Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Ted Turner Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ted Turner - Research Paper Example The research paper "Ted Turner" analyses the leadership qualities of Ted Turner, who is the owner of the Cable Network Channel, CNN. This includes exploring the ways in which he has established the vision in the organization and led people towards realizing that vision. The project explores the unique qualities and attributes of Turner as a leader. Particular reference is drawn in ways in which has realized an unconventional and innovative vision in the organization, his social and ethical concerns towards society, the type of structure and culture he established in the organization and his motivational techniques at the workplace. Ted Turner is a legendary example of an entrepreneurial visionary leader. This is demonstrated by the fact that he could assess and pick up a trend which people would want in the long run. This was the vision behind starting an all-news cable channel which could be accessed by people at any time of the day. CNN, besides being an immense commercial success is also a complete transformation and revolution in the way people avail news from across the globe. After the establishment of the vision, Ted worked towards implementing the vision with tenacity and will. The entrepreneurial visionary leadership of Turner gets reflected through his first purchase of channel 17, a television station in Atlanta which had a weak UHF signal. Industry experts had expected that the plan would fail even before it started. He has been particularly successful in implementing his vision in the organization and influencing his employees in believing. ... This was the vision behind starting an all news cable channel which could be accessed by people at any time of the day. CNN, besides being an immense commercial success is also a complete transformation and revolution in the way people avail news from across the globe. After establishment of the vision, Ted worked towards implementing the vision with tenacity and will. The entrepreneurial visionary leadership of Turner gets reflected through his first purchase of channel 17, a television station in Atlanta which had a weak UHF signal. Industry experts had expected that the plan would fail even before it started. However, the station emerged as a success on Turner’s application of a certain new technology which eventually revolutionised the television industry. Turner has been particularly successful in implementing his vision in the organization and influencing his employees in believing and realising that vision. Even while the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) was spreading a cross the country, cable programs were generally regarded as producing old and low rated shows and programs. The industry was expecting for quality content and demanded high from HBO and Turner Broadcasting System. For an individual who hardly watched television programs, Ted Turner had a passion for savvy programming in his television stations. This is partly because he could perceive that which others could not, i.e. the values which lay hidden the old and worn out television movies and shows. He influenced his men and followers to believe that instead of running the shows on rental basis, he should rather own them so that he could run them frequently and as often as he wished to. Establishing this vision in the organization

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Collegial and Formal Type of Leadership

Collegial and Formal Type of Leadership This assignment consists of two parts. In the first part, the models of collegial and formal type of leadership are considered and compared to the head teachers role to which the author is familiar within the educational system of Cyprus. The head teachers role will be analysed both leadership styles. In the second part, the author concentrates on the assumptions made about the school organization and its values with the collegial and formal types of leadership. The assignment ends with a conclusion based on the authors understanding of leadership that emerges from a consideration of both theory and practice in relation to these two models. Part 1 According to Pashiardis (1995) the educational system in Cyprus has a bureaucratic structure and school principals are constantly trying to satisfy the bureaucrats rather than the needs of students and parents. Everything must be done in a pre-determined manner, which hardly leaves any space for errors or gives leeway for deviation from the mainstream. This is the main reason why the formal model of leadership is being chosen. Most of the elements of management fit into the bureaucratic structure of the Cypriot educational system. On the other hand, within the collegial model of leadership the governing body of each school is free to set additional aims and objectives that would not only benefit the school community but also the quality of the education offered. Collegial Model of Management According to Bush (1995) and his collegial model, the aims emerge from a participative process whereby staff reach an agreement based on common values. The leader in a collegial model believes that school staff should always be a team in order to be effective and that everyone should be involved in all activities concerning the school practices. In this case, all teachers should have a common vision, set a mission and be aware of their role to ensure the success of the academic enterprise. The elements of Collegial Model are the processes by which goals are determined by the nature of decision process and the leadership style. The collegial model is based on agreement goals among the members of an organization and presents lateral structures and all members have the right to participate in the decision process. As Kaily P. (2010) wrote specific problems can be addressed by different committees which are appointed at the beginning of the school year. These committees consist of teachers according to their abilities and expertise. They undertake to address and solve problems that arise during the school year such as student discipline by formulating a code of conduct, violence at school- prevention and treatment, development activities for motivation in learning, learning difficulties and workarounds (Kaily P. E849 Web Activity 1, 2 November 2010). Furthermore, Palli C. (2010) there is a shared leadership and a collective sense of responsibility among the staff at her sc hool. At the beginning of the school year there was a delegation of roles and responsibilities. Also the teachers had the opportunity to select the committees they wanted to be members according to their interests (Palli C. E849 Web Activity 1, 3 November 2010). The most positive aspect of the Collegial Model is the fact that goals have already been agreed, resulting to the possibility for the participant staff to concentrate and to achieve the goals set. Everybodys ambitions, expertise and capabilities are taken into consideration and used in a way that promotes the welfare of the school unit. As Bennett has argued, knowledge is an important power resource. Sharing knowledge in a collaborative way requires a high degree of mutual trust and consensus (Study Guide p. 37). Formal Model of Management Looking into Bush (1995) the formal models of management aver that objectives are set at the institutional level. Goals are determined by senior staff and the support of other teachers is taken for granted. Therefore, the activities of schools are evaluated in the light of these official purposes. Furthermore, the organizational structure is regarded as objective reality. Individuals hold defined positions in the organization and working relationships are assumed to be strongly influenced by these official positions. Formal models treat structures as hierarchical with decision-making as a top-down process (Study Guide p. 32). In contrast to collegiality, the characteristics of  the formal management models  according to Bush (2003) heads have  authority because of their positions  and are  accountable  for what they do to their sponsor they use any  rational  way to achieve goalsâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  fits a lot to the Cypriot Educational System. Not only do public schools but also private ones have debt-reduction management programmes and everything must be centralized and economies of scale must be made. One is asked to annually report in advance how many students are registered for the following academic year that the number of teachers is reduced to the minimum to save resources. In bureaucracy, efficiency, discipline, control, reliability  is more important (Weber 1989, p.312). Promotion is on the basis of seniority  (Bush 2003) more like a typical formal bureaucratic Cypriot school. However, after a long waiting at the age of 40-55 one finally leave from the low-paying Cypriot private sc hool and is employed by a highly-benefiting Cypriot public school. When he/she gets employed at public school, will only find out just a few days before the school year starts, revealing bureaucracy which is neither efficient nor reliable. Part 2 According to Bush and Derek (2003) leadership may be understood as influence but this notion is neutral in that it does not explain or recommend what goals or actions should be sought through this process. However, certain alternative constructs of leadership focus on the need for leadership to be grounded in firm personal and professional values (Bush and Derek, 2003, p.4). Wasserberg (1999) also claims that the primary role of any leader is the unification of people around key values (Wasserberg, 1999, p.158). Furthermore, according to Gross (1985) values are generated externally to the individual rather than being internal, personal creations. However individuals play crucial role in establishing particular values with environments in which they live and work (Study Guide, p. 47). Bush (1998; 2003) also links leadership to values or purpose while management relates to implementation or technical issues (Bush, 1998, 2003, p.4) Collegial model is interpinned by integrative and motivating values. Integrative values are those that serve to draw individuals into collectivity and motivating values are those that shape individual and collective perceptions of needs and interests (Study Guide, p. 46). The implication of these values for leadership role in the educational system in Cyprus could justified since head teachers usually encourage the staff to take part in any decision-making procedure. In this way agrees for certain values the schools. Thus personal opinions (teachers, parents students) are acceptable by others, differences and disagreements are shown in a democratic form. In addition, collaboration is promoted by head teachers. Every teacher, parent, student has its personal needs and interests. Head teachers try to help all members in personal and professional difficulties and offer ways in order for everyone to have a role in the school. Moreover, head teachers promote trust and confidence among all members, make constructive comments and encourage staff to participate in educational seminars and other educational programs. The formal leadership model combines mostly regulatory and directive values which seek to control the behaviour of individuals and groups. The equal opportunities and race relations legislation is enacted in many developed countries. Such values are an important part of the policy process both nationally and within organizations. Whether we accept or reject someone elses value system is not the same as denying that it is a value which shapes their actions (Study Guide p.46). This is one of the three different kinds of Grosss classified values which influence different facets of the school.   Although the ministry of Education and Culture directs schools on how to operate, each school may develop its own principles and values according to its particular needs and aims. Under the guidance of the Head Teacher certain values have been defined for my schools culture like: Equal opportunities for all children as an expression of fundamental human rights, the development of students socia l skills, democratic dialogue in case of conflicts among the children, the multi-dimensional improvement of childrens personality, the importance of interaction with the external environment (parents), and the practice of multiple intelligences. All the above societal values are articulated within the school serve to draw individuals into a formality. The way that my school is managed promotes collaboration and reduces conflict between staff. The head teacher supports the efforts of his teachers and motivates them to share and generate the schools values. He helps teachers cope with the difficulties encountered and promotes respect, democracy, honesty and trust. He encourages teachers to take part in educational seminars and provides equal opportunities for participation in decision making trying to follow democratic values. Individuals play a crucial role in establishing particular values within the environments in which they live and work. Values are manifested in the actions people take, including the things that they say and the language they use (Study Guide, 47).   According to Sergiovanni (2000), how we resolve a problem relates to the extent to which our decision making is dominated by the values of our life world and our system world. As he interprets, system world should be interdependent with life world (the essence o f values and beliefs) Conclusion In conclusion it can be seen that there has to be a leadership style which will incorporate practices from both styles of leadership and which promote the development of the school through the participation and involvement of all the staff members. A head teachers role is to make the vision and the mission of the school known to his/her staff in order for the teachers with the right knowledge and ability to be involved in the decision making. References Bush T 2003. Theories of Educational Management, 3rd edn. London: Sage. Bush T. And Derek G., (2003), School Leadership: Concepts and Evidence, Full report Spring 2003 E849 Leading and Managing for Effective Education, Study Guide, (2003), The Open University. Kaily P. E849 Web Activity 1, 2 November 2010 Palli C., E849 Web Activity 1, 3 November 2010 Pashiardis, P. (1995), Cyprus principals and the universalities of effective leadership, International Studies in Educational Administration, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 16-26. Bush, T. (1998) The National Professional Qualification for Headship: the key to effective school leadership?, School Leadership and Management, 18(3) 321-34. Sergiovanni 2000, Effective Educational Leadership, O.U., Sage Wasserberg, M. (1999), Creating the vision and making it happen, in Tomlinson, H., Gunter, H. and Smith, P. (Eds.), Living Headship: Voices, Values and Vision, London, Paul Chapman. Webb, R. and Vulliamy, G. (1996), The changing role of the primary head teacher, Educational Management and Administration, 24 (3), 301-15.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Brief Biography of John Steinbeck Essay -- John Steinbeck Writers Amer

