Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Argument - Essay Example They were able to do so because of their advance military and naval technology compared with the natives’. The natives didn’t have exposure to the viral or bacterial diseases the Spanish had with them this led to their dead in large numbers. The locals who resisted their rule were captured and sold as slaves in plantations (Todorov 30). The main reason for European invasion of Africa in the fifteenth to seventeenth century was trade and specifically human trade. By this time most of Africa’s traditional institutions were unaffected. Trade between the European and Africans led to the development of towns in the coastal regions. The Africans were also introduced to commodities like salt, weapons and clothes. The Dutch were the first to establish permanent colonies around1652 in South Africa. Later in the nineteenth century, European explorers discovered that Africa contained exploitable resources like gold, silver, iron and was fertile for agricultural production. This led to the Scramble of Africa. There was exchange of ideas, values and practices as a result of trade and colonisation. Missionaries had an important role to play in the integration of European culture into Africa and Americas. The colonisation of Africa and Americas led to the introduction of Christianity to these societies. The people were forced to abandon their cultural practices since they were considered primitive. There was the introduction of formal education. The natives were taught the languages of their colonial master, arithmetic and science (Cowen 145). The political systems of the Americas and African communities were disregarded. The Europeans also made boundaries that divided communities and even families. The natives were forced to accept the rule of their conquerors and pay taxes which were usually oppressive. The other consequence of European conquest was ecological destruction of the Indies and Africa. The settlers cut down the

Analyse the Strengths and Weaknesses of Spain by 1516 Essay Example for Free

Analyse the Strengths and Weaknesses of Spain by 1516 Essay There were considerable differences between the Hispanic kingdoms within the Iberian peninsula. It was divided by language and religion, governed by different political institutions and ruled by monarchs with conflicting foreign interests. Both Aragon and Castile had very little in common. The economies varied in strength in different parts of Spain, for example Catalonia was in decline whilst Valencia was in the recovery stage. The marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand in 1469 dramatically changed the course of Spain. The Queen was a determined and quick-witted woman, with a street-fighters instinct for survival. She guaranteed privileges to nobles and town authorities, promised to restore law and order and was the only claimant with an undisputed right to the throne. Ferdinand played a role in leading Isabellas troops against the Portuguese and French invasions and recaptured rebellious towns, all helping to stabilise the crown. His brother also aided Isabella by commanding the Hermandad meaning that although his father died, no Aragonese nobles contested the crown. Royal authority had declined during the weak rule of Henry IV and it needed to be asserted and there was also the problem of law and order (lots of disorder in Castile due to the 5 years civil war). There were still supporters of Joanna; a minority of the nobility had fought against Isabella e.g Marquis of Vienna. The Hermandad at least brought some justice to the countryside, which benefited Castilian towns as well as law-abiding landowners. Hermandades had never been controlled so extensively by the Crown, it significantly contributed to the improvements in local administration. Corregidores were also having an impact (administrators of cities and districts with both administrative and judicial powers). They were used by the Catholic Monarchs to strengthen royal authority rather than revive local responsibility Ferdinand and Isabella travelled extensively in Castile. They spent relatively little time in Aragon in his 37-year reign (7 years). This was a very important means of asserting royal authority by showing themselves to their subjects and establishing an effective working relationship with their nobility and to discipline any troublemakers. Ferdinand and Isabella visited every Castilian town at least once. Ferdinand tried to increase royal authority over Aragonese towns by trying to introduce new procedures for the election of municipal offices. His idea of sending royal governors to towns was rejected preventing royal authority encroaching. Isabella was able to have a greater effect on improving local administration than her husband. She tried to protect, by intervention, town people from impressive nobles and nominated jurados to sit on town councils. She persisted with the idea of Corregidores in towns, despite opposition, and the number of towns with them increased (Toledo for instance enjoyed a long period of peace largely due to Gomez Manrique, its Corregidore.). Their authority varied, some governed entire regions, and others had a limited impact. However, overtime they became more corrupt lowering the standards of local administration. The civil war left deep scars and required close supervision to work effectively. Both Isabella and Ferdinand dispersed justice personally. The Hermandad was unpopular and it demanded taxation on local people for its maintenance. It was officially dissolved in 1498 as nobles increasingly disliked it (didnt want too much crown influence). The crowns political strength lay into relationship with the nobility. Ferdinand and Isabella however, due to incompatible promises in the 1470s, were in a different situation as some families expected rewards for their role in the civil war. This often contradicted what Isabella had said about protecting the rights of the towns. Isabella decided to harness the power of the nobility and tried to regain land given out by Henry IV. Isabella and Ferdinand on a smaller scale in Aragon gave the nobles rights to collect sales tax and confirmed their exemption from direct tax. This guaranteed their social and economic position. Also nobles who had fought against Isabella in the civil war were given fair agreements such as the Marquis of Vienna in order to preserve social stability. Those on her side were awarded with for example dukedoms guaranteeing their continuing support. Although some nobles maintained control of regional politics, which was a big threat to the crown as they had no standing army, whereas most nobles kept retainers. An example of when the crown and nobility worked together to ensure the stability of the country was the Granada between 1482 and 1492. Some of the nobility actually served in the war and fought on behalf of the crown against the Muslims. The war helped to enhance royal prestige. However, outbreaks of civil disorder and violence in Castile in the early years of the sixteenth century suggest that royal administration was beginning to break down. Nobles became better educated and there was an emergence of letrados (lawyers). Most Castilian and Aragonese peasants enjoyed a period of relative prosperity, with wage rises, stable prices and plenty of employment in the countryside. Town life was changing rapidly, Castilian merchants experienced a dramatic increase in trade and commerce, which led to a growth in business and rising prosperity for those in work. However, due to an increase in population town authorities were faced with the problem of vagrancy where people wonder from place to place and dont usually have a home. The Catholic Monarchs intended to enhance the welfare of their subjects. They maintained the Mestas monopoly and continued wool trade, which was high in demand in the Low Countries. Taxes on wool and sheep and the establishment of trade links with America (gold bullion), proved extremely beneficial. Maintaining the quality of Castiles coinage and establishing a currency common to both kingdoms, monetary if not economic unity was achieved. Overseas trade was strengthened with Venice as a base, and the financial status and prosperity of Barcelona recovered from the effects of the civil war in the 1460s. However the Spanish economy had a number of weaknesses, poor communications (bad roads, mountainous), a network of internal customs duties and inland tolls and resistance to state intervention in effecting changes in agriculture, guilds and industry. Regionalism was a very powerful force and applied to the economy. There was no significant attempt to integrate the two economies, for example, trade with Americas was a Castilian monopoly (intensified hostility between two kingdoms, threat of inflation and decline in currency). The only measure that was taken was the standardisation of the currency in 1497. The Spanish Crown failed to protect and promote its native industries and focused too much on exportation of wool than developing its textile industry. Also, the persecution of the Conversos and Jews (many of them were skilled craftsmen) damaged wool trade, while the silk trade was damaged with war in Granada (mudejars were main producers of silk, many were killed while others emigrated). Spanish wealth and commercial gains from the New World could potentially fall through due to its lack of incorporation.

Computers and Speech Recognition: Techniques and Applications

Computers and Speech Recognition: Techniques and Applications Abstract Speech is the most natural and common way of communication between people. It would seem only natural that computer development would eventually progress to the point where people would want to extend the human-computer interface to include speech. Once this happened, numerous techniques were explored. The goals of speech recognition became more and more ambitious, and researchers today continue to push the limits of what computers can do with the spoken word. This paper examines the problem of computer speech recognition by looking at the steps involved in getting from a spoken word to the word's recognition by the machine. The difficulties of continuous speech recognition will be enumerated and examined, as will the most popular recognition technique used today. The analysis ends with a brief description of some of the applications of speech recognition. Introduction Simply put, speech recognition is difficult. A computer does not have a useful thing called an ear that enables it to hear sounds, or a brain to process those sounds into recognizable words and phrases. There are three main stages involved in speech recognition: preprocessing, recognition, and communication. Preprocessing involves taking the speech input and converting it into something the computer can use. During the recognition stage, the computer must identify what has been said. Finally, in the communication stage, the computer acts upon the translated input (Markowitz). There are many inherent difficulties involved in speech recognition. For example, human speech can span more than 20,000 frequencies. A computer would quickly become overwhelmed by data if it was supplied with eve... ...e applications where they could be useful. For many people in the past few years, speech recognition has moved from just being a novelty to becoming an important tool used in their everyday lives. References Books 1. Markowitz, Judith A. Using Speech Recognition. Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1996. 2. Keller, Eric. Fundamentals of Speech Synthesis and Speech Recognition. John Wiley & Sons, 1994. 3. Hollingum, Jack and Cassford, Graham. Speech Technology at Work. IFS Publications, Ltd, 1988. WWW Sites 1. http://www.linfield.edu/~dbrewer/speech/spchi.html College student's informative summary paper on speech recognition 2. http://www.speech.usyd.edu.au/comp.speech/FAQ6.html One of many speech recognition questions answered. FOR MORE INFORMATION http://www.speech.usyd.edu.au/comp.speech/SpeechLinks.html A large list of Speech Recognition links on the web.

