Criminal law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Criminal law - Assignment Example I believe that the wearing of the disguises added more intent to the crime. The use of violence also added necessitated the treatment of the crime as an adult offense. Section 8 of the Theft Act 1968 is primarily the law relevant to this case2. Robbery is considered an aggravated form of theft which involves force or the threat of force on a person. The robbery is further aggravated in this case by the wearing of disguises3. In general, the act of Alura includes the various elements of the crime of robbery, where an individual who steals, immediately before or at the time of stealing, uses force or threat of force, on any person, and uses such force or threat of force in order to steal4. The law is accurately portrayed in the article, as the elements of the crimes constituting robbery are presented in the article. What is downplayed however in the discussion is the age of the offender which is below the age of majority. In taking issue with discernment, the fact that the minor was ab le to plan out the crimes and having the foresight and skills to prepare disguises to conceal his identity indicates adequate discernment which should make him liable as an adult offender, therefore be treated and sentenced as such. 2. Graff Diamonds robber Aman Kassaye jailed for 23 years The issue discussed by the article refers to the crime of robbery, the sentence imposed by the courts, and the different aggravating elements which included the commission of the offense. The conspiracy to rob committed by the other conspirators to the crime was also indicated in the article5. I believe that the article covered the major elements pertinent to the robbery. As was discussed in the earlier article, the use of force or the threat or force or violence aggravates theft into robbery6. Moreover, impunity is added to the robbery with the use of disguises to the commission of the crime, hence the sentence of the offenders is in the higher ranges7. The cases of R v. Harding and R v. Eubank d emonstrate the increase in penalty for offenders carrying out armed robberies, with the use of firearms subject to a separate count. The kidnap of the shop assistant also constitutes another crime, which was also treated separately by the court in terms of sentence imposition8. All these elements of the crime combined led to the higher range of sentence imposed on the criminals. The law is more or less accurately portrayed in the article, especially in terms of the higher penalty imposed for the criminals, and the pertinent aggravating circumstances mentioned in the article. The fact that the crime is committed with firearms, with disguises, and with violence indicates elements which the courts would consider in order to establish the existence of the crime of robbery. The article however does not indicate why the sentences are different for the three offenders when they are all conspirators to the same offense. The article also does not mention the damages which were imposed on the different offenders considering that the property stolen amounts to substantial losses for the victims. 3. Gunmen grab diamonds worth ?32m in three minutes The article details the sophistication and the level of deception used by the offenders in order to perpetuate their offense. The article discusses the robbery itself, the use of automatic weapons, the value of the property stolen, and the use of disguises, including the impersonation of police officers in order to carry out the offense9. These details all contribute to the

Lecture Notes Beowulf Essay Example for Free

Lecture Notes Beowulf Essay Genre A heroic folk epic rooted in the oral tradition of the Anglo Saxons, Beowulf is an anonymous poem committed to paper by an unknown Christian monk in 1000 Common Era, some 300 years after it was first composed. The manuscript is part of a document known as Cotton Vitellus A housed in a British Library. Beowulf belongs to the epic genre of long, narrative poems dealing with heroic deeds against a background of war and the supernatural and themes of grandeur and significance. Full of legendary myths and somber, elegiac cadences, it has been composed in the Anglo Saxon vernacular and can be classed amongst other great epics such as the Illiad, Odyssey, Aenied and Paradise Lost to name a few. The name Beowulf is a kenning, Bee-Hunter reflecting the warrior heritage of the central character Basic Plot The poem is eponymously named for its hero Bewoulf, a great warrior and later King, who sets out to rescue King Hrothgar and his people from the monster Grendel. During the course of the poem, we see Beowulf slaying first Grendel and then his revenge seeking mother. Beowulf’s final conflict takes place with the Dragon angered by the plundering of the treasure it is guarding. Structure of the Poem There are three prevailing views as to the structure of the poem: -the structure is defined by the three increasingly difficult conflicts Beowulf faces -the structure can also be viewed in terms of kingship for instance, young Beowulf and old Beowulf with a different set of problems to be faced during each phase -the structure is that of interlacing of memories with narratives of present, a cyclical process of action, memory and reflection Background Although the poem is rooted in the Anglo Saxon as well as early Christian traditions, it reflects two distinct value systems frequently at odds with each other. For instance, in line with its Anglo-Saxon origins, the poem celebrates the Germanic heroic code, which, exemplifying the pagan warrior culture, lays stress upon family ties, genealogy, immortality through fame and revenge for wrongs done to one’s kith and kin. It values ancestral heritage and individual reputation. Christianity, on the other hand, believes in immortality in terms of the afterlife and teaches that vengeance is best left to God. Bewoulf and Grendel Bewoulf is not just a warrior and king. He also serves as a cultural ideal and as an incarnation of Anglo Saxon values and beliefs. The ‘Cain-descended’ Grendel, with his innate desire to tear asunder whatever has integrity, represents chaos and disorder, in contrast to Bewoulf, who represents order and cosmos. Grendel is the ultimate exile. Unferth Unferth acts as a foil to Beowulf by accentuating through contrast the character of the latter. He redeems his earlier verbal taunting (flyting) of Beowulf by offering him his sword in a later conflict. Literary devices/techniques Litotes-understatement e. g, ‘Cain had no pleasure from that find’ Kenning-metaphorical descriptions combining two words to offer evocative alternative to original Caesura-a pause in the line of a poem Alliteration- In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of a series of words or phrases.