Brief Biography of John Steinbeck John Steinbeck lead a life filled with words, from his award winning novels to the hundreds letters he wrote to friends during his career. He was born in Salinas, California on February 27, 1902, and lived there for the first sixteen years of his life until he graduated from Salinas High School in 1918. He took classes at Stanford, but spent more of his college years working to pay tuition than then he spent in the classroom. 1924 brought his first publication, two short stories in the Standford Spectator, but in 1925 he left his schooling and went to New York for a time. By 1926, he was back in California and his first book, Cup of Gold, was published the year the of great stock market crash, but had little success. In 1930, he married Carol Henning, and the two lived in Pacific Grove, CA for the next several years. These years were lean; Steinbeck was having trouble selling his work, even with the help of his literary agents, McIntosh and Otis. Often, selling a short story for 50$ or so was the difference between eating or not. In 1937, though, Steinbeck got his first taste of real success. Now living in Los Gatos, California, he had four novels and a play published in just three years. He burst onto the literary scene with Of Mice and Men, and published the first three parts of The Red Pony the same year. The play of Of Mice and Men went on stage and won the Drama Critics' Circle Award. The next year, he published The Long Valley and the last part of The Red Pony. His big project for the year, however, was working and researching a great novel, to be published in 1939 under the title The Grapes of Wrath. With this book, Steinbeck insured his future in the literary world. The book was so controversial that Steinbeck had to worry about attempts on his life or reputation; even now, it (along with Of Mice and Men) often are found on lists of commonly banned books. It was so well thought of that it earned him a Pulitzer Prize. It was so influential that President Franklin D. Roosevlet met with Steinbeck persona lly after a letter to the President from Steinbeck about the German influence in Mexico. Steinbeck had been in Mexico working on a film, and throughout the rest of his life, motion pictures were a second medium for him. The film of Of Mice and Men was released in 1939, and the film of The Grapes of Wrath came out ... ... n7 p4(6). Kelly, Dusty. "The Kurt Vonnegut Artificial Family Utopia." World Wide Web Page http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/5885/ Mack, Arien ed. Home: A Place in the World. New York: New York University Press, 1993. Morrow, Jeff. Personal Interview. April 23, 1998. Noble, Donald R. ed. The Steinbeck Question: New Essays in Criticism. Troy, New York, 1993. Pipher, Mary. Reviving Ophelia. New York: Ballantine Books, 1994. Reed, Peter J. and Marc Leeds eds. The Vonnegut Chronicles: Interviews and Essays. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996. Steinbeck, John. A Life in Letters. New York: Penguin Books, 1969. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1930. Swerdlow, Amy, et al. Families in Flux. New York: The Feminist Press,1989. Timmerman, John H. John Steinbeck's Fiction: The Aesthetics of the Road Taken. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1986. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slapstick. New York: Dell Publishing, 1976. Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes and Variations, Third Edition. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1997. Wyatt, David ed. New Essays on The Grapes of Wrath. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Cowper’s poem Essay

Both poets use rhetorical questions in their poems. Angelou says, ‘Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? † Meaning that this was the image that white people thought blacks should look like. People are expecting Angelou to fail and be miserable. Cowper’s use of rhetorical question was more hymn like and gave a vivid image of the situation. The question was, ‘ Why did all creating nature make the plant for which we toil? ‘ However it does get the reader to think about the asked question. Cowper’s poem is very hesitant because there were obviously aspects of slavery, which were too crude to talk about. Slavery was still legal at the time so being hesitant was because he could indeed get into serious trouble for broadcasting slavery in such a negative attitude, whereas Angelou’s poem is defiant, challenging and bold. This attitude of the poem is very much like the poet who wrote it. The tone of Cowper’s poem is full of anger and questions the rights of slavery, whereas the tone of Angelou’s poem is generally positive, confident and assertive. An example of Cowper’s anger would be when he says, â€Å"Prove that you have human feelings, ere you proudly question ours. † This suggests that Cowper is asking the slave traders to think about how the black slaves are being treated and asks them if they feel the pain, which slaves go through. An example of Angelou being confident would be the line which says, â€Å"You may trod me in the very dirt but still like dust I’ll rise. † This says that Angelou remains positive and confident even though the path ahead looks dismal. The poems are structured as follows: Angelou’s poem is written in different stanzas, each containing four lines. Lines two and four rhyme and therefore, create a great sense of rhythm. The final stanza in ‘Still I Rise’, changes structure. Angelou uses repetition, she constantly stresses the point that she still rises by using the name of the actual poem, ‘Still I Rise’ to emphasize the point. The structure of Cowper’s poem, ‘The Negro’s Complaint’ is also similarly written in four line stanzas, but is much longer and complex and written to inspire others to believe in the immortality of the slave trade. Lines one and three rhyme and then lines two and four rhyme. The rhythm in this poem does not differ and remains constant throughout, unlike ‘Still I Rise’. A large difference in the two poems is the language used within. Angelou’s poem is written by using a number of abbreviations, such as: † ’cause and diggin'†. This suggests a deep south American accent and was a typical language used in America at the time of this poem. Cowper, however, uses archaic language like using the words, ‘ye and hark’. This gives the reader a picture of the timescale. Both poets use a number of poetic devices. Angelou uses metaphors, similes and personification. An example of a metaphor in this poem is when she says, â€Å"I’m a black ocean. † This is saying that Angelou is a black ocean and therefore, vast and powerful. The simile that she uses is, ‘But still, like dust I rise,’ Angelou thinks she is like dust. Her use of personification is, â€Å"ocean, leaping,† the ocean has been given a human characteristic. Cowper doesn’t use comparative language like Angelou, so no metaphors or similes are present. Cowper does however, use personification, he says, â€Å"raging billows,† this creates a very vivid image in your mind of the ferocious waves. Both poems’ personification refers to the seas, this is just another of the similarities between the two poems. Cowper was a son of a Rector and therefore, educated in religion. We realise his use of his knowledge when Cowper comments on, â€Å"blood extorted screws,† this is obviously referring to Jesus, and compares his torture, to the slaves torture and we can imagine the pain caused. Cowper’s poem is depressing at times; this may be due to the childhood he had faced. Cowper’s mother died when he was only six years of age and was a victim of bullying at school. Later in life he was called to the bar before attempting suicide. Cowper’s childhood may have influenced the angry tone of the poem, ‘The Negro’s Complaint. ‘ On the other hand, Angelou was born into a black family and suffered just as much pain as Cowper, if not more. Even though the slave trade had been previously abolished, the black and white people were, nevertheless separated from each other. Angelou had received her fair share of racial comments over the past but still remained powerful and took no notice. This later helped Angelou on her road to success and she became the first black lady to drive a tram. As the time progressed she also became the first black director in America. This success was really all down to Angelou’s power to overcome things. This knowledge of Angelou’s past would have influenced the contrast of the positive and negative aspects apparent in her poem. The message, which is presented in, ‘Still I Rise,’ is that you can never keep a strong lady down. Racist comments and abuse just fly in one ear and come out the other, not remaining in her head long enough to be dwelled on. The message given in, ‘The Negro’s Complaint,’ is that he wants the reader to understand the uncivic and inhumane aspects of the slave trade and he generally questions the rights of the slaves. Overall, I prefer, ‘Still I Rise. ‘ In a rather clever way, it presents the personality of the poet through her writing. The tone of which she writes is so much alike the person she is, and I admire her for the way she rose no matter what happened. I also admire Cowper for writing in the eyes of a Negro. It must have proven difficult to write from another viewpoint whereas Angelou writes from her own experiences.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Essay Dramatistic Analysis on Breaking Bad Essay