Critical Analysis of Drugs Essay

Drugs and alcohol use has been a common and consistent problem in the United States for quite a long time. From the prohibition era in the 1920’s to the common drug use seen in the 1970’s, we have always seen a problem that needs to be addressed. An array of scholars, from all the disciplines, have each experimented and researched this topic in their own unique ways. The natural sciences take a purely scientific approach by hypothesizing and using the scientific method to research and made evaluative claims based on experiment and observation as shown in the article â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students†. Social Science is similar because it also uses hypotheses and the scientific method to observe and evaluate experiments, but at the same time uses theory critique and discussion methods as seen in the article â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking†. The Humanities take a very difference approach to experiments and research than the natural or social sciences. The Humanities utilize analysis and interpretation in their approach and provide very subjective results to their studies as seen in, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students†. All of these techniques give us a better understand of the subject as a whole by exposing us to all the different views of a single topic. See more: how to write a critical analysis outline Drugs and alcohol use, particularly in college students, in a continuously rising issue in our current society and is gaining more notice in recent years because of the rise in college student awareness. It is a pressing issue that affects people’s health, lifestyle, and general well being and needs to be treated with attention and an open mind to help resolve its current issues. Part I. From the scholarly point of view, drug and alcohol use in the college setting is covered by all the disciplines with different attention on certain aspects by each respective discipline. A social science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking,† by Dr. Morgen delves into college students drinking habits, and why they act as they do. The articles purpose is to show the relationship between how students perceive their drinking and how bad it actually is. Dr. Morgen focuses on identifying the problem and evaluating it. This isn’t far off from the approach the Natural Science article, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† by Dr.Moore and Dr. Werch. Their focus is to compare exercise habits among self identified drinkers and to come up with scientific explanations for their habits. Like Dr. Morgen, the study included asking questions about the students drinking habits and perceptions of their actions. But, unlike Dr. Morgen there is a more objective approach to the results and less room for interpretation. The Humanities article compares more with the Social Science article and contrasts with the Natural Science take on the subject. The article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† focuses strictly on discussion and results to questions they presented to the women in their study. When comparing the Humanities article to the other two, you can see a difference in the materials covered and analyzed. The Humanities support its findings through their discussion and thoughts on the results, while the two science articles find support from empirical data. When looking at all three sources it is easy to realize how complex and broad drugs and alcohol are among the three disciplines. When we view the Natural Science article is it clear that the use of scientific sources are more prevalent than in the Humanities article. The Humanities utilize primary sources, where the Social Sciences use a mixture of methods found in both the Humanities and the Natural Sciences. All of these scholarly discussions demonstrate the complexity of the subject, while also exposing it from many different angles. Each article seems to approach the topic of drugs and alcohol by exhibiting several different opportunities for argument. Given that all three articles deal with three different disciplines it’s no surprise that each article comes to its respective conclusion by different rhetorical means. â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students,† by Moore and Werch, works to indentify factors in college students drinking and exercise habits and link them together. Moore and Werch rely on logos to convey their results, given that the article is in the Natural Sciences it uses facts, statistics, and experiments to argue its results. This differs greatly from, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† by VonDras et al. because VonDras et al. make up the framework of their approach and argument by using credibility and reliable sources (ethos). The Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† by Dr. Morgen, is a combination of both approaches. The use of logical reasoning and experiments yield to logos, but at the same time the exploitation of reliable sources and trustworthiness demonstrate ethos as its rhetorical choice. The point of view of the three articles is first person because the authors are directly explaining the experiments methods, process, and discussion to the reader. Throughout the three sources there is a certain ethos connection because of the experimenters relying on honest input from their subjects in each experiment. Overall, all three articles state the importance of the positions they take, and relate their topics to some degree. All have in common a kind of moderation in how they appeal to an audience rhetorically. Each source uniquely represents its particular discipline through textual evidence, and its take on the subject at hand. The Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† by VonDras et al. represents humanities perfectly because of its strong use of interpretation and analysis. This approach differs greatly from the â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† article, which uses more observation and the scientific method, which is very representative of the Natural Sciences. Once again incorporating some of both of the disciplines to represent its take is the Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking†. There is clear use of scientific method and experiment, but you can also see interpretation and analysis in the conclusion discussion which talks about the students drinking habits and perceived benefits from consuming alcohol. The Natural Science article strays from its disciplines approach at times and seems to come across as a Social Science article. Its uses analysis and observation along with its hypothesis. The Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† is most typical to its specific discipline. It exemplifies traditional Social Science approaches to the experiment and discussion more wholly than the Natural Science and Humanities articles represent their topic. The least typical to its discipline is the Natural Science article, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students†. Though, as stated, it does use scientific approaches which represent the Natural Sciences, it also incorporates some Social Science attributes in its structure. This is dissimilar to the Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† because as previously stated, VonDras et al. stuck to the proper methods in their research and represented the Humanities in a proper fashion. Taken as a whole, these three scholarly sources predominantly stick to their discipline and properly represent their respective disciplines. Part II. The importance of drug and alcohol use in the college setting has never been more important and relevant than it is now. Drug and alcohol use at the college level can have many detrimental effects on the future of our society. We, the college students in America, are the future of this country, and if we cannot be responsible enough to drink not in excess then how can we be trusted to continue to run this country smoothly. The three sources used from the three different disciplines all touch on important ideas related to the topic at hand. As stated in the Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† by Dr. Morgen, most of the college students that claim they have their drinking habits in control and receive lots of benefits from drinking fall into the DSM-IV-TR category for alcoholism. This is a relevant issue because it shows that college students who think they are responsible for their actions could easily have a disease and not even know it. We must strive to fix or at least help the issue that is in front of us by going straight to the matter. In the Natural Science article, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† it states college students who exercise more are more likely to drink heavily. That seems highly counterproductive, but from the student’s point of view, they feel that if they work out and exercise they can drink as a reward for their efforts. This is a skewed way to look at it and should also be addressed. We don’t need to promote no drinking because that will simply not work, but we can push to inform people of the health risks and harm they do to their bodies by drinking heavily on a regular basis. This is a very relevant take on the subject because it alerts the reader of the things they found and provides unbiased, correct information on the topic of drinking amongst college students. The Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† approaches the subject from a different angle but still covers useful and relevant material to use and discuss. Its main idea is talking about how religion and spirituality effect their views and habits of drinking. The study found that religious affiliation and aspects of spiritual well being are moderators of behavior that lead to alcohol prevention. The level of awareness of the issue of alcohol use of all three scholarly sources seems to be very high. They all selected their topic of research to find definitive results about the use of alcohol and its effects on the people who abuse it. There seems to be a suitable amount of attention given, which is good because it seems that a large group of people are unaware of the negative aspects on their lifestyle and health of heavy drinking and drug use. We should be focused strongly on the issue more than the discipline we are reading it from. All the disciplines have unique approaches to their discussions but they still head towards the same issue that we should be focused on. All three of the sources seem to stay focused and never stray from alcohol use as their main topic. The Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† seems to be most relevant because of its practical explanations. It includes input and thoughts from the Natural Sciences and the Humanities, and that’s what makes it a Social Science article. The practicality of its subject, why students drink, is easy to understand, but at the same time is very in-depth. We learn so much from it such as, why people drink, how much they drink, their perceived benefits from consumption, and the effects of all those things added up. As stated earlier, this issue is very important in our society at this moment. College should be fun, but at the same time we must learn to be responsible and focus on what we are in college to do. That is learn and get an education so that we can later because the leaders and innovators that push this country to greatness. Only so much can be done, but the first step to changing anything is raising awareness on college campuses. Overall, drug and alcohol abuse is portrayed in all the disciplines with each one having an important input on the matter as a whole. It is a pressing issue that affects people’s health, lifestyle, and general well being and needs to be treated with attention and an open mind to help resolve its current issues. We cannot stray from this pressing issue in the near future and must continue to research and experiment so that we may better understand drug and alcohol use from all different points of view. As stated in the Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking†, students who perceive their consumption as normal have in reality worse habits than the average person. We have to strive to expose this issue and correct it as best we can in the future. From the Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students†, we can conclude that religious affiliation and sense of spiritual well-being seem to have a positive effect on drinking habits. Simply put, morals seem to have an effect on if a person abuses alcohol or drugs. Also, as found in the Natural Science source, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† people seem to be negatively reinforcing themselves because it was found that people how exercise more reported consuming more alcohol than the average person. That finding is a sad thing because it is so counterproductive to the body. From the sources as a whole you can easily find the connection that this is a pertinent issue today and will continue to be in the future. Its importance cannot be stressed enough but even with that, people will continue to not listen and use substances more than is considered responsible. We will see the consequences of this in the coming years, and determine if the issue really is as big as it seems, or if people finally grow up when they get out of college and realize they can’t have such destructive behaviors and continue to contribute to society in a positive way. In conclusion, we cannon stray from this issue, but we must continue to research it and learn from it to help fix and explain it to coming generations. Moore, Michele Johnson, and Chudley Werch. â€Å"Relationship Between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students. † Journal of American College Health Vol. 56. No. 6 (2008): 686-690. Morgen, Keith, and Lauren Gunneson. â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking. † Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education (2008): 18-36. VonDras, D. , R. Schmitt, and D. Marx. â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students. † Journal of Religion & Health Vol. 46 (2007): 500-515.

