My Blankie

My name probably should have been Linus, from The Peanuts, instead of Clara because I packed with my baby blankie everywhere with me until I was eleven years old. The front was turquoise blue with crazy colored jungle animals: there were pink lions, orange elephants, green hippopotamus, yellow monkeys, and purple giraffes. The back was bright orange and it was stuffed with the softest cotton batting. My Grandmother made it for me and from the day I was born it never left my side. My blankie was my best friend, it was always there to make me feel safe, and to protect me at night. Most days we would play dolls together. Then sometimes when I wanted to be a super hero I would tie my blankie around my neck and we would run around the yard. It was even my parachute the day I decided to jump off of the roof of the barn. (That is a long story for a different day). At night when my Mom would tuck me into bed I would snuggle my blankie under my chin; as I was falling asleep I would rub its fluffy softness against my cheek . It was there to protect me from my sister’s scary bedtime stories, thunderstorms, and the monsters under the bed. As long as my blankie was near me, I was invincible. As I grew up I stopped playing with my blankie. Even though I slept with it at night I realized I wasn’t going to be able to keep it with me forever. My sister teased me all the time that only babies sleep with blankies and my Mom kept telling me that I needed to throw that â€Å"old thing† way. By the time I was eleven my blankie was looking pretty worse for wear. The batting was all balled up in clumps and there were holes in it where the material was disintegrating. This is when I finally decided it was time to store my blankie away not because I didn’t need it any more but because I didn’t want to destroy something I loved so much. I really missed my dear friend on the nights when the monsters and thunder storms seemed overwhelming. Unlike Linus, I eventually outgrew my security blanket but I never forgot it. I still have it safely tucked away in a protective box under my bed, along with some other mementos that were important to me growing up. There have been times in my life that it would have been nice to have a built in friend that wouldn’t judge me for the way I looked or leave me behind if we had a disagreement; to have that warm sense of security to cuddle up with at night. If it were within my means I would make blankies for everyone because life is too short to not have one small shred of hope, an ounce of confidence, or a sense of security.

Democratic Overload Explained Essay

Federalism and the separation of powers mean that there are numerous elections at different levels of government and for different offices as well as primaries and direct democracy. Americans vote ‘for the president to the local dog catcher’ in 80,000 units of government, leading to ‘permanent’ campaigns and ‘bed-sheet ballots’, leading to a sense of ‘democratic overload’ due to more than 100,000 elections taking place annually which may lead to voter fatigue, higher alienation levels and abstention through too many participation opportunity’s. In the USA, candidates for office are not chosen by the parties, but by voters in primaries and caucuses. This is the nomination process which take place every 4 years for the presidential election and every 2 years for the mid term congressional elections. The huge number of elections for a wide range of posts from the president down to local civic officials and the resulting sense of permanent campaigning causes voters to switch off leading to high abstention due to voter apathy and boredom. Although more people do participate in the nominating process than 40 years ago, the turnout in the presidential primaries vary from one election cycle to another. In a year when an incumbent president is running for re-election and therefore only one party has a genuine nomination contest, turnout in the primaries is only around 17%. It was 17.5% in 1996 when president Clinton was running for re-election, and 17.2% in 2004, when George w. bush was running for re-election. Even when no incumbent president was running in 2000, turnout was still only 19%. However, in 2008, with no incumbent president and a highlight competitive race in the Democratic Party between a women and an African American, turnout soared to just over 30%. Democratic overload leads to voter fatigue, high alienation levels and abstention, as the process is far too long. In 1960, senator John Kennedy announced his candidacy for the presidency just 66 days before the first primary. In readiness for the 2004 campaign, senator John Kerry announced his candidacy 423 days before the first primary. Barack Obama in 2008 also announced his candidacy 332 days before the first primary. Democratic overload is one reason for the law turnouts of us elections. Apart from the federal and state elections, there are also the primary and caucus elections and increasingly voters are invited to vote on initiatives, propositions at local level and possibly in recall elections. For example, The 2003 California gubernatorial recall election was a special election permitted under California state law. It resulted in voters replacing incumbent Democratic Governor Gray Davis with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. This could be contrasted with other democracies, such as the UK, where the opportunities to vote are far more restricted.

Bachata

Bachata Music and dance go hand in hand. Just like Bachata music, the dance is also simple and uncomplicated, containing a series of the simplest of steps. The dance moves or step variety, during a performance, strongly depends on the music, (such as the rhythms played by the different instruments), mood, setting, and the performers’ interpretation. The leading is done like in most other social dances, with a â€Å"pushing and pulling† hand and arm communication. The original dance style from the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean is a basic dance arrangement in a full 8 count moving within a square. Others in the Western dancing world later developed a more simple style and pattern, which incorporated dance elements from other dances as well. The basic is also in a full 8 count, but with a side to side motion. Both of these styles consist of 3 normal steps and then a tap step, which is often accompanied by a â€Å"pop† of the hips, and can sometimes be substituted with syncopations. The music has an accent rhythm at every 4th count, this is normally when the dancers will tap-step and pop their hips- this is called dancing Bachata to the basic rhythm of music. Bachata can be danced to other music as well if the dancers just focus on a particular instrument. The early slow style of the 50s was danced only closed, like the Bolero. The Dominican style of Bachata is danced today all over the Caribbean, now also faster in accordance to faster music, adding more footwork, turns and rhythmic free style moves which alternate between closed (romantic) and open positions (more playful). While men may perform the music, women and men alike take part in Bachata dancing. It is a dance of sensuality and seduction, relating strongly with its roots in heartache and bitterness and unrequited love. Dominican Bachata is created by the people over many years for social dancing, and is still evolving. There are many different styles of Bachata dance, here is just a few: * Original Bachata Traditional (the Western Traditional: the first Fusion Style) * Modern/Moderna (later Fusion Style) * Bachatango/Bachata Tango (later Fusion Style) * Ballroom (later Fusion Style) There are â€Å"many other Fusion Styles† of Bachata from the West, pioneered and promoted by different teachers around the world, each with its own distinct flair. Whether these are considered completely different styles or simply variations of the main styles, is often argued by teachers and students alike.

Reflection and DQ's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflection and DQ's - Essay Example As such, CSR was described to entail elements which include commitment to serve the best interests of society; yet ensuring that the organization grows through the generation of profits. Without earning financial resources, the organization would not be able to sustain continued operations in producing products or services that would benefit its stakeholders, including the environment and the general public. Finally, the success of CSR also requires consumer social responsibilities to do their part in sustaining and supporting the organization’s commitment to succeed in their field of endeavor. One shares similar contentions that the popularity of applying CSR was considered analogous to a bandwagon paradigm. By merely asserting that the organization adheres to CSR philosophies was already indicative of conformity to ethical, moral, and legal standards. As explained in the video, there are crucial ingredients to consider before CSR could be effectively exemplified. One strongly believes that CSR would only be successful and effective, if and when, the board members or members of the executive team have in-depth understanding of what CSR ideals and philosophies entail. As such, it was commendable to insinuate that the application of CSR goes hand in hand with corporate governance. Thus, organizations should not publicly promote adherence to CSR philosophies without genuine commitment to abiding with ethical standards. There should be a balanced application of business practices that give equal weights to generation of profits vis-Ã  -vis serving the interests of others. The description of CSR accurately attested an exemplary understanding of the relevant lessons presented from the video. The commitment of the organization to look beyond what they offer in terms of products or services that generate profits, to include the ensuring that the effects of these products (or services) generate positive impact to society

Cultural values Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultural values - Assignment Example There is a significant difference in the themes of Japanese people when compared to the American population. Within the American society, the rights of every individual become established and are not subject to cultural expectations. While similar fundamental rights to choice remain available within the constitution, the Japanese society perceives cultural values as superseding constitutional rights. Married women in Japan are therefore expected by the society to leave their careers and become full-time mothers. Individuals who opt to follow different paths find life increasingly difficult because of the cultural expectation. In contrast, the American society presents limited cultural expectations because of the multiple cultures making the American society. The diversity within the American culture remains the fundamental reason behind the absence of cultural expectations, and reliance on fundamental rights provided by the constitution.There are numerous cultural values within the J apanese society forming the base for the cultural beliefs. Empathy and human relations remains a fundamental aspect of Japanese culture, and are regarded as part of life. The Japanese believe that human emotions like love and anger come from the gods; hence showing love to others and resulting relations become valued within the society. Indentify oneself with another – empathy, remains highly valued within the society. Children are taught that human fulfilment emanates from close relationships with others.... Children are taught that human fulfilment emanates from close relationships with others (Nathan, 116). The Japanese believe that success comes forth through combination of efforts from different people. Order and status could be identified as the second fundamental aspect of Japanese society. The value is based on the Japanese belief in the philosophy of Confucianism, which emphasizes on harmony with nature, displayed through an individual’s contribution to social order and proper behaviour. Tranquillity and happiness are the fundamental results sought through the value of order and status (Slater and Robson, 360). Understanding of one’s social status in Japan remains fundamental in establishing relationship with others. While the status of individuals forms an essential element within the Japanese society, goals and self remain the fundamental aspect behind the establishment of the status. The element of individuality within the society becomes immensely admired wh en the individuals becomes perceived as sincere. While individuality is admired, extreme cases become negatively perceived as selfishness; which becomes the opposite of the value of empathy and human relations. The combination of these fundamental values presents a satisfactory balance between the society, environments, and the individual (Doi, 57). These values remain significantly important to the society, as they have contributed to the continued peaceful progression of the Japanese nation. Question 3 The social structure could be defined as a combination of different social arrangements resulting from and causing actions by members of the society. Social institutions have a significant impact on the roles played by

