Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 63

Case Study Example ver, the method faces a significant limitation, it does not provide emergency address system to clients in case the funds are deposited to a wrong account or one of its payment products undergoes a breakdown. Another possible payment-processing alternative is the WorldPay Company. This platform offers affordable transaction costs to both small and medium businesses (Schneider, 499). In addition to a myriad of payment products such as western union and paypal, the company offers technology and support in respect to the sector of the client. The primary disadvantage of this method in respect to TMH is that there are no headquarters in the USA and thus the calls for assistance may turn out to be very expensive. Finally is the Merchant Express Inc., a company that offers two main merits in the market. It accepts all payment cards from all parts of the Globe, and it charges relatively cheap to as low as 0.19% per dollar transaction. The limitation of this company is that it is relatively new into the market and thus the levels of trust are relatively low. After a vehement analysis on the extent and impact of deploying each one of the payment processing method aforementioned, I recommend the Merchant Express Inc. because it is cost effective, and accruing to the relatively small clientele base, satisfactory services are highly

Music, Culture and Value of Music in a Digital Future

Music, Culture and Value of Music in a Digital Future The uses of Music, Culture and the value of ‘free’ Music In a Digital future â€Å"We’ve lost a whole generation of kids, who grew up downloading free music from the web and cannot fathom paying for it† Abstract The past ten years have witnessed an enormous growth of musicology within the music and entertainment industry with questions concerning musical meaning and the extent to which it’s informed by cultural experience and socially derived knowledge. Groundbreaking developments are increasingly encouraging the demand for new products and platforms from consumer markets that have grown up downloading music knowing no better than to find their entertainment through the internet with the illusion that it is free. This dissertation looks at the early forms and purposes of music up to present day, factors threatening the music industry and what has affected it over recent years. The increased use of the internet, cheap software equipment and other technological art forms, have changed the way we sell, listen to and buy new music. I want to investigate what effects will this have on the industry in the future and what does this mean for artists and the way music is created and valued. Introduction Introduction will contextualise the central theme and notion of the work and describe my motivation and intensions. I will focus the introduction on the chapters individually. ‘The industry has been hanging off the edge for some time’ (McQuinvey, J. Date. P.). Chapter 1 – Talk about the development of technological devices related to new formats, and the main purposes of music up until today. Chapter 2 – Talk about the technological developments which have an effect on the way we buy and listen to music. New devices and gadgets are demanding newer ways to attain music and how we consume new music. Chapter 3 – Talk a little about the different types of people using and making music, how this is affecting record labels and what will happen in the future. As the development and discovery of technology grows and grows from early dates to present day, enabling more and more possiblilities†¦. Cultures and social activities are affected by radical technological change†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ‘One of the primary proponents of this categorization was William. F. Ogburn. He argued that in most cases it is the sequence of technology that causes social change’ Over the past however many years, digital downloads have been fought against buy, major labels, causing decades of copyright and pirate copying of music films and entertainment mediums. 2005 onwards†¦ Today in 2008 the subject of digital downloading and the internet is being redefined and recognised by the major record labels hoping to create a future with easy access to new music quickly and cheaply. Starting new web sites for downloads etc. People want faster choices and ways to attain their entertainment. The fast changing cultures within society Growth of music technology Internet sites- Amazon competing with major companies to sell a wider range of products as more and more people are buying online instead of using high street shops and other retailers. Modes and categories inherited from the past no longer seem to fit today’s reality, experienced by a new generation. Chapter 1 – (Progression of early forms of music, formats and purposes) For centuries music has been the biggest form of entertainment within households, pubs, clubs and events ever since the recording of sound, but since the early days of music the purposes and the means to consume music has grown considerably up to the 20th century forcing formats, technology and the music industry to change with time. This chapter will outline the progression of technology associated with music and its means of use in relation to new entertainment. When ‘Bartolomeo Cristofori’ became the inventor of the piano, identified as a stringed keyboard instrument with mechanically operated rebounding hammers, Cristofori’s invention became a success and around 1922, a survey was carried out which shows that the piano was the most popular instrument used in over 25% of the average household. Along with many other musical instruments dated before and after the piano, instruments were used for enjoyment and entertainment and at times for families and friends who would gather together to play and sing songs on special occasions. When the very first phonograph was introduced by Thomas Edison around 1878 and the Edison Speaking Phonograph Company was established. The phonograph would be treated in the same way as a piano or organ as families would again sit around and listen to records or family stories within the home but Edison realised the opportunities he had created with his invention. Edison’s invention enabled the possibilities of using the phonograph to perhaps dictate a letter, dictate books for the blind, make family recordings of their voices, music boxes and toys, clocks that announce the time, and a connection with the telephone company to record conversations. In 1857 Frenchman, Leon Scott de Martinville was the first to have invented his documented phonoautograph machine which was able to record sound waves but only created a visual analogue of the waves, until around 20 years later when Thomas Edison allowed two innovators to re-develop the later phonograph which became the gramophone. The gramophone used disk shaped materials to record onto which produced better recording quality and a longer playback time. American inventor Emile Berliner then created a process which allowed the sound tracing to be etched side-to-side in a spiral onto a zinc disk, this master would then be electroplated to create a negative which would then be used to stamp duplicate copies onto vulcanized rubber (and later shellac), a process which would change the means of music forever, a process now known as the mass reproduction of musical entertainment. The process to record, duplicate and play back music opened endless forms of entertainment and the industry were set to take the world by storm, selling records and making profits to consumers. The gramophone quickly outsold and overtook the phonograph and by the end of World War 1 the disc had become the dominant commercial recording format. A technological development which has had a major impact on music in this century is sound recording. Over the past seventy years the concert audience has been transformed from musical amateurs to a large number of potential buyers. The birth of sound recording started as a mechanical process, and with the exception of the Telegraphone in 1899 this process remained until the 1920s when a group of groundbreaking inventions in the field of electronics revolutionized sound recording and the young recording industry. Sound transducers were introduced such as microphones and loudspeakers and a few various electronic devices were made for the purpose of amplification and modifications of early electrical sound signals resulting in the mixing desk. Inevitably, over time all these components and inventions have had an affect on the way musician’s record music, the uses of music and the growing demands of the music consumers to attain music. These electronic inventions created the means for growth and development within the music industry opening a wide range of possibilities for the recording process. Although many inventions and ideas were yet to be discovered, early music and its uses had progressed from a means of confined entertainment within the household to a possible, world wide product with which Emile Berliner’s early duplication process played a large part when it came to distribution and portability of recorded music. As time passed, increasingly people were able to buy recorded music which would be played on a gramophone wherever it may be. Emile Berliner realized the market wanted a range of music which can be bought, stored and played at any given point, the money earning potential would be high and with the importance of his discoveries, decided to start ‘his very own’ brand of recorded music which up until today, with the changes and the new strains on the industry has been extremely successful with the famous dog and gramophone design of ‘His Masters Voice’ (HMV). Music was now, not only being used just for enjoyment or purely for entertainment but was now, being recorded, duplicated and distributed to consumers around the world who are able to replay music over and over and enjoy their collections when ever and most importantly where ever. The next major progression concerning music which would increase the needs of high quality equipment was the introduction of descriptive and respective music tracks within film. The years 1920-1928 were known to be the golden age of silent movies. Early movies were accompanied by music scores containing pieces usually played by an organist, pianist or an orchestra depending on the class of the theatre. Sound tracks however were introduced to cinema audiences around 1926-1927 even though technology to add sound to film was discovered in 1911 it took another 15 years or so to be introduced and implemented into movie productions. The use of music within film during this particular period was predominantly used to raise the attraction of early movie productions which would change forever after the opening of Pandora’s Box in 1927 and the increase of technical achievements which led Al-Jolson to ad-lib a few spoken words in ‘The Jazz Singer’. Recorded music for films then after became extremely successful within the movie industry and over the next few years Warner Bros. took control of this area (now a multi-billion pound industry) by producing ten all-talking films with accompanied sound tracks and scores leaving the silent movies on the shelf. This production process increasingly outlined the importance of having good quality sound systems to playback the music and sounds on film. Music will always essentially be a huge form of entertainment in many ways but now different music was being used for more reasons than originally supposed. With the on going growth of equipment and technology music became a money making product after the discovery of sound recording, music began to be used to compliment or help describe a visual performance rather than being an individual form of entertainment, it was now coinciding with other art forms and was boosting the popularity and profits of associated productions. With the discovery of magnetic media music will be promoted on a mass worldwide scale and allow the public and potential music buyers to listen to broadcasts over the air. The first radio broadcast which involved music was said to be in 1906 at Brant Rock MA, when Fessenden played his violin, sang a song and read a few verses from a bible into his wireless telephone on Christmas Eve 1906. It was classed as a broadcast because it was designed for more than one listener and was pre-announced rather than a one to one conversation. 1920 saw the first licensed radio broadcast, as Frank Conrad’s company was asked to go on air on a regular basis to send out music to the listeners and would sell radios to pay for the service. Radios were advertised in local newspapers to households and within a few years there were hundreds of stations entertaining thousands of people who had bought or built their own receivers. It was no longer, that an audience had to sit in their own home and manually operate a gramophone, no need to necessarily buy records from HMV and will no longer need to worry about play back time of records as the public could listen to the radio everyday, and tune in to their favorite radio stations free of charge. Growing factors underlined the importance of good quality equipment to further the success of music and the portability of music, which led to new discoveries of early formats and storage devices such as magnetic tape machines, cassettes tapes/players to audio cd’s. After the rubber and shellac records, which were the primary recording medium at the time, a new means for recording came about in 1934/35 when Joseph Begun of Germany built the first magnetic tape machine which was used for mobile radio broadcasting before creating the first consumer tape recorder which provided the ‘3M Company’ with a billion dollar industry. Magnetic tape machines became very popular storage and recording devices in radio stations and recording studios as they offer higher quality recording and longer continuous playback of recorded material, the most beneficial aspect of the invention of tape was its portability. Eventually two track tape machines were introduced which extended recording possibilities within the studio but magnetic tape was never used commercially by consumers until the release of the first compact audio-cassette tape in 1963 by The Phillips Company of the Netherlands. With a cheap and easy recording medium such as the cassette tape combined with a cassette tape player, It could be argued that this sparked the ever destructive and ongoing battle of music piracy. Taperecorders/players were sold with built in radios as standard and by the touch of a button it was possible torecord sounds and music straight from the radio. After Phillips had patented the cassette tape in 1965 and decided to make it free of charge all over the world, companies then started to design new portable recorders and players to compliment the compact size of the cassette tape. One of the popular models of tape players was the Sony Pressman which was a monaural tape recorder released in 1977. The next year in 1978 Sony founder and chief advisor Masaru Ibuka requested the general manger of the Tape Recorder Business Division to start work on a stereo based model of the earlier Sony Pressman which birthed the Sony TPS-L2 headphone stereo Walkman in 1979 that would completely chan ge the way consumers listen to music. Theyll take it everywhere with them, and they wont care about record functions. If we put a playback-only headphone stereo like this on the market, itll be a hit. What made the Sony Walkman such a big hit was the portability that it was offering to its consumers. Ever since the invention of the piano/organ, phonograph, gramophone, record players, wireless recorders and receivers, although, all mediums allowed the consumer to listen to music in various ways, none of which actually enabled the listener to become portable, ‘on the move’ to be able to listen to their material literally wherever they wanted. Recording and listening to music from this point onwards almost became a hobby for a generation of people who would listen to the radio to try and catch their favourite song to record to tape, allowing them to repeatedly replay the material and start a collection of stored music. Many types of storage formats have been introduced by this point but very few which are truly beneficial to the storage and quality of music mediums. After the magnetic media