The Banning of Harry Potter at Omaha Christian Academy Essay -- Censor

The Banning of Harry Potter at Omaha Christian Academy Imagine discovering that you’re not an ordinary person, but a wizard with magnificent, magical powers. Imagine attending a school where you’ll study transfiguration and charms instead of trigonometry and chem. Imagine the thrill of flying across the sky on a broomstick. These adventures and many others are waiting to be experienced in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by novelist J. K. Rowling. This fanciful and entertaining tale has taken the youth of the nation by storm, and its sales have only been surpassed by the book’s sequels, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Unfortunately, not all children are welcome to enjoy the magic of J.K. Rowling’s literature. Because the books discuss witchcraft and wizardry, some parents and teachers have assumed that the books do not reflect religious teachings and must, therefore, be banned. The Omaha Christian Academy in Omaha, Nebraska has recently banned the sale of Harry Potter books at its book fair and refuses to purchase copies for the classrooms or library. However, the administration at Omaha Christian Academy should not prohibit reading books in the Harry Potter series. Potter Gets Cold Shoulder On October 15, 1999 an article was published in the Omaha World-Herald that angered and agitated devoted fans of Harry Potter. Omahans already knew that the Harry Potter books had been challenged in South Carolina and a few other places across the nation. Now, the controversy over the fantasy stories by J. K. Rowling had hit their home town. Apparently, the administration at Omaha Christian Academy learned of the popularity of the books and... ...The kids who read Harry Potter will not grow up to be antireligious witches and warlocks. They will develop into well-adjusted young adults who have a better understanding of how to be a hero. In order to act in the best interest of their students, the administration at Omaha Christian Academy needs to introduce the Harry Potter books into their school as soon as possible. It’s time that Christian schools be made a safe haven for Harry Potter. Works Cited Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976. Heuscher, Julius. A Psychiatric Study of Myths and Fairy Tales. Illinois: Charles Thomas, 1974. O’Connor, Michael. â€Å"Potter Gets Cold Shoulder.† Omaha World-Herald. 15 October 1999. â€Å"Save Harry Potter!† About.com. 29 October 1999.