Blueprint for the Services at Brithinee Electronics Essay

Blueprint for the Services at Brithinee Electronics - Essay Example started Brithinee Electronics in 1963 after two previous ventures did not work out. The earlier ventures proved to be a springboard for getting into the business of repairing industrial motors. Wallace's young sons, Wally and Don Brithinee worked alongside their father in starting and developing the fledgling company, gradually learning the rewinding business. In 1970 when the Lincoln Electric, a large manufacturer of electric motors, came out with an appealing low priced motor, the Brithinee made a strategic decision to be distributors for Lincoln's new product line. Taking on the Lincoln line allowed Brithinee Electric to offer its customers the choice of repairing or replacing a malfunctioning motor. By 1972 Brithinee Electric had seven employees and enough business to feel optimistic about the future, so it built a 10000 square foot facility to house the business. The company's facilities were expanded to 16.750 square feet seven years later. By 1980 Brithinee Electric had 23 employees. In 1982 Wally and Don Brithinee took over the management of the business when Wallace Sr. decided to retire. In 1987. Brithinee has about $4.5 million in revenue, about 75% of which came from sellings its Toshiba and Baldor lines of electric motors and about 25% came from motor repair work. Building customized electric control panels was of which came from motor repair work. Building customized electric control panels was a new venture with one full time employee, but control panel sales were not yet large enough to be listed as a separate revenue category in the company's financial statements. Brithinee's main emphasis was in motors for water pumping and treatment areas, rock crushing, cement facilities, and the food industry, including wineries and breweries. 1.0 Blueprint Design Blueprint is the term the service experts' use for the structure of the company services Lovelock (2003). It is also known as structural process design and was created by Shostack in 1987. Blueprinting not only highlights the importance of the service design but also concentrates more on flowcharts or processes modeling. It also shows a clearer picture of the process in service mapping. From the perspective of the Brithinee Electric's customer (first stage of process is bringing the motor to the workshop or asking Brithinee to get it picked from the customer's site). When a customer would come with the problem being faced in his motor, the Brithinee staff would firstly take its photos and test it. After the testing the customer would be told of the problems that exists and how would it be cured. If the customer allows, the second stage of repairing starts off. 2.0 Flow Chart of Brithinee's Electric The process consists of 11 steps: 1. Customer brings in his motor 2. The problem existing in the motor is discussed with the staff and the staff is told after the review if they want

Personal Mission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Mission - Essay Example ds) Exceptional Needs Standards firstly, then it moves towards the understanding of the special educator, after it, it informs about how can the NBPTS Exceptional Needs Standards be applied for teaching students with disabilities, then there is an assessment of knowledge and skills needed to be an effective special educator and in the end, the topic is concluded. NBPTS (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards) Exceptional Needs Standards is a certification for the teachers who teach students with special needs. The age criterion that is applied for exceptional students is twenty one and more than twenty one years of age (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, 2006). The teacher willing to get this certification must be able to identify the needs of students in terms of communication because communication is required to get information, to apply information and to understand information. The NBPTS Exceptional Needs Standards require the teachers to be sincere to their teaching job and that they have full interest in enabling the students to learn. NBPTS Exceptional Needs Standards are a set of principles, which the interested candidates should be aware of before applying for it (Bond, et. al, 2000). The principles are related to the teaching attitude and interest of teachers and also about the devotion of teachers towards the students with exceptional needs. These standards make sure that the teachers that are certified according to these standards are able to let the students with special needs to learn to a great extent. The teachers are assessed according to their knowledge concerning relative subjects for the students with special needs. The teachers must be able to generate a positive correspondence between them and the students. The teachers should not keep any kind of prejudice or bias with the students, they must be fair to all. The teachers should have all the legal knowledge required for special education. According to these

Aerodynamics and propulsion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aerodynamics and propulsion - Research Paper Example Lift is a force generally associated with an object moving inside the fluid, with the direction being either vertical or in some cases, perpendicular to the direction of motion. A classic example of where lift is used is the wings of an aircraft. As the aircraft moves horizontally, the shape of the wings create a pressure gradient beneath its top and bottom surface, hence creating a vertically upwards force (Munson, Young and Okiishi). When an object moves through a fluid, it mostly experiences a force due to the pressure forces acting on the body. If the forces are acting on opposite ends of different magnitudes, they tend to create a net pressure force. For a symmetric object moving in a fluid, with its line of symmetry being parallel to the direction of motion of the fluid, no lift would be generated because the forces would cancel each other. Hence, to create a lift force, a symmetric object must have its line of symmetry at an angle to the direction of motion, or be non-symmetri c. Non-symmetric objects may also move at an angle inside the fluid, and this angel is called the angle of attack (Munson, Young and Okiishi). In the case of an aerofoil which is depicted below, it can be seen that the section of the top surface over which air is flowing is greater than the area of the bottom surface. To ensure that conservation of mass is not violated, the speed of the air at the top is increased so that the total horizontal displacement of the air at the top and bottom are the same (Abhinav). ... The lift coefficient is a key factor for objects that create lift. It depends on shape, the fluid properties and the surface roughness. A general expression for this coefficient is given as: Where Re is the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces; Fr is the Froude number, the ration between inertia forces and gravitational forces; Ma is the speed of the fluid relative to the speed of sound in that fluid; and is a measure of surface roughness (Munson, Young and Okiishi). In other words, the fluid’s temperature, density, speed, viscosity, as well as the shape of the object, surface roughness and angle of attack, amongst other things, have a say in the determination of the lift forces. b) Describe how atmospheric parameters (temperature, pressure, density) affect the generation of lift and drag as an aircraft gains altitude? As discussed previously, the fluid’s temperature, density, speed, viscosity, as well as the shape of the object, surface roughness and angle of att ack, amongst other things, have a say in the determination of the lift forces. Let us now discuss the effects of a few these parameters on the lift force and lift coefficient. Coming back to the case of the aircraft: as the aircraft moves at a higher altitude, where the air is thinner and less dense because of the gravitational effects forcing the mass of air to move downwards, the lift force, which is directly proportional to the density of the fluid, decreases with the decrease in density. Another factor is temperature. At higher elevations, the temperature of the air is lower, which creates an increase in density, the lift force is likely to

Family and social structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Family and social structure - Essay Example cy that include but are not limited to; - Social economic status particularly the variations in income distributions across the society, levels of gender equality in the society, the availability of sex education in schools, ease of access of sexual health services that are targeted at teenagers as well as levels of exposure to explicit media material. In 2000, around 38,690 teenagers under 18 years old conceived. Around 45% of these teenagers opted for Legal abortion due to the fact that these were unplanned pregnancies. Several factors tend to influence their choice on whether or not they would want to be sexually active and to utilize the various contraception available to them. A majority of these decisions are done at a personal level (beliefs and attitudes, substance abuse, knowledge), intra-familial level (parent-child communication, family structure, social economic factors), extra-familial level (sexual health education in schools, health services, peer influences) as well as the community level (norms and values that are related to teenage pregnancies) Most of these factors can vary with time and depending on the available social institutions while at the same time others may not be that easy to change. In many cases, groups of physicians play the role of lobbying the government to enact policy initiatives that are aimed at controlling sexually risky behavior amongst teenagers that include improved sex education in learning institutions. The most significant role of physicians is to provide the needed sexual health information as well as services in their premises during the provision of clinical services to teenagers. These physicians have to be familiar with the realities teenage sexuality. Studies have shown that most teenagers may be sexually active by the time they complete their high school education. This means that physicians should try to include in their general inquiry questions about their past sexual activity, contraception use, STI

Marketing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing strategy - Essay Example f the intangibility of its products and the fact that financial risk is significantly reduced with the expanding market and the increasing database of customers. The intangibility of the insurance products and the volumes of premiums have significant impact on the performance outcome of insurance companies. They are major issues that require innovative ideas and creative inputs to promote strategies that would be able to attract and retain customers. Indeed, the scholars assert that the financial services are characterized by intangibility; heterogeneity; inseparability; perishability; and high labor intensity (Zeithaml and Bitner 2000). The marketing of insurance products therefore becomes dependent on the way the new idea is projected to the people and information is disseminated amongst the prospects. Insurance products are mainly sold through agents. They also heavily rely on the external factors like trust in the protection provided and the goodwill of the agents through which the insurance products are sold. The intangibility of the products makes it difficult to judge its quality until it can be experienced and therefore, the marketing strategies need to rely on factors like credibility of the company, price, promotion, segmentation etc. The perishability of service makes it difficult to make forecast. Indeed, the fact that the quality and delivery of the services are closely linked to the human aspects makes it much harder for the insurance firms to convince their targets. Hence the creativity of ideas and dissemination tools become major facilitators of effective market strategy. The leading insurance companies Lloyds, Norwich Union etc. increasingly deploy new strategies like competitive premium, innovative products and differentiation in the product so new customers can b e attracted. While a sales process primarily involves five major steps to commence sales, it is imperative they must be accompanied by clear understanding of behavioural pattern of