such as: wire, core memory, drum, card, tape, disk and OM disk came many floppy disk formats which played a great part in early computing storage formats. Different versions of optical mediums were introduced ‘optic data disk’ coming before Sony proposed a standard for the compact disk (CD) in 1980 but was followed by formats such as: DVD, HD-DVD, holographic, Blu-ray DVD and developments with OM disks. The introduction of optical mediums saw Sony’s standard CD to hit the very top in high quality recording and storage mediums. CD-R’s are a ‘write once, read many’ optical medium (WORM) which is a recordable version of the CD and holds a high level of compatibility with standard CD readers unlike CD-RW’s which can be overwritten many times but has a lower compatibility level with CD readers and the disks are slightly more expensive. CD’s became the most popular medium of music and data storage due to its capacity and ease of recording but there is one flaw in its design as after a life span of around 2 years it’s possible for the CD’s data to degrade with time showing a coloured dye as a result. CD’s hold a standard capacity of 700Mb where as the introduction of DVD’s upped the capacity to 4.1 GB but was mostly associated with movies projects which contain much larger files. CD’s are still the highest quality recording/storage medium to attain or store music on outside of a computers hard drive but with newer, smaller compressed formats such as MP3 on the market the option of buying a CD compared to a smaller and cheaper alternative looks bleak with time, so we see the CD taking a backseat to let newer recording and storage devices into the scene. Chapter 2 (A demanding society) In today’s society where consumers are demanding faster, cheaper and easier methods of gaining entertainment, they also demand a new outlook towards devices, gadgets and components with which to view or listen to their product. This chapter underlines the changes of which new technology has an effect, they way society and subcultures are shaped by technology and how technology is forced to develop and become more advanced to meet the needs and perceptions of its consumers. In recent years the ‘compact disk’ has ended the forty year reign of the twelve inch LP, with which came consequences for production, distribution and marketing, and in turn disks and tapes have been threatened by technologies which can deliver high quality sound via cable direct to potential consumers, eliminating the need for the already established pattern of product marketing and distribution. Although the invention of the phonograph and gramophones were considered important aspects in creating the a mass market for music and entertainment, â€Å"the record industry has been shaped by the need to cope with its volatile market so its established practices and institutions have been constantly undermined by technological innovations which not only offer new and better ways of doing things but, as we shall see, have generally had the effect of increasing the consumers choice at the expense of the industries ability to control its market†. (Scott, D. Martin, P. 1995 p.209) There are many important connections between technology, musical characteristics and social groups, and as it may be argued that the fundamental coordinates of a musical form are not determined by its social base, but each social group or subculture corresponds to certain acceptable genres. During the 1970’s and 1980’s the idea that the characteristics of a musical form could give life or influence to the social reality of a culture became more and more popular with incorporated sociological categories such as class, ethnicity and importantly age. â€Å"In 1987 John Shepard extended this type of analysis to gender, arguing that different voice types or timbres in popular music gave expression to different kinds of gender identities†. (Clayton, M. Herbert, T. Middleton, R. 2003, p. 7, p. 14) The 1990’s saw different factors concerning the cultural study of music and the analytical evidence with particular social categories such as, class, ethnicity, age, subculture and counterculture. This had been replaced with a more embracing and persistent concern with social identity. With the concept of youth culture, it’s assumed that teenagers share similar leisure interests and pursuits and were involved in some kind of revolt against their parents and elders. The arrival of youth culture is said to be linked with the growth and increased incomes of early working class youths which allowed greater spending power and the means to express their individual interests and styles which caused large markets to develop more interest for the youth culture, most notably resulting in music and fashion. It’s with particular music styles, genres and clothing styles and labels that predominantly place our identities within a culture or subculture, which technology helps shape and create aspirations in a similar way. â€Å"Teenage culture is a contradictory mixture of the authentic and the manufactured: it is an area of self-expression for the young and a lush grazing ground for the commercial providers†. (Hall, S. Whannel, P. 1964, p.) â€Å"The compressed file format known as MP3 is at the centre of debate towards file-sharing and digital downloading and is thought to be downgrading towards the level of audible quality in music. Yet the mp3 is also a cultural artefact, apsychoacoustic technology that literally playsits listeners. Being a container technology type for recorded sound, the mp3 proves that the quality of ‘portability’ is central to the history of auditory representation and shows that digital audio culture works according to logics somewhat dissimilar from digital visual culture†. (Jonathan Sterne, 2006. New Media and Society, Vol. 8, No. 5, 825-842 DOI: 10.1177/1461444806067737) Today’s young generation aren’t so aware of the historical factors and important issues which lead to the advances, demands and uses of audible quality music but more so, on the social aspects of consumption, portability and quantity of music. A spokes person for the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand, Terrance O’Neill-Joyce, argues that: â€Å"The problem is not with the actual technology of MP3, which he believes is being effectively used by many music producers, but rather the ineffective means of securing remuneration for artists. It’s a case of technology outstripping legislation and a lack of proper commercial framework being established as of yet† (Shuker. 2001 p. 65) MP3 is a technology encoding, recorded sound, so that it takes up less storage space than it would otherwise. The size of an MP3 file makes it practical to transfer high –quality music files over the internet and store them on a computers hard drive, where as CD quality tracks take longer to download and transfer. The MP3 file has become very popular as a way to distribute and access music even though there has been enormous debate over the economic and cultural implications of this new technology. For the typical music consumer the MP3 file is considered a blessing as anyone can access a wide range and varieties of music mostly for free as well as having the option to compile their own albums of single tracks from their favorite artists without having to acquire the whole album itself. For artists and producers the MP3 allows them to distribute their music possibly to a world wide audience without tackling the political processes and mediation of the music industry. For mainstream artists on major record labels the MP3 raises concerns of profit loss from consumers due to illegal downloads which are free of charge and easy to attain. On the other hand for strictly internet distributed music producers and publishers the MP3 opens up many opportunities for smaller, more innovative labels and companies. (Shuker. 2001, Pg 65) Each new medium of technology, communication or entertainment that’s introduced to a mainstream audience creates drastic changes towards the way in which we experience music, this also has implications for how we relate to and consume music. The changes and advances in technological recording equipment open, both constraints and opportunities relating to the organisation process and production of music, while the developments within musical instrumentation allow the emergence of ‘new sounds’. Most important of all, each new recording format or device used for transmission inevitably alters the previously established process of music production and consumption; they also raise questions about authorship and the legal status of music as a property and the ongoing battle with piracy and profit loss. Napster software was introduced in 1999, designed as a search engine, communication portal and file-sharing software that facilitated the sharing process by granting users access to all other Napster and the mp3 files they choose to share. Within a few months, transfers of music files using Napster reached millions per day, and at its peak, it was estimated that as many as sixty million people were using the site. â€Å"Whereas Napster requires users to first log onto a central server to access other users MP3 files, these newer networks allow direct user-to-user (P2P) connections involving multiple file types. These innovations expand the universe of file sharing activity and make it virtually impossibly to track users of the files they choose to share† (Garofalo, 2003 cited in Shuker, 2008 pg, 23) Digital distribution continuously threatened the music business and the control of music by the record companies. This method also lowers manufacturing and distribution costs while putting pressure on marketing and other aspects of the process. With the industry failing to stop illegal downloads and P2P (peer-to-peer) distribution of recorded music over the last five years, record labels have finally decided to adapt their business to suit the way its consumers get hold on their music. It’s becoming more and more apparent that albums and artists are making very little or no money in the music industry because of the lack of physical CD sales as the majority of money spent during the traditional production process goes towards many aspects such as the production, promotion, duplication and distribution of a product. Mainly within the music business P2P technologies are a positive means for consumers and creative artists because all costs of production, promotion, marketing and distribution are dramatically lowered. These new technologies and approaches to digital distribution means old and new artists are able to earn more profits through selling singles and albums through P2P networks as the production process costs a fraction of the album or single. Because they can charge less they earn and sell more which means more artists will benefit financially and the industries broad range of music will receive a wider market to distribute to. â€Å"It is easy to see that we are living in a time of rapid and radical social change, it is much less easy to come to terms with the fact that such change will, without doubt, affect the nature of those academic disciplines that both reflect our society and help to shape it† (Hawkes. 2003. p.7) The growing concern with the music industry today is focused heavily on the affects of digital downloads and the fall of physical album/record sales sold in high street music shops and online stores. The debate continues as sales in the US as well as the UK have fallen due to a number of factors involving the growth of technology and the way we consume our entertainment. According to recent industry researchers, figures show that today’s music industry (UK), has suffered a drop of up to 11% of record sales in 2007, but download sales boosted the singles market by nearly 30% last year as single sales increased from 67m in 2006 to 86.6m in 2007, up 29.3%. Despite there being best-selling albums from artists like Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis, only 138.1 million albums were sold in 2007, compared with 154.7 million in 2006. Amy Winehouses Back to Black was the most popular album of 2007, with 1.85 million copies sold. Leona Lewis debut album Spirit came second, even though it was only released in November. Music industry body the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) put the 10.8% fall down to copyright theft and difficult retail conditions. Having the option of album unbundling is also a problem as consumers are able to select which tracks they want to download from each album, this means albums are not being sold as whole units and says a lot to the artists themselves about what their audience wants. Music Industry Analyst Michael McGuire of Gartner Research told Agency France-Press news agency: â€Å"It comes back to consumers being in complete control of their media experience†. Mr McGuire said fans were sending artists a message: â€Å"While you may have put a lot of thought into the sequence of the album, I only like these three songs†. BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor said: â€Å"The UK market has shown considerable resilience in recent years while global recorded music markets have declined.† Recording companies have a major influence on the music we listen to and shape what’s known as popular music within society. The term ‘popular music’ defies a precise straightforward definition and is usually over looked and the understanding of the term is taken for granted. To fully understand the term popular music it’s necessary to address the general field of popular culture within cultural studies. (See: Studying Popular Music Culture, Tim Wall). In this instance I refer the word popular music from the historical term for popular as the ‘ordinary people’, these days the meaning of the term has expanded, ‘all music is popular music’ meaning ‘music that is popular with someone’. â€Å"Young peoples musical activities whatever their cultural background or social position, rest on a substantial and sophisticated body of knowledge about popular music. Most young people have a clear understanding of its different genres, and an ability to hear and place sounds in terms of their histories, influences and sources. Young musicians and audiences have no hesitation about making and justifying judgements of meaning and value† (Willis. 1990: 59 cited in Shuker. p.98) The music industry is big business, and international multi-billion dollar enterprise historically centred in the United States with the United Kingdom making a significant artistic contribution to the industry and developing trends as well as the emergence of Japanese media technologies playing a major part in the music industry for its commercial designs of gadgets and devices. Recording companies are the most important part of the music industry and fall into two main groups: ‘the major’ international labels and the smaller ‘independent’ labels who’s structures and operating processes take on a similar role, blurring the distinctions between the two. These differences I will try to evaluate later on in chapter 3. The major labels are renowned for sourcing young talent, recording, promoting, marketing and distributing his/her music which has a powerful effect on the popular consumer, cultures and subcultures due to the image associated with that particular genre or style of music which is marketed, but its future is usually determined by the listener themselves. â€Å"For after the commercial power of the record companies has been recognised, after the persuasive sirens of the radio acknowledged, after the recommendations of the music press noted, it is finally those who buy the records, dance to the rhythm and live to the beat who demonstrate, despite the determined conditions of its production, the wider potential of pop† (Chambers, 1985: Introduction cited in Shuker 2001 p.23) Consumers are becoming less influenced by the major record labels with the help from the internet as consumers have more freedom to discover new genres and styles which are delivered in new ways. Record labels will always have a certain level of influence to its popular markets but now its the customer who decides on what they really like and want to listen to without feeling outside of the ‘popular music’ category. â€Å"I think there are many benefits for a musician not being signed to a label. I’ve seen first hand, from my experience at major labels, where they will sign up and coming artists b

