be included. Include PFD in both reports. III. Introduction A desiccant is a material that readily soaks up water vapor from surrounding air. The desiccant will continue to adsorb moisture until it becomes saturated. These desiccants or adsorbents are generally classified as amorphous or structured, and hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Many different substances exist which are capable of adsorbing, but few are of industrial significance. Commonly used industrial desiccants include silica gel, molecular sieves, activated carbon, and activated alumina. These desiccants are used to eliminate moisture or other impurities from gas streams. Once the desiccant is saturated with moisture, it can be recycled through a process of regeneration. The regeneration process is a form of drying, in which water or some other liquid is evaporated from a solid material to reduce the content of liquid to some acceptable value. During regeneration, hot air or inert gas is used to dry the adsorbent. This is a form of thermal vaporization which is a highly energy intensive process. Various different types of drying equipment are available depending on the ...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The study as an Undergraduate Student at Brooks Institute Essay

The study as an Undergraduate Student at Brooks Institute - Essay Example During the three-year journey of professional photography at Brooks Institute, I felt myself to be growing from an amateur photographer who shots everything he sees, to an advertising-oriented photographer who now has a clear focus on still-life and product photography. The credit for this goes to the great instructors at the Brooks Institute. With their guidance, I produced a body of work that can proudly be presented in the graduation review panel. In summer 2014, I was thrilled to get an opportunity of working as an intern with Bill Cahill (a top-class product photographer in Los Angeles, California) to get a hands-on experience in the advertising industry. I was of the view that everything will turn out to be perfectly fine after I graduate in August. At this point, however, I met Norman Maslovs; a successful businessman who represents numerous world’s leading photographers. Norman’s assertion was that photographers, who have a collection of fine-art work, always draw more attention of the art buyers and agencies than the ones who only work in the commercial sector. Norman’s words broadened my vision of the photographic world and I was convinced that a blend of commercial and fine art photography would give me a spark in the industry. I came to the conclusion that fine art together with my commercial photography background would lead me to a better photography career in the long run. Consequently, keeping in view Norman’s advice I decided to pursue my study further to earn a graduate degree in Fine Art related Photography. During my affiliation with the Brooks Institute, I have always been profoundly interested in works of arts that were made by master students of fine arts. I feel that that photograph of a dead chicken lying in a wooden box (The Recipe Can Change, by Hugo Martinez) or a shattered ambrotype of a railway (Disconnected, by Cyndi Di Micco) are both amazing to look at. Having figured out the meaning behind such pieces of arts, my desire to appreciate such artworks has always increased.  

Friday, October 18, 2019

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 34

Assignment - Essay Example By looking at the Earth’s orbit from the above its orbit appears to be much more elliptical. The next step involved measuring the radical velocity the star Arcturus in the solar neighborhood. The star Arcturus is relatively close to the Sun hence its temperature is slightly different from that of the sun. Zooming into the small regions of the spectrum of individual stars, similar absorption lines are observed. The little offset in wavelength is as a result of movement of Arcturus. Since we have obtained the value of the earth’s velocity as 129.74 km/sec, and the period of its orbit is known to be one year, we can calculate earth’s radius (in astronomical units) using the formula 5. The apparent color of the Arcturus changes with the radical velocity. If the object is close to the observer only a single edge of shifting to the other but if the object is far away they will appear as a small dot of light. Incase the observer is moving quickly, the interference of wavelengths will result in spreading of individual lines, a condition known as rotational broadening (Richmond

Civil War between 1848 to 1861 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Civil War between 1848 to 1861 - Essay Example The American civil war erupted in 1861, following the election of Abraham Lincoln; a republican who opposed slavery. There are major events, which took place between 1848 and 1861 leading to the war. One of the major events is the end of the Mexican war in 1848, which meant that America was to surrender the western territories. As a result, new territories became states and the congress passed the â€Å"Compromise of 1850† that made California free to decide whether it would allow slavery or not (Boritt, 1996 p9) Another factor that triggered the civil war was the passing of the fugitive slave act in 1850 to strengthen the compromises act. Under this act, a federal official who failed to arresta runaway slave was liable to fine. Many abolitionists criticized this act and they increased their efforts to fight against slavery.A book entitled Uncle Tom’s cabin, authored by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 is triggered the civil war. The book portrayed the evils of slavery and it changed the perception of northerners on the issue of slavery(McPherson, 1988 p11). The Kansas-Nebraska Act passed in 1854 was one of the issues that led to the civil war. This act gave Kansas and Nebraska the mandate to decide to continue with slavery or end it. As a result, there was violence in Kansas as the people who were opposed to slavery and the ones supporting it fought to control the state. This violence influenced the civil war to come. The Lecompton Constitution created in 1857 also caused the civil war. The constitution allowed Kansas to be free from slavery as most of the voters from the stated rejected it(Ray, 1990 p7). John Brown, an abolitionist together with seventeen others who included five black Americans, raided the Harper Ferry on October 1859. Their plan was to seize weapons and start an uprising against slavery. Unfortunately, they were

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Strategy - Essay Example In fact the strategic management process is a continuing, integrated process that requires constant consideration. The internal and external factors that impact the working of an organisation are considered during the environmental scanning process. This scrutiny paves the way for strategy formulation. The final step of strategy implementation entails reassessing all aspects since the business environment is really dynamic. This paper discusses the various factors that a strategist needs to consider while implementing a strategy. The paper follows the sequential order of strategic management. It dwells on the Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model and highlights the importance of SWOT Analysis. It refers to the importance of organisational structure in the implementation of strategy. An attempt has been made in the paper to figure out which resources and capabilities are employed in implementing strategy and achieving competitive advantage. 2.0 Five Forces Framework There are five competitive forces in an industry that play a role in shaping strategy. A careful analysis and evaluation of these forces enables a strategist to create a position for the organisation that makes it less vulnerable to attack.  Porter (1979) suggests that the attractiveness and profit potential of the industry depends on threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of substitute products and intensity of rivalry among existing firms in the industry referred to as jockeying among current contestants.   The quantum of profit that an organisation can eek out will depend on the collective strength of these five forces. A strategist needs to consider these forces, understand how they impact business and chalk out a way to grow business even if some of these forces are not favorable. If, in a particular industry, all these forces are extremely favorable, it will attract many players and, in the ultimate analysis, it would be very difficult to earn profits in this industry. If these forces are collectively weak, it provides an opportunity for a particular firm to provide superior performance and thrive in the industry. A strategist cannot assign equal weight to all these forces. These forces, which determine the ultimate profit potential, impact different industries in varying degrees. In the steel industry, the threat of substitutes plays a key role. For example, the steel industry may jostle with the aluminum industry and the plastic manufacturers to provide raw material to the packaging material industry.    2.1 Political-Legal Forces During the implementation stage, the strategist must consider the ease of entry into a particular industry. The ease or difficulty in entering a particular industry is contingent on the entry barriers prevalent in the industry and the likely reaction from the existing players. The strategist would think twice before venturing into an industry with deeply entrenched players who would be hostile to any new firm attempting to enter the industry.   The barriers to entry may also arise due to the following; economies of scale, product differentiation, capital requirements, cost disadvantages independent of size, access to distribution channels and government policy (Porter, 1979). The government can exert a lot of control over the functioning of organisations. It can, from time to time, frame rules and regulations and provide a regulatory framework within which organisations have to operate.