Three Events That Changed America Essay Example for Free

Three Events That Changed America Essay The United States has changed a lot since its â€Å"Birth† in 1776. The United States changed for better or worse from The Great Depression, The Vietnam War, and The Attacks of 9/11. These life altering events formed America with tragedy, and destruction. Being the land of the free and the home of the brave. We rose up stronger and with hope. That’s what makes America great. The Great Depression all started when the stock’s value started to plummet with no hope of recovery (Black Tuesday), people started to panic. Everyone who owned stock was trying to sell, but no one was willing to buy. This caused the stock market to suffer even more. The Stock Market Crash was only the beginning. Almost all the banks at this time put their clients’ money into the stock market. When the stock market crashed, this made the banks go bankrupt. When news got around, anyone who had money in the bank was immediately withdrawing all the money they could. All the money being taken out caused any bank left to close permanently. The Great Depression had such a huge impact on the way America is today because it destroyed our economy. We were forced to grow together as a country and rebuild. I think Dennis Hastert says it best â€Å"What makes America great is that we can come together during times of national tragedy†. The Great Depression also change how we run our banks. The government now has a program in place called FDIC Insurance. They will insure you for up to 250,000 per insured bank account. The fee is included in your normal taxes. This was put in place because of the Great Depression. â€Å"The Vietnam War† At the end of World War II Military and Political tensions between the USSR (Russia) and the US greatly increased. Communism in the USSR presented itself as a big threat to the US’s national security. Fearing that the Communism would spread to Vietnam and other countries, the US opposed the independence movement there. The US first began by financially supporting France in the first Indochina War. The French defeat in Dein Bien Phu led to a peace conference in Geneva. This conference resulted in splitting the former French colony Indochina into three separate countries, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. There was a plan for a nationwide election to unify North and South Vietnam. However, in 1956, South Vietnam backed by the US refused to hold the election. The US supported South Vietnam by sending 2,000 military advisors-which grew to over 16,000 by 1963. In 1960, the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) began to attack the South Vietnamese government. After two attacks on U.S Navy vessels, the Gulf of Tokin Resolution was passed by the US Congress to give the US more powers to fight the war in Vietnam. The first US Combat troops were sent a year and a half after it was passed. In 1968 over 540,000 troops were in the countries of Vietnam. That same year the Viet Cong launched a massive surprise attack. This is now known as the â€Å"Tet Offensive†. This attack threatened the US’s position in South Vietnam. This had a huge impact on the outcome of the war. President Richard Nixon proposed the â€Å"Vietnamization† project. It gave South Vietnam more responsibility in fighting the war while still receiving American aid. The US would also provide air and naval support if necessary. In 1972 the Easter Offensive made people think if the policy was effective. They were suggesting that South Vietnam could not wage a full scale war against North Vietnam without the US’s full support. The 1970’s brought anti-war protests because Nixon tried to destroy the Viet Cong supply bases. In 1973, the war started to come to an end. The Paris Peace Accord was signed. This established a ceasefire and allowed the exchange of war prisoners. Also the withdrawal of US forces from Vietnam. This officially ends the US’s and its ally’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The US did still contribute monetarily to South Korea until its official ending in 1975. South Korea lost, and Vietnam was unified as one communist country. The Vietnam War not only changed how we fight, but it changed who we draft and length of the tour. In the Vietnam War the US learned a lot about jungle warfare. Towards the end the US got very proficient at it. Some historians believe that if the US would have kept the troops for four years instead of one the US would have gotten better quicker. They say that as soon as the troops got good, they were given the option to go home, which they did. The US also learned a lot about chemical warfare. The US learned how it affects the surrounding people. The US also learned how people in their own country felt about it. The war also changed our drafting system. The US in now on a volunteer basis. The Vietnam had many deaths on both sides and it has affected the world forever. â€Å"Pearl Harbor† Early morning on December 7th, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise torpedo attack on the US Naval Base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The following day President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a speech to the American citizens. This speech was informing the people that this all happened during the midst of talks to keep peace. That same day America entered WWII. Pearl Harbor held a 22,000 acre naval base. Admiral Husband E. Kimmel of the Navy and Lt. General Walter C. Short of the Army were in command of the fleet and troops on the ground the day of the attack. The majority of the Pacific area’s military commands were headquartered there because of growing apprehensions regarding an aggressive Japanese presence. Since the Japanese wanted to expand their territory and power, they had to search for natural resources. America was a likely target. America was a barrier between Java’s oil fields and the Japanese fleets. Also with America around, Japan could not conduct military strategies against the Netherlands and territories of the United Kingdom. Early on in the morning on December 7th, 1941, Japanese planes attacked about thirty-three American ships on orders of Vice-Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. America sustained a loss of one hundred seventy aircrafts that morning as well as eighteen ships. Three thousand seven hundred Americans lost their lives in one day but only very few Japanese died. Pearl Harbor changed America because it brought us to join WWII. This decision had an impact on who won the war. Who knows, if the US didn’t join the war we could all be speaking German or Japanese right now. This also led to the use of the first and last detonation of a nuclear bomb in warfare. So there are definitely pros and cons to Pearl Harbor. The loss of all the men in the attack was horrible, but if that never happened Hitler might have won. All in all, these events changed the course of history. The Great Depression taught us a lesson about how to handle stocks and money. It also gave us hope and brought us together as a country. The Vietnam War showed us how to fight jungle warfare. It also showed us the effects of chemical warfare (years after the Vietnam War). Pearl Harbor brought us to the very important decision to join WWII. For better or worse America is what it today because of these things.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay Hamlet by William Shakespeare is one of the most famous plays of all time. Of the many themes and representation of the human condition in this play, one of the most debated questions among critics and lay readers alike is the issue of Hamlet’s sanity. While sanity and insanity can be defined in many different ways, many critics point to Hamlet’s keen observations and clever manipulations as not insanity but confused grief in an otherwise extremely intelligent, albeit sensitive, man. Hamlet tells his friends in Act I of his plan to feign madness. After the ghost’s revelation and call to Hamlet to get revenge, Hamlet decides to assume an air of insanity to allow him a wider range of words and actions around the King and Queen. He tells Horatio of his intention to â€Å"put an antic disposition on† (I,v, 177). Individuals who are insane rarely plan their insanity. In fact, Hamlet knows that people who are crazy are more apt to get away with odd words and activities. This proves true, for he is not punished for appearing half dressed in Ophelia’s chamber or for his taunting of Polonius with references to â€Å"fishmonger† and â€Å"Jepthah. †His plan appears to be working. The King and Queen set to finding out the cause of Hamlet’s lunacy which throws them off the path of his knowledge of the murder. â€Å"He acts the part of madness with unrivalled power, convincing the persons who are sent to examine into his supposed loss of reason merely by telling them unwelcome truths and rallying them with the most caustic wit† (Bates 22). His intelligence almost gets him in trouble. His admission to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that â€Å"I am but mad north-northwest. When the wind is southerly, I / know a hawk from a handsaw† (II,ii,384-385). While these two do not catch his meaning, the more clever Claudius does. He notes, â€Å"Nor what he spake, thout it lacked form a little, Was not like madness† (III,i,167-168) and â€Å"Madness in great ones must not unwatchedgo† (III,i,192). Of course Hamlet is consumed with grief. His choice of dark clothing and brooding countenance is apparent when the reader first meets him. This is understandable upon the death of a father and not something that Hamlet becomes clinically insane about. His depression cannot be compared to psychosis. â€Å"The mental disturbance which it causes becomes apparent while he thinks aloud, almost as soon as the ghost has disappeared; but he is not mad either in the popular or in the physiological sense; it is merely the mental derangement of a noble, but not an heroic, nature, sinking beneath a burden which it cannot bear and must cast away† (Bates 29). Hamlet is depressed, even distraught, after learning of the true fate of his father, but he is not insane. Later, after the play, Hamlet confirms his sanity to his mother in order to convince her of Claudius’ guilt and to implore her to stay away from him. Yes, his Oedipal obsession with his mother is odd for many readers, but coupled with his father’s death and the ghost’s appearance, his desire to save her is more in the realm of understandable. He tells her â€Å"It is not madness/That I have uttered. Bring me to the test,? And I the matter will reword, which madness / Would Gambol from† (III,iv, 146-150). He wants her to know that he is not crazy and to choose his side, which she does. This is one of Hamlet’s goals. Many critics focus on the To Be, or Not To Be soliloquy in which Hamlet considers suicide for the second time as being proof of his insanity. Again, a closer look at Hamlet’s words show this to be false. This soliloquy is an organized, parallel, and logical debate on the issue of suicide. A mad individual would not possess the logic to provide such a point-counterpoint style. He lists all of the vices of the world and sets them up against all the unknowns of the afterworld and concludes, logically, Thus conscious does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pitch and moment With this regard their currents turn awry And lose the name of action. (III,i, 84-89). Hamlet carefully weighs the pros and cons of suicide, for him, and concludes that the fear of the unknown keeps him alive. This is not an insane man. In fact, Hamlet’s supposed insanity can be compared to Ophelia’s actual insanity. Ophelia, after the death of her father and Hamlet’s mean treatment of her, has truly gone insane. She is singing songs about her dead father and about losing her virginity in front of the entire court. She is handing out flowers to the King and Queen, and eventually she â€Å"drowns† in inches of water. One critic notes how Hamlet â€Å"differs surprisingly from the pathetic inanities of the gentle Ophelia† (Blackmore 59). This contrast further shows Hamlet’s sanity. â€Å"The mad role that Hamlet plays to perfection, is certainly a proof of Shakespeares genius, but by no means a surety of the insanity of the Prince† (Blackmore 57). Hamlet is shown to be sane in this play. That is not to say he is not grieving, angry and depressed at various moments, but textual and critical support show that he is not insane. Works Cited Bates, Alfred, ed. The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization. Vol. 14. London: Historical Publishing Company, 1906. pp. 20-34. Blackmore, Simon Augustine. â€Å"The Real or Assumed Madness of Hamlet. † The Riddles of Hamlet and The Newest Answers. Boston: Stratford Company, 1917 Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Evanston, IL: McDougal/Little, 2003.