Physics Behind Modern 4 Stroke Engines Essay -- Physics Science Engine

We've all seen them before, the mysterious chunks of metal under the hoods of our cars. They start when we turn the key and take us where we want to go. But how does an engine work? Internal combustion engines are a very important part of everyday life. We use them in our cars, trucks, airplanes. boats, snowmachines, 4 wheelers, and heavy machinery. These pages will help familiarize you with the basic concepts of how an engine works, an understanding of engine output, and some information on how forced induction or "boost" increases power output. Engine Basics A very common variant of the internal combustion engine is the four stroke engine. These engines have four "strokes" for each combustion cycle. These engines are primarily used in automobiles but have recently found their way into motorcycles, boats, and even snow machines. The four "strokes" of these engines are as follows. 1. Intake: The intake valve (on the left top of the cylinder) opens allowing fresh oxygen rich air mixed with fuel to enter the cylinder. 2. Compression: The piston is pushed upward by the flywheel's momentum compressing the air/fuel mix. 3. Combustion: As the piston reaches the top of its stroke or TDC the spark plug fires igniting the mixture. Due to the high compression of this mixture (typically around 190 PSI in a typical engine) it is very volatile and it explodes when the spark is introduced. This pusehs the piston downward and produces power. 4. Exhaust: After the Air/Fuel mix has been burnt the remaining chemicals in the cylinder (water and CO2 for the most part) must be removed so that fresh air can be brought in. As the piston goes back up after combustion the exhaust valve (right top of cylinder) opens allow... ... 9:1 and 9.5:1) will not burn completely resulting in excess carbon buildup (this is why you SHOULD NOT use anything higher than 87 octane in a regular engine). However, in a high compression engine as are seen in high end sedans and coupes these fuels will prevent detonation and yield better power and reliability. The octane rating is the only difference between fuel grades at the gas pump so don't be fooled into thinking that "premium" gas is any cleaner or that it will make your car run any better, it will only burn differently. Conclusion With adequate fuel supply and boost in some form (Nitrous, Supercharger, or Turbo) it is possible to greatly increase output without having to increase the RPM range or displacement of an engine. Power levels as high as 300-400 HP can be extracted from 1.8-2.2L engines with properly designed and managed boost setups.

Why I am ready to be a Non Commissioned Officer? Essay

This impersonal definition defines in a few words what a NCO is ( Kautz. 2001 ) . To me this definition encompasses a whole batch more. Ever since my childhood. I showed leading qualities. As a child. I was more interested in taking my friends in a football game. during some competition or any type of competition alternatively of the humdrum of my scientific discipline. geometry and English linguistic communication books. My parents despaired but I come from a household where every kid is encouraged to happen their ain personal niche and tantrum into society through it. After some clip. even though I was a better than mean pupil started to believe that I would make good in a occupation where I could learn others by illustration and use both my encephalon and muscle. I proudly admit that I am a nationalist. The sight of the Washington Memorial and the White House. both important landmarks of our state have ne'er failed to convey cryings to my eyes ( Winkler. 1998 ) . I believe my state was won after great adversities by our sires and it is our responsibility as its citizens to look after it. And I believe because of both my innate leading qualities and my love for my great states. I am ready to be a Non-commissioned officer. I to the full understand the responsibilities associated with going a NONCOM as it is known in some circles. Non commissioned officers are frequently referred to as the anchor of the armed services and I understand the of import deduction of this definition ( Fisher. 2007 ) . I would hold to be the primary leader for the majority of the enlisted corps. This would intend full duty or what I consider waxy heads ( Salinas. 2008 ) . I pray I can learn them non merely by words but by my illustration. I would hold to be really careful with my each and every measure cognizing that any incorrect measure of mine can non take down my image in the heads of my juniors but besides put my country’s name to dishonor which is something. I being so loyal. may ne'er be able to populate with. I would besides be responsible for put to deathing military missions and developing military forces in order to fix them to put to death their missions. This to me seems an even bigger duty in visible radiation of the recent universe events and the menace to universe peace which many peaceable states face from a minority of extremists. I would hold to be argus-eyed in my responsibilities and seek to fix the male childs for what I know to be tough conditions for them the likes of which most of them can ne'er even conceive of. I will seek to transfuse in their heads that it is non a mere kid of an enemy that we face but a deadly enemy and it is our and or responsibility merely to protect the citizens of our state for them. I besides understand how delicate military missions can be and I will seek through my experience and surveies to do certain that non even one error takes topographic point or at least a error which can set the mission to hazard. I understand that I am besides to be a nexus between the majority of the enlisted forces and the officers in any military organisation. Messenger or concatenation functions as they seem to me are peculiarly really delicate because both of the parties can all of a sudden be at odds with each other over fiddling or apparently everyday issues. I will seek my best to transfuse in the military forces a sense of regard for their higher-ups and for the higher-ups to really care about the well being of their juniors. I have ever believed that the ground forces hierarchy has a certain beauty to it. Where else would we see an ordinary adult male move through different ranks such as Corporal. Sergeant. Staff-Sergeant. Sergeant First Class. Master Sergeant. First Sergeant. Sergeant Major. Command Sergeant Major and Sergeant Major of the Army. To most people. these stations may look really confounding but to me this represents a calling way ( Thompson. 2006 ) . To be an officer of any organisation. non merely the ground forces requires mammoth dedication. unexcelled accomplishments. good instruction and a crisp head. I believe I have all these regardless of my immature age and I am ready to turn out this to the universe. Mentions Kautz. A. ( 2001 ) . Service for Non-Commissioned Officers. Fisher. JR. ( 2007 ) . Guardians of the Republic. Thompson. ( 2006 ) . How Long Is the Night. Salinas. J. ( 2008 ) . All were Valiant Winkler. ( 1998 ) . Future Leader Development of Army Noncommissioned Officers