Cady is going to encounter psychological struggle and unwritten social rules that teenage girls face today. Through the Marxist perspective, the movie will be analyzed in order to show how sometimes the pull to conform to hegemony is so important that we have no choice that letting us be dragged to respect the established hierarchy. Mean Girls is an excellent artifact, worthy of investigation in the way that it shows how we expect teenage girls to act, but also how difficult it is for them to refrain from acting that way. When using the Marxist perspective, we begin by identifying the subject positions, as models or anti-models. Mean Girls provides clear subject positions about the models – characters that viewers are encouraged to want to be like, and the anti-models – characters that viewers are encouraged to no want to be like. Thus, the models appear to be â€Å"The Plastics†, a group composed of the three teenage girls Regina George, Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith. By analyzing â€Å"The Plastics†, it seems like teenage girls need to follow a specific pattern in order to be popular. That is to say, on a physical standpoint, teenage girls need to be thin, pretty, and wear tight and revealing clothes, while on a behavioral standpoint, they spend their time gossiping, partying, dating, and talking about boys, rather than focusing on their academic success. On top of the hierarchy is Regina George, and the two other â€Å"Plastics† are her subordinate. On the contrary, the anti-models, challenging the status quo and considered as abnormal or undesirable are represented by Janice and Damien. Both of them are belonging to the oppressed group, or the group that is considered as â€Å"inferior† and â€Å"subordinate† to the dominant group. Mean Girls depicts how easy it is for a dominant group (â€Å"The Plastics†) to impose its ideology on other groups. The interests of the empowered group are then promoting as being natural. Indeed, in Mean Girls, the dominant social group keeps the control over the other groups because nobody dares challenging the authority claimed by â€Å"The Plastic†. â€Å"The Plastics† keep their status quo by oppressing and manipulating the other subordinate groups. They dictate how things should be. The positive power of popularity combined with the negative disempowerment of being unpopular and rejected ultimately reinforces hegemony. That is to say, those who are popular are empowered even if popularity is just a facade for these teenage girls, and those who are not popular are disempowered. By focusing on Cady Heron, and observing how from an innocent teenage girl, she becomes a terrible â€Å"Plastic†, we can deduce that once accepted by the dominant group, people have trouble in seeing the flaws and drawbacks of the hegemony they are in. In order for them to be aware of it, they have to become a member of the subordinate group. Only the anti-models characters are able to see how wrong is the hierarchy they live in, and are willing to change it in order to create a more equal system. Mean Girls proposed both a preferred and an oppositional view on the hegemony. Indeed, from the beginning to the middle of the movie, Mean Girls brings a preferred reading with Cady altering her original beliefs, joining the dominant group and becoming a â€Å"Plastic†. Cady’s desire to respect conformity can be explained by a need to fit in and avoid ridicule. As a consequence, the viewers, siding with her, support the status quo. On the other hand, from the middle to the end of the movie, Mean Girls gives an oppositional reading by considering that â€Å"The Plastics† ought not to be empowered, in order to have a more equal system. Indeed, by the middle of the movie, Cady understands that her destructive behavior made her loose her two closest friends (Janice and Damien). She also realizes she needs to stop acting like a â€Å"Plastic† and to categorize people according to superficial traits, and that she should start considering people according to different characteristics (intelligence over beauty for example). As a consequence, Cady, desirous of putting things right, starts to think how she could readjust the hegemony around her. Thus, she considers destroying the hegemony reigning at school in order to challenge the status quo. At that time, the movie gives the viewers an oppositional reading rejecting the hegemony. In spite of the casualty and frivolity of the topic addressed (teenage girls movie), Mean Girls is still interesting to study because it gives us some interesting and engaging acumen into Marxist perspective and hegemony. Mean Girls shows us how hard it is to resist hegemony when everyone else is subjected to it. Mean Girls also makes viewers being more critical about how hegemony is reproduced in regular patterns of life, like the passage in high school for example.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Hale and Haul

Hale and Haul Hale and Haul Hale and Haul By Maeve Maddox In my current reading of Beowulf, Ive got to the part where the dragon bites Beowulf in the neck. The word translated as neck is heals. For some reason, the expression to be haled off to prison came to my mind. Could it be, I wondered, that the expression came from grabbing the felons neck and dragging him away? No. My imaginative leap was all wrong. Thats how folk etymologies get started! Old English had a word corresponding to our word neck: hnecca, neck, back of the neck. It was not commonly used in OE, but in the later language lost the h and displaced heals as the common word for that part of the anatomy. The verb hale, drag, summon, came into English about 1200, from Old French haler, to pull. The pronunciation changed in the 13th century and the spelling eventually became haul. Now felons are hauled off to prison. haul:Â  trans. To pull or draw with force or violence; to drag, tug (esp. in nautical language). OED The greeting hail, pronounced the same as hale, comes from Old Norse heill, health, prosperity, good luck. In OE, the greeting was waes haeil, be healthy. The phrase became shortened to hailse, which eventually became hail. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Beautiful and Ugly Words8 Types of Parenthetical Phrases55 "House" Idioms

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Iliad Book One by Homer - Summary

The Iliad Book One by Homer - Summary | Summary of Iliad Book I | Main Characters | Notes | Iliad Study Guide Song of the Wrath of Achilles In the very first line of the Iliad, the poet addresses the Muse, who inspires him with song, and asks her to sing (through him) the story of the wrath of the son of Peleus, aka Achilles. Achilles is angry with King Agamemnon for reasons shortly to be divulged, but first, the poet lays blame at the feet of Achilles for the death of many of the Achaean warriors. (Homer refers to the Greeks as Achaeans or Argives or Danaans, but we call them Greeks, so Ill use the term Greek throughout.) The poet then also blames the son of Zeus and Leto, aka Apollo, who has sent a plague to kill the Greeks. (The parallel blame of gods and mortals is common throughout the Iliad.) Apollo the Mouse God Before returning to the wrath of Achilles, the poet elaborates Apollos motives for killing Greeks. Agamemnon holds the daughter of Apollos priest Chryses (Chryseis). Chryses is willing to forgive and even bless Agamemnons ventures, if Agamemnon will return Chryses daughter, but instead, the haughty King Agamemnon sends Chryses packing. Calchas Prophecy To repay the indignity Chryses has suffered, Apollo, the mouse god, rains arrows of plague on the Greek forces for 9 days. (Rodents do spread plague, so the association between a divine mouse function and delivering plague makes sense, even if the Greeks werent completely aware of the connection.) The Greeks dont know why Apollo is angry, so Achilles persuades them to consult the seer Calchas, which they do. Calchas reveals Agamemnons responsibility. He adds that the plague will only lift if the dishonor is amended: Chryses daughter must be freely restored to her father, and appropriate offerings made to Apollo. Trade of Briseis Agamemnon is not pleased with the prophecy, but realizes he must comply, so he agrees, conditionally: Achilles must hand over to Agamemnon Briseis. Achilles had received Briseis as a war prize from the sack of Thebe, a city in Cilicia, where Achilles had killed Eetion, father of the Trojan prince Hectors wife, Andromache. Since then, Achilles had grown very attached to her. Achilles Stops Fighting for the Greeks Achilles agrees to hand over Briseis because Athena (one of the 3 goddesses, together with Aphrodite and Hera, who was involved in the judgment of Paris, a war goddess, and the sister of the war god Ares), tells him to. However, at the same time he surrenders Briseis, Achilles sulkily quits the Greek forces. Thetis Petitions Zeus on Behalf of Her Son Achilles complains to his nymph mother Thetis, who, in turn, brings the complaint to Zeus, the king of the gods. Thetis says that since Agamemnon has dishonored her son, Zeus should honor Achilles. Zeus agrees, but faces the wrath of his wife, Hera, queen of the gods, for his involvement in the conflict. When Zeus angrily dismisses Hera, the queen of the gods turns to her son Hephaestus, who comforts her. However, Hephaestus wont help Hera because he still vividly recalls the anger of Zeus when he pushed him off Mt. Olympus. (Hephaestus is depicted as lame as a result of the fall, although this is not specified here.) English Translation of | Summary of Iliad Book I | Characters | Notes| Iliad Study Guide The Muse - without the inspiration of the Muse, Homer couldnt write. There were three Muses originally, Aoede (song), Melete (pracice), and Mneme (memory), and later nine. They were the daughters of Mnemosyne (Memory). The Muse of song was Calliope. Achilles - best warrior and most heroic of the Greeks, although he is sitting out the war. Agamemnon - lead king of the Greek forces, the brother of Menelaus. Zeus - king of the gods. Zeus attempts neutrality.Known as Jupiter or Jove among the Romans and in some translations of the Iliad. Apollo - god of many attributes. In Book I Apollo is known as the mouse and therefore plague god. He is upset with the Greeks because they have dishonored him by insulting one of his priests. Hera - queen of the gods, wife and sister of Zeus. Hera is on the side of the Greeks.Known as Juno among the Romans and in some translations of the Iliad. Hephaestus - blacksmith god, son of HeraKnown as Vulcan among the Romans and in some translations of the Iliad . Chryses - priest of Apollo. His daughter is Chryseis, who was taken as a war prize by Agamemnon. Calchas - seer for the Greeks. Athena - a war goddess who especially favors Odysseus and other heroes. Athena is on the side of the Greeks.Known as Minerva among the Romans and in some translations of the Iliad. Profiles of Some of the Major Olympian Gods Involved in the Trojan War HermesZeusAphroditeArtemisApolloAthenaHeraAres Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book I Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book II Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book III Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book IV Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book V Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book VI Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book VII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book VIII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book IX Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book X Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XI Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XIII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XIV Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XV Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XVI Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XVII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XVIII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XIX Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XX Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XXI Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XXII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XXIII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XXIV English Translation of | Summary | Main Characters | Notes on Iliad Book I| Iliad Study Guide The following are comments that occurred to me while reading English translations of Book I of the Iliad. Many of them are very basic and may be obvious. I hope they will be useful for people who are reading the Iliad as their first introduction to ancient Greek literature. O goddessThe ancient poets gave the gods and goddesses credit for many things, including the inspiration to write. When Homer calls on the goddess, he is asking the goddess known as Muse to help him write. The number of muses varied and they became specialized. to HadesHades is the god of the Underworld and a son of Cronus, making him the brother of Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Hestia. The Greeks had a vision of an afterlife that includes having a king and queen (Hades and Persephone, daughter of Demeter) on thrones, various realms to which people were sent depending on how good they were in life, a river that had to be crossed via a ferry and a three-headed (or more) watchdog named Cerberus. The living feared that when they died they might be left standing on the other side of the river waiting to cross because the body was unburied or there was no coin for the ferryman. many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vulturesWe tend to think that once youre dead, youre dead, and what happens to your body makes no difference, but to the Greeks, it was important for the body to be in good shape. It would then be put on a funeral pyre and burned, so it would seem it makes no difference what it was like, but the Greeks also made sacrifices to the gods by means of burning animals. These animals had to be the best and unblemished. In other words, just because the body would be burned did not mean the body could be in less than pristine shape.Later in the Iliad, this almost obsessive need for a body in good shape causes the Greeks and Trojans to fight over Patroclus, whose head the Trojans wish to remove and put on a spike, and over the corpse of Hector, which Achilles does everything he can to abuse, but without success, because the gods watch over it. so as to take away the plague from us.Apollo shot silver arrows that could kill humans with the plague. Although there may be some debate over the etymology, Apollo appears to have been known as a Mouse god, probably because of a recognition of the connection between rodents and disease. augursthrough the prophesyings with which Phoebus Apollo had inspired himAugurs could predict the future and tell the will of the gods. Apollo was particularly associated with prophesy and is considered the god who inspires the oracle at Delphi. A plain man cannot stand against the anger of a king, who if he swallow his displeasure now, will yet nurse revenge till he has wreaked it. Consider, therefore, whether or no you will protect me.Achilles is here asked to protect the prophet against the will of Agamemnon. Since Agamemnon is the most powerful king, Achilles must be pretty strong to be able to offer his protection. In Book 24, when Priam visits him, Achilles tells him to sleep on the porch so that any possible emissary from Agamemnon will not see him because, in this case, Achilles would not be strong enough or willing to protect him. I have set my heart on keeping her in my own house, for I love her better even than my own wife Clytemnestra, whose peer she is alike in form and feature, in understanding and accomplishments.Agamemnon says he loves Chrseis better than his own wife Clytemnestra. It is not really saying a lot. After the fall of Troy, when Agamemnon goes home, he takes along a concubine whom he publicly displays to Clytemnestra, antagonizing her even more than he already has by sacrificing their daughter to Artemis to ensure a successful sailing for his fleet. He seems to love her as property, as Achilles recognizes.... And Achilles answered, Most noble son of Atreus, covetous beyond all mankindAchilles comments on how greedy the king is. Achilles is not as powerful as Agamemnon, and ultimately, cant stand against him; however, he can be and is very annoying. Then Agamemnon said, Achilles, valiant though you be, you shall not thus outwit me. You shall not overreach and you shall not persuade me.Agamemnon rightly accuses Achilles of over-reaching and by taunting the king, provokes him to insist on taking Achilles prize. What though you be brave? Was it not heaven that made you so?Achilles is renowned for his bravery, but Agamemnon says it is no big deal, since it is a gift of the gods. There are many biases/alien attitudes in the Iliad. The pro-Trojan gods are weaker than the pro-Greek. Heroism comes only to those noble birth. Agamemnon is superior because he is more powerful. Same with Zeus, vis a vis Poseidon and Hades. Achilles is too proud to settle for an ordinary life. Zeus has much contempt for his wife. Death can confer honor, but so can trophies of battle. A woman is worth a few oxen, but is worth less than certain other animals. Return to Books of the Iliad