Food District Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Food District - Essay Example ries where its existence is very high and will be the central theme of discussion in the paper. Hawker centers in Singapore- Cost effective yet satisfying Hawker Centres are an outdoor version of food courts and the difference between two of them is that food courts are not air conditioned and the prices of the food in the hawker center is lower than the price of the foods in the food courts. But they both maintain standard hygienic rules and non smoking ban rule. The hawker center of Singapore offers multi ethnic cooking at its best. Whether it is a dish of noodles which costs around $ 3 or $ 20 for a three course meal of barbequed fish, chilli prawns and fried rice with vegetables the price is much lower than the restaurant. Apart from the cost effective food the atmosphere of the hawker provides a great reminder of city with its food crazy ambience. The celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain who stated about the street foods that, â€Å"I love the hawker centers. The whole style of casu al eating here is sensational†(Local food and drinks in Singapore, 2012). Exploration into the Singapore hawker centers The system of ordering the meal in the hawker centers is unique. If the persons ordering be in a group then one person has to sit at a table to chope which means reserving seats for the party. It is also a fact that anybody might not get surprised if they see seats covered with bags or pockets of tissue paper placed on them. The sign indicates that the seats have been already reserved. The persons who notice the table numbers must be ordering their food and shall tell the stall owner the table number in which they will be seated. If a person is single then he or she can share a table with the strangers. One of the most popular hawker food centers in Singapore is China Town Food Street. The stalls in this area offer a wide array of Chinese favorites ranging from wonton noodles to that of roasted meals. The basement of area is highly famous for producing a mark et which is highly worth exploring. The area also includes live fish, poultry as well as all manners of Asian vegetables. One of the busiest stalls in the area is Xian restaurant. The stall is known for its magnificent mutton kebab cooked in Xi’an style with cumin and chilli powder. I have personally interviewed the customers of the place about the food and the consulted with the hawkers. The interview with the customers state that the flat cut noodles are so so. Interviews also reveal that the noodles are exceptionally long and are highly difficult in handling. Some people say that the roast rack of lambs is disappointing and the stir fried potatoes with green chillies are good but they are not exceptional. From the overall estimations of the interview process with the customers’ state that the place is famous for its honest cooking and the special mutton kebabs is the most unique extravaganza. The hawkers here are trying heart out in satisfying the taste

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Strategy - Essay Example In fact the strategic management process is a continuing, integrated process that requires constant consideration. The internal and external factors that impact the working of an organisation are considered during the environmental scanning process. This scrutiny paves the way for strategy formulation. The final step of strategy implementation entails reassessing all aspects since the business environment is really dynamic. This paper discusses the various factors that a strategist needs to consider while implementing a strategy. The paper follows the sequential order of strategic management. It dwells on the Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model and highlights the importance of SWOT Analysis. It refers to the importance of organisational structure in the implementation of strategy. An attempt has been made in the paper to figure out which resources and capabilities are employed in implementing strategy and achieving competitive advantage. 2.0 Five Forces Framework There are five competitive forces in an industry that play a role in shaping strategy. A careful analysis and evaluation of these forces enables a strategist to create a position for the organisation that makes it less vulnerable to attack.  Porter (1979) suggests that the attractiveness and profit potential of the industry depends on threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of substitute products and intensity of rivalry among existing firms in the industry referred to as jockeying among current contestants.   The quantum of profit that an organisation can eek out will depend on the collective strength of these five forces. A strategist needs to consider these forces, understand how they impact business and chalk out a way to grow business even if some of these forces are not favorable. If, in a particular industry, all these forces are extremely favorable, it will attract many players and, in the ultimate analysis, it would be very difficult to earn profits in this industry. If these forces are collectively weak, it provides an opportunity for a particular firm to provide superior performance and thrive in the industry. A strategist cannot assign equal weight to all these forces. These forces, which determine the ultimate profit potential, impact different industries in varying degrees. In the steel industry, the threat of substitutes plays a key role. For example, the steel industry may jostle with the aluminum industry and the plastic manufacturers to provide raw material to the packaging material industry.    2.1 Political-Legal Forces During the implementation stage, the strategist must consider the ease of entry into a particular industry. The ease or difficulty in entering a particular industry is contingent on the entry barriers prevalent in the industry and the likely reaction from the existing players. The strategist would think twice before venturing into an industry with deeply entrenched players who would be hostile to any new firm attempting to enter the industry.   The barriers to entry may also arise due to the following; economies of scale, product differentiation, capital requirements, cost disadvantages independent of size, access to distribution channels and government policy (Porter, 1979). The government can exert a lot of control over the functioning of organisations. It can, from time to time, frame rules and regulations and provide a regulatory framework within which organisations have to operate.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Alternative hypothesis or testable hypothesis Essay

Alternative hypothesis or testable hypothesis - Essay Example Testing of hypothesis involves the precautious formation of two assertions. These assertions are the alternative hypothesis and null hypothesis. The null hypothesis states that there are no observed effects for the experiment conducted. In a mathematical interpretation of this hypothesis, the researcher uses an equal sign to indicate no relationship. This hypothesis is signified by H0. It is the hypothesis that the researcher aims at changing by testing the alternative hypothesis1. On the other hand, the alternative hypothesis reflects that there can be an observed effect in a research experiment. It is also the experimental hypothesis. In this mathematical computation, there is the use of inequality symbol that indicates there is a relationship between the research variables2. Either, H1 or Ha signifies the hypothesis. Therefore, the alternative hypothesis is the hypothesis used in testing hypothesis that is contrary to the null hypothesis. It is usually perceived to be the observed effect after the research process.3 Alternative hypothesis H1 There is a significant relationship between people’s attitudes and the American democracy. H2 There is a significant relationship between democracy and the doctrine of the sovereignty of the people in American democracy. H3 There is a significant relationship between democracy and Despotism 3. H4 There is a significant relationship between democracy and individualism in America.... H2 There is a significant relationship between democracy and the doctrine of the sovereignty of people in American. H0 There is no significant relationship between democracy and Despotism5. H3 There is a significant relationship between democracy and Despotism Ho There is no significant relationship between democracy and individualism in America. H4 There is a significant relationship between democracy and individualism in America. It is important for the researcher to understand that the alternative hypothesis and null hypothesis in reference to the population values, and not perceived statistics. Data can be obtained through descriptive surveys by the use of questionnaires and interviews that will present people’s opinions and attitudes towards democracy.5The test will be conducted using the Z scores where, the researchers will use the z statistics or score to observed the mean obtained from the sample and the mean obtained from the entire population signified by the symbol ?06. The next step after the z statistics is determining the p value, and this is calculated through converting the test value to a conditional probability known as a P-value. This value answers the question whether the null hypotheses statement are true and the probability of observing obtained current dada or the observed data was more extreme7. A small P-value indicates that the null hypothesis was not true and a big P-value indicates that the null hypothesis is correct and that it should not be rejected. The use of significance level in this case indicates that the observed difference is not because of chance. The P-value of an alternative hypothesis is the possibility of obtaining a value of the analysis measurement as extreme than that experimental by chance, in case

Professional Sports and Michael Pore Essay Example for Free

Professional Sports and Michael Pore Essay Athletes are almost as bad of role models as criminals. Athletes get called role models a lot but they do not fit the definition of a role model. Athletes set bad examples for teens. They make poor choices and are easily forgiven due to their athletic abilities. Athletes are bad role models for teens and kids because a lot of athletes have bad habits, set unrealistic expectations, and set bad examples. In spite of their abilities, athletes are not good role models for anyone of any age. Many athletes have bad habits like drug use, fighting, and gambling. Laura K. Egendorf says many unrealistic expectations are set; not everyone can become famous or a professional athlete. Too many teens and kids look up to major athletes so they should not be setting the bad examples that they are setting (Laura K. Egendorf, 64). Not only are they setting bad examples but they have bad habits as well. Also, as teens grow older they read about their athlete hero and their bad habits. Michael A.  Pore states that any law breaking or wrong thing a professional athlete does, there is a story posted in newspaper, online, or even said on television. Michael Jordan had a gambling problem, Sammy Sosa had a steroid issue, and Riddick Bowe had a fighting problem (Michael A. Pore, 41). Some teens realize athletes are not good role models. Professional athletes are easily forgiven for their mistakes. However, professional athletes set bad examples for teens and young athletes. Michael A. Pore states that athletes are too easily forgiven for their bad behavior. You don’t need to use drugs to be good at something. They feel money comes easily, but money is not everything and does not come easily. Athletes send bad messages to kids; if you buy a certain product the athlete promotes, you will not perform better (Michael A. Pore, 40). Not everyone will perform the way professional athletes do and become famous. In Addition, athletes set unrealistic expectations for the teens and kids looking up to them. Not everyone can and will become a professional athlete. Very few people will make millions of dollars a year just for playing a sport. Michael A. Pore says teens feel if they wear a brand promoted by an athlete they will fit in with the rest of the players playing the sport. For the kids looking up to the professional athletes, they feel they have to look as strong as them or be as muscular as them to plat the sport well (Michael A. Pore, 43). A few athletes get their muscular look from steroids, not actual strength. However, steroid use is not that bad once in a while. In the article, Athletes Are Role Models it states; If you have no time for practice, steroids improve your performance. Steroids make you feel better when you do well in your game. No one will know if you do it once in a while (http://www. ickscorner. com). Steroids can help anyone any age. In any case, no one of any age should use steroids. Steroids are an illegal substance and if you get caught using them you can get a huge fine or even jail time. If you use steroids, you are just cheating yourself and the game. Not only does steroid use get looked down on but it also kills brain cells (http://forum. bodybuilding. com). If you do not have time to practice and feel like that is a reason to use steroids and perform better, than you should not have the time to be on the team. Accordingly, athletes can set realistic expectations and help teens and kids go for their dreams. Laura K. Egendorf explains how most young kids and teens want to be famous when they are older; professional athletes help them reach for that dream. As teens grow older, they continue to watch their favorite professional athlete. Watching them do well in a game will make teens want to perform like them (Laura K.  Egendorf, 64). Professional athletes make a lot of money just for playing a game, but money is not everything. On the other hand, many kids and teens get motivated but is it realistic? Very few people in the world become famous. The chances of becoming a professional athlete are really small; there are about 301,000,000 people in the United States and only about 17,000 professional athletes. â€Å"http://forum. bodybuilding. com† Being like a professional athlete is not always good; drugs are not a good thing for a teen to get into. As a result, athletes should not be role models for anyone of any age; they have bad habits, set unrealistic expectations, and set bad examples. A lot of athletes have bad habits like steroid use and gambling. Professional athletes set unrealistic examples, not everyone can and will be famous. Many bad examples are set within athletes. People get motivated for unrealistic dreams. Athletes can teach teens how to try to achieve in athletics but they can’t help with homework or real world family issues, they should not be considered role models.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Small Classes Benefit Students