How Does Donatello Tell the Story of the Annunciation

Painting/Sculpture Essay- Ronan Carey Donatello, originally known as Donato, was given the name Donatello by his relatives and thus, wrote it that way on many of his works, was born in Florence in the year 1386. A gifted artist, he was not only an excellent sculptor and a marvellous statuary, but also prevalent in stucco, an able master of perspective, and a greatly admired architect who worked in virtually every medium possible during his long career, marble, bronze, low relief, pietra serena (dark stone), and even wood .And according to Vasari in his â€Å"Lives of the Artists†: â€Å"his works showed so much grace, design, and excellence, that they were held to approach more nearly to the marvellous works of the ancient Greeks and Romans than those of any other craftsman whatsoever. † The piece that shall be discussed in this essay is the work considered by many to be Donatello’s most important work in pietra serena, the â€Å"Annunciation (c. 1435)† fo r the Cavalcanti tabernacle, in the Santa Croce Chapel, Florence.The entire piece is 218cmx268cm, and is an architectural sculpture that takes the place of an altar in a family chapel, located in the right aisle of the Chapel following the renovation of the Original church and destruction of the original Chapel by Vasari. The Annunciation itself is a biblical scene that refers to moment in which the angel Gabriel delivers the news to Mary that she is to bear the child of Christ. In the Bible, the Annunciation is narrated in the book of Luke, Luke 1:26-38: Luke 1:26 and in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed ‘art' thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind wha t manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and ring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. It was the skill of Donatello to translate this scene into a sculpture so vibrant and powerful that generation after generation would look upon it and understand the power and significance of the depiction. According to Joachim Poeschke, author of â€Å"Donatello and his World†, like Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello felt that â€Å"the Distance between the viewer and the action had to be overcome in the emotional sense as well as the visual†.It is this mentality that causes the work of Donatello to sweep a viewer up and allow them to feel in the midst of the action, He did not have to â€Å"rely on realistic effects to create such brilliance but rather focus on his own imagination and creative control over his piece†. However, in this piece, Donatello does actually create a harmoniously realistic rendering of such a miraculous and often over-exaggerated scene. So how exactly does Donatello tell the story?Well the strength of the piece lies in its choice of subjects, their depiction, and the complex emotional brevity he applies to their story. The sculpture itself is carved from a single stone of pietra serena, a typically dark stone that is often avoided by sculptors for its monotony in tone and contrast but in the hands of Donatello he used exquisite gold gilding to create a rich and sensuous appeal to the carving. The gold would have glimmered high above the parishioners in the candlelight of the otherwise dark Franciscan church, notable for its one large external rose window.It is important to note the fact that the parishioners would have been looking up at the elevated sculpture as it plays a paramount role in our understanding of its depiction. Donatello used foreshortening in his rendering of Mary to the extent that on ground level, her right leg appears slightly shorter than it would be if it was anatomically correct. An article in â€Å"The Florentine† magazine by Jane Fortune discusses how this foreshortening allows the figures to stand out in what appears to be a much higher relief than one would expect. However, as Bonnie A. Bennett and David G.Wilkins say in â€Å"Donatello†, the use of a richly patterned and gilded background immediately behind the figures prevents the illusion of further depth, but this restricted spatial effect is very appropriate for Donatello’s annunciation as it architecturally justifies his omission of several iconic elements of the annunciation scene. If we look at the figures presented we see only the Angel Gabriel and Virgin Mary and her lyre back chair. It was common practice in the history of art in 15th Century t o depict Mary and surrounding with numerous symbols to increase the abject legitimacy of the art.Some of these elements include Mary reading or holding a book to display knowledge and wisdom, a lily for purity, a lectern for the word of God or a dove to show the Holy Spirit. In Donatello’s rendering of the Annunciation, however, there are none of these icons save for the Virgins’ book but there is also no loggia, no view into the virgin’s bedchamber, and no symbolic walled garden to represent her virginity. Florence’s museums and churches abound with portrayals that at times seem overcrowded with symbolism and icons to inform a viewer of the theological importance of the scene they are witnessing.Donatello has chosen to do with away with any imagery that may cloud the focus on the Virgin and Gabriel to allow a viewer to become swept up in the complex story at hand. These omissions only prove to make what Donatello has actually included all the more essent ial. If we look at how exactly he has illustrated the angel Gabriel we see that he has chosen the moment when Gabriel has literally just entered the room, his large, deep wings are still unfurled in manner that suggest he has only landed this very second to deliver his news.His drapery and ribbons are swept back behind him to accentuate this idea of swift movement and he appears to genuflect on one knee instead as he comes to a landing with his mouth slightly agape in the act of addressing the virgin. Donatello is transmitting the idea of the power and meaningfulness behind what Gabriel has to say. The Madonna herself is in a pose not usually seen up until that point in art history. According to Gerald S. Davies in the Burlington Magazine, â€Å"She is arrested at the precise moment when it expresses the most completely a condition of mental emotion†.She has been caught whilst reading a book; it is still held firmly in her grasp. We can tell she has just risen at the appearan ce of the angel as she has turned by impulse to leave, clearly taken aback by this miraculous apparition. Her right knee, already bent to take the first step, tells us this. Her left foot is planted firmly on the ground and is yet to be moved. With her right hand she is briskly yet still gracefully clasping for her mantle, which suggests it has fallen from her shoulders as she leapt up in commotion but also confirms that she is accepting of the Angel’s news as she places her hand on her heart.All of these subtle movements come together to express an emotional experience of hearing the message of an angel. Her face is turned downwards in a gracious pose reminiscent of Greek classical sculpture that places it almost completely in profile and away from the direction she is apparently walking. This one look, alone, tells us that what she is hearing is clearly an encapsulating and spellbinding message. In conclusion, Donatello has created something truly special in his depiction o f the Annunciation.His omission of several elements in this much re-created scene gave it its own individual appearance and personality, and although it is clearly indebted to the high-relief Greek classical sculptures of Donatello’s favour, it still remains utterly contemporary and even forward thinking in terms of renaissance sculpture. He has taken an otherwise difficult and unspectacular medium, pietra serena, and bent it to his will to create a spectacular piece of ecclesiastical sculpture.His contemporaries would have been so impressed by this work for its sheer courage if nothing else, Donatello did away with traditional conventions for the sake of expressing more genuine emotional in his art. His ability to allow the three essential elements of the story to occur simultaneously, that of the angel’s arrival and the virgin’s shock, his message being delivered, and Mary’s eventual acceptance, is what elevates this work of stone into another level of artistic expression for its time that would have amazed his contemporaries as well as the average citizens of Florence.References: Donatello- Bonnie A. Bennett and David G. Wilkins (pg. 32/147/148) Joachim Poeschke- Donatello and his world (pg. 32/56) Jane Fortune- Variation on a theme: Annunciation- The Florentine-published June 28, 2007 Giorgio Vasari- the lives of the Artists Tuscany Arts- Looking at Donatello’s Annunciation Gerald S. Davies – A Sidelight on Donatello’s Annunciation- The Burlington Magazine- published 1908

How to Find Adult Education and Earn a GED in Michigan

How to Find Adult Education and Earn a GED in Michigan You may be pleasantly surprised to find some refreshingly unusual education opportunities for adults on the Education page at Michigan.gov. It takes a few clicks to find these treasures. From the main landing page, click on the Education tab at the top, and then on Students on the left navigation bar. On the Students page, click on Adult Learning on the right navigation bar, under Timely Topics for Students. Here you will find links to wonderful and unexpected programs like Becoming an Outdoors Woman, getting work as a Seasonal Farm Worker, and help for the blind at the Commission for the Blind. There is also a link for the Michigan Historical Museum Volunteer Program/Docent Guild, a fantastic way for lifelong learners to share their love of history, knowledge of the local areas, and hard-earned wisdom. College Career Prep Under the College Career Prep heading, there are links for the more traditional kinds of adult education. Unfortunately, at the time of this publishing, the link for Adult Education Resource Center simply takes you back to the Education landing page. The Michigan Career Portal link does take you to a new site focused on helping Michigan citizens find jobs, from management careers to skilled trades. There is a counter that shows Michigan has more than 90,000 jobs available! Use the search box to find the jobs appropriate for you. On the Career Explorer tab on this page, youll find helpful tools for assessing and developing your skills, and a very interesting opportunity under the Career Jump Start tab to work with a liaison who can point you in the right direction. There are 10 of them, each assigned to a region of the state. Contact info for each is at the bottom of the Career Jump Start page. Earning Your GED in Michigan Sadly, the GED link at the bottom of the Education/Students page opens a PDF that does not appear to be current, and it is the only apparent link for GED information. The best way to find GED information at Michigan.gov is to search for GED in the search box at the top of the page. The first result is a link to the Michigan Workforce Development Agency, which oversees this aspect of adult education in Michigan. When GED and high school equivalency testing options became available in the United States on January 1, 2014, Michigan chose to continue its partnership with GED Testing Service, which now offers a computer-based GED test. Your best option for information is to visit GED Testing Service, where you can find testing centers in your own county. In March of 2015, the state transitioned from paper transcripts and certificates to a paperless, web-based credentialing system. Its an easier, much faster way to receive your credentials, and they can be easily forwarded to schools and potential employers in Michigan. This is a state credentialing service, not national. You can still get a paper copy if you desire. There may be a small fee. Registered Apprenticeship If you are looking to develop skills in a particular trade, you will want to be sure to visit the Registered Apprenticeship page, also found on the Michigan Workforce Development Agency site. Opportunities are available in skilled trades, energy, health care, information technology, and advanced manufacturing. If you participate in this program, youll receive extensive on-the-job training under supervision in addition to classroom education. Youll find addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses for the people to contact. Return to the list of states.