Walter Dean Myers: Amazing Author

Raymond Palacio 4/26/12 Period 1 Walter Dean Myers is a well established author who writes compelling stories of the struggles of young adults. Walter Dean Myers became well known by his astounding achievements and amazing literature. A big part of what made Walter who he is today is his early life and how it affected his writing, his first success, his background, how his writing contributed to our youth, the controversies about him, and the fact of should his books be red in a high school.The great quality that Walter Dean Myers possesses is the quality to understand the everyday problems of children young adults; this quality was greatly mastered by events that affected Walter Dean Myers Early life and how this inspired him to write. As a child, Walter Dean Myers had speech impairment in school. This problem with his speech meant that he had trouble reading regular written or printed words. Soon after an incident in class, which involved a speech to the class, Walter Dean Myersâ⠂¬â„¢s teacher noticed that it was much easier for him to read his own written words. This inspired him to write poems and short stories.Later when Walter was seventeen, he dropped out of high school and served in the army for three years. The struggles of being in the army only intensified his love towards writing. Shortly after exiting the army, Walter only had low paying jobs to do such as working in post office, as a messenger, and as a factory interviewer for the New York State Bureau of Labor. To any person; these are all great examples of early life events that affected his writing and his writing style. In 1968, Walter Dean Myers challenged himself to further his love for writing by entering in a children’s book competition geared towards African American writers.Little did he know but, this competition would change his life. Walter Dean Myers decided to enter a book that he wrote called â€Å"Where Does the Day Go? † Walter’s Book won the competition, a nd officially became published and was also Walter’s first success in 1969. Recalling what he said that day,† I won the contest! † said Walter Dean Myers. This was the first and best achievement he has done, and once he did it, he wanted to make this his life’s work. Walter Dean Myers is without question one of the best authors of today even though he had some struggles in his life. Walter was born in the middle of the great depression in 1937.He was a born in a town called Martinsburg, Virginia. Walter’s mother died while giving birth to him, so without hesitation, Walter’s mother’s good friend to adopt. Walter’s new parents changed his middle name from â€Å"Milton† to â€Å"Dean†. Soon after the adoption, Walter and his new parents moved to Harlem in New York City. Walter became accustomed to the city life and was in school. One day in class, Walter’s teacher caught him reading a comic book; he remembered that moment very well. Walter’s teacher took the comic book and ripped it into a million pieces. He was really upset, but she brought him a giant pile of books from her personal library.Walter remembered it being the best thing that ever happened to him. Walter Dean Myers soon became a book worm and grew into a man who loved books and wrote amazing stories of the struggles of young adults. Walter Dean Myers has contributed a lot to our youth. He provides a compelling perspective on the hard-hitting issues faced by at risked teens and young adults. Walter Dean Myers can understand young adults. He makes teens, which read his books; seek to portray the beauty of the African American experience, requiring young adults to question their values and decisions.Walter Dean Myers was also elected the National Ambassador for Young Peoples Literature by the Librarian Congress for 2012 and 2013. To meet the criteria, means you have contribution to young adults and relate to children. Tho ugh Walter Dean Myers is an expressful and outspoken author for our youth, some concerned parents raised some controversies about one of Walter dean Myers’s best books, â€Å"Fallen Angles†. This controversy was challenged by Texas, Virginia, Kansas, Illinois, Idaho, and North Carolina. The book was challenged for its racism, offensive language and the violence of war.The book was also challenged for its slang terms for homosexuals. Even the though there were only a few controversies about one of Walter Dean Myers’s books, He still is an intelligent author who understands and relates to young adults. Many schools over go the one question of whether Walter Dean Myers’s books should be read in their high schools. With out a doubt this author is the perfect role model to influence young adults; in what any better way than a high school library. The role of the modern high school library is run by a librarian and this librarian has to go through vigorous amou nts of schooling and English degrees.The librarian decides what should be allowed into the library and is a very influential person when it comes to references and connections to the modern societies’ literature. Our schools sometimes have to ban some books but not many have been banned. If a book is challenged, the book then will go through different stages to determine whether it is truly an