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Gay Celebrities in Interracial Marriages and Relationships

Gay Celebrities in Interracial Marriages and Relationships Interracial marriages occur more frequently among gay couples than they do among their heterosexual counterparts. Data from the 2010 census reveals that 20.6 percent of same-sex couples are interracial. That’s more than two percentage points higher than the amount of unmarried heterosexual couples (18.3 percent) in interracial relationships, and more than double the amount of married heterosexual couples (9.5 percent) in such relationships. Given the prevalence of cross-cultural relationships in the gay community, it’s no wonder that many of the celebrities who’ve come out as gay in recent years have partners of a different race. Learn more about the gay celebrities in interracial marriages and relationships with this list rundown. Robin Roberts and Amber Laign Robin Roberts came out as gay in a Facebook post in December 2013, making her arguably the most famous black lesbian in the country. The co-host of â€Å"Good Morning America† has fought breast cancer and a rare blood disorder called myelodysplastic syndrome in recent years. One of the reasons she chose to finally come out is to recognize the support she’s received from her longtime girlfriend, Amber Laign, who is white. â€Å"At this moment I am at peace and filled with joy and gratitude,† Roberts wrote. I am grateful to God, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health. I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life.I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together. I am grateful for the many prayers and well wishes for my recovery. I return every one of them to you 100 fold.† When Robert identified Laign as her girlfriend in a Facebook post, the couple had been involved for a decade, according to reports. Roberts and Laign live in an apartment together in New York, and their relationship was known to the ABC News staff. Roberts may have decided to go public with the relationship because she’s writing a memoir, to be released in April 2014, about the health problems she’s overcome. Mario Cantone and Jerry Dixon After 20 years together, comedian Mario Cantone, an Italian American, and Jerry Dixon, an African American, wed in October 2011. He announced his nuptials to the musical theater director on ABC’s â€Å"The View,† the chat show where he frequently serves as guest co-host. â€Å"We’re older now. We’ve been together 20 years,† said Cantone on   the talk show. â€Å"After 20 years you’re like, ‘Thanks for the anti-climactic honeymoon, government!’† Cantone, of course, was taking aim at the government for preventing same-sex couples from marrying. On a more serious note, Cantone revealed that his family members attended the wedding and that Jay Bakker, the son of late evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, conducted the ceremony. Wanda and Alex Sykes Comedienne Wanda Sykes, who is African American, wed her white wife, Alex, in 2008. The couple has two children together. Before her marriage to Alex, Sykes was married to a man. Sykes remarked on â€Å"Oprah’s Next Chapter† that she didn’t come out to her mother until she was 40 years old. It took several years for her mother to accept Syke’s sexual orientation, the comedienne told Oprah Winfrey. Sykes also said that as a black woman and a lesbian she faces three different forms of discrimination. In addition, she finds objection to same-sex marriage to be peculiar. â€Å"I don’t understand why people really get upset about something that doesn’t affect them,† she said. â€Å"And I say, do you know how many people got married yesterday? Neither do I and I don’t care.† Alec Mapa and Jamison Hebert Actor Alec Mapa of â€Å"Half Half† and â€Å"Ugly Betty† fame married filmmaker Jamison Hebert in 2008. Mapa is Filipino and Hebert is white. The two have an adopted African-American son named Zion. Mapa has said that he still faces discrimination because of his relationship. He recalled the time he and his family entered the United States after a jaunt to Mexico and a customs agent behaved rudely toward them. â€Å"He was really brusque - he said, ‘You know we don’t recognize this federally, it’s the United States,’† Mapa recounted. After the customs agent spotted the couple’s young son, however, he relented. George and Brad Takei Actor George Takei of â€Å"Star Trek† fame married his husband, Brad, in 2008. Takei is Japanese-American and his husband is white. The couple had been together for 26 years before tying the knot. They married when the state of California finally allowed same-sex couples to wed. Takei’s husband, born Brad Altman, decided to take his last name, legally changing it after the marriage ceremony. â€Å"I argued with him on that,† Takei explained to â€Å"Access Hollywood Live.† â€Å"He wanted to become a Takei.†

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Affects of Domestic Violence in Disrupting Family Unity Essay

Affects of Domestic Violence in Disrupting Family Unity - Essay Example This discussion will examine the negative effects of domestic violence on the family unit first interjecting statistics to substantiate the claims that children are the victims as well as the wives. These indicators show that violence within the family so vastly affects children that a major disruption of the family unit is the consequence in every occasion. In homes where domestic violence has been reported against wives, the children are 15 times more likely to have been abused and/or neglected. â€Å"Over 3 million children are at risk of exposure to parental violence each year† (McKay, 1994). The majority of women who have been forced to seek a shelter to escape their tormentor report that their children are also being abused. These children are â€Å"three times more likely to have been abused by their fathers† (McKay, 1994). Research that has been conducted regarding how the prevalence of family violence affects the lives of children suggests that this phenomenon is a critical public health concern. In 1992, state agencies across the U.S. reported over 200,000 incidents of child abuse and half that number of child sexual abuse cases. â€Å"It has been estimated that about 1 in 5 female children and 1 in 10 male children may experience sexual molestation. At least 1,200 children died as a result of maltreatment† (Regier & Cowdry, 1995). Incidences of domestic violence, a growing problem in the U.S., affect the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral development of children, produces disharmony in the family unit and instigates harmful lifetime problems for all concerned. When exposed to threatening or brutal emotional and/or physical treatment, wives and children experience traumatic stress disorders that require exceptional coping skills. Instances of domestic violence are usually unanticipated and uncontrollable which serve to devastate a family

Friday, October 18, 2019

Homo Economicus Myth or Reality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Homo Economicus Myth or Reality - Essay Example The question which arises at this point is; why do economists use this model of Homo Economicus? There are basically three reasons for this practice:-†¢Ã‚  In real life it is very difficult to accurately predict or explain human behaviour. Therefore, economists assume humans to be perfect i.e. perfectly rational, perfectly self-interested etc. Thus by simplifying humans they simplify their task of economic analysis. [1].†¢Ã‚  This practice enables economists to enumerate their assumptions in mathematical terms which makes them easier to understand. [1].†¢Ã‚  Picking the right assumptions enables economists to generate the desired results. [1].  Ã‚  Prominent economists of the Austrian school like Thorstein Veblen, John Maynard Keynes, Herbert Simon etc. consider homo economicus as an actor in understanding macroeconomics and economic forecasting. [3]. In their view, since perfect knowledge never exists therefore, all economic activity entails risk. Their stress is on bounded rationality and uncertainty in making economic decisions. [3].  Ã‚  Another angle to the concept of Homo Economicus is that â€Å"  Classical economics did not assert that the economizing individual, whether engaged in trade or as a consumer, acts as if the greatest monetary profit were the sole guiding principle of his conduct. The classical scheme is not at all applicable to consumption or the consumer. It did not escape even the classical economists that the economizing individual as a party engaged in trade does not always and cannot always remain true.