10 Tips for Website Organization and Flow †updated from 2009!

10 Tips for Website Organization and Flow – updated from 2009! I am almost ready to launch a new website for The Essay Expert, and I have learned a LOT along the way. I decided to write my blog on the topic, and, as a reference, went back to an article I wrote almost seven years ago about website organization and flow. I knew very little then, but did share a few important tips. While some things have changed, some things have stayed the same. Here is my updated list, and a preview of The Essay Expert’s new website! 1. Don’t have more than eight (8) top menu items in addition to the Home tab. With new menu formats, I’ve increased this number from six (6) in my original recommendation to eight (8). The menu items on my new site will be About, Testimonials, Services, DIY/eBooks, Media, Blog, FAQs, and Contact. They fit nicely and simply across the top menu. 2. You don’t have to make the top menu items clickable. This is a change in my opinion from years ago. I think people used to expect the menu items to be clickable. Now all you need is clickable dropdown items. 3. Make your logo (generally the top left corner of every page) a link to your home page. This is still a best practice. Do it! And don’t assume people know to click the logo to get to the home page. Put a Home tab on the top navigation too – you can use an icon of a house to save space. 4. Use creative solutions to help people navigate longer pages. While anchor links are an established option for helping users navigate, there are a lot more solutions available now. For instance, use tabs on a page to allow users to choose the category of information that interests them. I will be using this option on my Testimonials page, where users can click on tabs labeled Executive, Mid-Level, Entry-Level and Admissions to see testimonials relevant to that category of service. Another option is a pop-up window that provides information without lengthening the page. I will be using this option for items like â€Å"Where our clients have been admitted.† If you do choose anchor links, these links can look like buttons. Design them to be congruent with your site design! 5. Review your site regularly for broken links and fix or delete them. And for any broken links within your own site, create a unique 404 page. This advice will never change. Constantly check for broken links! For 404, I have created a page with a Mark Twain quotation! Here are some famously creative 404 pages for your reading pleasure. 6. Give your website viewers information about how the service or product works so they are educated before they buy, and before they call you. Here’s how I’m doing it on my new site: I’m also improving the descriptions of each of my services so site visitors understand what they will be getting when they make a purchase. 7. Don’t send people away from a page if you want them to purchase something on that page. On my new website, I offer a complete â€Å"Resume and LinkedIn Success Package† (see above) that I expect to be the most common product people purchase. I also so have â€Å"a la carte† options available. But I will not mention those items until the bottom of the page. Any buttons at the top of my executive services page will keep people on the page, either with a pop-up or a link to a service on the page itself. They will have to read through my most popular items before they find other options. 8. Whenever possible, offer a main product with optional add-ons. On my â€Å"old† (current) site, I have learned, there are way too many options to choose from and people get confused as to which service is best for them. In my effort to accommodate everyone, I went a bit overboard. The new site will offer one main package with add-ons. I’m excited to have created a streamlined experience for new customers! 9. Scatter testimonials throughout your website. People want to know what other people are saying about you. Personally, even if I don’t read the testimonials on a site, I want to know they are there. Make sure if you offer different products that the ones most relevant to each product are on that product page. Also offer the opportunity for people to write reviews directly on your site! On my new site, I will have testimonials on each page as well as a full page of testimonials for anyone who wants to read more. 10. Highlight certifications, awards, and media appearances. What qualifies you to do what you do? Put it up front and center to gain credibility and trust! There are many more recommendations and best practices for websites that I haven’t covered here. I’d love to hear your comments and suggestions. And stay tuned for the launch of The Essay Expert’s new website†¦ coming soon! Category:Web Site TipsBy Brenda BernsteinMay 23, 2016

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Distance Learning

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Distance Learning In the world of  online education, often known as distance learning, classes can be asynchronous or synchronous. What do those terms mean?  Knowing the difference between synchronous and asynchronous distance learning can help you choose a program that works best for your schedule, your learning styles and your education. Synchronous Distance Learning Synchronous distance learning occurs when the teacher and pupils interact in different places but during the same time. Students enrolled in synchronous courses are generally required to log on to their computer during a set time at least once a week. Synchronous distance learning may include multimedia components such as group chats, web seminars, video conferencing and phone call-ins. Synchronous learning generally works best for students who can schedule set days and times for their studies. People who like structured courses heavy on student interaction often prefer synchronous learning. Asynchronous Distance Learning Asynchronous distance learning occurs when the teacher and the pupils interact in different places and during different times. Students enrolled in asynchronous courses are able to complete their work whenever they please. Asynchronous distance learning often relies on technology such as email, e-courses, online forums, audio recordings and video recordings. Snail mail is another medium for asynchronous learning. Students with complicated schedules often prefer asynchronous distance learning. It also tends to work well for self-motivated learners who do not need direct guidance to complete their assignments. Choosing the Right Type of Learning When trying to decide between synchronous and asynchronous courses, take your learning style and schedule into consideration. If you get lonely studying independently or feel more comfortable working closely with your professors, synchronous courses may be a better choice. If you are unable to commit to specific class times due to work or family obligations, asynchronous distance learning may be the way to go. Look into more on the pros and cons of the different types of learning.  Ã‚   Teaching in the Multiple  Environments Whether the distance learning environment is synchronous or asynchronous, the teachers goal continues to be putting forth a strong presence, even in an online course. A teacher who relies  on synchronous, asynchronous or a combination of communication approaches must still communicate clearly, frequently and effectively for students to derive the most from the educational experience.

Financial Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial Report - Essay Example The company has a wide range of stakeholders such as the investors, the creditors, the government, customers, employees and the public. As mentioned above, the user’s have diverse needs, which are met through the provision of the financial statements. The key features in Sandall Arnold’s financial statements are the income statement, the statement of the financial position for two years, 2012 and 2013, and the independent auditor’s report (Gibson 2009, pp. 193) If the provision of the  £ 30 million worth of claim is not included in the Sandall Arnold’s financial statement, the auditor will issue a modified audit opinion ( type: likelihood of a misstatement) for the reason that all other items are correctly stated but the provision. However, if the provision is made, the auditors will give an unmodified opinion showing that the company’s financial statements present â€Å"a true and fair view† of the financial position. The two corporate governance deficiencies identified are the failure of the board of directors to develop remuneration package of other directors based on performance evaluation. Second, the board of directors disregarded a significant internal management process (performance evaluation). In order to improve decision making, the management should observe the rules and regulations set out by the company’s founders. Second, the board of directors should exercise fairness and probity when making de cisions (Bagshaw 2013, pp. 20-23) Based on the two-year income statement of Sandall Arnold’s company, the company’s revenue increased by 1.612% between 2010 and 2013. The gross profit increased by 96% between the two periods. The costs of sales decreased by 8.969% between the two periods. The profit before tax increased by 242.86% and the profit increased by 200% between the two years. The above movements are due to the revenue increase and a decrease in costs of goods sold

Reflective Portfolio Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reflective Portfolio Coursework - Essay Example At the initial stage, my general idea regarded ageing population as a highly detrimental scenario. However, with progressive studies and analysis, I developed greater understanding and my perception changed significantly. Ageing population is a by-product of development and luxurious lifestyle and hence, cannot be eliminated. The primary objective for society should be to increase birth rates so that proportion of youngsters remains compatible with ageing population. Upon the subject matter of ageing population, as a student, my general perception is that this is an unavoidable factor in rising economies across the globe. I feel that many countries in the world are likely to face the problem of ageing population in the near future. Countries of Europe and Asia are increasingly showing signs of ageing population. The world has never recorded such high growth in ageing population as has been observed since past few decades; this trend is expected to stay on in the future. An aging population is characterized by decline in the population of children and rise in that of the elderly. An ageing population scenario arises when life expectancy levels are seen to rise and birth rates appear to fall. Population ageing is generally associated with two main demographic factors: As per my initial analysis, ageing population can lead to multiple problems in the future. Elderly people who have enough savings, but cannot work, do not contribute sufficiently towards social development. Due to scarcity of young population, labour will not be cheaply available; as a result, there will be a huge scarcity of fresh skills. This reflective report incorporates my significant analysis upon the subject of ageing population and its effects; its current standing globally; and ways in which ageing population is likely to impact the future. This reflective report has been prepared on basis of the strategic foresight technique. Strategic foresight is a method by which possible