Small Classes Benefit Students Every year class size reduction is one of the hottest topics. This topic has been studied numerous times, but is often ignored due to financial challenges. Teachers, parents, and students are constantly demanding smaller classes, because it would benefit education and faculty engagement. There are many aspects that affect the teaching process. Class size is shown to be a major factor. How the teacher teaches, or the student learns all leads back to the classroom. An organization called, Project STAR ( Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio) has studied students since 1985 and found that the size of the classroom does indeed have an affect on the performance of the students. In Joe Agrons Good things come in small packages., He explains the findings of STAR, class sizes from 13 to 17 outperformed students from larger classesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. With having smaller class size it creates a more manageable environment, and allows the students to learn more of the content. If schools would reduce class sizes it would up the graduation rate at least ten percent, and more kids will go to college (Argon). When having small classes the student will want to interact more, and not have the fear of not knowing an answer in front of thirty plus kids. The student will be open to learning a nd being more involved in the classroom. Creating a comfortable environment will cause students to drop out less frequently (Argon). If students are comfortable and more open to school, it allows them to be more eager to take challenging classes and learn subjects on a more advanced level which would later benefit them in college. Along with the many factors , time plays a big role in students and teachers experience in school. Teachers must have enough time to teach their lessons, and students need enough time to fully understand the topic they are being taught. In Cakmaks academic journal it states, Time is an important aspect in teaching because teachers need time to manage time effectively in order to implement their strategy. (Cakmak). This meaning if the teacher has less students they would be able to thoroughly teach the content. In the classroom of thirty students, at least twenty of them need more time studying the topic. With having a large amount of students and a small amount of time, only ten of those students are able to fully understand the topic while the rest have to stay behind. The teachers offer tutorials before and after school, but out of seven class periods about one hundred and forty students are coming in for help. If the classes are reduced, the amount of students that need help will drop. This would allow the teacher more time to have one on one with each individual. Class size not only affects younger children, but it also takes a big toll on students who are studying in college. The amount of time a teacher has with a student only shortens as the children get older. The class sizes are constantly growing, once a student enters college they are facing five hundred plus students. In a class that big the professors help or attention is limited to a small portion to the class. There is little to no interaction between the student and teacher. When or if the student needs help on a subject, they are more liable to push it aside because they are not comfortable with speaking to the professor. This will change if the professor was allowed more time to understand each student and know more about them as well as the student knowing their professor. Time and interaction plays a large role in the classroom and is constantly ignored. If they are not allowed either one, the desire to be in school and get help becomes less of a want each day. The reason behind not having enough time to interact and teach a lesson all leads to the amount of students in the classroom. At any age the teacher must deal with the behavior of the children in the classroom. Everyday a student is prone to act up and disrupt the class, whether it be horse playing or refusing to do work. Having a large class creates chaos with student behavior, which cause the teacher to stop his or her lesson to correct the issues. Each time the lesson is stop, a student is distracted by the situation and has loss focus on the topic. While the teacher is correcting the behavior, the lesson remains on hold and the content is never fully explained. If the student is unable to have the teachers undivided attention due to discipline, then they are left with having to figure out the content on their own. According to Does class size really matter? less students create a steady environment, Teachers believed to cover more content in greater depth and have fewer discipli ne problemsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Reducing the class size will not completely end behavioral issues, but it will bring it down to a minimum. Each student will then be allowed more time in the classroom, and will allow the teacher to continue teaching a topic with distractions to them or the student. If the teacher spends less time having to correct a students bad behavior, it could reduce stress (Johnson. Hatie) . Johnson states it may seem possible that creating a less stressful work environment for teachers might increase the likelihood they they will stay in the profession.(Johnson) , class size reduction is expensive, but so is replacing teachers who quit due to the issues in the classroom. If the teacher is pleased, the student will enjoy learning in their classroom. Everything falls back to how comfortable the student and teacher are, and how much of the content is being taught, and understood. If this can be corrected by simply reducing the amount of students put into a classroom, then why is it that the school board is sitting in the shadows. Reducing class size is a constant worry to most schools, because of the cost they would have to pay to make the classes smaller. When the topic comes up , the tension between the school and parents become more apparent. Every school believes a childs education is an important aspect of their everyday life, and they would do anything to help them. In the academic journal, Class size reduction The National-Parent Teacher Association show that,combining funds for class size reduction and professional development into a teacher-quality block grant in the No Child Left Behind Actà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(The Reading Teachers) this leaves many districts and teacher with having to choose between the two. Providing a better learning environment for students is constantly put on hold until the district can decide whether they want to pay for cost that come along with the change. As the schools and deciding and slowly pushing the topic aside, students a beginning to struggle in the classroom, and fall b ehind on topics. Everyone praises the No Child Left Behind Act, but yet when the chance to help a child is in view of a district, it suddenly disappears. With the way the schools go about this, it leaves parents and students wondering if it is really no child left behind, or are the schools steadily letting the children get lost in the clouds. Work Cited Agron, Joe. Good things come in small packages. American School University, vol. 71, no. 10, 1999, p. 10. Academic OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=j020902v=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA55204568asid=351c277ea4eefb7a2527d29a5903182a. Accessed 9 Feb. 2017. Cakmak, Melek. The perceptions of student teachers about the effects of class size with regard to effective teaching process. The Qualitative Report, vol. 14, no. 3, 2009, p. 395+. Academic OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=j020902v=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA214102628asid=83e3ea601a9eafa34a7957694d72d939. Accessed 9 Feb. 2017. Johnson, Laurene. Does class size really matter? District Administration, Oct. 2011, p. 104+. Academic OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=j020902v=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA271405507asid=53f0f28435c3b534c6cc6410f370667b. Accessed 9 Feb. 2017. Class size reduction. The Reading Teacher, vol. 58, no. 8, 2005, p. 739. Academic OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=j020902v=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA149253957asid=d51d5ef20e663437962151cfe8f14a2b. Accessed 10 Feb. 2017.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

William Blake as a Critic of His Time Essay -- William Blake Poems Poe

William Blake as a Critic of His Time Blake took an active role in exposing the corruption taking place in his society. Prime targets of his criticisms were the institutions that remained silent in the faces of injustice. Blake stands agains the institutions that allow human oppression. Three of his poems from Songs of Experience present his views on the matter: "The Chimney Sweeper," "The Garden of Love," and "London." In "The Chimney Sweeper," Blake takes his stand against the the calamities brought upon children by those supposed to protect him. Innocence comes to an end for the child when he is exposed to the horrors of sweeping chimneys . His sadness can be felt when he says : "They clothed me in the clothes of death/and taught me to sing the notes of woe" (Blake, 6-7). The child is telling society that his pain is being caused by those in whom he put his trust— his parents. Even more disconcerting is to know that his parents do nothing to stop his horrors. They abandon him and go "...to praise God & his Priest & King" (Blake, 11). Perhaps they do this , because on the outside their child looks happy and they probably think that they are helping him more than anything: "‘ And because I am happy, & dance& sing,/ They think they have done me no injury," (Blake, 9-10) . In the meantime, the church is also playing a part in his misery. How? Because it allows the parents to come inside its building to pray when they should be protecting their child from all harm: "‘They are both gone up to the church to pray'" (Blake, 4). ".....a heaven of our misery" (Blake, 12) finally emphasizes to the reader once more those who are responsible for the child's pain and sorrows . He hopes that, somehow, people would tak... ...sily seen how Blake stood against the suffering of human kind and used his poems to expose the corruption of the world that surrounded him. He clearly critized the society and hoped that people would take action to change things for the better. The problems in Blake's society aren't very different than the ones in today's world. People should take a good look around them and take action to better their surroundings. Works Cited Blake, William. "The Chimney Sweeper" (SE). The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M. H. Abrams, et al. 7th edition. Vol 2. New York: Norton, 2000. 52 "The Garden of Love." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M. H. Abrams, et al. 7th edition. Vol 2. New York: Norton, 2000. 56 "London." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M. H. Abrams, et al. 7th edition. Vol 2. New York: Norton, 2000. 56