Discussion board forum Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion board forum - Assignment Example Advertisement policy for target recruitment strategy can be denoted by certain population as fair. Some of valid reasons behind the implementation of target recruiting strategy are recruitment of the special KSAOs, attract employees who are passive, making further relationship with the former employees and filling the diversity gaps in the organization. But the reality is that targeted recruitment can help organization to bring diversity in the workplace. This resembles the fact that the targeting recruiting strategy is unfair regardless of its minimal advantage to bring diversity. Some of the organization provide target recruitment message by taking in to consideration gender and minorities. The system is regarded as unfair when certain member of the community is targeted exclusively. The fairness of the message to target member denies providing equal opportunity to the other groups of people who do not have the chance to view the message (Gatewood, 2010). Organization may sometimes target particular groups who may be more mature workers. This creates a sense of unfairness on the mind of other groups of people who thinks that they are been ignored and can lead to demotivation. Every employee has the right to vie the necessary requirement for the job. Every workplace must be diverse and reduce the poor performance of the employee. Targeting recruitment strategy can take much longer time and could eventually cost more than that of normal recruitment strategy. This can also lessen the morale of the employee which can rather lead to less in productivity. Bias on one age group can create a sense of negative motivation on the employees. The application of target recruitment strategy can create a sense of inflexibility among the employee. Every organization must implement change management in the organization to sustain in the

Scientific Method - Social Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scientific Method - Social Psychology - Essay Example Scientific method is highly instrumental to the success of social psychologists in carrying out their analysis. It is the application of scientific method of systematic observation that the conditions of humans are effectively studied. Through the scientific method of research, social psychologists are better informed on the way people feel, how they behave and the kind of thoughts that go through their minds (Feldman, 2009). Social psychologists cannot make observation without the use of scientific method and research as they make use of the advancement in technology to make precise and intricate observations about their subjects. This further emphasizes the role of scientific method in the field of social psychology as the more the improvement in research technology, the easier and faster the work of social psychologists would definitely be. It is therefore pertinent to note that social psychologists make use of different scientific methods of research, which includes; public opini on surveys, real world observations, case studies, and laboratory experiments to make their analysis and study. This further corroborates the role of scientific method in social psychology.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Negotiation, Listening and Responding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Negotiation, Listening and Responding - Essay Example First, I would like to take this credit of bringing up a valid point. Although the service director did not really grant my wish, yet I feel relieved to have said what I wanted to say. Had I not said it all, it would have pinched me from inside and my productivity would have been affected for the worse. By principle, I should not have been scheduled to cover a route on Thursday since it was not in my district. In response to this, the service director also brought up a very valid and reasonable point that routes in my district were being covered by the skippers which was something that did not happen in other districts. Parts of the negotiation that employed ineffective listening and speaking included the occasional noise of the passing trolleys outside the service director’s office which disrupted the conversation. â€Å"The goal of communication between a sender and a receiver is understanding of the message being sent. Anything that interferes with this can be referred to as ‘noise’† (intstudentsup.org, 2013). Our conversation was frequently disturbed by a call from the GM and from the service managers to the service director. The service director also seemed to be in a hurry probably because the GM had assigned him some urgent task. After the obtainment of message through the visual and auditory channels, it is important to attend to it inside the working memory which can be achieved by focusing on the visual and auditory stimuli (Wolvin, 2012, p. 2).... 2). I believe that his understanding was being impaired by the phone calls. However, I was a bit nervous because the service director was much senior to me not only in rank but also in age. I was the age of his child. My immaturity of age compared to his might have made him feel as if I was having that problem because of lack of my understanding of the gravity of matters. I did not do right by only thinking in my mind that things would be the same as they were before. I had presumed that the service director had decided already and would not reconsider my request; that was wrong. I should have believed as a successful negotiator that both of us were trying to reach an agreement (Guasco and Robinson, 2007, p. 4). One alternative way to conduct this conversation in a manner that would enhance the understanding of the matter for both of us and facilitate effective listening and speaking would be sending an email to the service director discussing the whole problem, and getting a reply f rom him via an email. The advantage of this alternative would be that he would consider my problem thoroughly in free time and think over it deeply before making me a reply. Another advantage would be that I would say everything I wanted to in the email without keeping any thoughts to myself. Another alternative way would be first discussing the issue with the service manager and ask him to convey it to the service director. The advantage of this would be that I would be conveying my message through a proper channel i.e. via service manager. Secondly, since the service manager and the service director are age-fellows, their conversation would not be impaired by

Hospitality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Hospitality Management - Essay Example The other important thing that I have learnt from this course is that managers have a very important role to foster organizational commitment among the members of the company. This significantly helps the members to identify with the company. There are various steps that can be taken in order to create commitment among the employees. It is important to motivate them as well as to create a flexible working environment where they are also in a position to fulfil their work-life goals. In the hospitality industry, the employees need to be motivated so that they can create an identity with the company they work for. This also helps to improve their performance. The other thing that I have acquired from this course is related to the aspect of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is just the same as internal motivation towards your own work. If you work in the hospitality industry, you ought to have internal motivation so that you can also be in a position to set your own goals in relation to your work. As individuals, we all have our own goals and aspirations to achieve to achieve at our workplace as well as personal goals. A fine balance between the two should be created so that we can develop that internal motivation that helps us to put more effort in our operations. I have also learnt that personal values are very important when operating in the hospitality industry. These are comprised of beliefs which shape our behaviour in the workplace. When dealing with other people especially in the hospitality industry, it is essential to be honest and truthful. I have realised that this personal value helps to create mutual trust with the clients. I have also noted that responsibility is another personal value that should always shape our behaviour in the hospitality industry since we should all be accountable for our actions. Above all, teamwork is very important in the hospitality industry. Through teamwork, members are

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Negotiation, Listening and Responding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Negotiation, Listening and Responding - Essay Example First, I would like to take this credit of bringing up a valid point. Although the service director did not really grant my wish, yet I feel relieved to have said what I wanted to say. Had I not said it all, it would have pinched me from inside and my productivity would have been affected for the worse. By principle, I should not have been scheduled to cover a route on Thursday since it was not in my district. In response to this, the service director also brought up a very valid and reasonable point that routes in my district were being covered by the skippers which was something that did not happen in other districts. Parts of the negotiation that employed ineffective listening and speaking included the occasional noise of the passing trolleys outside the service director’s office which disrupted the conversation. â€Å"The goal of communication between a sender and a receiver is understanding of the message being sent. Anything that interferes with this can be referred to as ‘noise’† (intstudentsup.org, 2013). Our conversation was frequently disturbed by a call from the GM and from the service managers to the service director. The service director also seemed to be in a hurry probably because the GM had assigned him some urgent task. After the obtainment of message through the visual and auditory channels, it is important to attend to it inside the working memory which can be achieved by focusing on the visual and auditory stimuli (Wolvin, 2012, p. 2).... 2). I believe that his understanding was being impaired by the phone calls. However, I was a bit nervous because the service director was much senior to me not only in rank but also in age. I was the age of his child. My immaturity of age compared to his might have made him feel as if I was having that problem because of lack of my understanding of the gravity of matters. I did not do right by only thinking in my mind that things would be the same as they were before. I had presumed that the service director had decided already and would not reconsider my request; that was wrong. I should have believed as a successful negotiator that both of us were trying to reach an agreement (Guasco and Robinson, 2007, p. 4). One alternative way to conduct this conversation in a manner that would enhance the understanding of the matter for both of us and facilitate effective listening and speaking would be sending an email to the service director discussing the whole problem, and getting a reply f rom him via an email. The advantage of this alternative would be that he would consider my problem thoroughly in free time and think over it deeply before making me a reply. Another advantage would be that I would say everything I wanted to in the email without keeping any thoughts to myself. Another alternative way would be first discussing the issue with the service manager and ask him to convey it to the service director. The advantage of this would be that I would be conveying my message through a proper channel i.e. via service manager. Secondly, since the service manager and the service director are age-fellows, their conversation would not be impaired by

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 40

Psychology - Essay Example eeling and 1ehaviour of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of other human beings.† In other words, the concept itself talks about the mindset of a crowd of people living in a particular environment, brought up in a particular manner and dealing with everyday situations the way that they feel best, however, at the same time, their thoughts may not be compatible with people belonging to a different society. The main aim of this subject is to understand various topics like social behaviour, individual conformity to a group of peers, as well as emotions that one experiences like aggression or prejudice towards something. Understanding social interaction is very important because it forms the basis of human relationships; only when one is able to understand the thinking of another will he be able to act in an appealing manner to be accepted by that person. This is a subject that is prevalent in all streams and aspects of the world; may it be education, work or a personal life, it is pertinent to understand social behaviour in order to comprehend the social psyche of an individual and act in a befitting manner. It cuts across all other subjects especially other disciplines of sociology itself because it aims to decipher people’s notions and apply it to daily living. The interesting thing about this subject is that it focuses not on a particular individual and his characteristics or traits but on a group of such people and their collective behaviour while being part of a bigger picture and being caught in a different situation. People often manipulate their emotions and conduct in order to fit into various situations and feel comfortable in various circumstances and thus this subject assists in breaking down the psyche of an individual with respect to the entire social surrounding or setting and finding out where he or she may be going wrong with respect to their own identities. Social psychologists thus focus on situations that