Conservative Resurgence in the United States in Reagan Era Essay

Conservative Resurgence in the United States in Reagan Era - Essay Example This essay presents one of the best examples of the analysis of the reasons behind the rapid shift in policies of the US government, following the election of the President Reagan. It also aims to critically assess the effectiveness of the new conservative policies, employed by the Reagan administration. Prior to the 1970s, conservatism was not really an issue of much concern and republicans could only ascend to power by choosing a moderate president like Nixon or Eisenhower. However, the rise of conservatism in the 1970s through 1980s was basically a response to many different situations both in this period and in the earlier years of the 1960s. It was generally felt that liberals had exceeded limits and taken things a bit too far. As a consequence there was a general call for a resurgence of conservative policies which subsequently followed. As a result various policies came into play on the social, political and economic fronts. It is certainly imperative to realize the manner in which conservatism resurged in the 1970s and 1980s. Several major events in much of this period actually contributed to the highly conservative climate that was thereby realized. In the United States, the Reagan era was characterized by several cuts in the social programs and major anti-regulation policies that were geared towards most American companies. On the economic front the 1970s had some of the worst recession since the Great Depression and some of these conditions actually recurred in the 1980s . In this regard, there were various calls and campaigns as people sought for the reemergence of the conservative ways of operations in order to address the situations. In the same way, the hard economic times made people to adapt to the more conservative spending habits which subsequently contributed to the conservative resurgence. In a way, the 1970s and 1980s were characterized by several events in the American situation. The rise of conservatism was basically a reaction to the several events of that period which forced the people to turn away from some of the more liberal policies of the time. The economic stagflation that plagued the United States had many effects on the people. The Vietnam War had many political and economic effects on the people as they felt it was basically a loss. In this regard, most people began turning away from the liberal policies of the Democratic Party and turned into republican policies as was realized in the 1981 presidential elections when Reagan w as elected. The Reagan era nevertheless became unpopular on certain grounds due the various policies that put into place address the situation. In foreign policy, the United States sold arms to Iran and used much of the money to support the left wing rebels in Nicaragua. However, this was in violation of the congressional budget authority and the Boland Agreement. This act caused a much drop in the popularity of Reagan despite the many economic reforms the administration had put into place. Earlier on during Carters administration, the Iran hostage crisis was a symbol of the failed presidency of Carter due to the then unpreparedness of the United States in addressing emergency situations. The republican administrations of Nixon and Ford were majorly characterized by conservative policies especially in economic intervention. This was mainly achieved through the use of price and wage controls. However Ford’s decisions of pushing the detente policy with the Soviet Union did not go down well with most conservatives. Following Carter’s election in 1974, different thoughts emerged on the whole subject on conservatism. In a way, the Southern Baptists felt that Carter was too liberal while the mainstream of the Democratic Party felt he was too conservative and was thus incapable of addressing American foreign affairs programs. In any

Genetically modified organisms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Genetically modified organisms - Essay Example Closely related to GMOs are transgenic organisms, a subset of GEOs comprising of organisms to which DNA originating from a different has been inserted. Historical Background to GMOs Production of a GMO generally involves addition of new genetic material to the genome of an organism. This process is known as genetic engineering. Two major discoveries have contributed to the development of genetic engineering; coming up with the first recombinant bacterium in the year 1973, as well as the discovery of the DNA. This first recombinant bacterium was made from an existing bacterium E. coli was had an exogenesis Salmonella gene. The emergence of genetic engineering aroused a lot of concerns about its potential risks. These risks were first discussed in details in the Conference held in 1975. The meeting’s main recommendation was that the government establishes a body to oversee the research in this field till the safety of this technology was assured. The first company to employ the technology of recombinant DNA was founded by Herbert Boyer. The company which was named Genentech was able to create an E. coli strains that could produce the human protein insulin by 1978. A field test was carried out in 1986, which involved using genetically engineered bacteria called ice-minus bacteria to offer protection to plants from damage by frost. This was done in a small company of biotechnology by the name Advanced Genetic Sciences of Oakland, situated at California. Monsanto Company also proposed a field test of a genetically engineered microbe for a pest resistant protein but the proposal was dropped. Organizations such as WHO and FAO issued a guidance on how to asses the safety of genetically food and plants between the late 1980s and the early 1990s. The experimental planting of genetically modified plants began in Canada and United States towards the end of 1980s. It was not until the mid 1990s that the first commercial large scales cultivation of genetically enginee red plants was approved. There has been an annual increase in adoption of the engineered plants by the farmers ever since. Production Process As stated earlier, the production of a GMO generally lies on the principle of adding a new genetic material into the genome of an organism. Insertion or deletion of genes is referred to as genetic modification. The genes that are inserted mostly comes an organism of from a different species and this is a case of horizontal gene transfer. The gene transfer may occur in nature if for any given reason an exogenous DNA passes through the cell membrane. To artificially do this, one may either attach the genes to a virus or insert the extra DNA physically into the intended host’s nuclear by the use of a tiny syringe, or using very tiny particles which are fired from a device called gene gun. The natural methods of gene transfer such as the capacity of the Agro bacterium to transmit genetic material to the nuclei of plants cells or the capacit y of lent viruses to relocate genes to the nuclei of animal cells animal cells are may also be used.[3] Environmental Issues and Ethical Some environment and ethical concerns have been raised with regards to GMOs. Some environmentalists have raised concerns that could lead to some detrimental and adverse effects on

Organisation Management System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Organisation Management System - Essay Example Researchers have tried to increase understanding of why new mobile payment technologies are adopted by focusing on either the payee or the payer, which potentially yield a limited understanding of the payer-payee context. I have scrutinised over 50 academic journals in the area of social psychology, technology adoption and mobile payments to retrieve a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. To this I have identified the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the Technology Acceptance Model, The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, the Task-Technology Fit model and the Diffusion of Innovations as centrepieces in the academic literature. Founded on these the evolution of the concept has been on-going where several antecedents have been identified to either facilitate or impede the adoption of mobile payment technologies. Different attempts have been made to conceptualise these complexities, however none incorporate a comprehensive understanding of the antecedents of adoption of mobile payment technologies identified in the mobile payment literature with both a payer and payee centric approach which comprehends the payer-payee context. Acknowledging this, I have integrated a framework founded upon social psychology rationales, technology adoption theories and mobile payment literature to increase understanding of why new mobile payment technologies are adopted by payers and payees. Applying my framework to real-life cases I have found several interesting findings such as (1) payer and payee adoption is interrelated, (2) payee adoption is highly influenced by usefulness mediated through task-technology fit and especially the presence of expected functions, (3) payee adoption can be influenced by payer’s costs and the technologies’ consistency with payer’s lifestyle, (4) lack of ease of use is a barrier of adoption in contrast to ease of use as a driver of adoption. Most

Genetically modified organisms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Genetically modified organisms - Essay Example Closely related to GMOs are transgenic organisms, a subset of GEOs comprising of organisms to which DNA originating from a different has been inserted. Historical Background to GMOs Production of a GMO generally involves addition of new genetic material to the genome of an organism. This process is known as genetic engineering. Two major discoveries have contributed to the development of genetic engineering; coming up with the first recombinant bacterium in the year 1973, as well as the discovery of the DNA. This first recombinant bacterium was made from an existing bacterium E. coli was had an exogenesis Salmonella gene. The emergence of genetic engineering aroused a lot of concerns about its potential risks. These risks were first discussed in details in the Conference held in 1975. The meeting’s main recommendation was that the government establishes a body to oversee the research in this field till the safety of this technology was assured. The first company to employ the technology of recombinant DNA was founded by Herbert Boyer. The company which was named Genentech was able to create an E. coli strains that could produce the human protein insulin by 1978. A field test was carried out in 1986, which involved using genetically engineered bacteria called ice-minus bacteria to offer protection to plants from damage by frost. This was done in a small company of biotechnology by the name Advanced Genetic Sciences of Oakland, situated at California. Monsanto Company also proposed a field test of a genetically engineered microbe for a pest resistant protein but the proposal was dropped. Organizations such as WHO and FAO issued a guidance on how to asses the safety of genetically food and plants between the late 1980s and the early 1990s. The experimental planting of genetically modified plants began in Canada and United States towards the end of 1980s. It was not until the mid 1990s that the first commercial large scales cultivation of genetically enginee red plants was approved. There has been an annual increase in adoption of the engineered plants by the farmers ever since. Production Process As stated earlier, the production of a GMO generally lies on the principle of adding a new genetic material into the genome of an organism. Insertion or deletion of genes is referred to as genetic modification. The genes that are inserted mostly comes an organism of from a different species and this is a case of horizontal gene transfer. The gene transfer may occur in nature if for any given reason an exogenous DNA passes through the cell membrane. To artificially do this, one may either attach the genes to a virus or insert the extra DNA physically into the intended host’s nuclear by the use of a tiny syringe, or using very tiny particles which are fired from a device called gene gun. The natural methods of gene transfer such as the capacity of the Agro bacterium to transmit genetic material to the nuclei of plants cells or the capacit y of lent viruses to relocate genes to the nuclei of animal cells animal cells are may also be used.[3] Environmental Issues and Ethical Some environment and ethical concerns have been raised with regards to GMOs. Some environmentalists have raised concerns that could lead to some detrimental and adverse effects on