Poverty in the United States Essay

Poverty is a serious issue not only in third world countries but also here in the United States. Discussing the nature of poverty in the United States is important because through understanding we will find solutions. Gaining insights into the issue of poverty can be used to understand the complexity of the subject. Poverty has been defined as a state of deprivation of goods and services that essential to the maintenance of an adequate standard of living in a given society. Although the concept of poverty is considered relative, it cannot be denied that it magnifies the problem concerning inequality in a particular society (Levitan). The struggle of poverty impacts people’s day-to-day life. It is easy to hide some things in life but, poverty is not one of them. There are 633,782 homeless people in cities throughout the United States (St. Francis). Poor people have no place to live and are being exposed to nature’s elements, bacteria, and harmful illness can cause threat to the health of these individuals. The environment is being impacted as well, because there is nowhere to put waste or garbage other than on the ground. This is why it is important to gain insight and understand poverty so that we can help these people and the earth. When a person is living in poverty it is humiliating and weighs on an individual’s self-esteem as well as their families and is very difficult to overcome. Poverty is not always a choice, but it is a situation that can be prevented. If people everywhere take something from every book, article or essays that has been written and are willing to recognize and do something about it then it is a problem that can be fixed. There is not a perfect plan or a perfect solution to the poverty problem but, the aim is to decrease the number of individuals and families living in poverty drastically. There are many families living in poverty and there are an equal amount of thoughts and opinions on why people live in poverty such as drug and alcohol use, domestic violence and foreclosure just to name a few. Individuals have a difficult time taking care of themselves can you imagi ne having to try to provide for a family on next to nothing every day. Without a street address these families do not qualify to get welfare assistance such as food stamps, Medicaid, or housing assistance. Without housing assistance people are forced to stay in shelters and if they don’t make to a shelter by a certain  time they go without a warm place to sleep and without food that night. Some people wait in long lines all day for a spot at the shelter only to be turned away because there is just not enough space for everyone. A good way to alleviate or even eliminate this problem is to build more shelters or use some of the abandoned buildings in poverty stricken neighborhoods for the poor people to sleep in. Have stipulations in these shelters that individuals and their families are guaranteed more than one night as long as they abide by guidelines provided, kind of like a contract. So they are not just getting help they are in a sense helping their selves. Different situations have different solutions, there is a difference between a person living in poverty because you’re a war veteran and just having a hard time and living in poverty because you are and addict and everything you have is spent on drugs and alcohol. In these newly built or refurbished shelters with these stipulations, programs can be offered to help transition into a better way of living. Yes, then there is the issue of money and where will it come from. Nobody has money lying around just to give away so charity events, fundraisers, donations, volunteers and maybe even some help from government agencies would help. The children of these families living in poverty suffer most. Research shows that poverty in the first five years of a child’s life changes the life of a child compared to if they were to live in poverty later in life. This is because poverty is associated with poor nutrition; poor nutrition leads to lower intelligence, bad physical development, and poor immune systems. â€Å"Children deprived of proper nutrition during the most informative years score much lower on tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, arithmetic, and general knowledge. The more severe the poverty a child faces, the lower his or her nutritional level is likely to be (Brown&Pollitt).† Many children that are labeled bad kids with behavioral problems are really just lacking nutritional value. A child that is hungry is more likely to act o ut and have greater difficulty focusing than a well fed child. There are government programs that offer assistance with nutrition such as W.I.C and Healthy Schools but the guidelines are very strict and fall short in making sure that every child living in poverty has adequate nutrition. So, this problem can be solved by changing the guidelines and making it easier for a family living in poverty to feed our future. People might say this is not my problem, I’m not living in poverty  so what does this have to do with me? Truth be told everyone is affected by poverty. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, â€Å"There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society, with a large segment of people in that society, who feel they have no stake in it; who feel they have nothing to lose. People, who have stake in their society, protect that society, but when they don’t have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it (Dr.MartinLutherKingJr.).† According to the history of our nation, the safety and equality of the people of our society relies on everyone individually and as a whole nation as one. If that’s the way the world is meant to be then why are people living in poverty treated so differently? Upper class doesn’t make you better than a person living in poverty, money doesn’t make you bad or good and the same goes for poverty. The founders of our nation fought hard for a country where everyone is treated as a person equally but, that is not the case when thousands of people still live in poverty every day. â€Å"Anybody that has ever spent a morning at the Department of Motor Vehicles or stood in the line at the Post Office should understand that simply because the government is handling the problem, doesn’t mean it’s being handled properly (St. Francis)†. The next time you see someone a little down and out stop to give them a minute and see if you can help them in any way, remember that poverty does not make them any less a human than you. I believe the proposed solutions will work because if its believable than its achievable and our system has proven in other situations to be reliable so let use it for the good of the people of our country that could use a hand up not a hand out. For people to be sick on the street, forced to sleep on cardboard or dirt, and have to beg other people to help them is not humane or the American way and should not be tolerated any longer. Works Cited Brown&Pollitt. â€Å"Malnutrition, Poverty and Intellectual Development.† Pollitt, L. Brown & E. n.d. Dr.MartinLutherKingJr. â€Å"†Letter From Birmingham Jail†.† April 1963. Levitan, Sar A. â€Å"†Poverty† In the Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia.† 1990: pages 478-480 Vol. 15. St. Francis, Nancy. â€Å"Homelessness in America 2013.† 2013.

The Race

The Race Descriptive-Narrative Essay The day had come! I had won, crossing the sprayed white finish line on the scorching black rubber track. My high sense of excitement warred against the total fatigue of my body. Time suspended itself in a single frame, trapped in a perfect crystal. This day seemed mystical and felt like it could only be accomplished in the most vivid of dreams.May 22, 2000 contained the greatest event of the entire track season, the Mid Miami League Championship. To even compete in this historic event proved that a track runner deserved to be remembered forever in the history books. I was a part of the proud few chosen to represent our school, the Miamisburg Vikings. I was ready to do battle for my school, like a devoted soldier ready to defend his country. Annihilation of all competition in the one hundred meter hurtles remained my only objective.Aerial view of Miamisburg, a city in southern Mont...The one hundred-meter hurtles stretched before my gaze. There were ten- bl ack and white, perfectly spaced, their peeling structures showing their age over the years. They rested upon the burning hot serpent that displayed its distinctive white lines running parallel down its black skin. The competition seemed grim and desolate. I knew this race was mine until I saw the evil one destined to bring my doom.His name, Randy Smith. Stone cold gray eyes and wild jet-black hair instantly put a fear in my body greater than that of the dark. His body, strong and lean, looked as if chiseled from a rare diamond of a supernatural realm. I watched as he paced back and forth with an unholy look of determination in his eyes. He turned to see me studying him and arrogantly walked over. With authority he said, "Hey Chris, you better be feeling good today,

A Look at Demographics and Economics

A Look at Demographics and Economics Demography is defined as the quantitive and scientific study of vital statistical information that together illuminates the changing structure of human populations. As a more general science, demography can and does study any dynamic living population. For those focused on human studies, some define demography as plainly the scientific study of human populations and their characteristics. The study of demography often leads to the categorization and segmentation of people based on their shared characteristics  or traits. The origin of the word further solidifies the studys relationship to its human subjects. The English word demography is derived from the French word  dà ©mographie  which stems from the Greek word  dÄ“mos  meaning populace or people. Demography as the Study of Demographics As the study of human populations, demography is essentially the study of demographics. Demographics are the statistical data relating to a defined population or group that are collected and analyzed.  Demographics can include the  size, growth, and geographical distribution of human populations. Demographics can further consider characteristics of a population like age, sex, race, marital status, socioeconomic status, level of income, and level of education.  They can also include the collection of records of births, deaths, marriages, migrations, and even incidence of disease within a population.  A demographic, on the other hand, generally refers to a particular sector of the population. How Demographics Are Used The use of demographics and the field of demography is widespread. Demographics are used by governments, corporations, and other non-government entities to learn more about a populations characteristics and the trends within that population. Governments may use demographics to track and assess the effects of their policies and to determine whether a policy had the intended effect or carried unintentional effects both positive and negative. Governments may use individual demographics studies in their research, but they also generally collect demographics data in the form of a census. Businesses, on the other hand, may use demographics to judge the size and influence of a potential market or to assess the characteristics of their target market. Businesses may even use demographics to determine whether their goods are ending up in the hands of the people the company has deemed their most important customer group. The results from these corporate demographics studies generally lead to a  more effective use of marketing budgets. Within the field of economics, demographics can be used to inform anything from economic market research projects to economic policy development. As important as the demographics are themselves, demographic trends are equally as important as the size, influence, and even interest in certain populations and demographic groups will change over time as a consequence of changing political, social, and economic situations and affairs.