inappropriate book for our youth. But with Walter Dean Myers, you will not find a better insight on the struggles of today’s youth. The famous Walter Dean Myers is truly an influential figure and a great author that decisively depicts the struggles of today’s youth and young adults.His work has continuously acknowledged today’s generation of youth and writes compelling struggles of young adults. Walter Dean Myers grew up to be an amazing, aspiring, writer and has truly proven to everyone that he indeed has unlocked that secret to understanding young adults. Anyone r eading one of his books will grasp the terminology and theme of which is written in his multiple award winning books. All in all Walter Dean Myers is and will always be one of the greatest authors of today’s literature aiming for the younger age group, such as young adults and children.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 25

12 Las Zenow said with a certain trace of awe in his voice, â€Å"I didn't know you were so friendly with the Emperor, Professor Seldon.† â€Å"Why not? He's a very democratic fellow for an Emperor and he was interested in my experiences as a First Minister in Cleon's time.† â€Å"It made a deep impression on us all. We haven't had an Emperor in our halls for many years. Generally, when the Emperor needs something from the Library-â€Å" â€Å"I can imagine. He calls for it and it is brought to him as a matter of courtesy.† â€Å"There was once a suggestion,† said Zenow chattily, â€Å"that the Emperor be outfitted with a complete set of computerized equipment in his palace, hooked directly into the Library system, so that he would not need to wait for service. This was in the old days when credits were plentiful, but, you know, it was voted down.† â€Å"Was it?† â€Å"Oh yes, almost the entire Board agreed that it would make the Emperor too much a part of the Library and that this would threaten our independence from the government.† â€Å"And does this Board, which will not bend to honor an Emperor, consent to let me remain at the Library?† â€Å"At the present moment, yes. There is a feeling-and I've done my best to encourage it-that if we are not polite to a personal friend of the Emperor, the chance of a rise in appropriations will be gone altogether, so-â€Å" â€Å"So credits-or even the dim prospect of credits-talk.† â€Å"I'm afraid so.† â€Å"And can I bring in my colleagues?† Zenow looked embarrassed. â€Å"I'm afraid not. The Emperor was seen walking only with you-not with your colleagues. I'm sorry, Professor.† Seldon shrugged and a mood of deep melancholy swept over him. He had no colleague to bring in, anyhow. For some time he had hoped to locate others like Wanda and he had failed. He, too, would need funding to mount an adequate search. And he, too, had nothing. 13 Trantor, the capital world-city of the Galactic Empire, had changed considerably since the day Hari first stepped off the hypership from his native Helicon thirty-eight years ago. Was it the pearly haze of an old man's memory that made the Trantor of old shine so brightly in his mind's eye, Hari wondered. Or perhaps it had been the exuberance of youth-how could a young man from a provincial Outer World such as Helicon not be impressed by the gleaming towers, sparkling domes, the colorful, rushing masses of people that had seemed to swirl through Trantor, day and night. Now, Hari thought sadly, the walkways are nearly deserted, even in the full light of day. Roving gangs of thugs controlled various areas of the city, competing among themselves for territory. The security establishment had dwindled; those who were left had their hands full processing complaints at the central office. Of course, security officers were dispatched as emergency calls came through, but they made it to the scene only after a crime was committed-they no longer made even a pretense of protecting the citizens of Trantor. A person went out at his own risk-and a great risk it was. And yet Hari Seldon still took that risk, in the form of a daily walk, as if defying the forces that were destroying his beloved Empire to destroy him as well. And so Hari Seldon walked along, limping-and thoughtful. Nothing worked. Nothing. He had been unable to isolate the genetic pattern that set Wanda apart-and without that, he was unable to locate others like her. Wanda's ability to read minds had sharpened considerably in the six years since she had identified the flaw in Yugo Amaryl's Prime Radiant. Wanda was special in more ways than one. It was as if, once she realized that her mental ability set her apart from other people, she was determined to understand it, to harness its energy, to direct it. As she had progressed through her teen years, she had matured, throwing off the girlish giggles that had so endeared her to Hari, at the same time becoming even dearer to him in her determination to help him in his work with the powers of her â€Å"gift.