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Comparing Communism and Capitalism :: comparison compare contrast essays

Communism vs. Capitalism In Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto, he describes the Communists as the party that "fights for the interests of the working class"(136), while in a Capitalist society, the "living person is dependent and has no individuality-----only capital is dependent and has individuality"(84). That is not the case of today's society once you take a closer view at the comparison and contrast of communist Vietnam versus the democratic United States of America through their economy systems, educational systems, judicial systems, and the life style of their citizens in general. In a capitalist, democratic nation such as the U.S., freedom gives us just about everything and anything that the Vietnamese do not have under their communist government. Contrary to what Karl Marx has written in his manifesto, the living people of a capitalist nation (i.e. USA) of today are more independent and possess more individualities than ever. Economic-wise, Americans are the most progressive people in the world. The U.S. government is not directing the flow of its economy, but the individual businesses of its people are. These people have all the rights in the world to improve their businesses, as long as they are conducting them under the legal guidelines of the government. Such freedom in a capitalist society gives the Americans much greater advantages over the Vietnamese in improving economic conditions. When we touch upon the subject of education, only eighty percent of Vietnam's population is educated. The government does not provide free public education to its people, and not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to afford it. Many children, especially those in the rural areas, are pulled out of schools as soon as they know how to read and write, for some parents also feel that learning Marxism-Leninism does not benefit their families' income, i.e., putting food in their mouth. Further education is really not an option, for these children also have to work in order to raise their families. Begging in the streets, polishing shoes, toiling on the farms are some of the many jobs that children at the age of five are actively doing, since finding food for themselves and their families is their sole occupation. Fortunately, children in many capitalist nations are provided with adequate tools and supplies in their public schools. Almost all of the American population has at least pass ed the elementary and middle school levels.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Outlook Towards Maintenance of Liquid Assets to Ensure

How to maintenance of liquid assets to ensure frm has adequate cash? Asking the above-referenced question without statistics makes it impossible for anyone to give you a proper answer. Generally speaking, you must limit expenses and ensure that some of your assets are in the form of short term assets. The higher your short term assets and the less your short term debt, the better your ability to pay the debt (short term liquidity ratio / liquidity ratio help you determine this). There is no perfect number or ratio for every firm. Each industry/business is unique.Strive to control debt (some debt is very good since it helps a business grow) and to maintain enough assets in the form of cash and cash equivalents Companies (Acceptance of Deposits) Rules, 1975 Maintenance of liquid assets (1) Every company shall, before the 30th day of April of each year, deposit or invest, as the case may be, a sum which shall not be less than 23[fifteen per cent] of the amount of its deposits maturing d uring the year ending on the 31st day of March next following in any one or more of the following methods, namely: a) in a current or other deposit account with any scheduled bank, free charge of lien; (b) in unencumbered securities of the Central Government or of any State Government; (c) in unencumbered securities mentioned in clauses (a) to (d) and (ee) of section 20 of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 (2 of 1882); 24[(d) in unencumbered bonds issued by the Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited, Bombay, a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), and notified under clause (f) of section 20 of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 (2 of 1882)]: 5[Provided that with relation to the deposits maturing during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1979, the sum required to be deposited or invested under this sub-rule shall be deposited or invested before the 26[30th day of September, 1978]. ] Explanation. – For the purpose of this sub-rule, the securities re ferred to in clause (b) or clause (c) shall be reckoned at their market value. 2) The amount deposited or invested, as the case may be, under sub-rule (1), shall not be utilized for any purpose other than for the repayment of deposits maturing during the year referred to in that sub-rule, provided that the amount remaining deposited or invested, as the case may be, shall not at any time fall below 23[fifteen per cent] of the amount of deposits maturing until the 31st day of March of that year. ] Maintainence of Liquidity in Business One of the principal aims of a Manager is the maintenance of liquid assets.Maintenance of liquid assets connotes that the firm always has enough cash in hand to pay for – 1. Recurring Expenses 2. To make unexpected large purchases 3. To meet emergencies at all times The best way to maintain a cash flow is to prevent overdue accounts and avert a blockage in the inflow of income. The ideal way to do this would be avoiding doing business with custome rs who have proven bad credit histories however, on the other hand rigid customer policies limiting the firms business with companies having only irreproachable credit records would deplete the firm's pool of potential customers.With the Management looking at expanding the business it becomes necessary to do business with most people who want to do business with you. The reality of a growing business is that the biggest and best clients also want sufficient billing period and then ask for two months time for making payments. Here is where the Manager is caught between two horns. While the firm does not want to lose clients or destroy any potential or established business relationships by laying down harsh payment terms, it is also necessary for the Manager to take some control of accounts receivable to avoid causing chaos with the cash flow.Expansion of business requires extension of credit and when a firm extends credit, it is in effect loaning customers money, which in turn affect s liquidity as any company wants to be reasonably sure that the money will be paid back. The primary step towards maintenance of liquid assets therefore commences with verification of ‘customer credit worthiness’. Certain steps can be taken to check whether the customer is good enough on his payments- 1. Check each company’s credit history before extending credit. 2. Check how long the company has been in business. 3. Obtain Credit Reports as they show historical payment data; bankruptcy records; any

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Hamlet Questions Answered Essay