Monday, October 14, 2019

Effect of Reducing Agents on the Growth of Magnetospirilla

Effect of Reducing Agents on the Growth of Magnetospirilla Shubhashri Chakraborthy, Pauline Shekina, Upasana Dey and Suthindhiran Krish Abstract: Magnetotactic Bacteria are a fascinating group of microorganisms. Magnetospirilla is a microaerophilic bacterium. The effect of reducing agents varies with the cell depending on the properties of the reagent. They also produce different redox potentials which force a substrate to follow specific metabolic pathway in order to change the product or rate of the reaction. So it is essential to study the effect of reducing agents on the growth of Magnetospirilla. Two strains of this bacterium, MSR-1 and RJS-1 were selected for the study. Reducing agents like Ascorbic Acid, Cysteine and Glutathione were prepared in various concentrations and the bacteria were cultured. The ideal concentration of the reducing agents required for the growth of these two strains was identified. Glutathione at the concentration 0.250mg/ml is found to be ideal for the growth of MSR-1 and Cysteine at the concentration of 0.250mg/ml is found to be ideal for the growth of RJS-1 strain of Magnetospirilla Keywords: Magnetotactic bacteria; Ascorbic Acid; Cysteine; Glutathione; Reducing agents. Introduction: Magnetotactic bacteria (orMTB) are a  polyphyletic  group of  bacteria that orient along themagnetic field lines of Earth’s magnetic field with the help of organelles called magnetosomes. Magnetosomes are iron crystals of magnetite or greigite. The movement of microorganisms in response to the magnetic characteristics of the environment is known as  magnetotaxis. Many efforts have been made to optimize the growth conditions of MTB.[4] Magnetospirilla are facultative anaerobic magnetic bacterium. Reducing agents can have very different effects on the microbial cells depending on the properties of the reagent and of the properties of the cell itself. Reducing agents can produce different redox potentials which might be force a substrate to follow a specific metabolic pathway in order to change the rate or product of the reaction.[6] Previous studies showed that changing the redox environment had a strong impact in the applications of Magnetospirilla. Therefore we studied the effect of different reducing agents at different concentrations on the growth of Magnetospirilla. Materials and Methods: Culturing the bacteria Two strains of Magnetospirilla, MSR-1 (DSMZ, Germany) and RJS-1(Marine Biotechnology Lab, VIT University) were grown in liquid Magnetic Spirillum Growth Medium (MSGM).[1] A stock of 500ml of the MSGM media was prepared without reducing agents and Resazurin. 7ml of the media were transferred in small vials and it was purged with nitrogen gas for 3 minutes to provide microaerophilic condition. The vials were sealed with butyl rubber septa and aluminium centre holed caps. These vials were autoclaved at 121 °C for 15 minutes. Stock solution of the reducing agents Ascorbic Acid, Cysteine, Glutathione and Sodium Sulfide (10mg/10ml) were prepared and filter sterilized. Heat sensitive materials such as vitamins were also filter sterilized. 70ÃŽ ¼l of filtered vitamin solution and 14ÃŽ ¼l of filtered ferric quinate solution were taken in sterile eppendorf tubes. Different concentrations of reducing agents (0.125mg/ml, 0.250mg/ml, 0.375mg/ml and 0.500mg/ml) were also taken in the eppendorf t ubes containing the vitamin and ferric quinate solutions. Using sterile needles and syringes these solutions were transferred into the vials. These vials were incubated at 37 °C in a shaker. Checking the growth of the bacteria The growth of the bacteria were observed using spectrophotometer. Optical Density (OD) was taken at 595nm in 24, 26, 29, 38, 44 and 48 hours of incubation. The values are plotted in graph to find the maximum growth rate. Results and Discussion: A graph was plotted against time in hours and the OD values taken for different concentrations of reducing agents. Figure 1. Graph showing the growth of Magnetospirilla (MSR-1) at various concentrations of Ascorbic Acid. The growth of MSR-1 was maximum at the concentration 0.500mg/ml of Ascorbic acid. Figure 2. Graph showing the growth of Magnetospirilla (MSR-1) at various concentrations of Cysteine. The growth of MSR-1 was maximum at the concentrations 0.250mg/ml of Cysteine. Figure 3. Graph showing the growth of Magnetospirilla (MSR-1) at various concentrations of Glutathione. The growth of MSR-1 was maximum at the concentration 0.250mg/ml of Glutathione. Figure 4. Graph showing the growth of Magnetospirilla (MSR-1) at various concentrations of Sodium Sulfide. The growth of MSR-1 was maximum at the concentration 0.500mg/ml of Sodium Sulfide. Comparing all the OD values the growth of MSR-1 was maximum at the concentration 0.250mg/ml of Glutathione. Figure 5. Graph showing the growth of Magnetospirilla (RJS-1) at various concentrations of Ascorbic Acid. The growth of RJS-1 was maximum at the concentration 0.375mg/ml of Ascorbic Acid. Figure 6. Graph showing the growth of Magnetospirilla (RJS-1) at various concentrations of Cysteine. The growth of RJS-1 was maximum at the concentration 0.250mg/ml of Cysteine. Figure 7. Graph showing the growth of Magnetospirilla (RJS-1) at various concentrations of Glutathione. The growth of RJS-1 was maximum at the concentration 0.375mg/ml of Glutathione. Figure 8. Graph showing the growth of Magnetospirilla (RJS-1) at various concentrations of Sodium Sulfide. The growth of RJS-1 was maximum at the concentration 0.500mg/ml of Sodium Sulfide. Comparing all the OD values the growth of RJS-1 was maximum at the concentration 0.250mg/ml of Cysteine. Our studies showed that optimal concentration of reducing agents showed increased growth. When the concentration of reducing agents is increased further it inhibits the growth because of toxicity. Optimal concentration of reducing agents reduces the lag time and enhances the cell density. Conclusion: There are many other reducing agents which are used for growing various species of Magnetotactic bacteria. From the results we got it is suggested that Glutathione at the concentration 0.250mg/ml is ideal for the growth of MSR-1 and Cysteine at the concentration of 0.250mg/ml is ideal for the growth of RJS-1 strain of Magnetospirilla. References: [1] Blakemore R P, Maratea D and Wolfe R S, â€Å"Isolation and Pure Culture of a Freshwater Magnetic Spirillum in Chemically Defined Medium,† Journal of Bacteriology, 140(2), 720, 1979. [2] Cody Nash, â€Å"Mechanisms and Evolution of Magnetotactic Bacteria,† 2008. [3] Damien Faivre and Dirk Schuler, â€Å"Magnetotactic Bacteria and Magnetosomes,† Chem.Rev, 108, 4875–4898, 2008. [4] John F. Stolz, â€Å" Magnetosomes,† Journal of General Microbiology, 139, 1663-1670,1993. [5] Tadashi Matsunaga and Toshifumi Sakaguchi, â€Å" Molecular Mechanism of Magnet Formation in Bacteria,† Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 90, 1-13, 2000. [6] Xiangqian Li, Qilei Wang and Yemin Xue, â€Å" On the Change in Bacterial Growth and Magnetosome Formation for Magnetosprillum Sp. Strain AMB-1 Under Different Concentrations of Reducing Agents,† Jorunal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology,13, 1392-1398, 2013. [7] Yoshihito Uchino and Suzuki Ken-Ichiro, â€Å"A Simple Preparation of Liquid Media for the Cultivation of Strict Anaerobes,† Journal of Petroleum and Environmental Biotechnology, S3-001, 2157-2160, 2011.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Stanley Kubrick: Artist, Explorer and Pioneer Essay -- Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick: Artist, Explorer and Pioneer Introduction The line between art and entertainment has become malleable in the last century. Critics of fine art define its quality by its message, innovation and complexity. Both are founded on intent to communicate. Art seeks to engage the viewer and generally attempts to tap into more complicated and rarer emotions. (Krush Web Site) Stanley Kubrick uses the medium of film to convey an understanding of the world around him. I see his work as art rather than entertainment and I propose his inclusion in Howard Gardner’s model of Multiple Intelligences. The basis of my argument lies in analysis of his work ethic, complexities, innovations and communication skills. Background Stanley Kubrick was born on July 26th, 1928. The Bronx New York was both his birthplace and childhood home. While there he had a relatively uneventful adolescence. His typical nuclear family was of Jewish faith and consisted of a sister, Barbara, six years his younger, a mother, Gertrude, and a father, Jakob. His father was a doctor and instrumental in building the path Kubrick would later follow. His performance in academics was far from spectacular. Kubrick left high school without graduating at 17. His cumulative average was a 67. While in school, Physics was the only subject in which he excelled (his love of machines and movement are apparent in his later endeavors). But the time he spent in William Howard Taft High School was far from fruitless. On his 13th birthday he received a camera from his father. This led to a love of photography – he was the official photographer for the school and was even exhibited. At an early age Stanley had an eye for composition, subjects and themes. It was o... ... an audience and those luck enough to work with him, is hidden in the complexities of his work. Although he has touched some of the established genres of film, his style is all his own. His movies continually arouse critical analysis and raise questions about the state of humankind. Stanley Kubrick’s gifts to society will be remembered as frighteningly truthful and creative. Works Cited: Ciment, Michel. Kubrick. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York. 1980. DeVries, Daniel. Film of Stanley Kubrick. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids. 1973. Gardner, Howard. Creating Minds. Basic Books: A Division of Harber Collins Publishers, New York. 1993. Nelson, Thomas Allen. Kubrick: Inside a Film ArtistUs Maze. Indiana University Press, Bloomington. 1982. Walker, Alexander. Stanley Kubrick Directs. Harcourt Brace Jovanovick, Inc, New York. 1971.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