A Book for Primary Grade Students Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Book for Primary Grade Students - Coursework Example As the paper discusses Mickey finds himself fallen in a night kitchen where three fat bakers are baking a cake for the morning. Mickey falls into the jug of milk and is accidentally kneaded into the cake dough after which the bakers put him into the oven. Somehow, Mickey manages to come out of the dough and feels sorry that he has spoiled the cake. He, then, makes an airplane of the dough and flies outside the oven into a bottle of milk where he pours the milk into the dough when its covering crumbles up. The bakers are happy that the cake came out perfect. Mickey, then magically returns to his bedroom into his bed, and pleasurably thinks about the delightful experiences that he had in the night kitchen. The aim behind summarizing the story is to explain how the content is well suited to be studied by a primary grader. Every one of us has his own unique good or bad style of learning new things. Teachers need to understand different learning styles in order to improve learning, especi ally student learning, because learning styles have a practical application in education and training. The organization of this book is perfect who is a visual learner, that is, a student whose learning preferences include visual aids with which he can make an imagination of the story plot within his mind. This study outlines that the pictures and comics that the author has made use of are interesting pieces of visual aids that can help a student with visual learning style. Thus, the language used is figurative. â€Å"The succession of images occur in such a way, that when we are given the full view of the scene, it seems as if Mickey has literally broken the forth wall of the comics panel and come zooming out into the open†. The cartoon-like artwork of Sandek has, on one hand, made the story bolder and, on the other, maintained the students’ grasp upon the plot of the story as well by keeping the shades and coloring of the images less intense. The emphases has been more on the story than the images which strengthens the students’ comprehension because they look at images as a helping part of the story rather than looking at story as a part of the comic images. The lettering and wording that Sandek has used make it special for children because the words used are si mple that are easy for the students to encode and decode, thus enabling the students learn decoding the word and encoding it comfortably. Also, the rhythm of the words selected is like a song which that student will enjoy who has auditory type learning style. Such a student learns by listening to the utterance of the sound of the word, and comprehends it. Hence, the book is great not only for visual but also for auditory learning style preferences. Moreover, this book can also prove a great guide for a student who lacks writing skills since the teacher can tell him to look at the picture and write down how the image relates to the story, or can tell him to read the story and write it down in simple words.

Thomas Midgley Jr. Essay Example for Free

Thomas Midgley Jr. Essay Born on May 18, 1889, American engineer and chemist Thomas Midgley, Jr. was controversial for two of his discoveries. One, he discovered the Freon while working for General Motors in 1930. He intended it to be a safe non-toxic refrigerant to be used in household appliances, to replace the dangerous refrigerants used before like ammonia and propane. Freon and other CFCs soon replaced the various toxic or explosive substances previously used as refrigerants, and were later used in other applications, such as propellants in aerosol spray cans and asthma inhalers. The Society of Chemical Industry awarded Midgley the Perkin Medal in 1937 for this work. However, Midgleys discovery resulted in damage to the earths Ozone layer. Two, Midgely discovered the effectiveness of tetraethyl lead as an antiknock additive for gasoline. On October 30, 1924, Midgley participated in a press conference to demonstrate the safety of TEL. In this demonstration, he poured TEL over his hands, then placed a bottle of the chemical under his nose and inhaled its vapor for sixty seconds, declaring that he could do this every day without succumbing to any problems whatsoever. However, the State of New Jersey ordered the Bayway plant to be closed a few days later, and Jersey Standard was forbidden to manufacture TEL there again without state permission. Midgley himself was careful to avoid mentioning to the press that he required nearly a year to recover from the lead poisoning brought on by his demonstration at the press conference. He sought treatment for lead poisoning in Europe a few months after his demonstration at the press conference. Midgley was relieved of his position as vice president of GMCC but continued to work for them. Midgley died three decades before the ozone depleting effects of CFCs in the atmosphere became widely known. Another adverse effect of Midgleys work was the release of large quantities of lead into the atmosphere as a result of the large-scale combustion of leaded gasoline all over the world. High atmospheric lead levels have been associated with serious health problems. J. R. McNeill, an environmental historian, has remarked that Midgley had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earths history.