Question 1: Laertes and Polonius provide several explanations of their reasons for Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet. Both their opinions appear to be unreasonable, which is evident through their oppressive and restrictive attitudes. Laertes believes Ophelia is beneath Hamlet on social level, therefore he voices that the prince’s, â€Å"choice must be circumscribed.† This is unreasonable as Laertes is diminishing Ophelia’s confidence by referring to the fact that Hamlet’s partner will be chosen for him, and Ophelia would not fit this role, or be considered for it. Laertes continues to refer to Hamlet in a negative matter, stating that his, â€Å"love,† is, â€Å"not permanent,† and, â€Å"the perfume and suppliance of a minute,† meaning it is brief, and temporary. Polonius also presents unreasonable arguments as to why Ophelia should stop seeing Hamlet. The hypocritical nature of Polonius is evident through his commands to Ophelia: â€Å"To thine own self be true,† which is later followed by, â€Å"you’ll tender me a fool.† It is clear that Polonius is only concerned with sculpting Ophelia to act a specific way to ensure that his own reputation is not tainted. Polonius states, â€Å"give every man thine ear, but few thy voice.† This also acts as a contrast to the previous statement, as Ophelia cannot be true to herself if she has to, â€Å"reserve,† her true self. Evidently, Polonius offers an unreasonable opinion to encourage the discontinuation of Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet. Question 3: Both soliloquies voiced by Hamlet contain similar ideas and concepts, which are crucial to understanding the nature of his character. The two soliloquies present Hamlet as an isolated figure, which is seen by the language such as, â€Å"and thy commandment all alone shall live,† and, â€Å"break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.† These statements express the mental anguish Hamlet is experiencing in his, â€Å"distracted globe,† a metaphor for his scattered thoughts. The soliloquies also contain elements of hatred towards women. For Hamlet it particularly involves his mother, however he generalises his statement by voicing, â€Å"frailty, thy name is woman!† This is continued in his second soliloquy where Hamlet states, â€Å"O most pernicious woman!† Evidently Hamlet struggles to respect the role of women and the mannerisms of his mother, whom he refers to as a, â€Å"beast,† who married Claudius at a, â€Å"wicked,† speed. Question 6: Hamlet gives signs for potential madness in his first soliloquy, where he desires to commit suicide if it were not for the fact t hat â€Å"God† is, â€Å"’gainst self slaughter.† He refers to his hatred towards the world and it’s, â€Å"weary, stale, and unprofitable,† atmosphere. The negativity towards the nature of the world expressed by Hamlet provides a possible reason as to why he often isolates himself. Isolation is a dynamic that ultimately lead to madness, which is eventually what occurs with Hamlet. Furthermore, the audience obtains an indication of Hamlet’s potential for madness in the scene where he tells Horatio and Marcellus to, â€Å"swear,† their silence in relation to the ghost. Hamlet explains that he will put on an, â€Å"antic disposition,† which means he will, behave in a strange manner. The irony in this statement is that Hamlet does in fact go mad, and he announces this to Horatio and Marcellus as a means of giving himself permission to act, â€Å"out of joint.† Question 7: Claudius attempts to win over Denmark with his charming and manipulative behaviour, which is seen in the irony of his words: â€Å"Our dear brother’s death, the memory be green.† Claudius associates the death of his brother with new life and growth, so when the audience becomes aware of the, â€Å"unnatural,† and, â€Å"foul,† murder he committed, we are confronted with his wickedness. To establish his popularity Claudius repeatedly uses language that signifies national unity such as the, â€Å"jointress of this warlike state,† and â€Å"our hearts†¦our whole kingdom.† This conscious work displayed by Claudius demonstrates his methodology in having Denmark view him as a compassionate and practical King. Question 8: There is a reference to the fact that Denmark is a Catholic country when the ghost states that he was, â€Å"cut off even in the blossoms of my sin/Unhousel’d, disappointed, unaneled;/no reckoning made† This provides evidence for Catholicism as the apparition was not able to confess his sins (died without the Last Rites). A second reference which expresses Denmark as a Catholic country is shown when Hamlet remarks, â€Å"O, that this too too solid flesh would melt/Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d/ His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter.† This excerpt indicates that Hamlet wished to commit suicide, but cannot as it is considered wrong in the eyes of God, therefore he would not be able to forgive himself in the afterlife. This is why Hamlet wishes he could, â€Å"melt,† which would save him from the guilt he would feel due to self-slaughter. Question 9: There are significant differences between the previous King Hamlet and King Claudius. The audience is given evidence that Old King Hamlet was a respectable and genuine leader through Prince Hamlet’s remark, â€Å"So excellent a king†¦so loving† It is clear the King Hamlet was honest and caring in all his actions; this contrasts with King Claudius’ character, who is scheming and power-hungry, so much so that he murdered his own brother, which he concealed due to his deceptive personality. King Hamlet tackled foreign policies openly and was so good a leader that he defeated Old Fortinbras, which had him take his land for the people of Denmark. King Claudius acts in a less honourable manner, where he leads Denmark on the basis of impressions, similar to politicians as seen in the modern age.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Discussion question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Discussion question - Essay Example If companies were able to realize that in the long run it is better to be environmentally-conscious, then I am sure that more companies would be socially responsible. It is in the self-interest of companies to be socially responsible because the decisions that they make and actions that are taken will reflect back on the company. For corporations that become well-known for damaging the environment, the consequences may be devastating. Most consumers do not like buying a product from a company that disrespects society and looks to take advantage of people. Once a corporations actions are discovered, it is likely that customers will take their business somewhere else. This is why it is best for firms to come up with ways to protect the environment because it makes commercial sense rather than the government forcing these corporations to pay up. 2- Lincoln Electric considers customers and employees to be more important stakeholders than shareholders. Is it appropriate for management to define some stakeholders as more important than others? Should all stakeholders be considered equal? It is not appropriate for management to differentiate between stakeholders in order of importance. The fact is that each stakeholder has a vested interest in the business and so they should be treated with the same respect. Of course each stakeholder has a different role to play, but a business would not survive without the participation of all of the stakeholders. Customers are the lifeblood of a business because without consumers choosing to part with the money, a business would not make any revenue. Employees also play a vital role because they are the face of the business and are the go-between for management and customers. It is up to employees to sell the brand so that the customer is willing to part with their money. On the other hand, while shareholders may not seem to play an important role in

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Universalism and Particularism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Universalism and Particularism - Essay Example Universalism tends to focus more on the community rather than individuals and thus neutral as it is evident in McCain’s argument on security of the U.S. In a universalistic state, one cannot just go astray or out of normal order just because no one is watching them since one is compelled by law to act in order always. Universalist individuals honor their words no matter the circumstances, and know a deal or a contract cannot be violated. As it is evident in the article, cold war historian, John Lewis Gaddis, presents how in a universalistic nation, every individual is treated equally and fairly. Clearly, this promotes peaceful co-existence among the people and promotes a sense of belonging and security. In the article, particularism is quite evident. The main emphasis is on individuals and their interests. Individuals can modify a situation due to circumstances to suit their friends or relatives. Scoblete’s article shows how a particularistic believes that relationships are developed and created by events. If one is able to change his or her view, point of argument, agreement and so forth, just for the sake of those he or she has an interest in or those who have interest in him, then that is a real particularistic.

Monday, October 7, 2019

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 33

Reading response - Essay Example A Thousand Plateaus is the main writing from which pleasures of philosophy are found where the main article is molded in terms of the different settings where a reader can read any article or plateau. There is no systematic order of the reading to come up with a clear meaning, although the plateaus do not give the final words (Massumi, 17). A plateau can be defined as an orchestration of crushing bricks extracted from a variety of disciplinary edifices where it carry’s traces of its former emplacement which gives it a spin defining the arc of its vector (Massumi, 19). This shows the dependence and interdependency of the plateaus that makes the notes seem like repetition, whereas they are also melodic in nature, where one only reads what he wants to read or what is interesting to him. This notion is what Brian termed, as the pleasures of philosophy since he noted that philosophy is complex and when it is not understood, it is boring thus, the different nature of the plateaus ensures each reader is able to at least understand and embrace one of the plateaus. The different plateaus that have a common spin portray the unity even in the real nature where people have different understanding and embrace different things, although their objectives may be similar (Massumi, 27). Pleasures of Philosophy being a plateau within A Thousand Plateaus talks more about ticks, quilts, fuzzy subsets, neurology and political economy. This unrelated subject makes it difficult to understand as the plateau is dedicated to music and animal behavior. It uses a difficult technical expression retrieved from different disciplines used in the humanities, mathematics, and the sciences, but whose authors recommend that you read it as you would listen to a record. This complexity ensures that each reader is able to come up with a sovereign judgment of the issues discussed in the plateau. The exercise to ensure one is able to give a good judgment is essential, even in the

Sunday, October 6, 2019

What's a Gaffer Do Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What's a Gaffer Do - Assignment Example Lighting, its effective designing and timely execution is crucial for the success of any shot, making the man responsible for the whole affair central to the art of filmmaking. According to Iggy, one of the leading gaffers in the filmmaking and who is also an avid blogger, the prerequisites for working as a gaffer is the acquisition of technical knowledge and a sound know-how of the equipment (Iggy, n.p.). For having an executive position, creativity and decision making skills are extremely crucial as well. Gaffer unions and guilds do exist; they offer internships as well as support for a gaffer while s/he is under employment. For example, the Motion Picture Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians Local 728 is one such organization listed on the IATSE website that works to support gaffers in the filmmaking industry (IATSE 728). An initiation fee is usually mandatory to gain membership in such unions. A gaffer’s importance to filmmaking cannot be emphasized enough since it is on e of the most pivotal roles in the entire process of cinematography. Effective management of the lighting on the set ensures a brilliant filming of a scene; hence, the correlation between a good gaffer and the success of the film is strong. Best Boy Electric is the assistant to the gaffer in the filmmaking industry.... To get started as a best boy, it is not necessary to have an academic degree since it is sound technical knowledge and effective organizational skills that determine a best boy’s success on the film set. As far as internships in the field are concerned, there are plenty of opportunities for a prospective best boy to learn the tricks of the trade, either under the mentorship of a professional gaffer or by enrolling in technical assistance programs offered. For instance, the Film New Orleans webpage offers a list of individuals who can assist upcoming technicians to train as best boys (Film New Orleans). The medium of filmmaking is extremely dependent upon the efforts of the best boy, especially in the productions phase, making the job central to the lights, camera and action. A Dolly grip is one of the posts that is related to the cinematographic field of filmmaking. Responsibilities of a dolly grip revolve around the technical supervision and operation of the camera dolly. A w ord known to filmmakers, the Media College defines a camera dolly as specialized equipment, a lot like a track, along which the camera moves (Camera Moves). The camera dolly not only allows the cameraman to take smooth shots but also facilitates the capturing of shots from multiple angles. Since a dolly grip is responsible for the operation of the camera dolly, the post is very closely related to that of a cameraman and thus falls under the camera department. In essence, it is a post linked with the production process of filmmaking. As is the case with most of the production department related posts, a dolly grip does not require prior academic achievements to be able to enter the field. Moreover, since the dolly grip is required to handle and