Theories of Colour Vision

Theories of Colour Vision Kishan Lakhani How does colour vision work? It is difficult to imagine a world without colour perception as it is constantly in action by a whole spectrum of living organisms and for a range of purposes, it â€Å"not only allows us to detect objects that might otherwise be obscured by their surroundings; it also helps us to recognize and identify things we can see easily† (Goldstein, 2000, p.203), thus making it an essential component of vision. Colour dictates survival in many environments; the artic fox boasts a white pelt allowing effective camouflage over its prey and a significant factor in its ability to hunt (Sekuler Blake, 2006). I will explore the mechanisms that are said to explain colour vision at the photoreceptor level and beyond, but first of all we must understand what colour actually is. The electromagnetic spectrum ranges from cosmic rays to radio waves, as wavelength increases. Between UV and Infrared lies a strip, visible light, this is what we are interested in with regard to colour (Snowden et al., 2006). Colour arises when light rays from this visible spectrum (390nm-750nm) are reflected off objects and into our eyes. Differing wavelengths of light from this spectrum subsequently determine the colour perceived, as short wavelengths produce the colour violet (350nm), medium and long wavelengths produce green and red respectively. Sir Isaac Newton famously wrote â€Å"The rays to speak properly are not coloured. In them there is nothing else than a certain Power and Disposition to stir up a Sensation of this or that colour† (Sekuler Blake, 2006, p.236) So colour doesn’t really exist in the physical world at all, it is our own psychology that creates the concept of colour. Semi Zeki (1983) refined Newton’s words further saying that colour vis ion is a â€Å"property of the brain, not the world outside.†( Sekuler Blake, 2006, p.236) Hence we can sum up that colour vision lies in the eyes and brain – and not in the physics of light itself (Anderson 2012). So to answer the question ‘How does colour vision work’ we must explore the visual systems of the organisms further. Figure 1 The Electromagnetic spectrum (2012), Diagram showing the visible spectrum within the electromagnetic spectrum Photoreceptors are light sensitive cells found at the back of the eye in the retina. They contain visual pigments that absorb photons of light and convert this light energy into chemical energy, this process is called phototransduction. Within the pigment is a protein which determines the wavelength of light absorbed by the pigment and also a chromophore which is responsible for absorbing photons of light. (Wolfe et al., 2009) There are 2 types of photoreceptors, rods and cones. Cones are mainly concentrated in the fovea in the centre of the retina whereas Rods are completely absent in the fovea and more prevalent in the periphery of the retina (Snowdon et al,. 2006). Rods are adapted so they can operate in low light levels due to spatial pooling allowing scoptic vision, whilst sacrificing visual acuity. They contain just one pigment rhodopsin – denying colour vision due to the univariance principle. Cones however contain 3 photo pigments, which are sensitive to various wavele ngths of light and can therefore let us see colour. In comparison to the physical description of light, colour is much easier to describe as it is experienced psychologically not physically – such is the nature of light. It can be specified by just three values; hue, saturation and lightness.(Palmer, 1999) This is very important with reference to colour vision as it implies that many different lights will produce the same colour experience (Palmer, 1999). The three perceptual dimensions of colour can be summarised in what is known as the colour spindle. Hue is referred to as â€Å"the chromatic aspect of light† (Wolfe et al., 2009) and is dictated by its wavelength. Saturation corresponds purity and how vivid the colour is (Palmer 1999), and brightness involves the intensity of the colour (physically). The Young/Helmhotz trichromatic theory of colour vision works on the photoreceptor level, and ultimately was sprouted through the results of Helmhotz’s colour matching experiment. Observers were allowed to vary the intensities of 3 primary lights and mix them (in a comparison field) to match the colour of a single wavelength in a test field. They had to find a psychological match between the mixture of primary lights and the test light, simply by varying the intensities of the primary lights. This match is known as a metameric one, as the light in the comparison field is physically different yet psychologically identical to that in the test field. Results showed that by varying intensities in the comparison field, the observer could find a metameric match using just three primary lights. Dichromatic observers were unable to find matches for every colour in the test field. In summary, â€Å"with 3 primaries, you can get any combination of responses in the 3 cone types, so you can match the appearance of any test light.† (Anderson 2012) It is therefore clear to us that colour vision heavily relies on three different receptor mechanisms or cone photopigments, each with different spectral sensitivities (Goldstein, 2010). This is the basis of the trichromatic theory I will now elaborate on. Monochromats possess only one type of pigment in their cones. In this case, the ability to see colour is not possible. The same chain of events is initiated in the visual receptor despite there being a variety of wavelengths in the light absorbed by the pigment. The receptors response conveys information about how much light has been absorbed, but this response provides no information about the wavelength of this absorbed light. (Sekuler Blake, 2006) It is therefore impossible to discriminate wavelength when there is only one photopignment, which has uniform spectral sensitivity. The response could have altered due to a change in wavelength or light intensity, and monochromats are none the wiser – this is known as the principle of univariance. This situation is not unique to monochromats, as in low light levels rods are the only photoreceptors in action. They have one photopigment, rhodopsin resulting in the same dilemma. Consequently we â€Å"disregard the wavelength inform ation and see an image that appears in shades of grey† (Snowden et al., 2006) explaining why we can’t monochromats can’t see colour and why none of us have colour vision in low light levels. Dichromats possess two photopigments, which is very useful in terms of colour vision. The two pigment types have different absorption spectra, extracting some usable wavelength information about light (Sekuler Blake, 2006) It is now possible to separate and disentangle wavelength and intensity, allowing colour to be visible to a certain extent. Certain wavelengths are confused and constitute failures of discrimination (Sekuler Blake, 2006). A key reason that leads to the idea humans aren’t dichromats revolves around what is known as the neutral point. All dichromats possess this neutral point in which a single wavelength is always confused, and â€Å"the existence of a single neutral point is the hallmark of a two-pigment eye.† (Sekuler Blake, 2006, p.249) As humans do not show any traits of having the neutral point, there is a strong belief that humans have more than two cone photopigments. Trichromats hold three cone photopigments, enabling total discrimination of wavelengths throughout the visible spectrum. Trichromacy also ties in with Helmhotz’s colour matching experiment, indicating three not two photoreceptors are required for complete colour vision across the entire visible spectrum. The three pigments are most sensitive to light of a particular wavelength – approximately 430, 530 and 560 nanometres respectively. (Sekuler Blake, 2006) Figure 4 shows the each cone pigment absorbs a very wide range of wavelengths. So between 400nm and 650nm there are at least two types of cone photopigments absorbing light. In the region of 475nm, all three types of pigments are affected and stimulated. (Sekuler Blake, 2006) Hence we can conclude that the absorbance range is tremendously increased with three photopigments, and as light is reflected onto the retina every wavelength of light in the visible spectrum can be perceived in the form of colours by our brain. Trichromatic theory may explain how the existence of just three cone photopigments allows colour matching for any wavelength of light in the visible spectrum, using just three primary lights. However, it still leaves many unanswered questions when it comes to having a full understanding of how colour vision works – as Hering highlighted. Negative afterimages, the visibility of four psychologically pure hues (blue, red, green and yellow) and the absence of complementary hues such as blueish – yellow all indicate that trichromatic theory alone is inadequate in explaining how colour vision works. Hering made an important discovery with regard to afterimages. If we stare at the black dot in Figure 5 for around 30 seconds, and then look at a blank piece of paper we notice the colour of each square changes. The green changes to red and red to green, whilst the blue changes to yellow and the yellow to blue. Based on results like these, Hering proposed the concept that red and green are paired and blue and yellow are likewise paired. (Goldstein, 2010) An experiment where observers were shown patches of colour, and then asked to estimate the ratios of blue, green, red and yellow from each patch they received. Results showed that observers very rarely saw blue and yellow, or red and green together. (Abraham Gordon, 1994 cited in Goldstein, 2010) Sekuler and Blake (2006, p.255) also support this view that these complementary hues do not coexist, as â€Å"an object never appears both blue and yellow at the same time.† Hurvich and Jameson’s hue cancellation experiment st rengthens the case further, as any redness was eliminated when a green light was added to the red light. Hering also observed that those who are colour blind to red, are also colour blind to green; which ultimately led him to declare the opponent-process theory of colour vision. (Goldstein, 2010) So we can deduce from this evidence that blue is paired with yellow and red with green; the basis of the opponent-process theory. The opponent-process theory of colour vision follows the trichromatic theory, rather than replacing it, the two work hand in hand to explain how colour vision works. In fact it is the responses from the cones of the retina that form the basis of the opponent channels. (Anderson 2012) There are three opponent channels, two chromatic and one achromatic, and are formed by combining the responses from the three cone types. (Sekuler Blake, 2006) Figure 6 displays the red-green chromatic channel is comprised from the outputs of the M and L cones. It is also known as the M – L channel, as it signals the difference between the outputs of the M cones and of the L cones. (Sekuler Blake, 2006) The second chromatic channel is the blue-yellow channel, and it represents the difference between the S cone outputs and the sum of the M and L cone outputs. (Sekuler Blake, 2006) It is therefore also referred to as the S – (M + L) channel. The achromatic channel is known as the luminance channel, and combines the output of the M and L cones so we can also label it the M + L channel. The activity in this luminance channel hinges on the sum of excitation of both M and L cones (Sekuler Blake, 2006). This addition can lead determine an object’s visibility, â€Å"The shape of the photopic sensitivity curve (closely related to visibility) can be predicted by taking a sum of M and L cone responses.† (Smith and Porkorny, 1975 cited in Werner et al., 1984). Russel DeValois was responsible for the finding of opponent neurons in the retina and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), which could provide physiological evidence to back up Hering’s propositions. (Goldstein, 2010) The LGN is the station responsible for receiving input from the retina and transmitting it to the visual cortex. Devalois conducted experiments on LGN cells of monkeys (who have the same trichromatic vision as ours), and discovered opponent cells which behaved as if subtracting outputs from different cones and also nonopponent cells which behaved as if adding outputs from different cones. Devalois discovered opponent cells reproduced an ON or OFF response determined by the wavelength of light. (Sekuler Blake, 2006) This can explain the first chromatic channel Hering proposed (M – L) channel. Long wavelength cone excitation results in a positive or ON response, whilst medium wavelength cone excitation results in a negative or OFF response. Hence if the net re sponse is positive then a red colour is visualised (long wavelength of light), and similarly a blue colour is perceived if the net response is negative. This supports Hering’s initial observation that the hues red and green cannot coexist. Opponent cells were also responsible in explaining the S – (M + L) channel. Short wavelength cone excitation results in a positive or ON response, whilst wavelengths around 580nm (M+L) cone excitation results in a negative or OFF response. Further findings included the fact that nonopponent ON cells produced ON responses for every wavelength, although some wavelengths produced stronger responses than others and OFF cells produced OFF responses for every wavelength again with varying strengths. It is these nonopponent cells which form the achromatic channel outlined by Hering. (Sekuler Blake, 2006) All in all, colour vision begins at the photoreceptor level as explained by trichromatic theory. The outputs of the three cone photopigments have been redistributed into the achromatic and chromatic channels at the LGN, as trichromacy progresses to opponent-process theory. Palmer (1999) concludes by describing the dual process theory; in which the products from the trichromatic stage are used as the inputs for the secondary opponent-process stage. As we venture from the LGN, further into the visual system, the information is perceived by the visual cortex of the brain facilitating us with colour vision. Bibliography Anderson, S (2012). Colour vision, Vision and visual perception, Optometry. Aston University Dimitri Poumidis, (2008), Spectral Sensetivities [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.gravurexchange.com/gravurezine/0805-ezine/ploumidis.htm [Accessed 25 January 13]. Goldstein, E. B. (2010). Sensation and perception (8th ed.) Chapter 9. Wadsworth Cengage Learning Joshua Stevens, Jennifer M. Smith, and Raechel A. Bianchetti , (2012), The Electromagnetic Spectrum [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog160/node/1958 [Accessed 03 January 13]. Marc green, (2004), Opponent process theory [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.visualexpert.com/FAQ/Part1/cfaqPart1.html [Accessed 09 February 13].Paul Schils , (2012), Chromatic adaptation [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.color-theory-phenomena.nl/12.00.htm [Accessed 08 February 13]. Palmer, S. E. (1999). Vision science: photons to phenomenology, Chapter3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sekuler R. Blake R. (2005). Perception (5th ed.) Chapter 2. McGraw-Hill Sekuler R. Blake R. (2005). Perception (5th ed.) Chapter 7. McGraw-Hill Snowden R., Thompson P. Troscianko T. (2006). Basic Vision, Chapter 1. Oxford University Press Snowden R., Thompson P. Troscianko T. (2006). Basic Vision, Chapter 5. Oxford University Press Tom Jewett, (2009), Hue, Saturation, Brightness [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.tomjewett.com/colors/hsb.html [Accessed 10 January 13]. Wolfe, J.M., Kleunder, K.R., Levi D.M., et al (2009). Sensation and perception (2nd ed.), Chapter 5. Sinauer Associates Inc