Geoff the Pedantic Elf A Christmas Proofreading Story

Geoff the Pedantic Elf A Christmas Proofreading Story Geoff the Pedantic Elf: A Christmas Proofreading Story ‘Twas the day after Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. This suited Santa Clause just fine. It had been a busy festive period, after all, culminating in his customary, physics-defying journey around the world to deliver gifts to all the good boys and girls (he delegated the naughty list these days for efficiency). The fact he uses such an old-fashioned mode of transport makes it even more impressive. Now, though, his work completed, Santa was enjoying a well-earned sit down in his office. He was just pouring himself a celebratory brandy, in fact, when someone knocked on the door. â€Å"Come in!† called Santa to the knocker. The door opened a crack. Geoff, Santa’s top admin elf, sidled in nervously. â€Å"Can I help you, young man?† asked Santa, chuckling to himself (he knew well that Geoff was 974 years old, which is fairly venerable even for an elf). â€Å"It was a good idea of yours to automate the Christmas list system this year,† he added, encouragingly. Are those even real glasses, Geoff? â€Å"Umm, thats actually what  I need to talk about,† said Geoff, avoiding eye contact with his boss. â€Å"We’ve had a few complaints.† â€Å"Complaints?† bellowed Santa, leaping to his feet and towering over the elf. â€Å"From whom?† Geoff cowered, but managed a response: â€Å"Parents!† he squeaked, â€Å"It seems that there might have been some typos in the Christmas list!† â€Å"Typos? Like what?† Santa grumbled, reaching for his tablet computer and opening the Good Boys and Girls app that Geoff had developed to handle the Christmas list this year. The head elf watched Santa struggle with the device for a few minutes, then gently took it off him and navigated to the â€Å"User Feedback† section. â€Å"Here,† he said, â€Å"This one is from a mother who says you crept into her little girl’s room and performed neural surgery on her in the middle of the night.† Not something youd want to wake up to. Santa sniffed defensively. â€Å"Yes, well? The list clearly said that she wanted a ‘boy brain’.† â€Å"It did,† agreed Geoff, â€Å"But it should have said ‘toy train’.† Santa’s face, usually so ruddy, suddenly turned pale. â€Å"Oh. Well. I can see why she might be upset. I thought that sounded like a strange request.† He paused. â€Å"Was there anything else?† â€Å"Quite a few, actually,† replied Geoff. â€Å"There was a boy in Arkansas who wanted a puppy.† â€Å"What did we deliver?† asked Santa with palpable trepidation. â€Å"A yuppy, apparently. â€Å"The kid’s dad says the boy freaked out when he found a businessman sat at the end of his bed, sipping coffee and working on a laptop.† Hes cute, sure, but is he puppy cute? â€Å"I can imagine,† said Santa, slumping back into his seat. Santa’s brow furrowed as he squinted at the tablet screen. â€Å"Is that even how you spell ‘yuppie’?† â€Å"It’s a variant spelling,† explained Geoff, shrugging. â€Å"That’s what you get when you hire temps to do the data entry work, I guess.† â€Å"So, then, what do we do now?† Santa asked, looking to the elf for help. â€Å"First of all, we need to get back out there and, ahem, make some corrections,† the elf suggested. â€Å"And then, before we get started on next year, we should probably hire a proofreader.† â€Å"Good idea,† muttered Santa, before taking a deep gulp of brandy. MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! Remember to proofread your letters to Santa next year!(Photo: Jonathan G Meath/wikimedia)

Critical issue in global health ( Mental Health in the People's Essay

Critical issue in global health ( Mental Health in the People's Republic of China ) - Essay Example Phillips noted the recent developments in mental health policy as a step in the right direction. Under pressure from the international community and a growing awareness of the benefits of healthy population, the government is reportedly investing heavily on public health measures such as in mental health. However, the speaker pointed out that there are still much to be done and improved on. There is the case of the vulnerabilities in the National Mental Health Law and the need for more experts and talents to fill the gap in the area of research and mental health treatment. According to Phillips, it is important for the world to be aware of the state of mental health in China because there are several critical differences. He cited the case of suicide as an example. He found that in China, suicide is impulsive rather than premeditated and this is the reason why many suicide cases were diagnosed to be free of mental illness. This along with several other issues, concluded, Phillips is the reason why high-income countries could also learn something from China. Phillips, M. (22 October 2013). Mental Health in the China People’s Republic of China: An Epidemiological Journey. [Video file]. Retrieved from

Medical oncologists job satisfaction in light of Medicare Dissertation

Medical oncologists job satisfaction in light of Medicare reimbursement cuts, new legislation such as the Sunshine Act and burno - Dissertation Example The levels of job satisfaction have a strong influence in the efficient performance of job related functions. In the case of the physicians and nursing professionals the lower the levels of job satisfaction, the less efficiency in the delivery o patient care, and lower the patient satisfaction in the care received (Burke, 2004). It is for this reason that more than four decades earlier a key factor in health care delivery was the emphasis in attempts to increase the job satisfaction levels among physicians and nursing professionals, with a lot of concentration on financial rewards and improved working conditions. Evidence from studies subsequently has shown that these efforts have not produced the desired results. Over the past decade physician job level satisfaction has declined significantly, and is gauged by the lack of willingness to repeat their studies in medicine, were the option available to them (Burke, 2004). A key dimension that has emerged in the delivery of healthcare cu rrently is the requirement for lowering the costs in the delivery of care, but at the same time maintaining higher levels of quality in the delivery care. In addition there are changes that have occurred in the market place involving increase in competition and legislative financial pressures that are consistent with the requirement for lowering costs and increasing quality in the delivery of healthcare. ... tant exposure to the suffering of their patients, loss of patients, and the grief of the survivors, and are expected to provide relief in all these circumstances. In other words the normal practice of medical oncologists is stressful (Cherny & Catane, 2004). In addition to work pressures, medical oncologists face added financial stress coming from legislative action that will cause cut in Medicare re-imbursement from 2012 onwards (Walsh, 2011). 2. Aim of the Study The aim of the study is to evaluate job satisfaction among medical oncologists in the face of the increased challenges that they face in their practice of health care. 3. Objectives of the Study This study has three objectives, which are: 1. Evaluate the impact of Medicare reimbursement cuts on job satisfaction among medical oncologists. 2. Evaluate the impact of the Sunshine Act on job satisfaction among medical oncologists. 3. Analyse the impact of burnout due to work and family conflict on job satisfaction among medical oncologists. 4. Significance of the Study The elderly population in the United States of America (USA) is growing, which will place increased demands on providing care for their health needs. The incidence of cancer is known to rise with age. In addition, derived from the benefits advances in medical science there is and increase in the survivorship of cancer patients. Hence there will be increasing demand for medical oncologists to meet the health care needs of the general population, as well as the growing elderly segment. In a recent study conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology there is already a shortage of medical oncologists that will only worsen over the next decade. The study forecasts that in 2020 12,547 oncologists will be added to the strength of practicing