† For Hari Seldon had told Wanda about his plan for a Second Foundation and she had committed herself to realizing that goal with him. Today, though, Seldon was in a dark mood. He was coming to the conclusion that Wanda's mentalic ability would get him nowhere. He had no credits to continue his work-no credits to locate others like Wanda, no credits to pay his workers on the Psychohistory Project at Streeling, no credits to set up his all-important Encyclopedia Project at the Galactic Library. Now what? He continued to walk toward the Galactic Library. He would have been better off taking a gravicab, but he wanted to walk-limp or not. He needed time to think. He heard a cry-â€Å"There he is!†-but paid no attention. It came again. â€Å"There he is! Psychohistory!† The word forced him to look up. Psychohistory. A group of young men was closing in around him. Automatically Seldon placed his back against the wall and raised his cane. â€Å"What is it you want?† They laughed. â€Å"Credits, old man. Do you have any credits?† â€Å"Maybe, but why do you want them from me? You said, ‘Psychohistory!' Do you know who I am?† â€Å"Sure, you're Raven Seldon† said the young man in the lead. He seemed both comfortable and pleased. â€Å"You're a creep,† shouted another. â€Å"What are you going to do if I don't give you any credits?† â€Å"We'll beat you up,† said the leader, â€Å"and we'll take them.† â€Å"And if I give you my credits?† â€Å"We'll beat you up anyway!† They all laughed. Hari Seldon raised his cane higher. â€Å"Stay away. All of you.† By now he had managed to count them. There were eight. He felt himself choking slightly. Once he and Dors and Raych had been attacked by ten and they had had no trouble. He had been only thirty-two at the time and Dors-was Dors. Now it was different. He waved his cane. The leader of the hoodlums said, â€Å"Hey, the old man is going to attack us. What are we going to do?† Seldon looked around swiftly. There were no security officers around. Another indication of the deterioration of society. An occasional person or two passed by, but there was no use calling for help. Their footsteps increased in speed and made a wide detour. No one was going to run any risks of getting involved in an imbroglio. Seldon said, â€Å"The first one of you who approaches gets a cracked head.† â€Å"Yeah?† And the leader stepped forward rapidly and seized the cane. There was a short sharp struggle and the cane was wrested from Seldon's grip. The leader tossed it to one side. â€Å"Now what, old man?† Seldon shrunk back. He could only wait for the blows. They crowded around him, each eager to land a blow or two. Seldon lifted his arms to try to ward them off. He could still Twist-after a fashion. If he were facing only one or two, he might be able to Twist his body, avoid their blows, strike back. But not against eight-surely not against eight. He tried, at any rate, moving quickly to one side to avoid the blows and his right leg, with its sciatica, doubled under him. He fell and knew himself to be utterly helpless. Then he heard a stentorian voice shouting, â€Å"What's going on here? Get back, you thugs! Back or I'll kill you all!† The leader said, â€Å"Well, another old man.† â€Å"Not that old,† said the newcomer. With the back of one hand, he struck the leader's face, turning it an ugly red. Seldon said in surprise, â€Å"Raych, it's you.† Raych's hand swept back. â€Å"Stay out of this, Dad. Just get up and move away.† The leader, rubbing his cheek, said, â€Å"We'll get you for that.† â€Å"No, you won't,† said Raych, drawing out a knife of Dahlite manufacture, long and gleaming. A second knife was withdrawn and he now held one in each hand. Seldon said weakly, â€Å"Still carrying knives, Raych?† â€Å"Always,† said Raych. â€Å"Nothing will ever make me stop.† â€Å"I'll stop you,† said the leader, drawing out a blaster. Faster than the eye could follow, one of Raych's knives went sailing through the air and struck the leader's throat. He made a loud gasp, then a gurgling sound, and fell, while the other seven stared. Raych approached and said, â€Å"I want my knife back.† He drew it out of the hoodlum's throat and wiped it on the man's shirtfront. In doing so, he stepped on the man's hand, bent down, and picked up his blaster. Raych dropped the blaster into one of his capacious pockets. He said, â€Å"I don't like to use a blaster, you bunch of good-for-nothings, because sometimes I miss. I never miss with a knife, however. Never! That man is dead. There are seven of you standing. Do you intend to stay standing or will you leave?† â€Å"Get him!† shouted one of the hoodlums and the seven made a concerted rush. Raych took a backward step. One knife flashed and then the other and two of the hoodlums stopped with, in each case, a knife buried in his abdomen. â€Å"Give me back my knives,† said Raych, pulling each out with a cutting motion and wiping them. â€Å"These two are still alive, but not for long. That leaves five of you on your feet. Are you going to attack again or are you going to leave?† They turned and Raych called out, â€Å"Pick up your dead and dying. I don't want them.† Hastily they flung the three bodies over their shoulders, then they turned tail and ran. Raych bent to pick up Seldon's cane. â€Å"Can you walk, Dad?† â€Å"Not very well,† said Seldon. â€Å"I twisted my leg.† â€Å"Well then, get into my car. What were you doing walking, anyway?† â€Å"Why not? Nothing's ever happened to me.† â€Å"So you waited till something did. Get into my car and I'll give you a lift back to Streeling.