Written in Disgust of Vulgar Superstition :: Disgust

Written in Disgust of Vulgar Superstition The subject of John Keats "Written in Disgust of Vulgar Superstition" has to do with the opposition of religion and what people do to seek their "religious enlightenment". It seems more as if the theme is based on his personal dislike of religion and the things people do for religion. Keats suggestion that a preachers sermon tears you from "Fireside joys" and "Lydian airs" makes it seem as if the people in church do not want to be there, which is most likely not the case. He is trying to make his point about what he is speaking of by trying to make the reader agree with him. Which might work with some people, but as for me I already have a fixated belief about religion, one that will not change even if I read some writers perturbed opinions. Images are used very well by Keats to present his opinion or feelings about the subject. On lines two and three of "Written in Disgust of Vulgar Superstition" Keats says "calling the people to some other prayers, some other gloominess, more dreadful cares." This image of people flocking to prayers so that their heads can be filled with nonsense (dreadful cares) which they do not need is the initial bash on church by Keats. From these two lines, it is obvious right away that the writer is no too fond of religion and the morals it preaches. He apparently feels as if church is a bunch of superstitious people trying to implant these ideas into public minds about how to live their life. Before you even begin to read his poem it is obvious of his dislike for something by the title "Written in Disgust of Vulgar Superstition", you can not tell exactly what his dislike is for until you begin reading. Then the images on lines two and three make you start thinking that his "disgust of superstition" could be a disgust of religious superstition. I feel that it is those images that set the tone for the rest of the poem. "A chill as from a tomb". Those are pretty strong words to be used in opposition of religion.

A College Student’s Approach to Courtly Love Essay -- Relationships Li

A College Student’s Approach to Courtly Love The term "courtly love" is a highly ambiguous one. As it applies to works of literature, it spans over hundreds of years and over a half dozen countries. Hence finding its specific literary and allegorical definition and impact on literature is difficult. It is important to understand the roots of courtly love. To do so means that one gains a greater understanding of the most foundational element of any society- the relationship between men and women. If a student of literature holds only a vague understanding of courtly love, then he or she holds only a vague understanding of medieval culture. In turn when this student moves on to various other periods of British literature, they will have a nearly impossible time determining in what ways the dynamics of romantic relationships and marriage have changed. In this paper I will work to find a concise yet comprehensive definition for courtly love that may be useful to students of literature. Additionally I will explore the impact of courtly love on the literature in which it makes appearances. Finally I will examine the contemporary understanding of this term and how it is relevant to contemporary times. Gaston Paris first coined the term "amour courteious" in 1883. In this, it is clear that the French have had a tremendous impact on the spread of this phenomenon in literature (as with the French troubadours). Courtly love certainly functions on two levels. We must distinguish these two uses of the word- to describe experience and to denote a genre. In the first it is a set of codes that regulates the interaction between two lovers. There are set rules that were often unspoken at the time. In this sense it is not so much a term ... ...e if we have no starting point? Women searching for liberation from social customs and restrictions cannot find it without empathizing with those who came before them. Inner conflicts between human nature and social well being that men experience must be dealt with in some way. If he knows the attempts proposed before him, he can save time and effort in reserving from investing in these. For any reader of any time period of the courtly love tradition, these questions and should remain in mind. The answers may give us a new direction to move in as we reread the classics and write our own. Works Cited Ford, Boris. Medieval Literature. Part Two: The Eurpean Inheritance. New York, 1983. O’Donogue, Bernard. The Courtly Love Tradition. New Jersey, 1982. Stevens, J.E. Medieval Romance. London, 1973. Zumthor, Paul. Speaking of the Middle Ages. Lincoln, 1986.

The Importance of Gender in Boys and Girls by Alice Munro Essay example

The Importance of Gender in Boys and Girls  Ã‚   Since the beginning of time, gender roles have existed in society.   Women were assigned the tasks of child-care and food preparation.   Men performed most activities that required physical strength.   As society progressed, the role of women did not.   Although less emphasis is placed on gender roles today, gender roles still exist. In 1968, Alice Munro wrote, "Boys and Girls" to address the confusion that gender roles may cause in a modern society. "Boys and Girls" is a coming-of-age story about a young girl who is enjoying her tomboy years and is defiant about becoming a woman.   The theme in "Boys and Girls" is this transition from the childhood tomboy into the mature woman.   The girl is unsure about whether she wants to be a woman or not, because she enjoys her father's work and wants to be a part of it.   On page 113, the girl expresses her feeling of disgust, "she (the mother) was plotting now to get me to stay in the house more, although she knew I hated it (because she knew I hated it) and keep me from working for my father."   The girl does not want to participate in womanly chores in the house; she wants to work outside with her father.   The whole story is centered around gender roles of women and the girl must face and accept that her role is not outside with the pelting operation.   The girl, who is the main character, describes her father ¹s pelting operation in much detail showing her interest and k nowledge of it.   On page 109 and the top of page 110, line eight, she describes what is meant by pelting operation by explaining, "that was what the killing, skinning, and preparation of the furs was called."   She likes her father's work so much that she concerns herself with k... ...Munro's story "Boys and Girls," gender is a key element.   Although the theme is the girl changing to the woman she had to become, it ultimately shows the limitations placed on women.   It seems that, really, not much has changed for women since hunting and gathering days and the Enlightenment.   Women are still associated with certain ways they must act and tasks they must perform. Works Cited and Consulted Carscallen, James. The Other Country: Patterns in the Writing of Alice Munro. Toronto: ecw 1993 Heble, Ajay. The Tumble of Reason: Alice Munro's Discourse of Absence. Toronto: University of Toronto Press 1994 Munro, Alice. "Boys and Girls." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Eds. Carl E. Bain, Jerome Beaty and J. Paul Hunter. 6th ed. New York: Norton, 1995. Martin, W.R. Alice Munro: Paradox and Parallel. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press 1987