Medical oncologists job satisfaction in light of Medicare Dissertation

Medical oncologists job satisfaction in light of Medicare reimbursement cuts, new legislation such as the Sunshine Act and burno - Dissertation Example The levels of job satisfaction have a strong influence in the efficient performance of job related functions. In the case of the physicians and nursing professionals the lower the levels of job satisfaction, the less efficiency in the delivery o patient care, and lower the patient satisfaction in the care received (Burke, 2004). It is for this reason that more than four decades earlier a key factor in health care delivery was the emphasis in attempts to increase the job satisfaction levels among physicians and nursing professionals, with a lot of concentration on financial rewards and improved working conditions. Evidence from studies subsequently has shown that these efforts have not produced the desired results. Over the past decade physician job level satisfaction has declined significantly, and is gauged by the lack of willingness to repeat their studies in medicine, were the option available to them (Burke, 2004). A key dimension that has emerged in the delivery of healthcare cu rrently is the requirement for lowering the costs in the delivery of care, but at the same time maintaining higher levels of quality in the delivery care. In addition there are changes that have occurred in the market place involving increase in competition and legislative financial pressures that are consistent with the requirement for lowering costs and increasing quality in the delivery of healthcare. ... tant exposure to the suffering of their patients, loss of patients, and the grief of the survivors, and are expected to provide relief in all these circumstances. In other words the normal practice of medical oncologists is stressful (Cherny & Catane, 2004). In addition to work pressures, medical oncologists face added financial stress coming from legislative action that will cause cut in Medicare re-imbursement from 2012 onwards (Walsh, 2011). 2. Aim of the Study The aim of the study is to evaluate job satisfaction among medical oncologists in the face of the increased challenges that they face in their practice of health care. 3. Objectives of the Study This study has three objectives, which are: 1. Evaluate the impact of Medicare reimbursement cuts on job satisfaction among medical oncologists. 2. Evaluate the impact of the Sunshine Act on job satisfaction among medical oncologists. 3. Analyse the impact of burnout due to work and family conflict on job satisfaction among medical oncologists. 4. Significance of the Study The elderly population in the United States of America (USA) is growing, which will place increased demands on providing care for their health needs. The incidence of cancer is known to rise with age. In addition, derived from the benefits advances in medical science there is and increase in the survivorship of cancer patients. Hence there will be increasing demand for medical oncologists to meet the health care needs of the general population, as well as the growing elderly segment. In a recent study conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology there is already a shortage of medical oncologists that will only worsen over the next decade. The study forecasts that in 2020 12,547 oncologists will be added to the strength of practicing

360 Degree Feedback Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

360 Degree Feedback - Assignment Example 360-degree feedback system may however not be effective in assessing result-oriented performance, which are more quantitative such as sales and market share. When compared to the traditional performance appraisal, the 360-degree feedback can be said to be advantageous in how it ensures active participation by major stakeholders including employees themselves (Kaye, 2010). Such participation is enabled because includes an employee self-assessment to start the process. This way, the eventual outcome of the appraisal can be said to be the exact representation of employee performance. The feedback system may however be disadvantageous when an organization has to deal with a very large employee size. This is because such large size of employee and the use of 360-degree feedback may be highly time consuming. This is situation could also delay the turn-around time to get employees assessed. When used to measure ineffective and effective performance, the 360-degree feedback guarantees an in-depth understanding of factors that account for employee performance. This is because of the qualitative nature of the feedback system. but in cases where an employee’s performance is dominated by quantitative and numeric outcomes, the feedback system becomes inappropriate in measuring effective and ineffective

Movie review of Jesus of Montreal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Movie review of Jesus of Montreal - Essay Example The other scene which is common to the biblical accounts in the Gospels is Daniel’s conversation with a lawyer. The lawyer makes a lucrative offer to Daniel and offers him ways to make Passion play very popular. As the media lawyer tries to buy Daniel and his play, one is inundated by the disparagement, the obliteration of values, and the obscenely easy money ("Jesus of Montreal "). This temptation is similar to the biblical account where the Devil had taken Jesus to a high mountain and offered him the riches of the world if he would bow down and worship him. Daniel is also offered money high above the city where the viewer becomes aware of power and possession of personal gain. The scene of the subway station serves as a desperate plea against the materialistic world. Pascal who is Daniel’s friend was on the poster advertisement for men’s cosmetics. To Daniel’s dismay, he is the same person who had earlier recited the prophetic words from Dostoevsky play ("Jesus of Montreal "). Now he was the person who had sold himself to the media executive to be part of the materialistic world. To Daniel, this is unfaithfulness and treachery of friendship which is similar to Judas’s betrayal to Jesus. Thus the divination of the Dostoevsky play at the start of the film has come true: removing God from society can only guide and direct to the insignificance of good values and to a situation in which meaning is developed solely from the profitable value of its people and culture ("Jesus of Montreal ").

Livvie by Eudora Welty Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Livvie by Eudora Welty - Term Paper Example (Allen, 1999, p.35) The story in question, Livvie, has won both critical as well as popular acclaim. The story, in essence is the resurrection of the main characters life, from the realm of death. This is reflected in the outer atmosphere, where the season transits to spring. The story revolves around the nuptial life of Livvie, who is married to a much older man, Solomon. Although the married life provides some personal security and regularity, it lacks in passion. This makes her feel that she is entraped in the relationship. One of the people whom she meets outside her domestic setting is Cash, the young farm worker, who offers Livvie an escape from the boredom of her marriage. But thereby, she takes the risk of abandoning the safety and security provided by the husband and entering an outside world where passion may be discovered at the cost of losing orderliness. While this sort of conflict had been well-explored and presented by many feminist writers of the last century, Eudora Weltys offering is not so much distinguished by the narrative method but by the storys thematic structure which is â€Å"far more complex and subtly adjusted to the ambiguities of actual human experience" (Claxton, 2005, p.78). The story is also remarkable for the motifs it employs to depict the inner spiritual journey. As Welty has stated in interviews, she took inspiration from medieval texts such as the Book of Hours for the writing of the story. For example, the Book of Hours emphasis on seasonal changes is analogous to to the cycles of human life that is pondered over in Livvie. There is also a similarity between the characterization of Livvie and the historical fictional character Persephone, in that both characters journey forth to the surface of the earth, and avert death through the renewal of spring. (Allen, 1999, p.35) In Livvie, Welty also subtly mocks the respectable Christian image of Solomon, who is portrayed as an old man with

Decision Making Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Decision Making Process - Essay Example On a practical note, decision making involves identifying all possible choices of solution, analyzing the pros and cons of choosing each decision and finalizing on the appropriate one. The choice of appropriateness is further befuddled by number of other aspects. The perfect choice depends on identifying the stakeholders involved in the decision, the impact of it to them, the moral values, the ethical goodness and finally, the desired result. So, decision making even in its ubiquitous explanation, involves so much complication. In addition, if there is an added pressure that human lives are at stake at every decision being made, then every simple decision needs a humongous amount of thinking and courage to be put in by the decision maker. Such is the profession of nursing where the nurses are made to make decisions, day in and day out. Over the years, the facilities and teaching processes that back the profession of nursing have improved so much that the current generations of nurses are equipped very well on how to execute any decision that is made but there is still an element of uncertainty involved in their profession – the real time decision making process. Several researches have been done and methods have been proposed that guide the nurses in these decision making processes. ... The patient was operated for inguinal hernia mesh repair and had a LMA (laryngeal mask airway) in-situ to allow him to breathe as he recovered from the operation. The problem that she encountered in this setting was when the senior nurse decided to leave her in-charge for few minutes as she had decided to take a break. The fear of facing any emergencies alone; the possibility of aftermath that she had to face in case of any mishaps and, her inexperience prompted her to make the decision of questioning the senior staff. The inquiry included a question about the repercussions of leaving an inexperienced nurse alone with a just operated patient and a suggestion of possible replacement till the senior nursing staff returns. Patterns of Knowing Barbara Carper, in 1978, established four fundamental patterns of knowing in the belief that it could help a great deal for the betterment of the nursing profession both in teaching as well as learning aspects. It becomes mandatory to give a brief description about the four patterns of knowing before divulging more about their relationships with the decision made (Carper, 1978). Empirics: The science of Nursing According to this knowing, nursing is a science where the knowledge mainly focuses on empirical data. According to Barbara, nursing in this aspect is researched and theorized in terms of factual data so that most of the empirical knowledge can be analyzed to form laws and regulations that could provide a structure to the study of nursing. There is a strong urge among the nursing practitioners and researches in identifying the structures and models of nursing. And the output of

Livvie by Eudora Welty Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Livvie by Eudora Welty - Term Paper Example (Allen, 1999, p.35) The story in question, Livvie, has won both critical as well as popular acclaim. The story, in essence is the resurrection of the main characters life, from the realm of death. This is reflected in the outer atmosphere, where the season transits to spring. The story revolves around the nuptial life of Livvie, who is married to a much older man, Solomon. Although the married life provides some personal security and regularity, it lacks in passion. This makes her feel that she is entraped in the relationship. One of the people whom she meets outside her domestic setting is Cash, the young farm worker, who offers Livvie an escape from the boredom of her marriage. But thereby, she takes the risk of abandoning the safety and security provided by the husband and entering an outside world where passion may be discovered at the cost of losing orderliness. While this sort of conflict had been well-explored and presented by many feminist writers of the last century, Eudora Weltys offering is not so much distinguished by the narrative method but by the storys thematic structure which is â€Å"far more complex and subtly adjusted to the ambiguities of actual human experience" (Claxton, 2005, p.78). The story is also remarkable for the motifs it employs to depict the inner spiritual journey. As Welty has stated in interviews, she took inspiration from medieval texts such as the Book of Hours for the writing of the story. For example, the Book of Hours emphasis on seasonal changes is analogous to to the cycles of human life that is pondered over in Livvie. There is also a similarity between the characterization of Livvie and the historical fictional character Persephone, in that both characters journey forth to the surface of the earth, and avert death through the renewal of spring. (Allen, 1999, p.35) In Livvie, Welty also subtly mocks the respectable Christian image of Solomon, who is portrayed as an old man with