† He programmed the ground-car quietly, then said, â€Å"What a shame we didn't have Dors with us. Mom would have attacked them with her bare lands and left all eight dead in five minutes.† Seldon felt tears stinging his eyelids. â€Å"I know, Raych, I know. Do you think I don't miss her every day?† â€Å"I'm sorry,† said Raych in a low voice. Seldon asked, â€Å"How did you know I was in trouble?† â€Å"Wanda told me. She said there were evil people lying in wait for you, she told me where they were and I took right off.† â€Å"Didn't you doubt that she knew what she was talking about?† â€Å"Not at all. We know enough about her now to know that she has some sort of contact with your mind and with the things around you.† â€Å"Did she tell you how many people were attacking me?† â€Å"No. She just said, ‘Quite a few.'† â€Å"So you came out all by yourself, did you, Raych?† â€Å"I had no time to put together a posse, Dad. Besides, one of me was enough.† â€Å"Yes, it was. Thank you, Raych.† 14 They were back at Streeling now and Seldon's leg was stretched out on a hassock. Raych looked at him somberly. â€Å"Dad,† he began, â€Å"you're not to go walking around Trantor on your own from now on.† Seldon frowned. â€Å"Why, because of one incident?† â€Å"It was enough of an incident. You can't take care of yourself any longer. You're seventy years old and your right leg will not support you in an emergency. And you have enemies-â€Å" â€Å"Enemies!† â€Å"Yes, indeed. And you know it. Those sewer rats were not after simply anyone. They were not looking for just any unwary person to rip off. They identified you by calling out, ‘Psychohistory!' And they called you a creep. Why do you suppose that was?† â€Å"I don't know why.† â€Å"That's because you live in a world all your own, Dad, and you don't know what's going on on Trantor. Don't you suppose the Trantorians know that their world is going downhill at a rapid rate? Don't you suppose they know that your psychohistory has been predicting this for years? Doesn't it occur to you that they may blame the messenger for the message? If things go bad-and they are going bad-there are many who think that you are responsible for it.† â€Å"I can't believe that.† â€Å"Why do you suppose there's a faction at the Galactic Library that wants you out of there? They don't want to be in the way when you are mobbed. So-you've got to take care of yourself. You can't go out alone. I'll have to be with you or you will have to have bodyguards. That's the way it's going to be, Dad.† Seldon looked dreadfully unhappy. Raych softened and said, â€Å"But not for long, Dad. I've got a new job.' Seldon looked up. â€Å"A new job. What kind?† â€Å"Teaching. At a University.† â€Å"Which University?† â€Å"Santanni.† Seldon's lips trembled. â€Å"Santanni! That's nine thousand parsecs away from Trantor. It's a provincial world on the other side of the Galaxy.† â€Å"Exactly. That's why I want to go there. I've been on Trantor all my life, Dad, and I'm tired of it. There's no world in all the Empire that's deteriorating the way Trantor is. It's become a haunt of crime with no one to protect us. The economy is limping, the technology is failing. Santanni, on the other hand, is a decent world, still humming along, and I want to be there to build a new life, along with Manella and Wanda and Bellis. We're all going there in two months.† â€Å"All of you!† â€Å"And you, Dad. And you. We wouldn't leave you behind on Trantor. You're coming with us to Santanni.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"Impossible, Raych. You know that.† â€Å"Why impossible?† â€Å"You know why. The Project. My psychohistory. Are you asking me to abandon my life's work?† â€Å"Why not? It's abandoned you.† â€Å"You're mad.† â€Å"No, I'm not. Where are you going with it? You have no credits. You can't get any. There's no one left on Trantor who's willing to support you.† â€Å"For nearly forty year-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, I admit that. But after all that time, you've failed Dad. There's no crime in failing. You've tried so hard and you've gone so far, but you've run into a deteriorating economy, a falling Empire. It's the very thing you've been predicting for so long that's stopping you at last. So-â€Å" â€Å"No. I will not stop. Somehow or other, I will keep going.† â€Å"I tell you what, Dad. If you're really going to be so stubborn, then take psychohistory with you. Start it again on Santanni. There may be enough credits-and enthusiasm-to support it there.† â€Å"And the men and women who have been working for me so faithfully?† â€Å"Oh bull, Dad. They've been leaving you because you can't pay them. You hang around here for the rest of your life and you'll be alone. Oh, come on, Dad. Do you think I like to talk to you this way? It's because no one has wanted to-because no one has had the heart to-that you're in your present predicament. Let's be honest with each other now. When you walk the streets of Trantor and you're attacked for no reason other than that you're Hari Seldon, don't you think it's time for a little bit of truth?† â€Å"Never mind the truth. I have no intention of leaving Trantor.† Raych shook his head. â€Å"I was sure you'd be stubborn, Dad. You've got two months to change your mind. Think about it, will you?