The Cellar Of Doom

Alesha let out a long, heavy sigh. She couldn't believe she was stuck in an old hotel in Lincoln, Maine, USA. It was the Summer Holidays and she had come to America with her mum, dad, and her annoying younger brothers Ashley and Scott, who were six and seven. Scott and Ashley weren't the quiet sort of kids. They tended to excited over anything, and were always hyper. The Miller family were staying at The Stars And Stripes Hotel, which was really old and boring. Alesha would much rather be back at home in England, even it was raining all the time there. Alesha had only been there for two days, and had already taken advantage of the ‘fantastic facilities'. There was the ‘amazing' pool and spa, the ‘fabulous' arcade and the ‘wonderful' multi – sports court. Alesha couldn't see what was so fantastic about a dirty pool, an out-of-order spa, two fruit machines and a large pitch of mud with a few goalposts. It was going to be a very long and boring two weeks. She had been out ‘exploring' the creepy, old hotel trying to find some kids around her age. Alesha was 14, so it was quite easy really, as there were loads of fed up teenagers staying at the old place. â€Å"Alesha, we're going out!† her mum called. â€Å"Cool, lets go to Detroit, or Hollywood, or†¦.† â€Å"No, I mean me and your father are going for a meal. We're going to find a place to eat. OK?† â€Å"What?† Alesha protested. â€Å"That's not fair. You mean me, Ash and Scott have gotta stay here?† â€Å"That's right. We'll be only be gone for about three hours. We are not going far, we are still staying in Lincoln, don't worry!† â€Å"But mum†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No buts, OK? Now, be good.† Alesha sat on the fraying green couch, and looked around the dreary brown and yellow room. ‘The colours in here are awful. They so don't match!' she thought. She picked up her magazine and started to read the article about her favourite rapper, Eminem. She glanced at the clock. Her parents had only been gone for ten minutes. She heard a loud banging noise. â€Å"Ashley, Scott, please SHUT UP! Stop that banging NOW!† she shouted. â€Å"Alesha, it wasn't us!† Scott called. â€Å"Whatever! Now, just shut up!† She flicked on the old television and picked up the dusty remote control. The room hadn't been cleaned for ages. The floor had cigarette stains all over it, and as for the curtains, there was no point in having them there, because they were so ripped and frayed, they were almost non – existent. The banging noise was really annoying her now, and she yelled at her brothers to shut up, but they denied making the banging sound. She threw down her magazine and started to watch the TV. There was an image of a man building a brick wall in what looked a cellar. There was also a middle-aged lady with him. She looked really bewildered. Then the man turned to her and started beating the lady with a shovel. Boring! Alesha pressed the CHANNEL UP button. ‘Wonder how to get TRL on this thing?' Alesha wondered. The same image was on the screen. What? Alesha pushed down hard on the control. Maybe the button had got jammed. Now the woman was crying out in pain, and blood was staining her pale blue dress. She was screaming STOP! STOP! But the man obviously had no feelings, for he kept beating her, his shovel bright red, his face with an evil grin, his grey eyes frostily staring at the frightened woman, and the horror on the woman's face. Alesha was horrified, and pushed the button again. By now the woman was dead, and the TV still wasn't working properly. Alesha watched as the man started digging a hole, maybe a grave, in this thing that looked like a fireplace, but filled with soil and coal. Then Alesha heard a banging, and she wasn't sure whether it was on the TV or the same one as she had heard before. Alesha was really frightened, but she was almost glued to the screen. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was like there was a special force, keeping her transfixed to the terrifying images. She tried to pull away, but she couldn't. She watched as the evil man kicked the dead body into the make – shift grave. After a while, the man had covered the woman with soil and coal. He carried on building the wall. Alesha had snapped out of her trance, and tried the same button again. But when she pushed the button, nothing happened. What was going on? Maybe the remote wasn't working properly. That was why the sick program wouldn't go away. She stood up, and kept hearing continuous banging. Maybe it was next door or something. She was getting quite scared now. She realised that it was 6:30 pm, and that her parents had been gone for an hour. She couldn't bear to be alone now, so she called to her brothers. She turned the TV off. â€Å"Oi, come ‘ere, now!† she called out, agitated. When they didn't answer, she went to investigate. She realised that they were asleep in their beds. ‘Typical. Asleep at 6:30! Lazybones!' she thought. ‘Well, they must be quite tired after the football this morning.' Then there was a knock at the door. Thinking it was her parents, Alesha hastily opened it. â€Å"Hi!† said a voice. She saw it was her new friends that she had met in the pool yesterday. â€Å"Hi Marshall, hi Justin, hi Mel!† Alesha cried. Marshall was from Detroit, Justin was from California and Mel was from England. They were bored too. â€Å"Wanna come out with us? We are sooooo bored, and we're jus' wondering whether you wanna come and jus' like wander around here.† Justin said. â€Å"I can't, I gotta look after my brothers.† She replied. â€Å"Go on!† Mel pleaded. â€Å"Well, only quickly. Scott and Ash are asleep anyway.† Alesha stepped out with her friends, and realised that she had about two hours before her parents got back. â€Å"So where we goin'?† Alesha asked. â€Å"Dunno!† Mel replied. They walked around, and found a set of stairs leading downwards. Alesha had forgotten about the TV incident, because she was happy that she wasn't alone anymore. There was a NO ENTRY sign on the door. Alesha's phone beeped. It was a text message. It said: HI ALESHA HOPE U R LOOKIN AFTA UR BRUVZ. WE MIGHT BE BAK L8R, MAYB @ 9:30. HOPE U R OK. IF U GET WORRIED JUS CALL US. C U L8R MUM N DAD XX : ) Alesha felt a bit guilty leaving her brothers alone now, but pleased she was out of the boring, stuffy hotel room. Marshall turned the NO ENTRY sign over so that it looked like a blank piece of card. They followed the stairs down, and realised that it was a cellar. It was pitch black. Alesha heard a very familiar noise. â€Å"Uh†¦.is there a light in ‘ere?† Mel asked. â€Å"Hey, guys, y'hear that?† Alesha questioned, totally ignoring Mel. â€Å"What, the banging? Yeah, I think†¦.† Justin said. â€Å"SHHH!† she whispered. Sure enough, there was a banging coming from somewhere in the room. Marshall searched the wall with his hands to find a light switch. He found one, and flicked the switch on. BANG! BANG! â€Å"Marshall†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mel said. The banging got louder. â€Å"It's nothing, OK guys? Leave it. We're fine! Hey†¦.Look, a video camera! Its one of them ones that came out about five years ago, you know, a pocket one! They are worth loads!† Justin shouted with excitement. He went over to examine it. It was about 10cm in height and 5cm in width. Justin had seen it hidden in a small hole in the wall. It was plugged in though, as if someone had connected it to something. Alesha noticed that something had been boarded up. â€Å"Hey, check this out, I wonder what's behind this?† â€Å"Er, probably nothin' interestin'† Marshall answered. He started to kick the board down, with Justin still examining the video camera. Mel and Alesha just stood there talking. Once Marshall kicked the down the board, there was a wall which was about 2 metres high. â€Å"Hey, look over here!† he cried with excitement. â€Å"What it is?† Mel asked. â€Å"Dunno. I'm gonna climb over it and see what it's hiding.† He started to clamber over it, but the wall obviously hadn't been built properly, because it collapsed almost straight away. Marshall tumbled to the floor, and realised he had landed right next to something that made him feel quite sick†¦ â€Å"Ugh, Justin, it's a skeleton! How did it get down here?† Justin screamed. â€Å"OH MY GOD!† Mel cried when she saw it. â€Å"Cool†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Marshall marvelled. â€Å"Yuk! What we gonna do?† Alesha shouted out. Then Alesha remembered the video. â€Å"Justin†¦.† she called out. She ran over to the video camera. It was true. The video camera was connected to a TV somewhere in the hotel. Her TV. The shocking images that she had been watching earlier had actually happened. She explained to the others what she had seen earlier. But how could the banging be explained? Once Justin had gone to reception to find somebody, the once isolated room was filled with police, hotel staff and detectives. The police questioned the kids. Mel thought they would get told off for entering the cellar without permission! They didn't though. Although Alesha got told off for leaving Ashley and Scott on their own, she didn't really mind because it had been an adventure for her. Months the woman was named as Ann McKenzie. The police confirmed that Alesha's story was true. What had happened was that years ago, Ann knew that her fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ would kill her, because he was so violent, and every time she left him, he would hunt her down and beat her up. Every year they came to Maine, to The Stars And Stripes Hotel, and he kept dropping hints about death and that he would kill her once they were in Maine. Because they were from California, he thought that he wouldn't be caught because of the distance. She had no escape. So she invested in a mini camera so that he could be caught. Ann cleverly connected the camera to a TV, which happened to be in Alesha's room. Since the hotel had been closed for the last three years due to health and safety reasons (Alesha wondered what it was like before the inspections), nobody would have noticed. Then Ann's fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (later named as Daniel Durst) beat her to death and sealed up her body up in the fireplace. Because the camera was a mini one, Daniel didn't notice it. Ann was removed from the Missing Persons list, and because Daniel's face was seen on the camera, the police caught him, and gave him a life imprisonment. The kids were given medals because they were quite brave. Alesha wasn't sure, but she had a funny feeling the banging noise was the ghost of Ann McKenzie, trying to get the attention of holiday – makers, so that everything would be discovered, and her fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ would be put to justice. After Alesha's holiday had finished, she kept in touch with the other kids. Maybe the holiday wasn't so bad after all!