Types Of Communication Essay

Types Of Communication Essay Communication always has a specific purpose. Communication is contextual so, the objective of communication varies in any given situation. This requires adaptation to the situation in terms of ways of expression, means and methods of transmission of information. Effective communication not only transfers information but also transfers understanding of the message. In the present globalised world when we come across real face-to-face and virtual communication situations, it becomes even more important to express and transmit the message effectively across geographical, linguistic and cultural boundaries. An understanding of the types of communication helps us to analyze the complexity of communication in various contexts. We may broadly categorize communication according to the type of context in which it takes place. The two categories are: Interpersonal Communication Mass Communication INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: The communication that occurs between two or more people as unique individuals, where they understand each other on the basis of their uniqueness in behavior is termed as interpersonal communication. Effective interpersonal communication depends on various interpersonal skills including listening, asserting, influencing, persuading, empathizing, negotiating and compassion. Important aspects of communication between individuals include body language and other forms of nonverbal communication. Interpersonal communication can be dyadic or small group communication. The word Dyad refers to a unit constituting two parts, so when communication takes between just two people it is called dyadic communication. In our everyday life we are a part of a small group as a member of family, a work unit or a team at workplace. Though individuals, we are a member of a group in a given context participating and coordinating actively to achieve a common goal. This communicat ion is known as small group communication. The characteristics of interpersonal communication: Interpersonal communication is inevitable: We are in constant communication with individuals around us not only through words but also by our body language (facial expression, gestures, etc.), paralanguage (tone, pitch, silence, etc.). We communicate in spite of our attempt not to communicate. Interpersonal communication is irrevocable: A Russian proverb says, Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can never swallow it again. One cannot take back the words once uttered, the impact stays. Interpersonal communication is intricate: Interpersonal communication is complicated in the sense that it involves psychological context- personality, behaviour, needs, desires, values; social context- an interaction in an annual general meeting will be very distinct from a press release on the companys annual turnover; cultural context- if you come from a culture where it is considered discourteous to make long, direct eye contact, you will out of courtesy evade eye contact. If the other individual comes from a culture where long, direct eye contact indicates credibility then, the cultural differences lead to misunderstanding. Interpersonal communication is interdependent: Communication between two different and unique individuals is always linked and interdependent as the performance of one member of the team decides the performance fate of the entire team. MASS COMMUNICATION: Mass communication occurs when a homogeneous message from a person or a group is transmitted to a large anonymous as well as heterogeneous audience through a special medium. Mass communication is very valuable when advertising a brand or a product for sales promotion through electronic or print medium. Communication, interpersonal or mass communication, both will become non-existent in the absence of forms of communication. The various forms of communication are as follows: Verbal communication Nonverbal communication Verbal communication: When exchange of thoughts, ideas, feelings and emotions takes place through words- spoken or written, the communication is known as verbal communication. Communication through spoken words is known as oral communication whereas communication through written words is known as written communication. Thus verbal communication takes two forms: Oral communication Written communication ORAL COMMUNICATION Definition and Meaning Transmission of thoughts and ideas through spoken words is known as oral communication. Oral communication constitutes 65-75% of an executives time at the work place. A manager spends about 90% of his working hours in oral communication in various formal and informal situations. Meetings, interviews, group discussions, speech, presentations, instructions, etc. are a few examples of formal oral communication situations. Grapevine is an example of informal oral communication. Oral communication also occurs through specific medium such as a face-to-face interaction through video conferencing, videophone or telephone. The way we communicate orally speaks volume about our personality, attitude, and emotional quotient. So, besides words nonverbal communication plays a vital role effective oral communication. Infact, nonverbal communication complements and completes oral communication. Merits of oral communication Oral communication is swift and speedy. It is faster than written communication as messages can be transmitted as well as received simultaneously. Oral communication generates immediate feedback. Direct face-to-face discussion on queries, doubts enhances the efficacy of communication. Oral communication is economical when compared to written communication. It saves the expenses on stationary and administrative formalities. Oral communication provides opportunities to amend and adapt according to the needs and situation. Reading non verbal clues of the audience during oral communication promotes better understanding. A speaker can always reframe the words and rework the tone, pitch for greater clarity of the receiver. Oral communication serves better in negotiations, arriving at a consensus and resolving conflicts. Oral communication is the most appropriate means to healthy interpersonal relations and healthy working environment. Demerits of oral communication Lack of evidence is a major drawback of oral communication. The validity of the message cannot be legally challenged. Oral communication cannot be preserved for long for future reference. Oral communication is not suitable for long messages such as reports, proposals. Human memory is transitory, so its difficult to retain and remember long messages. Oral communication is not a suitable for communicating across geographical boundaries. Communication through telephones or video-conferencing or even traveling long distances is not cost effective. External noise or disturbance in telephone or interference of any kind can reduce the clarity and understanding of the message communicated orally. Personal prejudices, biases, attitudinal problems can hamper proper understanding while communicating orally. Lack of concentration, inattentiveness and anxiety on the part of the receiver can also adversely affect in understanding the message. Senders personality, content and delivery can reduce or enhance the effectiveness of the message. It is difficult to hold people responsible and accountable for the messages communicated orally. One can easily deny and negate oral information. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION Definition and Meaning All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary its just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences. -Somerset Maugham When transmission of information takes place in writing/written words, the communication is referred to as written communication. Written communication is not merely a bundle of words or sentences. Words and sentences matter only when the receiver receives, decodes and understands the meaning as intended by the sender. Written communication is all pervasive-it pervades the length and breadth of an organization in the form of rules, regulations, instructions, notices, letters, reports, etc. Written communication is an indispensable part of planning, execution, collaboration, coordination in an organization. It also defines the structure, hierarchy, roles and responsibilities in the organization. Written communication also ensures greater clarity, accuracy, validity, reliability, accountability and long life of the information. Written communication can be formal as well as informal. Examples of written communication in a formal situation: Issuing orders, directives, notices and circulars Implementing decisions like appointments, transfer Making and implementing policy decisions, rules and regulations Directing letters, memorandum Merits of written communication A piece of written communication can be kept as record for future reference for longer period of time. Written communication is legally valid evidence and so can be challenged before law. Written communication avoids ambiguity and maintains uniformity of decisions, policies and procedures. One can always refer back to a written piece of information. So it can be retained for a longer period of time and has a long-lasting impact. Written communication is suitable for long, complicated messages. In todays globalised world where we have virtual teams and virtual managers working across cultural boundaries written communication is more accurate as it avoids misunderstanding arising due to different accent, tone, pitch and other nonverbal elements. One can always be held responsible for the information conveyed in writing for errors, omissions and the consequent misunderstanding. A written message carries more credibility than oral message as it can be produced in situations of dispute. Written communication facilitates decision making as the past records provide requisite information and necessary guidance. Demerits of Written Communication Written communication is time consuming as the sender needs to plan, organize and transmit the message through proper channel. Some times excessive paper work and the message traveling through various nodes in a communication network leads to the delaying of the message. This delay may also give rise to red-tapism. Written communication does not evoke immediate feedback. It is difficult to make changes, corrections and improvisations in the message once transmitted. If there arises a need to change the message, the process is again time consuming. Written communication is not cost effective. Planning, drafting and circulating of a message in large organizations require proper set up and appropriate infrastructural facilities that add to the expenditure. Writing is an art as well a skill; it is inherent and can also be acquired. Lack of clarity, incoherent organization, excessive jargons, and ambiguous language leads to misinterpretation, which in turn hampers the achievement of the desired objective. Effective written communication Clarity, completeness and persuasiveness are the keys to successful written communication. Composing and conveying the ideas to intended audience is a craft. Following are some measures that enhance the effectiveness of written communication: Adapt to the audience: One needs to adapt communication to the needs and expectations of the target audience. Audience analysis reduces the chances of misunderstanding. Adopt YOU Attitude i.e the communication should be audience centered. Replace I, me, mine, our, us by you, your. (examples) Use bias free language; avoid jargons, sms lingo and the internet language. While communicating to global audience on net take account of the cultural and linguistic differences and follow nettiquetes. While communicating unpleasant news always emphasize on the positive aspects of the situation. (examples) Make appropriate use of functional and content words.(examples) Difference between Oral and Written Communication The above differences between oral and written communication do not establish the superiority of one form of communication over the other. A good communicator always makes an attempt to choose the right form of communication to suit the need, objective, and situation. NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION When transmission of ideas, thoughts, feelings, emotions takes place without words, the communication is termed as nonverbal communication. We do not always communicate through words- a smile on the face, broadening of eyes, a frown, sitting posture with legs overlapped, body cross etc. speak volumes about an individuals state of mind, attitude, intentions and emotional status. Non verbal communication finds its roots in culture, so it vast and varied in different communities and cultures across the globe. The exhibit below suggests the impact and extent of nonverbal communication and advocates greater

Western Movies Since 1960 Essay -- essays research papers fc

A NOT-SO-ACCURATE prophet once wrote, "As recently as 1972, there were a tremendous number of quality Westerns being made . . . and since there seems to be a ten-year cycle in Western movie making, I'd say we'll see more in about 1982." 1 In 1982 only two Westerns were released, and neither was exactly a major success. Barbarosa, starring Willie Nelson, drew some respectable reviews–and some very damaging ones–but nobody went to see the film. The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez appeared first on PBS television, then later went into general release. Today the Western seems to be deader than the California Med-fly. Critics and aficionados of the form can only hear, as with Arnold's sea of faith, its long receding roar. Everything except fluoride in the water has been blamed for the death of the Western. Even critics themselves have come under attack of late. Stephen Tatum, writing in 1983, called critics such as Brian Garfield and Don Graham "shootists," indicting them for a variety of sins. They are said to hold a "fundamentalist," transcendent conception of the Western. They are "redeemer" critics who wish to stop the clock, deny history, and halt the inevitable evolution of genres. Not only that, Garfield and Graham are moreover accused of being "authoritarian" and suspiciously close to the "moral majority" position.' It seems quite possible, however, that the roots of the Western's decline lie deeper than in the likes and animadversions of benighted critics. The Western has lost its audience. An entire generation of moviegoers has seen one big-screen Western in their lives, and that, sadly, is Blazing Saddles (1974). For this generation, who as children were glutted with television Westerns, such a legacy makes the Western an impossible form. Blazing Saddles is the final debunking of a long tradition and exposes the Western's moral preachiness, its presumed insensitivity to blacks, reds, women, and other minorities, its good-guy-bad-guy schematic oppositions. Blazing Saddles took the Western into the terrain of the scatological, and from that defamation, nothing could be regained for an entire generation. By the early 1980s, the Western seemed hopelessly irrelevant to the largest share of the moviegoing audience–the teen market. How could it ever compete with the simpleminded eighth-grade prurient v... ...k: Rawson Associates, 1982. Highly opinionated and vigorously written. Especially valuable for its insistence upon the importance of the writer in the creation of good Westerns. Graham, Don. Cowboys and Cadillacs: How Hollywood Looks at Texas. Austin: Texas Monthly Press, 1983. Focuses on changes in the Western as reflected in its preoccupation with Texas and its various myths. Hardy, Phil. The Western. New York: William Morrow, 1983. A large, handsome book containing lively annotations of Westerns through 1983. Invaluable for anybody wanting either quick reference or the big picture. Hyams, Jay. The Life and Times of the Western Movie. New York: Gallery Books, 1983. Useful if unexciting survey of the Western from its beginnings to 1983. Lenihan, John H. Showdown: Confronting Modern America in the Western Film. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1980. Definitive study of how the post–World War II Western reflects such contemporary issues as civil rights, the Cold War, and Viet Nam. Pilkington, William T., and Don Graham, eds. Western Movies. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1979. Contains explications of several major films released during the 1960s and '70s.