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Personnel Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Personnel Management - Essay Example When a company takes on a particular mode of employer-employee relations, the choice is often dictated by Purcell's (1987) "guiding principles" which give due consideration to such factors as the stockholders' interests, the market conditions in which the company operates, the company's level of growth, management's biases and its perceptions of power and conflict. It is believed that personnel management systems are also determined by the different dimensions of organizational ownership, size, strategy and structure, not to mention past history and market conditions. Based on these influences, the management-labor relations mode that emerges is either the "unitary" or "pluralist" type (Fox, 1966, 1974). The managers inclined to a unitary frame of reference believe that management and employees share a common interest, namely, the survival and growth of the company, and as such should find as aberrant any conflict that may result from the existence of a labor union or any company troublemakers. The pluralist view, on the other hand, recognizes that all stakeholders in the company have legitimate interests that should be met, diverse though they may be. For this reason, the different interest groups, including the unions, are within their rights "to bargain and compete to get a share in the balance of power and to achieve a negotiated order out of diversity (Legge, Karen)." Individualism and Collectivism The unitary and pluralist theory of Fox on employee relations resemble Purcell's concept of individualism and collectivism in many ways, except in the attitude towards unionism and collective bargaining. Individualism and collectivism, as defined, are not opposites but two facets of a managerial belief system concerning employees. The individualist style of management attaches value to the individual and his right to advancement and fulfillment at work. Hence, this leans more on paternalism and eschews the group action characterized by unionism. In a collectivist regime, management recognizes the collective interests and rights of a group of people in the decision making process, which can best be expressed through a labor union. There is another, more radical frame of reference said to be of Marxist origin that looks at society as a jumble of antagonistic class interests. Called "macho management," this theory runs along the same lines of the dog-eat-dog concept in which the weak will be eaten alive by the strong if the former do not watch out. Society, according to this concept, is cleaved by deeply rooted social and political inequalities and is held together as much by coercion as by consent. Management in this configuration keeps a distance from employees and generally treats them with suspicion. As work inducement, the macho managers try to keep the workers in line with the carrot-and-stick approach. 5 Employee Relations Models Under the Purcell and Fox frames of reference, there are five different models of management-employee relations: traditionalist, sophisticated-paternalist, consultative, constitutionalist and standard-modern. The traditional style views people as simply a factor of production, as hands to be exploited or a cost

Friday, October 4, 2019

The Taliban Essay Example for Free

The Taliban Essay In the early 80s two different authors have differs originating background of the Taliban. One was as a group of people that arose to combat the cruel, unjust killings and raping vices that took place when a family was on a journey. The second author reported the intervention of Taliban group was in response to â€Å"Afghanistan Transit Trade† group of mafia, who illegally extort citizens on transit. The Taliban arose to disrupt these bandits across all roads and the Afghanistan government. The Taliban are a people in support of â€Å"Sunni Islamist movement† led by Mr. Mohammed Mullah Omar. The leader was disarmed by collective military forces in Northern and NATO countries (Quote). Prior to his removal, Mullah Omar was a teacher and a military subgroup head. The Taliban has majorly Pashtuns ethnicity. They gathered from southern part of Afghanistan, Western region Pakistan, Europe, and China. The Taliban group gets part of their support, training and arms from the Pakistani State (Jalali, 2008). The Taliban cultural ideology is such an extreme. They practice a severe form of sharia law termed â€Å"Pashtun tribal codes†. The source been the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam organization in Pakistan. The law ban and sanction various activities. They are considered anti-Islam. They respond in raising Jihad against defaulters. Their rulings dominate the infiltrated Afghanistan, constituting over 40%. They still left other traditions undisturbed despite the tribal codes. The Taliban’s reviewed Islamic doctrine spread to Muslim practices in some parts of the world. These doctrines regulate the people’s ways of life, the dress codes for men and women (Dupree, Nancy, 2001). About the Government, the Taliban holds no election of officers into office, no political grouping. The leaders are chosen by made to predecessor and made to sworn to an oath of allegiance prepared over sixty years ago. The officials earn no salary but receive just food, clothes, arms and shoes. They proclaim to maintain the live led by old Muslim Prophet. They added that Jihad is a right so it must be fought with their blood. Jihad is a holy war against unbelievers who blaspheme. Their ministers have â€Å"madrassa† educational background. The women are treated with huge restriction. They cannot wear exposed cloths, they only take cab with close relative company, they do not wash at the stream bank, they do not do any work order than being a medical officer to treat and examine female only. They live with darkened windows; they are not permitted to receive primary education. Violation of these laws leads to severe beating up. Other notable activities banned in 1996 by the Taliban government are shaving of beards, western hairstyles, music/dancing at weddings, not praying at prayer times (Dupree, Nancy, 2001). Osama Bin Laden from Sudan arrived Afghanistan with no invitation and was able to form alliance with the Taliban. In 1997, the Taliban’s harsh doctrines, war crimes, terrorism acts and inhuman behavior towards local troops resulted in the killings of Taliban’s troops by the Northern Alliance. They did avenge, killing thousands of civilians and created more international scene. In 2001, the Taliban were away from most of the Afghanistan through a concerted effort by both US and Northern Alliance forces. Presently they do not have control in Afghanistan ad before but they go all round in avenging the brutality against their doctrine and people. They are suicide bombers we here of day by day on television. They are said to be violating human right, killing non-combatants civilian. References Jalali, Ali A. Grau, Lester W. (March, 2008), â€Å"Whither the Taliban?†, The Cyber-Caravan, http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/990306-taliban.htm Dupree Hatch, Nancy. Afghan Women under the Taliban in Maley, William. Fundamentalism Reborn? Afghanistan and the Taliban. London: Hurst and Company, 2001, pp. 145-166 M. J. Gohari (2000). The Taliban: Ascent to Power. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 108-110

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Mens Lifestyle Magazines Analysing Gender Identities Media Essay