It205 – Hardware Replacement Project

Hardware Replacement Project IT/205 – Management of Information systems June 24, 2012 Cristina Oliver Hardware Replacement Project The IT department is implementing a new CRM solution in its corporate offices. The hardware currently in use is out of date and will not support the CRM application. The hardware must be replaced prior to deployment. Resource: Ch. 11 of Essentials of Management Information Systems Write a 1,050- to 1,750-word paper that addresses the following: How do the five major variables of project management—scope, time, cost, quality, and risk—relate to this scenario?What considerations must be applied when selecting projects that deliver the best business value? What factors that influence project risk? What strategies would you recommend for minimizing this project’s risks? * The Information Technology department is implementing a new CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solution in its corporate offices but what we found is that the current hardware is out-of-data and will not support the new CRM application, so to implement the new CRM solution we must upgrade all the hardware prior to deployment of the CRM application.The assessment of scope, time, cost, quality and risk are the five variables needed to consider when planning out this project of the hardware replacement for the CRM application. â€Å"Project management refers to the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to achieve specific targets within specific budgets† (Laudon & Laudon, 2011, P. 397). The project managers’ position is to align the project to meet the necessary target in which they must estimate resources required for the work (materials and people), plan the work, assign and direct the work, report progress, analyze the results, acquire materials, and assesses the risk.In implementing the CRM project we see that the project scope is to have all hardware replaced. Hardware that would be replaced are desktops , servers and possibly handheld devices. Prior to installation of hardware to the corporate offices there will be installation of the software which includes operating systems, standard company applications and the new CRM application, testing of the applications and hardware in the test environment prior to testing on the production network and just before replace of the hardware to the offices there will be education training and then a small department rollout to verify and finalize any risks.We need to figure a realistic time to achieve our target on the CRM project as time. What will be needed is to break down each component into separate tasks and activities so each team has time to accomplish their tasks. Remember that each task given is dependent for the next task to succeed. This give a schedule of when the project may be completed. â€Å"Costs are based on the time to complete a project multiplied by the daily cost of human resources required to complete the project† (Laudon & Laudon, 2011, P. 399). Costs also include the hardware, software and real estate of where someone sits when doing the work.The project manager is responsible for developing the budget as well as monitoring the expenses of the ongoing project attempting not to go over their projected budget. Quality is the indication of how well the project is going and also how well the end result satisfies the objects requested by management. Quality defines the workmanship, accuracy and the timelines of the information produced by the new system being implemented. Quality grants a more positive outcome within the project team as well as management. Risk are something that happens with all projects as they are potential problems that threaten the success of a project.The problems that could arise can prevent a project from meeting it’s timelines by increasing time and costs, lowering the quality of the output or possibly preventing the project altogether. When given the project t imeline it is normally given some of the risks involved with each tasks and within the project there is the attempt to give buffer time should those risks appear. Considerations that must be applied when selecting projects that deliver the best business value are benefits and costs. In the long or possibly short are the benefits that can regain costs and possibly or will increase financial gains for the business.The company needs to realize the CRM application; if it will indeed benefit from this application and that the application covers all aspects of what the required objectives. Obviously if the company purchases the CRM application and doesn’t meet the requirements then the project will not reap the benefits or costs. Other considerations are training and maintenance of the hardware, software and application. Without training of the application how would one know how to use it to its full potential? Training is planned and designed for the various users and departments. With the CRM application each department will have their specific requirements as to what they will use it for and what they can and cannot access. The IT group will be trained on how to support the application and how to maintain and upgrade when needed. This leads into maintenance which is never cost effective but normally mandatory for reasons of fixing application bugs or hardware upgrades and even operating system updates. Factors or levels that may influence project risk are size of the project, structure of the project and the level of technical expertise (SME – Subject Matter Experts) of the IT staff and project team.Other considerations are consultants if the IT staff is does not have the technical expertise although proper training or shadowing will need to be involved of the consultant to an IT staff. Other factors such as not clear or straightforward requirements or even new technology that the project team does not know the technology can influence the project ri sk. Even user acceptance of the application is a major factor as some don’t like change or fear new products. There are many factors that can influence the risk of the project.Strategies that I would use to minimize the project risk would be to recruit people whom are SME with products that we are looking to implement, recruit project managers that are expertise in information technology and use the correct tools to manage the project and the deliverables. Implement the proper changes management in advance to have the changes documented in case need to revert back and make sure everything is tested in a test environment prior to placing into a production environment. Train the staff and end-users to make sure everyone is comfortable with the new system.People fear change and to have an in-depth training program will allow the end-users more comfort with the product and in themselves. The number strategy I would use to minimize project risk is communication. Making sure that e veryone is on the same page with the deadlines and deliverables. Understanding the timeframe and what need to be done to accomplish the project. The project team needs to see the possible risks that are involved and how they could avoid these risks and make sure they are all documented.I believe that the best practices for managing this project are hiring project managers that have managed successful project in the IT field and have them communicate with the leads of the IT teams to set realistic timeframes to measure the progress of the tasks to overall meet the deliverables and the end date of the project. Communication to the company executives to make sure they understand the timeframe of the project and the implantation of each task and what dates they will be accomplished as well as verifying what are the requirements of management for the project.With regards to all this the project manager will put a project plan with timeframes and risks to hand out to all the project team and management so everyone understands what is involved and what deadlines each team needs to make. Make such dates will show quality to management and the company allowing a much smoother transition to the new CRM application and hardware. Reference Laudon, K. P. , & Laudon, J. P. (2011). Essentials of MIS (9th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Evaluation Essay Essay

The National Basketball Association, popularly Known as the NBA, was established in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America and the Chicago Bulls became a member of the NBA after their establishment in 1966. Since becoming the NBA, the basketball played during the playoffs has proven to be far more competetive than that played during the regular season of at least 60 games per team. This was proven beyond doubt when the Chicago Bulls defeated the Brooklyn Nets in the 2013 playoffs after trailing by 14 points with only 3 minutes and forteen seconds of regulation time left. This was quite hard to believe and turned out to be an unexpected reality despite the susceptibility of the Chicago Bulls to injury and the absence of their superstar, Derick Rose. With the emergence of the 2008 number 1 draft pick of the NBA, Derick Rose, drafted by the Chicago Bulls, there was hope for an NBA title for the city of Chicago which has not had any hope since the Michael Jordan era. After the horrible 2012/2013 regular season in which the Bulls suffered a great deal of injuries worst than any other NBA team, the Bulls head into the playoffs still short handed. The first impression about this Bulls’ team is their resilience considering their success into the playoffs despite the injury woes. The first round featured the Bulls and the Nets in what is suppose to be a seven game series with the winner being any team with the first four wins. The two teams meet at the Barclays Center in New York for game 4 of the series with the Bulls leading two games to one. The game appeared to be pretty even within the first three quarters untill the nets blowout to a 14 point lead with exactly 3 minutes and 14 seconds of playtime left on the clock. At this point, no one could see the possibilty of a Bulls win considering the absence of a superb playmaker like their all-star point guard, Derick Rose who used to lead them to numerous comeback wins. Notwithstan ding, the bulls backup point guard, Nate Robinson, who is just 5†² 9†³ tall, Weighing 180 lb popularly reffered to as ‘little Nate’ by most basketball journalists and analysts went to work. He can be reffered to at this point as the savior, but who could have imagined that at a crucial point like this, it will be the backup point guard, who is not ony the smallest player on the bulls roster but also one of the least regarded who will bail them out. With the nets leading by 14 at this point, all hope was lost but the Bulls coach, Tom Thibedeau, was still on his toes with the hope to salvage the situation.  Nate took over, first by hitting a three point basket. The lead was down to 11, but the Nets’ coach was pretty relaxed and still had hope for a victory while little Nate thought otherwise. He made 90% of all the points made by the Bulls from this point on. With the Nets loosing the ball at the other end, the bulls converted at the other end. By the time the short clock was at 1:14, the bulls had made and 8:0 run, and the battle was far from done. This was quite unexpected for many reasons. The basketball played during the playoff is way more competitive such that it is rare to see an 8-0 run at a crucial point such as in this situation. In addition to this, the bulls were very short handed compared to a very health Brooklyn team with promissing reserves as well. It all came down to this; â€Å"Who had the passion, who had the drive† as one of the journlists noted. At this point, even though ‘Little Nate ‘ was the main playmaker for the bulls, all the players stepped up their game. Everyone was alert. The rebounding was up, the defending up, the players seemed unstopable at this point. Still, everyone still doubted a bulls win who were still down by 6 points with 1:14 left on the clock. Notwithstanding, the bulls believed in themselves and kept the pace. With the players doing a great job, there was one man who can be reffered to at this point as the fuel, the coach, Tom Thibedeau. He was sensational, and constantly on his toes and he is regarded as someone who believes in winning with no regards to whoever is on the court, whether they are stars, superstars, rookies or average players. This was the mentality he impacted on the bulls despite the absence of their best player. With 1:11 left, the bulls continue to make their run through Nate. Relative to his performance that night, this little guy appeared very tall and not even Brook Lopez, a very big guy of 7 ft 0 and 275 lb on the opposing team could stop him. Lopez put a huge body on ‘little Nate’ whose intelligence overcame the doggy defence. He continued to nock down shots to everyone’s suprise. â€Å"Big things come in small packages† one of the journalists said in reference to his astounding performance. Both teams were level at the end of the fourth quarter and headed for overtime. This was a turn ing point for both teams. While the nets played well, the bulls were clearly the team with the bigger drive to win. Nothing could be seen to limit the bulls not even age in the case of veteran center Nazr Mohammad, the oldest guy on the bulls roster who came off the bench and hit a huge basket with a great offensive rebound that  solidified the bull’s win in the third overtime. In conclusion, the bulls win over the nets in game 4 of the 2013 NBA playoffs was a thriller and no body could have seen it coming. It is worth noting that, believe and hardwork was the driving force of such an unexpected comeback.