A Separate Peace :: essays research papers

Most stories’ titles give readers some insight of what the story will be about. This important concept is seen in the novel, A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles. In general the setting is its own separate peace. There are also specific examples of when characters in the novel try to create their own separate peace. The winter carnival is a good example, which shows the students at the Devon School creating their own separate peace. After being severely maimed, Finny enters his own state of mind, where there is no war occurring. He tries to put this state of mind into the other students’ minds. Finny starts a winter carnival during which the boys at Devon feel a degree of freedom in this time of war. At the carnival the boys drink cider and dance on the tables. They all feel that nothing matters anymore but their own fantasy world. Even the boys that were uptight about the war, like Brinker, loosened up and enjoyed the fantasy that Finny created. Finny successfully creates his own separate peace by creating a fantasy world. Gene and Finny create their own peace after there is a period of guilty tension. After Gene shakes Finny out of the tree, he feels guilt start to fall upon him. He is hesitant to tell Finny the truth about his accident, and as a result his guilt jumps to a higher level. Gene tries to tell him at the hospital that he is responsible for Finny falling out of the tree, but the doctor interrupts them. This tension between them builds until Gene admits to Finny what really happened. After that, Finny forgives him, and they resume their friendship, and their separate peace. A Separate Peace is shown through many examples in this novel.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Children’s ASPIRIN Essay

In 1986, FDA adopted a preliminary rule requiring aspirin manufacturers to add warnings to product labels about the possible association between aspirin use and the development of Reye’s syndrome. The permanent rule became final in 1988, and the labeling reads: Children and teenagers should not use this medicine for chicken pox or flu symptoms before a doctor is consulted about Reye’s Syndrome, a rare but serious illness. Until now, some questions about the relationship between aspirin and Reye’s syndrome still remain. Although figures show that 90 to 95 percent of Reye’s syndrome patients in the United States have taken aspirin during a preceding viral illness, it is estimated that less than 0. 1 percent of children having a viral infection and treated with aspirin develop the syndrome. Are other factors involved? Apparently so. Reye’s syndrome has always been a puzzling disease and the research on possible causes has been hampered because no one can come up with a simple specific diagnostic test for the syndrome. The waters are further muddled by the existence of at least 19 viruses, including the chicken pox and flu viruses, which cause infectious illnesses that can precede Reye syndrome development. Some experts have proposed that Reye’s syndrome develops from the interaction of a viral illness, genetic susceptibility to the disease, and exposure to chemicals. Soumerai, Ross-Degnan, and Kahn (1992) tell the story of the virtual disappearance of Reye’s Syndrome over a short period. Their narrative shows how debate in the scientific community and the health policy community was played over media outlets. The attention over both professional and, particularly, public communication channels were closely associated with the decline in disease incidence. They make a convincing case that the decline was not primarily associated with the timing of declared changes in policy or particular recommendations made to physicians, or even with the warnings placed on aspirin bottles. Rather, the decline followed immediately on increased coverage on these issues in the mass media. This is sensible, because much use of aspirin was independent of visits to physicians, and thus would be most sensitive to sources of change in public knowledge. Although there are no empirical studies that determine the link of aspirin and Reye’s Syndrome, Bayer should take this controversy seriously by doing research about it in order to finally lay this issue to rest. If Bayer proves that there is indeed no link between RS and Aspirin, it will be a positive feedback for the company and it will surely gain more support from the consumers. 8. ) What is the product strategy that Bayer is using as far as the placement of aspirin globally? Would you suggest something else? Since the early 80s, Bayer’s Children’s ASPIRIN business had been continuously falling downwards spiral. This scenario occurred when the US medical community suggested that there is an associated link between the consumption of children’s aspirin and the occurrence of a dangerous condition in children known as Reye’s Syndrome. Though the link was never proven, Bayer acted responsibly to the public relations crisis by self-imposing a worldwide ban on all promotion and advertisement of Children’s ASPIRIN in 1988. In the years that followed, Bayer had not fully reconsidered its strategy for Children’s ASPIRIN, nor had it considered introducing other analgesic products for children. For years, Zander had wanted to conduct a brand audit to determine the future of ASPIRIN in the children’s segment. But the project always fell behind something more pressing; given this new wave of publicity, it seemed like the time for the audit was now or never. Incidentally, with the decline within the children’s segment, there had been new discoveries opening other business opportunities. In 1985, the medical profession revealed that aspirin is effective in the prevention of heart attacks and strokes. As the prevention market developed, Zander and other managers at Bayer realized that an increasing percentage of Children’s ASPIRIN sales went to prevention. This was due, in part, to its lower cost but also to the lower dosage recommended for prevention (81–100 mg. compared to 325–500 mg. in adult aspirin). Unfortunately, the percentage of sales of Children’s ASPIRIN accounted for by the prevention market was unclear. In the creation of awareness of a pharmaceutical that generated additional sales, transferring market from ethical drug to over-the-counter (OTC) status is a strategy to increase market share and sales over the product life cycle of the drug. This strategy is one means of prolonging—and possibly increasing—sales revenues of the drug as generic copycats arrive on the market upon patent expiration. The value of the brand to the consumer differentiates otherwise identical and competing products. In placing the product globally without the aid of advertising, it is best to market through word-of-mouth of happy consumers who had found the product as effective. Also, producing empirical studies that disprove the link of Reye’s Syndrome could also thwart the past scare and would increase the credibility of the corporation. However, the combination of direct selling to doctors and direct advertising to consumers is expected to become the predominant global strategy of pharmaceutical companies in both ethical and OTC categories in the future. References Bayer Website. Buchanan, L. & Merker, C. K. (2002). Bayer AG : Children ’ s Aspirin. In A. A. Thompson, A. J. Strickland, & J. E. Gamble. Crafting and Executing Strategy -The Quest for Competitive Advantage, 14th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin). Soumerai S. B. , Ross-Degnan D. , & Kahn J. S. (1992). â€Å"Effects of professional and media warnings about the association between aspirin use in children and Reye’s syndrome†. Milbank Quarterly, 70( 1), 155-182.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Alice’s Adventure of Self Discovery in Wonderland

The bildungsroman novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll elucidates the idea of humans needing to be faced with a drastic situation, in order to grow and develop their own identity. Alice begins in the novel as a respectful and naive child, one typical of the Victorian Era. She struggles with adjusting to the new situations, as well as the growth and changes of her body. Alice’s escapades in Wonderland allow her to change her views with regard to authority as well as to understand different life situations. Alice’s time in Wonderland compels her to become more independent as well as to stand up for herself, ergo becoming a mature, self-reliant young woman. Alice’s adventures in Wonderland permit her to understand and accept her body’s baffling changes. As Alice enters Wonderland, a world where nothing is the same, her body changes sizes eleven times, something that is drastic for anyone, not only a young girl. When â€Å"she sat down and began to cry again† (Carroll 17), this was in regard to her body’s rapid and confusing changes. Alice’s body changed, she was completely hopeless as well had no idea on how to deal with the situation, much like a child entering puberty. When a child first enters puberty, they are extremely uncomfortable, but eventually they become more and more comfortable with the changes and in their own skin. Alice proves that she is becoming more comfortable with herself and her identity when she declares, â€Å"Oh dear! I’d nearly forgotten that I’ve got to grow up again! Let me see-how is it to be managed† (39). Alice’s body no longer has control over her, but instead she has control over her own body. Throughout Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice continues to become more comfortable with her body as well as in foreign and unfamiliar situations. Alice’s adventure allows her not only to become more comfortable with her body, but also more comfortable in regard to understanding the role that authority plays in society. When Alice first enters Wonderland, she is a confused, helpless child, who does not understand how to stand up for herself. In the beginning of the novel, Alice is thrown into a world where the strict rules she lives by no longer apply, and as a result does not understand how to act, especially in regard to authority. When the Rabbit makes a mistake of calling to Alice saying, â€Å"Why Mary Ann, what are you doing here? †¦ Alice was so frightened she ran off at once without saying a word† (10), Alice clearly acknowledges and understands the mistake. Due to her strict, traditional Victorian upbringing, she was taught to obey authority at all costs and never to contradict someone who was in a position of power. In Wonderland however, all that Alice thought she knew about authority is tossed aside, as those rules no longer apply. Although Alice indubitably knows she is not Mary Ann, the Rabbit’s maid, she is too afraid to disobey authority and point out the error of his ways. However, further on in the novel, as well as further on in Alice’s growth as a human, she becomes more comfortable with speaking up to authority. When Alice contradicts the Queen and her poor decisions when the Queen exclaims, â€Å"Off with her head! Off with her.. † but Alice barges in and declares that it is â€Å"nonsense. † (72). Alice not only becomes more comfortable as herself, but more comfortable speaking up and against authority, an important aspect of maturing. Alice’s growth and maturing not only depends on her physical size, but it also depends on her ability to adapt to new situations. In Wonderland, all of the new rules that come with these strange games, from the caucus race to the croquet game are metaphors to social situations. At the beginning of Alice’s adventure, Alice is confused by these new social situations, and does not quite now how to react to them. During the croquet game, Alice is unsure and â€Å"rather doubtful whether she ought not to lie down on her face like the three gardeners. † (35). Alice had never been in a situation like this, and she clearly did not know how to react, something that is learned over time as a person matures. Another example further along in the novel is when Alice is thrown into a new situation, where a baby is in danger, irrefutably a situation she had never been in before. Although Alice was unfamiliar with the social protocol, or what one would typically do in such a situation, she was mature enough to trust her instincts and stand up for the child by exclaiming at the Duchess, â€Å"Oh please mind what you’re doing! You nearly took his nose off! † (39). As Alice continues to mature and emerge as a young adult, she begins to trust her intuitions as well as defends her thoughts and ideas. Through Alice’s journey, she becomes more mature and as a result, adapts to new situations more easily. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a fantasy, bildungsroman novel that explores coming of age, in regard to puberty as well as social maturity. Although within the novel, it is Alice’s physical size that changes quite often, she matures throughout the novel while in Wonderland, adapting more easily to new, frightening situations as well as developing her moral courage. Alice begins her adventure as a frightened young girl, one who can barely cope in a situation, and she ends her journey being a strong, fearless and independent young woman.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

How to Ensure Individual Freedom and Community-Building in a Society?