Events Provision in Birmingham

This assignment will identify the range of events being promoted in the city of Birmingham, it will also classify whether the events are organised by the public, private or voluntary sector. There will also be an overview of the visitor's perception of the city and event and finally it will analyse the local resident's attitudes towards the event. The six events which will be analysed are the MPH Show '06, which is a motor event hosted by Jeremy Clarkson. Mitchell and Webb Live, which is a comedy sketch show. The BBL Cup Final. The Survivor Series Tour, which is a sports entertainment event. Mela 2006 and the final event is Little Britain Live. Theorists such as Allen 2002 state that an event is defined as a significant gathering or activity that takes place often in a social setting. (J. Allen 2002) The first event, which will be analysed, is the MPH Show '06. The event was in operation between 26-29 October 2006 at the NEC Birmingham. The MPH Show's web page describes the event, as â€Å"a 75 minute theatre show in an explosive combination of car chases, outrageous stunts, incredible driving and world debuts. A personal look at the finest selection of the most stylish, rare and expensive cars in our galleried exhibitions – its motoring heaven!† (www.mphshow.co.uk) This event can be categorised under the mega events typology group. The reason for this is that the event has the potential to attract over one million visitors. A further reason that this event can attract a vast amount of large visitors is that well-known motoring expert Jeremy Clarkson is hosting it. Due to the motor show being taken away from Birmingham, The MPH Show can be its ideal replacement and generate a high level of economic and tourism impact into Birmingham. Theorist such as Getz 1997 states, â€Å"Mega events, by way of their size or significance are those that yield extraordinarily high levels of tourism, media coverage or economic impact for the host community and destinations.† (Getz 1997) There could be arguments suggesting that it can be put under the special events typology. The reason for that being that the event is a one off event and is an event, which comes under persons social activities such as football and music. The second event that will be analysed is Mitchell & Webb Live, which will take place at the Birmingham Hippodrome on 5th November. The event brings comedian duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb to the Hippodrome as part of their live tour. This event can be categorised under the special events typology group. Getz states, â€Å"A special event is a one time or infrequently occurring event outside the normal programme or activities of the sponsoring or organising body.† (Getz 1997- lecture hand out) The third event that will be analysed is the Survivor Series Tour, which is organised by sports entertainment company WWE. The event will be held on 12th November 2006 at the NEC. This event can be categorised into the special events group. The reason for this is that it is part of a person's social interest and it is place where they can go with family and friends to the event. Getz 1997 states, â€Å"To the customer or guest, a special event is an opportunity for leisure, social or cultural experience outside the normal range of choices or beyond everyday experience.† (Getz 1997) The fourth event, which will be analysed, is Little Britain Live, which will be held in The NIA. According to the NEC group website, â€Å"David Walliams and Matt Lucas have extended their phenomenal Little Britain Birmingham tour dates with a 14th night at The NIA on Saturday 9 December.† (www.necgroup.co.uk) This event can be categorised in to the special events typology category, due to this event being a social interest event. The fifth event, which will evaluated is the BBL Cup Final that will be held in The NIA. The BBL Cup Final is the basketball tournament finals that will come to a climax in Birmingham. Also in the event are the women's basketball tournament finals. This type of event can be categorised under the hallmark typology. The reason for this is that it is a one off event. Theorist such as Ritchie 1984 defines a hallmark event as â€Å"A major one-time or recurring event of limited duration, developed primarily to enhance the awareness appeal and profitability of a tourist destination in the short or long term.† (Ritchie 1984) The final event is The Asian Mela 2006, which is to be held between 17-19 November 2006 at the NEC. The Asian Mela is an event targeted at the Asian community by holding an event that has Asian fashion, entertainment and many more experiences. This type of event can categorised in to the special events typology group. A special event recognises a unique moment in time with ceremony and ritual to satisfy specific needs. The reason for this being is that it relates to the cultural aspects of the Asian community and also can be an event that brings together people from different backgrounds to celebrate Asian lifestyles and how it has made an impact in today's British society. The second part of this assignment will identify whether the events have been organised by private, public or voluntary sectors. The Mph Show was organised by the fuel company shell. Shell is considered a global group that produces oil, fuel and other types of energy sources. The company is considered part of the private sector. Theorist such as Fardon state, â€Å"The private sector compromises of businesses which are directly or indirectly in private ownership.† (Fardon 2000) The Mitchell & Webb Live event is being presented at the Birmingham Hippodrome. The Hippodrome is a theatre, which is a charity run theatre. The charity ‘The Friends of The Hippodrome' is an organisation, which counts on donations from corporations such as Lloyds TSB and even donations from the public. The Survivor Series event, which is an event run by the sports entertainment company WWE. The company is a private limited company that runs live events mainly in the United States, but also tours the rest of the world. The Little Britain Live event, which is being shown at the NIA. The event is by the NIA group, which is linked with the city council. This sector can be put in the public sector, as it is part of the district council. The BBL Cup Final is an annual event, which is to be held at the NIA, is being organised by the British Basketball League Association. This is part of the public sector. Websites such as www.whatsis.techtarget.com have given a definition to the public sector, which states, â€Å"The public sector overlaps with the private sector in producing or providing certain goods and services. The extent of this overlap varies from country to country, state to state, province to province, and city to city.† By evaluating this statement and relating it to events, the public sector needs sum form of assistance from the private sector such as funds and sponsorship. It can be an advantage for both private and public sectors, as the private sector organisation is getting good recognition by giving a helping hand to the public sector organisation. The Asian Mela event is presented by the Asian television station Zee and events firm Clarion Events. Both companies are part of the private sector. This part of the assignment will explain the impact that the actual events provision of the city has on visitor perceptions. When discussing event impacts there are various elements that need to be considered. These elements are as follows, social/cultural, economics, political and developmental. The social/cultural implications are to bring increased community spirit and bring people from different cultures to unify and enjoy the events. In today's world, there are many negative issues surrounding different cultures. It is vital that there are events that can bring people from different backgrounds and faiths so that they can enjoy them without any fear or scepticism. The economic side of the impact is that it can help with the cities revenue, resulting in the city bringing more events and even construct new buildings to present the events. As Birmingham is one of the United Kingdoms visited places with hot spots such as The Bull Ring and The Mail Box for shopping and leisure and recreational areas like Star City and AMC. Which ever type of event is happening in Birmingham there is high possibility of tourists staying over the local hotels and bed and breakfasts, which also is a plus for the local businesses as well as the city. The political element is that increases the cities national reputation and improves its profile. The developmental and environmental elements of having events in Birmingham are that it can have effects such as urban regeneration. This can have a positive outcome on the less funded areas of the city. With the money generated from these events, by giving the lesser funded area's resources to rejuvenate the area by constructing community centres for young people who have broken backgrounds to learn new skills and make more of their lives. When considering these types of impacts for the events chosen for this assignment. The MPH Show will bring in many visitors who have an interest for exotic and concept cars, these are also known as ‘petrol heads'. The main target market for this event will be 18-30 mainly male. The economic side of the event will be a benefit as it is running for three days, this is a bonus for hotels as there will be visitors from outside of Birmingham who may want to go to the show, whilst site seeing and going to local businesses. The political element will be affected, as Birmingham was once home to the motor show. By having this type of event with a well-known host such as Jeremy Clarkson may not replace the revenue and the publicity that the city used to get from the motor show, but it will be a stepping-stone to bringing in similar types of events to the city. The BBL Cup Final will target mainly basketball fans from different ages. Although basketball is not one of England's favourite sports, a minority can be targeted effectively. The economic element will bring in the minority of basketball fans through as much advertising there can be. This can also be a positive for accommodation businesses. Whether or not the NIA is going to remain being the host of the tournaments finals, it will be a positive for the city council, which can attract other indoor sports events. The Survivor Series event will be targeting mainly young males aged 16 and over. However, there has been an increase in female attendances to the sports entertainment events. Although the company is originated in the United States, the business does have strong relations within the UK. This can bring in tourists from outer Birmingham and even out of England. This resulting in massive revenue for hotels and other local businesses. The Mitchell and Webb Live and Little Britain Live events will both have similar type of element results. The target for these events are going to be varied as the events are based on shows from television, this is a positive because it can attract young and older generations. Economically it will be good for the city as these events are apart of a long tour, generating revenue for local businesses. This will raise the profile of the city by having well known comedy gigs and even make aware of other comedy performances to add the city to their tours in the near future. The Asian Mela event will target mainly the Asian community and even target other cultures, as it is known that different cultures are adapting Asian fashion in to their lifestyles. This will be a good event for local businesses, as the event will attract tourists from other regions. Regarding the political element, this is an event that will be popular as the more it goes grows with the community, there will be more ideas for events for other cultures. By attracting the non Asian community to the event, it can bring a unity to the general public and let the people know that there is room for understanding to the cultures and not the dark cloud that hangs around the Asian community as misinterpreted in today's media. The final part of this assignment will consider local residents attitudes to the events within their city. When events such as the MPH Show come into Birmingham, resident's attitudes are going to be stereotypical. They may assume that the event may attract a group of hooligans and maybe concerned that there will be a riot of some sort. The residents will more likely welcome the sporting events the BBL Cup Final and the Survivor Series Tour, as they are events the whole family can go and watch. The basketball final's tournament is something in which the local residents can be proud that their city is part of. This can result in pride in association with the city. It can also be a positive for locals because it is bringing in tourists and even be welcomed by shops and other business. The comedy events Little Britain Live and Mitchell & Webb Live will be welcomed, as both events are family friendly and are based on television shows that are well known. Birmingham is known for being a cultured city, with evidence being backed up by Birmingham City Councils webpage which provides statistics in the form of charts. One way of showing this is by holding an event targeted for its Asian community, The Asian Mela. As Birmingham has a high percentage of Asians as one of its many ethnic groups, the Asian community will welcome the event. By holding this event, it can even attract other people from different ethnic groups and be welcomed by everyone. A family event for al to enjoy the community will be proud to have it in their city. In conclusion a city such as Birmingham will welcome it. The main factor is that it can hold majority of events within its venues such as the NEC, the NIA and the Symphony Hall. Bringing in more events will increase tourism and revenue for the city. This is a plus as the money generated from the events can go on to bring in more opportunities for people with different interests and backgrounds. Making the city a hotspot for events.