Choices, consequences and Conflict Resolution Essay

I. Reading: circle the word that best finishes the sentences. (10 points each) /20 Read the paragraph and select the answer based on what we learn about conflict resolution. Maria is having a conflict with her coworker Brenda. Brenda is coming late to work and Maria ends up doing her work and Brenda’s work. Maria does not know what to do but she fears that if Bread keeps coming late they will both lose their jobs, because the work is not getting done on time. What should Brenda do? a. Don’t say anything to Bread and Just keep working faster b. Pull Brenda to the side and explain how the situation affects both of them c. Quit her job before she gets fired. d. Talk to her supervisor and ask her to fire Brenda If Brenda gets upset with Maria, how should Maria react? a. Maria should yell very loudly to show she is stronger b. Maria should control her emotions and move forward c. Maria should leave the room and find a supervisor d. Maria should say it is ok for her to come late II. Vocabulary: match the word with its definition.(10 points each) /60 Choice, consequences, conflict, resolution, mediate, professionalism An act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities.| A disagreement between two or more people.| Intervene in a dispute to bring about an agreement or reconciliation| To reach an agreement. To find an answer. To end a conflict. | The competence or skill expected of a professional.| Something that logically or naturally follows from an action or condition| | | III. Writing: During the past month we learned about the 10 Rules of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Please write one to two paragraphs about the consequences of not following the 10 Rules. (20 points) /20

Agency program for the elderly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Agency program for the elderly - Essay Example The service that is going to be discussed here is National Long-Term-Care Ombudsman Program. This program is supported by US Administration of Aging and is executed from Ombudsman Resource Center at National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform at 1424 16th Street, NW, Suite 202, Washington, DC 20036. This is a joint funding program, where apart from the US Government, the local state governments and community agencies fund it additionally. Separate addresses are there for all state units, with the most common location being the State LTCOP in the State Unit of Aging. Information about them can be accessed at ttp://www.aoa.gov/pro/aoaprog/elder_rights/LTCombudsman/National_and_State_Data or http://www.ltcombudsman.org/ or http://www.ccal.org (LT-COP).As the word Ombudsman indicates, the state Ombudsman works in the area of the long-term care of the elders, where he serves as a trained advocate to protect the health, safety, welfare, and rights of the residents of nursing home, board and care facilities, and the assisted living facilities. The residents of all these facilities are aged, and many of them are frail and most often isolated from their communities. Very often while under care, these resident's rights have a chance to be violated, the quality of care may not match with the required standards, and therefore, their quality of life may not be attained that it is supposed to be attained. In fact literally, this program has been designed to investigate citizen's complaints against local or national government agencies that may be infringing on the citizen's rights. This term, ombudsman means friends who can provide information, advice, and guidance (Capezuti, EA., Siegler, EL., Mezey, MD, 2007). With an aim to review and improve the care processes, these officials facilitate change at local, state, and national levels. Numerous volunteers and paid staff employed in a long-term basis, regularly visit long-term care facilities to monitor care, observe the interactions between the staff and the residents, evaluate the physical environment of the care facility, and act as advocates for the residents who are more vulnerable due to lack of family, cannot speak, or are unable to speak for themselves. To be able to do this, each state designates a long-term care ombudsman who is responsible for developing a state-wide program in order to investigate, identify, and submit complaints on behalf of the residents. Typically, regionally they are located in area agencies on aging, but many of them are sponsored by private programs or legal agencies. The program, therefore, comprises of the work responsibilities of the ombudsman. As opposed to the conventional concepts, they are not surveyors or regulators. They are supposed to identify and solve the problems with care of the elderly in the care facilities. Hence, their role can be to identify and resolve the problems on behalf of the residents. Ideally, the OAA described roles include representation of the interests of the residents before government agencies. If the residents' interests are hampered in any way, they, through this program, are entitled to seek administrative, legal, or other means for redressal of the grievances and issues. The care home residents are consumers, and they have valid consumer rights. This program also facilitates consumer education, and thereby, they also serve as agents of facilitation of public comments on laws, policies, and, actions. This program, through the ombudsman, also seeks to provide technical supports for new or ongoing resident and f amily councils. Perhaps, the most important aspect of

Do not need to divide it Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Do not need to divide it - Coursework Example (CVE-2003-0352, 2003) On knowing about the identification of this vulnerability in its primary product, Microsoft released a bulletin with a patch to plug the hole in the system. It did turn out to be successful and Microsoft released it through the "Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026†. On the release of it, Microsoft recommended all of its Windows users to immediately install the patch so that any further severe damage could be prohibited. The severity of the threat depends on the impact of the exploitation made on this vulnerability. (Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026 2003) The report details about the technical specifications of the vulnerability, its severity level if it is exploited in a Windows operating system, the methods and details about how it is exploited and the consequences that it could lead to a system. The report also aims to provide details on methods that could be used as mitigation processes in solving this vulnerability. ... (Reuvid 2004) The severity level of threats that could be experienced with this vulnerability was very critical. Most of the networking systems depended on the remote connectivity that was capable in Windows with the help of these interfaces. As a result, critical business functions that completely depended on Networking came under severe threat. The versions of Windows that were affected by this vulnerability includes 2000, NT, 2003 and even Windows XP. More severe consequences were faced by those systems, which did not have a proper firewall system. Before gaining details on the vulnerability and how it is exploited, it is mandatory to know about the protocols that have been used as the medium of access for the vulnerability exploiters. RPC and DCOM protocols RPC - Remote Procedure Call as defined by Microsoft is, "a protocol used by the Windows operating system. RPC provides an inter-process communication mechanism that allows a program running on one computer to seamlessly execut e code on a remote system. The protocol itself is derived from the Open Software Foundation (OSF) RPC protocol, but with the addition of some Microsoft specific extensions†. (Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026, 2003) The Distributed Component Object Model also called as the DCOM protocol allows for a seamless communication across several networks for multiple software accessories. The result of which is a direct communication which is uninterrupted and can be easily established across networks that are using different transport mediums. Examples of such network transport protocols include the universally accepted Hyper Text Transfer Protocol – HTTP.

Improvement methods Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Improvement methods - Term Paper Example Although lean thinking and mass customization are two commonly used methods of work improvement, they may differ in terms of the amount of improvement, suitability of use and the amount of time and effort spent. Engineers are involved in planning, designing and scheduling of production activities to achieve organizational performance and meet customer specifications at the required standards (Boer, Pedrazzoli, Bettoni & Sorlini, 2013). â€Å"Elimination of defects in standard product designs and manufacturing methods before production is just as important as eliminating defects during production. In fact, to achieve the quality levels, manufacturers must focus on identifying and correcting defects in underlying product designs and production methods, not simply inspect incoming materials or finished goods†(Leon, 2008, P. 61). Furthermore, engineers are involved in the maintenance of machines and setting production layout to eliminate a risk of errors, ensure optimal use of space and timely detection of defects. These engineering activities contribute to the elimination of waste and improve customer satisfaction. Mass customization refers to customer co-design process of products and services, which meet the needs of each individual customer with regard to certain product features (Boer et al., 2013, 7). The principle of mass customization focuses on the production of large quantity of a different variety of products to meet specific needs of each customer. â€Å"With mass customization, the customer expects to receive a product that exactly matches his specifications. According to market research such as by Piller et al., a customer is willing to pay 10% to 15% more than the price of a standard product in order to obtain a customized one. But a customer is definitely not willing to wait a longer time for that product† (Rautenstrauch, Seelmann-Eggebert & Turowski, 2012, 46). Mass customization processes require engineers to meet specific

National Curriculum In Schools In England Essay

National Curriculum In Schools In England - Essay Example A national curriculum is therefore the set of courses that a government sets to apply in all the school levels in a country. This implies the uniformity in the education sector owing to the fact that all the schools in the country offer similar courses to their students and follow similar teaching methodologies in doing so. Curriculums require effective formulation following the adequate assessment of the information needs in the learner among other factors that affect the learning process (GOLBY, GREENWALD, & WEST, 1975). After determining these, the curriculum developers determine the best concepts that every stage of the learner requires ad the best methods of teaching such concepts thereby guaranteeing effective acquisition of knowledge. A curriculum should not burden the leaners by ensuring that the developers constitute the most appropriate concepts for every stage of the learning process thereby guaranteeing optimum learning. This requires the consideration of such pertinent f eatures of the learner as their age and the knowledge gap. Additionally, an effective curriculum introduces concepts progressively thereby ensuring that the learner understands each concept at the most appropriate age. Besides the development of the concepts for the learner, curriculums manage the teachers. A curriculum must consider and set feature requirements for the teacher thereby ensuring that only the most effective teachers impart the knowledge in the learners. A curriculum therefore advises the teachers on the best earning aids for every learning stage and the mode of teaching to ensure a productive system. Additionally, curriculums should always reflect the state of the society within which it is applied in a number of ways, the knowledge in the curriculum must have direct relevance with the environment within which it is used. This implies that the curriculum must envision the knowledge growth through time. An effective curriculum therefore has a period lapse within which it is reviewed. In the United Kingdom, the period is four years a time within which the developers remove certain aspects of the curriculum and replacing them with new concepts. This safeguards the technological changes in the society most of which demand different knowledge from the previous period (WILES, 2009). A national curriculum is uniformly implemented in all the schools in the country. Most countries currently have uniform curriculums in their schools. The construction of such curriculums require the consideration of the demographic factors prevalent in every part of the country most of which may affect the learning process thereby developing an effective curriculum which considers the diversities of the different regions in the country. The United Kingdom is one such country with a uniform curriculum in most of the learning institution. The application of a uniform curriculum presents a number of advantages and have the possibility of improving the quality of education in a country. However, such curriculums have a number of disadvantages most of which may impair the affectivity of the learning process. Despite the provision of a uniform curriculum especially in public schools, the government has no mandate to monitor the activities of private schools most of which formulate and implement their own curriculums. Such disparities imply that learners in the country graduate with diverse knowledge possibly resulting in the lack of uniformity in the subsequent institutions of learning. Despite the existence of such disparities, the education institutions implement a national exam at the end of every stage of the learning stage thereby compelling compliance with the national curricul