Unit 1 Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Unit 1 Discussion Board - Essay Example igh the strengths and weaknesses of the basic forms and choose the one -- or the combination -- that is most congruent with the strategy (Daniels, 2004). As the twenty-first century rapidly approaches, numerous questions are being raised in an attempt to guide health care policy toward greater social harmony, to alleviate social dilemmas created by competing sets of values, and to confront the realities of current health care economics. Instability, volatility, and incredible change are forcing a reexamination of societal values along with changing consumer expectations of health care (Kozier 2004). I agree with the statement that management is both science and art because it demands creative application of traditional theories and concepts. In healthcare, those values of individualism, competition, cost containment, efficiency, and technology that are currently driving health care policy and health care systems are also influencing nursings ability to provide quality care. A look to the past demonstrates the evolution of the changing scene in nursing practice. As health care increasingly runs along business lines, competition occurs through mergers, acquisitions, and the expansion into new markets (Mckenna, 1997). What becomes clear is that quality of care is not the major focus of the competitiveness. Reduced revenues have even led to a reduction in the registered nurse workforce as unlicensed assistive personnel are hired to reduce labor costs and act as nurse extenders. It is clear that new and creative approaches to health care and nursing care are needed (Daniels, 2004). Regulations in healthcare demand flexibility and creativity, new vision of old theories and practices. On the other hand, they stipulate strict limits and rules important for healthcare professionals. Now is a time of transition for health care institutions and health care in general (Kozier 2004). The issue of allocation of scarce health-related resources has become almost paramount,

Physical Surveillance Essay Example for Free

Physical Surveillance Essay The act of surveillance is designed to observe individuals, areas or objects that are of particular interest to an investigator in order to collect information and evidence that may be associated with a suspect and his related criminal activities. Physical surveillance is a method of examination of a particular area that is linked to a crime scene or a suspect. This may include inspecting the area when the crime took place, as well as the victim’s and suspect’s homes, vehicles and paraphernalia. Examination will cover both the conditions of the places and items, as well as the position of the places and items in the particular areas. Physical surveillance is important in a crime scene investigation because it provides a way for the investigator to reconstruct the scene and make inferences on what actually happened during the incident (Gardner, 2005). Any area that is associated with a crime is identified as soon as a crime has been established or reported. In addition, these particular areas are protected from any type of disruption by putting a crime scene tape along the perimeter of the area concerned. It has been reported that the most complicate part of an investigation is the establishment and protection of the boundaries of a crime scene because the signs related to a scene are often elusive to an investigator. Other investigators employ search dogs to facilitate the establishment and tracking of a crime scene. Photography is commonly employed in the physical surveillance of a crime scene. This visual documentation of an area is very helpful to an investigator because it physically records the features of the area before any other activity is performed to the crime scene. Physical surveillance also involves marking all potential evidences to the crime. In addition to photographs, sketches of the crime scene are also important in physical surveillance of a specific area. Sketches are generally considered as essential information of crime scenes because these serve as detailed notes of the investigation, although the diagrammatic representation is of less quality than a simple photograph. Sketches provide measurements of the crime scene, including distances between two points of interest that are located within the area under investigation. An investigator often starts with a rough sketch and eventually moves on to a final sketch that is drawn to scale. These sketches are commonly employed as models during court hearings and trials because these provide the floor-plan of an area of interest, the elevation of the area and its details and other critical dimensions that may be helpful in the analysis of a crime scene. Physical surveillance serves more purposes in a crime scene investigation than a technical surveillance because it provides the investigator with sufficient evidence that may be important in linking a specific suspect to a particular crime. Technical surveillance does not provide the specific details that physical surveillance provides because it does not provide any associative details that are critical to an investigation. In addition, physical surveillance provides a view of the crime scene through an observer’s eyes and this usually provides a neutral view of the area, removing any biases and discrimination of certain items and areas. Physical surveillance also provides a better understanding of a crime incident through the note-taking that is performed on the area, including any traces of struggle or bullet holes. It also assists the investigator in reconstructing the sequence of events that are related to the crime, including the initial moments of what was said, done or executed by the victim and the suspect.

Fire, Brimstone, and Greener Pastures for Religious Involvement :: Free Essays Online

Fire, Brimstone, and Greener Pastures for Religious Involvement Lacking the ready opportunity to visit a unique congregation while stuck, carless, on campus over break, I instead focus on a "field trip" that my churchs' Sunday School class took one Sunday morning last summer. Picture if you will a group of white Presbyterian teenagers hopping into a shiny church van and cruising 15 minutes south, into the poorer, blacker reaches of inner-city Memphis (where neighborhood segregation is still very much the rule). Our destination was relatively near our own church, and yet worlds apart, too. Ours was the area of stately old homes with well-kept lawns along oak- and elm-lined streets, homes filled with the genteel, white urbanites of the city. A mere handful of blocks to the south, however, lay a land of equally old but far more poorly maintained homes, streets long since denuded of any trees they may once have sported. We had left our comfortable zone of neighborhood watches and block clubs, choosing instead to spend our worship hours in a part of t he city instead known for its special police precinct and its multitudinous economic redevelopment zones. Thus did we find ourselves at the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church. Venturing inside, we all noticed two things very quickly: we were at once wearing entirely too much clothing to be comfortable in the sweltering heat, and entirely too little to fit in with the rest of the congregants assembled. And yet we were welcomed with open arms. We had arrived, the Reverend Rogers L. Pruitt emphasized as we filed into the sanctuary, on a very special day. As he distributed bulletins and hearty handshakes to the rest of the group, I noticed that the front of mine read "Fragment Day." As I looked around the modest sanctuary, I wondered what the service had in store for us. The sanctuary was bare, and the pews hard. I mentally tallied a comparison between my own church's sanctuary and this. The two, I found, were similarly austere, but with theirs tending toward items of religious kitsch and our own tending instead towards polished brass. Both lacked stained glass in the windows. I suspected, however, that where our sanctuary was plain in token tribute to the long-dead strict streak of our Calvinist tradition, theirs was bare because it could not economically be otherwise. And the lack of air conditioning  ­ ! Memphis' summer heat is unbearable and pervasive, and a roof overhead does nothing against the big blanket of humid air.

Essay --

I have learned that some cases go to trial pretty fast and then others take longer. I found that people can wait up to 9 years for trial and they still get convicted as guilty, but there are some that get their cases dismissed. Which is far because it did violated the right to speedy trial so which mean the case gets dismissed. In this first case Paton and Thomas vs. Supreme Court these two men were arrested for murder of Christopher Mc Crory. Morris Paton was 30 and Eugene Thomas was 33 this man was arrested for killing Christopher Mc Crory who was only 19. This case happened in New Orleans they were arrested December 23, 2001. At first the charges was capital murder which means they would have got the death penalty if convicted .The Cannizzaro's office knocked the charges down to second-degree murder, which carries mandatory life in prison upon conviction. These two men sat in jail for almost nine years waiting on a trial in 2001. Kathryn Sheely which is Paton’s lawyer says "The 8 1/2 year delay in this case has meant that justice can't be served," Sheely said Monday. "...

Importunate Persuasions: Anxiety of Authorship and the Female Fight for Self-Sovereignty