Mens Lifestyle Magazines Analysing Gender Identities Media Essay Mens lifestyle magazines are interesting research for analysing gender identities. As mass cultural texts they have the potential to affect or maintain cultural norms and values in the society (Taylor and Sunderland, 2003). They have the ability to construct masculinity or femininity in a positive way or in a negative way. They could also alter or change cultural norms that have been in existence over time. In the 1980s, males in mens magazines were constructed as emotional, sensitive people. They were also constructed as narcissists that dwelt on fashion whereas females were constructed as powerful, independent beings that were respected by the men. (Gill, 2003). Over recent years, however, the representation of masculinity and femininity has changed due to the introduction of New Lad magazines. Mens magazines have moved from constructing men as narcissistic people to representing them as pleasurists who enjoy sex, alcohol, sport, cars, games and the viewing of sexualized images. The women, on the other hand, were constructed as sexualized objects to be gazed at. Edward (2003: 139) points out that, women with successful careers have been equally undermined through salacious spreads of them stripped of their clothes. These representations make up the characteristic images of the New Lad magazines. For this essay, I will examine the construction of masculinity and femininity in one of these New Lad magazines: FHM magazine. My plan here is to critically describe and analyse the visual images and the texts within the publication. For the first analysis on visual images, I will adapt a multimodal approach taken from Van Leeuwen (2008) and Machin (2007), and for the second analysis on the language, I will use a critical discourse theory described by Van Leeuwen (2008) to examine the construction of men and women through writers linguistic choices. THE MENS MAGAZINE My analysis for this study is a magazine called FHM magazine (For Him Magazine, the January 2010 edition). I chose FHM magazine because, as written by Jackson et al (2001), it has a mass circulation with monthly sales hitting the hundreds of thousands. Due to this wide circulation, the magazine has the power to influence a large number of readers. Launched in 1994, FHM Magazine is targeted at a particular audience: single men between the ages of 17 and 35 (Stevenson et al, 2001). As observed, the magazine addresses single men as if they were friends. This friendly manner is all achieved through the giving of advice on relationships, the discussion of sports, parties, music, movies and other topics normal to typically male conversations. FHM Magazine deals with themes relating to the male lifestyle. These themes include sex, sport, alcohol, movies, women, sexual jokes, food, music and clubbing. The magazine also includes sections such as: letter to the editor, articles, interviews with celebrities and advice sections (containing advise on romantic as well as purely sexual relationships) The articles in the FHM magazine primarily focus on sport and stars. Interviews mostly include soap opera stars, actors, actress and models. These celebrities are used to promote and market the magazine because of their status as public figures. On the cover of the magazine appears a semi- nude woman complemented with the glossy effect of the magazine that serves as an eye catcher to the readers. Additionally, within the magazine there is the dominance of black, red and white colours against which advertisements are able to stand out. (Advertisements, on the other hand, are) The majority of these advertisement feature (male-related products) aimed at men, including cars, mens toiletries, gadgets, phones, blazers, movies, computers and mens wrist watches. Mens magazines are characteristically male because of the emphasis on sport (football), drinking, women and, most importantly, sex. Advice on relationships found in mens magazine, for example, often deal with sex in the headlines: How to talk your missus into the lingerie of your sordid dreams Sentences such as the one above serve as an eye catcher and may lure a man to buy such magazine. Such sentences as well as the sexualized images of females, is the major reasons why male readers buy these publications (Jackson et al, 2001). The magazines narrative structure adopts a storytelling technique. The story telling approach is employed for various topics including the discussion of women, sexuality and stars. The use of language within the magazine is generally informal with hackneyed words such as wow, sexy, foxy and hot or vulgar words such as bitch, shit, damn and fuck. These words, however, are used figuratively to create an ironic effect and without the intention to spite anyone. The use of irony runs throughout the magazine. Jackson et al (2001:104) point out that the use of this literary device is a warning against taking anything that is said to seriously, adding that it allows the readers to receive advice in respect to sexuality, indulge in fantasies of successful manhood and consume representation of beautiful women in a guilt free way. ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK AND THEORIES CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS. Critical discourse analysis, as defined by Van Dijk in his paper, Critical Discourse Analysis, is a type of analytical research that primarily studies the way social power abuse, dominance, and inequality are enacted, reproduced, and resisted by text or talk in social and political context This definition by Dijk therefore means that CDA helps to reveal inequalities in a written and spoken text. Such inequalities may include gender, politics, power, and race. In previous research, CDA has proven to be a great tool in identifying gender inequalities. The works of Caldas-Coulthard (1996) and Sunderland and Taylor (2003) drew on the critical discourse analysis in order to examine what linguistic choices are given to the social construction of women and men in a magazine. The first, Caldas-Coulthard (1996), centres on the representation of women while the second, Sunderland and Taylor (2003), centre on representation of men. Writers and speakers use vocabularies and grammatical structures to describe participants or appraise social events as observed in the articles of newspapers or speeches on television. The main issue of Discourse analysts is to examine the writer or the speakers choice of words in order to bring out more clearly inequalities that surround the texts. More importantly, the Discourse analysts pay close attention to what vocabularies and grammatical structures were not used but would have logically been used. In this paper, I will analyse the language of the FHM magazine and will answer the questions below: Which gender is activated and which is passivated? Are there any gender divides through the language used? What linguistic choices have been made to represent the male and female gender and are they represented in a negative or positive way through the language choice? In order to answer the above questions, I will draw upon the analytical framework of Van Leeuwen (2008) that uses such terms as role allocation. This term examines which social actors are active and passive in a sentence. Also, there are various terms such as role allocation, funtionalisation, individualisation and collectivisation. I will discuss more about these terms in relevant sections. MULTIMODAL APPROACH I also intend to use a multimodal approach for the analysis of images in the FHM Magazine. This approach deals with all communicative modes in an image. These communicative modes include colours, social actors, language, pose, objects and many other semiotic resources. The approach also focuses on how these modes are structured to make a meaningful whole. In this paper, I intend to analyse images in the FHM magazine paying particular attention to a social semiotic known as social actor analysis Machin (2007). This approach allows me to examine the ways men and women are represented in the images of the magazines. It also allows me to study how men and women are positioned for the readers in the images. ANALYSIS OF FHM MAGAZINE To be a man or a woman is not the outcome of biological determinism; cognitive structure. Gender is historically and culturally specific, subject to radical discontinuities over time and across space. This does not mean that one can simply pick and choose gendersrather, we are gendered through the power of regulated and regulatory discourses. Foucault quoted by Baker (2008:291) Which gender is more activated and which is more passivated? In order to answer the above question, I will examine role allocation, a term used by Van Leeuwen (2008) and Halliday (1994). Role allocation shows the position where social actors are located. It equally shows how social actors are represented, e.g. if they can be seen as a person who is active (busy), dynamic, passive, unchanging or benefiting. For this type of analysis headlines from FHM have been selected: Commander Ryan Ramsey captains nuclear attack submarine HMS Turbulent. The best way to learn about relationship is to be in one. This month we are going steady with India. (FHM Magazine pp 120 169). The man (Commander Ryan Ramsey (appendix 5)) and the pronoun we (referring to the men writers) are actors, and the woman (India) is the goal. In the sentences above, the males are activated because of the material processes, captains and going. This is quite different in relation to the female, India, however, who has no process. She is treated as an object of representation, represented as a subjected social actor or a passivated participant. Other headlines in the magazine include: Male World Triathlon Champion Alistair Brownlee knows at least three things about getting fit.: The man, Alistair Brownlee, is activated as senser in relation to the mental process Knows (FHM Magazine pg 160) Female FHMs girl of the decade is Rachel Steven: Rachel Steven is passivated. From this, we cannot conclude, however, that all women in the magazine are passive; some are equally activated as in the sentences below: She was Walfords wild child in East Enders, now Louisa Lytton is heading for Hollywood: She is activated because of the existential process was. Rachel Steven is our cover girl of the decade: The woman is activated as a carrier in relation to the relational process is (FHM Magazine pgs 80106) The question, then, is what type of process is used to represent men and women. In my earlier analysis, the men appear activated either in a material or mental process. The material process depicts them (men) as active people, undergoing activities, and the mental process depicts them as people capable of thinking and evaluating. On the contrary, women are activated in relational and existential processes. The relational processes, as Machin (2007) points out, are carriers of meaning rather than actors. They are not active. This inactiveness is also observed in the visual images of women (appendix 3 and 4) they carry meaning through [her] postures and dress Machin (2007:133). Additionally, the existential process means that the woman appears in a place that does not allow them to be active as is the case of material processes. These representations depict men as active and functional individuals, while the women are represented as passive and objects. Are there any gender divides through the lexical choices used? In the magazine, linguistic choices differentiate women from men in terms of work. Applied linguist, Van Leeuwen, puts forward the terms, functionalisation and identification to identify how social actors are represented. The term functionalisation, as he explains, occurs when social actors are represented in terms of activities, occupations or roles. The second term Identification occurs when social actors are represented in terms of personal relations such as auntie, husband or in terms of physical descriptions such as young, pretty and many other descriptions (Van Leeuwen, 2008). Table 1 lists the ways females and males are represented by FHM. In the majority of cases, men are represented in terms of roles and occupations as observed in the previous section while women are described in terms of physical identification and relational identification. MALE FEMALE Director Guy Richie Foxy Lady Elisabetta Canalis DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio High street honey Charlotte Shaun White, World- famous Snowborder Kerry Katona, blonde, fun and top- heavy Jeff Zuker, the chief executive of NBC Universal. Rachel lives with new husband Alex. Jamie Oliver and Gwen Stefani are her neighbours (Relational Identification) Warren Buffet, the billionaire US investor George Clooneys arm candy, the exotic sounding Elisabetta Canaliss (Relational Identification) Movie maestro, James Cameron Anna Skellernanother pretty victim in the Descent. Dennis Wise, the