Topic: How to ensure individual freedom and community-building in a society? Every people want to live freely to do whatever they want in a society with freedom and want to communicate with every social groups or governments to build up a good community. If we want to ensure individual freedom I shall briefly that what is the freedom and community is? Freedom is the power or rights to act, speak or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Community means that all people living in a particular area or place which call local communities.How to ensure individual freedom and community-building in a society? First of all, Individual freedom is talk about people is given rights to pursue life, liberty and happiness. To ensure individual freedom in society is security. Security is the most important point for the individual freedom because security is the degree of protection to safeguard for citizens live in country. If the country does not maintenance the security for the citize ns or in society have not well developed in security, so the citizens or in society have no freedom to act or rights to do everything and it might be harm in society.But if the society does maintenance the security for the citizens or this country in society will have no war. And also a country which provides citizens live in freedom under well developed in security in everything that they feel free to do anything they want. Hence, people have individual freedom that want to do everything freely because freedom is born out of an understanding of natural law and natural consequences and that drive each of us to be personality responsible for our own actions, to be self-reliant in our thinking and in our work.Second, to ensure individual freedom in society is self-autonomy because self-autonomy is a self-governing in society whom responds for our own actions in society. If we have self-autonomy to do something, to govern in our own decision in society, it seems that we strongly have a bility to do everything. So self-autonomy is another point that seek to individual freedom. For the community-building is creation or enhancement of community among ndividual within regional area or with common interest. To improve community-building we have to make social capital. Because social capital produce a sense of belonging which make an increasing overall health of community. Social capital is a social group that cooperated between citizens and governments that participates in society. To increase evidence shows that social capital cohesion is critical for societies to prosper economically and for development to be sustainable.Social capital is focus on social relations that have productive benefits. It is the most important participates in this society is to make social group and the governments make it to the strong system one to ensure which mean to build up the local communities or social truth governments and create more policies. Thus, to ensure community-building in society is we have social capital which have group of social or governments cooperating to build up the strong community.To sum up, we seems to ensure individual freedom and community-building in a society have many reasons or explanations to describe. For reasons or explanations to ensure individual freedom are security and self-autonomy. If every people live in society does have individual freedom which means that their society must have well developed in security and have self-autonomy. But for the ensure community-building is about social capital which means that all citizens and governments work together with a good community in society.

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Case study - Essay Example 5. The initial cause was the launching of the diversity program without a clear definition among managers as well as employees. The problem worsened when it was left to employees and facilitators, rather than management, to define what they thought diversity was. The effect was that the rules probably went beyond what management initially expected. Naylor (1999) mentioned that the underlying value in American culture is the freedom to one’s beliefs. These would include unpopular beliefs that work against diversity. A seminar and training at the workplace may not be enough to change these beliefs, leading to a hidden resentment in some workers. 6. Alliant operates in an industry that is high-tech, requiring constant innovation, creativity, and fresh ideas. An organization that can come up with technical advances first, operate more efficiently, and provide reliable service at the safest and cheapest way possible, will be differentiated from its competitors. But if the company puts priority on diversity before its need to find the best technical materials and people, efficiency and safety may suffer. 7. Diversity in the workforce provides a greater source of creative ideas and knowledge of customers; it therefore creates competitive advantages for the organization. Diversity among suppliers may lower costs and improve sources of materials as suppliers compete with each other. But Alliant wants people to accept diversity at a personal level. At this level, accepting any belief is a personal choice, so the company’s efforts may be interfering with personal freedoms beyond what the work demands. 8. The company must set a boundary so that diversity in the workplace is attained without interfering with personal prerogatives. Attitudinal change deals with deeply rooted ideas about race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and class, which people were raised with (Healey, 2005). The company

Monday, October 7, 2019

Redefinition of Authorship and Ownership in Media and Cultural Essay

Redefinition of Authorship and Ownership in Media and Cultural Industries - Essay Example reader gives the consumers a chance at obtaining the books not from the authors, but from the tablet maker through the publisher (Hesmondhalgh, 2012, p. 21). Not long ago, when the first marketable tablet came out in the form of an iPad, the chief executive officer of Apple, Steve Jobs, convinced several publishers to market their books through this type of computer which he promised would revolutionize the reading industry. He was right to a large extent since tablet computers have since then taken over from books and the education sector in general. Other tablet makers, who majorly consist of the Android market, followed suit with their contracts with publishers. Other companies that specialized in publishing like Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and especially Amazon made a lot of contracts with publishers and specific authors to have their material sold through their platforms. The contracts between the authors, the publishers and the tablet makers are the focus of this paper. The contrac ts consisted of allowing the tablet makers to market the books from several publishers and owners in one place the tablet makers unanimously called a store so that consumers, instead of going to each individual publisher to get a given title, would only have to search for the same title in one place. The eBooks cost differently from their hardcover counterparts from this moment (Straubhaar, LaRose and Davenport, 2011, p. 78). While the hardcover copies were priced differently due to for example the contents of the book, the popularity among its readers or the effort spent in penning the given piece of work, the tablet and eBook reader makers sought to unify the prices of these books due to several reasons they gave among them the fact that the books had an almost similar value in their... This essay stresses that the main corporations in informational technology include media houses that concern themselves with the dissemination of news or other issues around the world. Such houses include Bloomberg, News Corporation and BBC among others. Others in this classification include film companies such as 20th Century Fox. Technological changes have seen a shift to most of the media houses being owned and controlled by either governments or powerful families. This paper makes a conclusion that the corporations that are owned by the governments in their countries of origin include the BBC and most media firms in China. The Chinese government controls most of the media content and has ownership rights to most of the media houses too. The BBC was founded and runs on funds from the taxpayers’ money. There are several reasons as to why a government can control or won a media house. Most reasons point to the issue so of costs which are deemed to be low due to the government’s participation. The seeking of information by private individuals would be an expensive task to undertake. Other reasons point to the freedom of the press as a result of government dissemination of the information about the goings-on in the country since it is in control of most of the happenings. This is in contrast to private companies which would serve the governing classes’ interest. The advent of technology has brought changes in this sector in ref erence to the types of information given out.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Market Potential Index (MPI) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Market Potential Index (MPI) - Essay Example hat the market is still profitable in the future while market intensity tells that the population has enough disposable income to avail a cellular phone (this is important because cellular phone is not considered a basic need). Market infrastructure is important because cellular phones needs telecommunication infrastructure before it can operate such as International Gateway Facility. The five countries that I would advise a company selling laptops to enter into first are China, India, Singapore, Philippines and HongKong. China and India came as my first two because the sheer market size, economic freedom coupled with technological awareness in both countries. The market in both countries is also not yet mature so the competition is not yet that intense making it easier for the company to penetrate. Singapore came in third because of its overwhelming market growth rate (100) making it ideal for new entrants. I placed Philippines before HongKong because of its recent economic robustness in terms of market when the rest of the world is in recession. I place HongKong as fifth because of its market intensity (200) indicating that the population has more than enough disposable income to purchase new

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Research on Financial Statement Restatement and Ethics Paper

On Financial Statement Restatement and Ethics - Research Paper Example The company restated its position on august 1, 2012 stating that the financial records were not fit for their purpose in compliance with general accounting and reporting standards (Cubic Corporation, 2008). One of the impending reasons that can lead to the restatement as witnessed by the recent restatement is correcting errors. It forms one of the most common reasons for financial restatement (Cubic Corporation, 2008). It happens after the release of the financial statements. Consequently, errors are found by the company or the auditor. If the error margin is observed as material to financial statements, the statements are to be corrected and re-issued to the users. Materiality is determined if the statements will lead to the users coming to incorrect conclusions in their analysis (Taub, 2006). Another reason is the changes in GAAP. If a change in the current accounting methods brings about a change in the prior year’s statements in the case of retroactive application, the statements are required to be restated (Taub, 2005). As such, it ensures that no statement is changed over the course arises from a change in the accounting policy in use. For instance, the company chose to switch from a first-in-first-out inventory costing policy to a last-in-first-out. Consequently, the statements in the previous period must be restated in order to follow the new policy. Changes in reporting entity also cause restatement of financial statements (Lee et al., 2006). In the case of a company transition from one set of ownership to a new one or the structure of ownership change in the current year and the change has an impact in the current financial statements reporting or disclosures, the prior period comparative statements must be restated. The restatement is made to facilitate a smooth transition such that the implication will be that the change occurred in the beginning of the current year (Plumlee & Yohn, 2008b). Restatement brings about