In Margaret Cavendish’s essay The Blazing World she creates a world of her own where she rules as a sovereign and is afforded a power that would not otherwise be possible for her: â€Å"†¦if any should like the world I have made and be willing to be my subjects, they may imagine themselves such, and they are such, I mean in their minds†¦; but if they cannot endure to be subjects, they may create worlds of their own and govern themselves as they please† (1785).In this passage, Margaret Cavendish exposes her own idiosyncratic philosophy concerning her position in society as a woman, female author and a member of a court that was ostracized. By prolifically writing about herself, she attempts to exercise her right to a voice and uses it as an instrument of power and resistance in an oppressed and powerless situation. However, her language bears traces of an internalization of the oppressive social structure and an anxiety of authorship1 that prevents her from suc cessfully establishing herself as autonomous.In this essay, I will attempt to demonstrate how Margaret Cavendish, through her poetry and prose, endeavors to achieve self-sovereignty through singularity but fails due to fear of social alienation from not just the patriarchal hegemony but also from the women of her era that perpetuated it. In The Poetess’s Hasty Resolution, Margaret Cavendish establishes herself as not only a poet but a gifted one at that. â€Å"Reading my verses, I liked them so well/Self-love did make my judgment to rebel/Thinking them so good, I thought more to write† (1-3).Here, Margaret introduces her desire for self-sovereignty and her initial willingness to exercise it through the vocation of writing. She writes of a â€Å"self-love† initiated by the sound of her own voice and empowers her to fight against the status quo, â€Å"to rebel†. She decides to go about her rebellion through writing and putting forth the female voice. Howeve r, she compromises her own self-adulation with the criticism that she receives. She recognizes and notes that â€Å"others† appose her voicing her opinion: â€Å"Considering not how others would them like† (4).By interjecting this criticism in with her self-congratulatory treatise, she refutes them with an impervious tone in her language, as if she intended to rebel and dismiss the reader’s response to her style. Conversely, she also acknowledges them, within the first four lines of her poem, which alludes to a deep concern. This indicates a woman who cares deeply for what others think. This concern could be due to her position in society. Being the wife of a Duke and lady to an ostracized Queen, it was well within her interest to be aware of her social milieu.Moreover, the aristocracy was used to people caring about what they thought and effecting how others acted and spoke, in other words, exercising their hegemony. While she is amongst this power structure, s he pushes the limits of her position and acceptance by speaking out and seeks to establish agency, which was not readily afforded to women in the seventeenth century. Even though Margaret Cavendish’s rank was high enough to enjoy an element of immunity, she expresses concern over the fragility of her position.In A True Relation of My Birth, Breeding and Life Margaret appreciates how the breadth of her status is afforded to her through marriage, â€Å"second wife to the Lord Marquis of Newcastle, for my lord having had two wives, I might easily have been mistaken, especially if I should die and my lord marry again† (1780). Her language seems humble yet uncertain. One could postulate that this uncertainty is due to her position being conditional of a male counterpart. In her texts, she relies heavily upon a male for information and education.In A True Relation†¦ she diminishes her own ability â€Å"†¦I had a natural stupidity† (1779) and relays how she w ould be dependent upon a male member of her household to explain matters to her: â€Å"†¦and when I read what I understood not, I would ask my brother†¦ he being learned, the sense of meaning thereof† (ibid). Quickly following this passage, she resorts to gender performance1: â€Å"†¦my serious study could not be much, by reason I took great delight in attiring, fine dressing and fashions† (ibid). By positing herself within a socially accepted arena for women, she at once becomes less offensive to her female readership.However, she shows her â€Å"anxiety of authorship† that Sarah Gilbert and Susan Gubar define as a female author’s anxiety of being judged by male readers, critics, etc. thus they will compromise their own voice in an attempt to placate the male gaze2 and save themselves from alienation: â€Å"Her battle, however, is not against her (male) precursor’s reading of the world but against his reading of her. In order to de fine herself as an author she must redefine the terms of her socialization†, (Gilbert and Gubar, 2027).Gilbert and Gubar’s solution for this is a female author must replace the male precursor or influence with a female, at once helping to her to identify with her own sex and giving her an alliance in which to fight patriarchal control. However, if women themselves perpetuate male hegemony, this can prove difficult. In The Blazing World, Margaret creates a new world in order to experience and exercise the ambition and power that she desired. This new world becomes a metaphor for the real world with which she parallels it.In this new world, it is finally safe for her to tackle male hegemony head on and she attempts to do this with analogies of what men become. In her customized world, men take on animal characteristics. Some examples are: â€Å"worm-men†¦fox-men†¦ant-men†¦ape-men† (1781) most of which could be considered derogatory and most certainly diminutive. By ‘othering’ the male species and making them sub-human, Margaret can successfully exercise control in her realm. She also employs this tactic in The Hunting of the Hare in which Wat, a male, is a hare being hunted and assuming a secondary and fragile position. However her anxiety of authorship recurs.After assigning animal counterparts for the male species in The Blazing World, she quickly reiterates that she indeed receives power from the emperor. The empress and the Duchess, both as Margaret in a fragmented state, are informed and educated by priests and statesmen, both male, of the affairs of the government and the church. These figures, which could arguably also represent elements of Margaret’s own psyche particularly the internalized male gaze, attempt to justify their exclusion of women from places of worship and matters of the state as they are â€Å"importunate persuasions† or threatening figures of change (1782).Furthermore, when sh e herself describes the power one could exercise in their own world, she does so by using masculine pronouns; â€Å"he may create a world of what fashion and government he will†¦as he pleases†¦as he thinks best†¦also he may alter that world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1784). Thus, Margaret once again crumbles under the pressure of anxiety of authorship due to fear of social backlash. In a previously quoted passage, Margaret Cavendish uses ‘reason’ as the justification for her self-diminution: â€Å"†¦my serious study could not be much, by reason I took great delight in attiring, fine dressing and fashions† (1779).OED defines reason as â€Å"A statement of some fact (real or alleged) employed as an argument to justify or condemn some act, prove or disprove some assertion, idea, or belief †. However, her usage of the word ‘reason’ evolves. ‘Reason’ later becomes the conduit for her creation of the world in which she can rule as a sovereign, as â€Å"Margaret the First†: â€Å"This is the reason, why I added this†¦to my philosophical observations† (1781). Her language when referring to herself in The Blazing World is authoritarian: â€Å"I shall account myself as a happy creatoress† (1780); â€Å"authoress of a whole world† (1784), etc.Although initially she claims to merely be a scribe to the empress of this imaginary world, there is evidence that Cavendish actually sees herself as the empress. In the first paragraph she sees two worlds, the world in which she exists as Margaret Cavendish and the Blazing World, as antipodes of each other, thus making them parallel: â€Å"†¦and joined them as two worlds at the ends of their poles† (1780). She goes on to describe the world of her creation: â€Å"it is a description of a new world†¦a world of my own creating, which I call the Blazing World† (ibid).As she posits herself in an ultimate position of pow er as â€Å"creatoress† and â€Å"authoress† (idem) she herself is sovereign, thus the empress could easily be interpreted as her. This is further evidenced within the romantic beginning of the story. The empress is heralded as a goddess and the object of the emperor’s affection, paralleling the empress’s story with that of her own: receipt of power and title through marriage. By aligning herself with a female figure of power, she at once establishes a female precursor but also empowers herself in fighting the alienation of hegemonic criticism.The metaphor of this alignment is interesting. One would figure that she had a very powerful female ‘precursor’ in Queen Henrietta Maria; however the Queen’s power was jeopardized by Charles’ execution and her banishment. Also, this particular alignment had proved precarious as it caused the loss of her and her husband’s estate (albeit temporarily). Thus, it was necessary for Margar et to create a new female figure of authority with which she could associate herself. Her internal conflict of desperately wanting to speak out but being checked by fear of societal repercussions is exercised in interesting ways.Margaret is aware of the perpetuation of the male hegemony through women and illustrates her frustrations through her texts. Women would most likely make up Margaret’s ideal readership; however one can surmise that they have also been the source of a great deal of her criticism. In The Poetess’s Hasty Resolution, Margaret signifies the ‘she’ as the source of her criticism: Will you, said she, thus waste your time in vain On that which in the world small praise shall gain? For shame, leave off, said she, the printer spare He’ll lose by your ill poetry, I fear.Besides the world hath already such a weight Of useless books, as it is overfraught. Then pity take, do the world a good turn, And all you write cast in the fire and bur n. (9-16) In this incendiary passage, Margaret exposes many elements of oppression perpetuated by women upon women. The idealized female precursor and intended source of support, demeans Cavendish’s art and directly exercises male hegemonic social pressures upon her. First, they attempt to induce fear in her of women’s destructive capability upon their husbands if they do not adhere to gendered social norms.Second, these critics try to instill her with an anxiety of influence4 by purporting that there are enough things to read in the world and she is not worthy of authorship. Finally, the female critic entreats her to immediately quit her education and stifle her ambitions, as knowledge and ambition are not becoming of a lady. However, Margaret reifies her own anxiety and realizes the danger of this â€Å"importunate persuasion† (ibid) and persists: â€Å"Then all in haste I to the press it sent/Fearing persuasion might my book prevent† (19-20). The betra yal by her own sex does little to incite camaraderie in Margaret.To empower herself against an oppressive but generative hegemonic control that is elicited upon her by other women, she attempts to distinguish herself through singularity. â€Å"I would dislike if any should follow my fashions, for I always took delight in a singularity† (1779). Thus, one may understand why Margaret would desire to set herself apart from her sex, as they did not prove to be an agreeable group with which to identify. However, to be alienated and excluded was a dire circumstance for a woman in seventeenth century Britain.She had already experienced banishment and understood how stringent the repercussions proved for stepping outside the societal ideal. Thus, if Margaret Cavendish could achieve renown and be considered excellent, she could achieve social currency. This accreditation would be what she would need to stave off the scorn of the more strict members of society. She achieved the respect of some accomplished members of society, mainly men, and cunningly realized that the best place with which to exercise her ‘reason’ was through her status in society.The complex and uncomfortable dynamic of desiring to remain in a position of influence and imperatively needing to utilize her own voice regardless of the heavy hegemonic resistance against it is a brave endeavor but a futile one. In order to remain amongst a group, one must adhere to its rules and be amenable to its policies. Although, Margaret Cavendish couldn’t fully achieve self sovereignty in her own time, she provided future female writers with a precursor to the feminist writers what would succeed her. Through her struggle she gives other ‘authoresses’ the support she herself would have appreciated.Although, she herself never achieved self sovereignty through singularity, she proved to be more than just a â€Å"great emulator† (1779). Works Cited Butler, Judith. â€Å"Gend er Trouble† Leitch 2488-2501. Gilber, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar â€Å"The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. † Leitch 2023-2035. Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol. 1. 8th ed. New York, NY: W. W. Norton and Company, 2006. 1773-1784. Leitch, Vincent, ed. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. New York, NY: W. W. Norton and Company, 2001. Footnotes 1.Gender performance is a theory derived by Judith Butler which states that the everyday actions of women and men are a performance of societal expectations and gendered norms and further more that this performance perpetuates the social constructs places upon us that define what it means to be male or female, man or woman, i. e. : men refusing to cry, women wearing high heels etc. 2. The male gaze is a poststructuralist feminist theory stemming from Michel Foucault’s utilization of the panopticon in surveillance society. T his theory places male hegemony in the position of the panopticon and women ‘self correct’ under its gaze.