clubs then Executive Director Cecilia Peckaitisthe hot girl in the lynx Dry ad India is 19 and lives with her folks in Reading. (Relational Identification) Based upon the above data, it is possible to observe two strong discourses that are evident in the magazine. The first is the business discourse and the second is the sexuality discourse. This business discourse is achieved through the use of words such as directors, executive(s), editors, chief, chairman, billionaire US investor and maestro. This discourse suggests power and professionalism. The sexual discourse includes terms such as foxy, pretty, hot, sexiest, candy, exotic, blonde and fun as well as many other physical identifiers associated with women. These two main discourses serve to divide gender in terms of work. What linguistic choices have been made to represent the male and female gender and are they represented in a negative or positive way through the language choice? As written earlier, the writers choice of linguistic words has been a focus of discourse analysts. Working from existing theories in Critical Discourse Analysis, I have selected three articles from the magazine to examine what choices of words are used to represent both genders. The first article centres on a male, music executive, Simon Cowell. The second and third articles centre on two female actresses, Elisabetta Canalis and Rachel Steven. Tables 1 2 lists the lexical items used to describe the social actors along with their frequencies. FEMALE Frequencies MALE Frequencies Pretty 1 Huge star 2 Princess 1 Giant 1 Girl next door 1 Impresario 2 Five foot force of nature 1 master 2 Sexist 5 Boss 2 Hot 1 Success 3 Candy 1 humble 1 Exotic 1 strong 1 Formaggi (cheese) 1 High profile 1 Dolly bird 1 shallow 1 Foxy 1 reckless 1 beautiful 1 cocky 1 Actress 1 Harsh 1 Presenter 1 Hairy 2 model 1 A close look at the linguistic choices in table above shows that the man, in majority of the time, is described in terms of status or function. For example, we have the words boss, impresario, huge star, master, high profile giant (connoting power or importance), and strong. On the contrary, women are described in term of physical appearance such as the words pretty, beautiful, Like language, social actors are represented in images to communicate ideas to the viewers. According to Kress and Van Leeuwen (1996), producers of images use social actors to demand an imaginary social response from the viewers. In order to analyse the social actors of images in the magazine, Kress and Van Leeuwens (1996) three dimensions of the positioning of viewers with the participants would be considered. The first is the image act or Gaze that shows how a social actor relates with the male viewers. S/he may give a demand gaze that is aimed directly at the viewers or an offer image. The second is the social distance that depicts how a social actor is close or distant to the viewers and the third is the angle of interaction that shows the various angles from which viewers see participants. It could be horizontal angles that symbolize involvement, vertical angles that symbolize power or oblique angles that symbolize detachment. In the FHM magazine, about 47 per cent of all the editorial photographs are females while 53 per cent are males. In the section that follows, I will examine how the women and the men (social actors) are constructed in the visual images of the magazine. I will begin by looking at the angle of interaction, image act and social distance of both men and women and, equally, study how they both relate to the male viewers. I will, then, consider which gender is excluded, included, individualized, and grouped. VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF FEMALE AND MALE GENDER About 25% of the pictures of women are demand images, while 22% are offer images. The offer images of the women make no contact with the viewers. They therefore allow male viewers to accentuate on their semi naked bodies, appendix (2b). This representation depicts women as sexual object to be gazed at. Apart from the offer images, a high percentage of the demand images are seductive, communicating sexual intentions to the male viewers (appendix 2a). Pose combines with the womens gaze to bring out a complete meaning. The combination of both the gaze and the pose depict women as making sexual requests to the viewers. This sexual request and intention may, in turn, evoke erotic feelings in the male readers. So, apart from the fact that women are linguistically represented as sexual objects in the magazine, the women are also visually constructed as sexual temptresses. 24% of images of men are demand images, while 29% of them are offer images in the magazine. Of the offer images, most of the men, with the exception of some found in advertisements, make this offer because they are involved with an activity or work. For example, appendix 2d2e shows the men staring away from us because they are busy doing an exercise. These images allow male viewers to observe male characters as they work, unlike the offer images of women that allow the viewers to gaze at their semi-naked bodies. Here, males are depicted as functional and active people while females are portrayed as non-functional and passive. Just as observed on a linguistic level, the visual portrayals of women and men divide genders in terms of work. For the majority, men that are inactive are seen to give demand images. Their gazes may reveal a serious, calm or joyful expression. Most men with serious expressions communicate a form of power. They are seen folding their arms to depict them as authoritative (appendix 2c). The calm expression communicates to the viewers the experience of a trouble-free lifestyle. Unlike the first, they are seen with their hands in their pocket that portray them as collected and easy-going people. Surprisingly, there is a difference between the demand images of the men and the women. I believe the females are portrayed as more demanding that the males. For example the woman in appendix 2a demands sex from the male viewers whereas the man in appendix 2c does not demand anything, rather he boasts to the male viewers. The woman may be saying, Come sleep with me, while the man is saying, I am in charge. SOCIAL INTERACTION. Looking at the angle shot of images in the magazine, I have observed that, when sexualized, women are shot more at vertical angles than any other angles (appendix 2a). This vertical angle depicts them as powerful and superior to the male viewers. However, Machin (2007:75) points out that vertical angle shots of sexualized women work by metaphorical association. He writes: .images of women wearing very little clothing may make them appear vulnerable, or objectified as sex objects. But this effect is reduced by using a low-angle shot. The viewer therefore looks up at the womanSo she is given status and power through being looked up to. This reduces the power of the viewing position and therefore reduces her vulnerability as she looks down dominantly on the viewer. Of course this does not really increase her power over us but works by metaphorical association. Despite the fact that sexualized women are represented as powerful by the use of vertical angles, this representation as Machin (2007) noted is a false sense of power. Unlike the images of women, men are shot mostly at horizontal angles as well as vertical angles. Oblique angles of men are mostly seen in the advertisements within FHM. The horizontal angles symbolize involvement with the imaginary male readers while the vertical angles symbolize superiority. While the vertical angles used for women metaphorically depict a false sense of power, those used with men depict as the male as having a true sense of power. (Appendix 2c). The vertical angle portrays men as powerful and women as powerless. SOCIAL DISTANCE Photographic shots of women and men are very interesting to consider. Some women, especially celebrities, are more often shot using an extreme long-shot than any other shots. They lay on the floor so that their whole body is bold, enlarged and can occupy two pages (Appendix 4). This leaves the upper part of the body to occupy the left page and the lower part of the body to occupy the right. This extreme long shot is done to give the imaginary male viewers a clearer and bolder view of the womens body. Long shots of the women suggest, however, a distant relationship between the viewers and model (Kress and Van Leeuwen, 1996). Thus, we may conclude that the woman in appendix 4 has a distant relationship with the viewers. But, the enlarged and bold figure of the woman draws her body nearer to the male viewers to create a more intimate distant, distant that make touching possible (Kress and Van Leeuwen 1996:251). Such extreme long shots were not used for the male participants. There are no emphases on the mans body and they do not occupy two pages. Here, we could see that the women are offered as sexual objects for mens desire. HOW ARE MALE AND FEMALE ACTORS REPRESENTED. This section will focus more on how the males and the females are depicted. I will examine which gender is individualized, categorised, excluded and included. INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP. Pictures taken by photographers could depict people as individualized or as grouped. Van Leeuwen (2008) shows us how middle-class oriented newspaper tends to individualize elite people and group ordinary people in a verbal discourse. It is easy to see, in the appendices, that both genders are individualized and not grouped. Thus, another observation I made is that women are also grouped. There is a huge difference between women that are individualized and women that are grouped. Individualized women are seen improperly dressed with the grouped women appearing well clothed. This difference tells us that the magazine tend to individualized sexualized women and group ordinary well-clothed women. Examining appendix (3a), we see a group picture of two women and four men discussing in an eatery. These people are cast of a major television programme known as Skins. If we examine appendices 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, the four men of the television programme are introduced here and more importantly, individualized. This is totally different to the two women cast members. As depicted in appendix 3f, they are grouped. Both give an offer that suggests lack of communication with the viewers. Also, they are properly dressed and not opened to sexualize reading which emphasis my previous point. I believe that these differences serve to construct the men as independent and the women as dependent. EXCLUSION Exclusion means not acknowledging a certain kind of people that live and work in the same society. (Van Leeuwen, 2008). To take an example from the magazine, appendix 3a, as written earlier are cast from the television programme Skins. The four male cast members, as noticed, were properly introduced, for example, appendix 3b and 3c introduced the men and the characters they play in the Skins: 1b) Jack OConnell, 20. Plays: James Cook. 1c) Luke Pasqualino, 19 Plays: Freddie Mclair However, no proper introductions were given to the female cast members of Skins. They are introduced as shown in appendix (3f). The readers are not provided with their names or what characters they play in the show. They are ignored or excluded. The effect of this exclusion, I believe, is to foreground the women as Other. CONCLUSION This essay has examined the gender differences found in the language and images of the new generation mens magazine, FHM. In this magazine, particular linguistic choices and the representation of gender in images has shown a level of social inequality between females and males. The women analysed in this essay have been seen to be negatively constructed. This construction depicts them as subjected or passive individuals within society. In addition, the linguistic choices relating to these women, as observed in most articles, present one particular discourse the discourse of sexuality. However, the use of the sexuality discourse is not presented for men. Rather, the magazine focuses on the business discourse, which portrays men as active and functional individuals within society. Furthermore, through an analysis of the social actors found in the images, I have shown that women are represented as non-functional individuals, powerless dependent creatures, sexual objects for mens desire and lustful temptresses. These negative representations of women are, however, not portrayed in images involving men. They are, alternatively, represented as powerful, successful and confident people, or people undergoing activities. These portrayals create gender imbalances within the magazine. With the use of the CDA and the multimodal approach, I have shown that, in FHM, women are poorly constructed and men are positively constructed, making the magazine an example of hegemonic masculinity. Wheaton (2001:214)