† 15 It had been a long time since Hari Seldon had smiled. He had conducted the Project in the same fashion that he always did: pushing always forward in the development of psychohistory, making plans for the Foundation, studying the Prime Radiant. But he did not smile. All he did was to force himself through his work without any feeling of impending success. Rather, there was a feeling of impending failure about everything. And now, as he sat in his office at Streeling University, Wanda entered. He looked up at her and his heart lifted. Wanda had always been special. Seldon couldn't put his finger on just when he and the others had started accepting her pronouncements with more than the usual enthusiasm; it just seemed always to have been that way. As a little girl, she had saved his life with her uncanny knowledge of â€Å"lemonade death† and all through her childhood she had somehow just known things. Although Dr. Endelecki had asserted that Wanda's genome was perfectly normal in every way, Seldon was still positive that his granddaughter possessed mental abilities far beyond those of average humans. And he was just as sure that there were others like her in the Galaxy-on Trantor, even. If only he could find them, these mentalics, what a great contribution they could make to the Foundation. The potential for such greatness all centered in his beautiful granddaughter. Seldon gazed at her, framed in his office doorway, and he felt as if his heart would break. In a few days, she would be gone. How could he bear it? She was such a beautiful girl-eighteen. Long blond hair, face a little broad but with a tendency to smile. She was even smiling now and Seldon thought, Why not? She's heading for Santanni and for a new life. He said, â€Å"Well, Wanda, just a few more days.† â€Å"No. I don't think so, Grandpa.† He stared at her. â€Å"What?† Wanda approached him and put her arms around him. â€Å"I'm not going to Santanni.† â€Å"Have your father and mother changed their minds?† â€Å"No, they're going.† â€Å"And you're not? Why? Where are you going?† â€Å"I'm going to stay here, Grandpa. With you.† She hugged him. â€Å"Poor Grandpa!† â€Å"But I don't understand. Why? Are they allowing this?† â€Å"You mean Mom and Dad. Not really. We've been arguing over this for weeks, but I've won out. Why not, Grandpa? They'll go to Santanni and they'll have each other-and they'll have little Bellis, too. But if I go with them and leave you here, you'll have no one. I don't think I could stand that.† â€Å"But how did you get them to agree?† â€Å"Well, you know-I pushed.† â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"It's my mind. I can see what you have in yours and in theirs and, as time goes on, I can see more clearly. And I can push them to do what I want.† â€Å"How do you do that?† â€Å"I don't know. But after a while, they get tired of being pushed and they're willing to let me have my way. So I'm going to stay with you.† Seldon looked up at her with helpless love. â€Å"This is wonderful, Wanda. But Bellis-â€Å" â€Å"Don't worry about Bellis. She doesn't have a mind like mine.† â€Å"Are you certain?† Seldon chewed at his lower lip. â€Å"Quite certain. Besides, Mom and Dad have to have someone, too.† Seldon wanted to rejoice, but he couldn't do so openly. There were Raych and Manella. What of them? He said, â€Å"Wanda, what about your parents? Can you be so cold-blooded about them?† â€Å"I'm not cold-blooded. They understand. They realize I must be with you.† â€Å"How did you manage that?† â€Å"I pushed,† said Wanda simply, â€Å"and eventually they came to see it my way. â€Å"You can do that?† â€Å"It wasn't easy.† â€Å"And you did it because-† Seldon paused. Wanda said, â€Å"Because I love you. Of course. And because-â€Å" â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I must learn psychohistory. I know quite a bit of it already.† â€Å"How?† â€Å"From your mind. From the minds of others at the Project, especially from Uncle Yugo before he died. But it's in rags and tatters, so far. I want the real thing. Grandpa, I want a Prime Radiant of my own.† Her face lit up and her words came quickly, with passion. â€Å"I want to study psychohistory in great detail. Grandpa, you're quite old and quite tired. I'm young and eager. I want to learn all I can, so I can carry on when-â€Å" Seldon said, â€Å"Well, that would be wonderful-if you could do it-but there is no funding anymore. I'll teach you all I can, but-we can't do anything.† â€Å"We'll see, Grandpa. We'll see.†

Maria Full of Grace Essay Example

Maria Full of Grace Essay Example Maria Full of Grace Paper Maria Full of Grace Paper Muted group theory illustrates how a group can acquire power and use it to it to dominate culture. It specifically refers to the gender roles created by society and can also be used to examine cross-cultural case studies. Its name describes how a group in power can manipulate language and communication practices specific to its culture in order to silence the members not included in the dominant group. Maria Full of Grace is an exposi of the complexities surrounding womens involvement in drug trafficking and becoming a woman in a male dominated society. In the movie there are many examples of communication that are impeded because of womens current role in society. The movie opens with its title character, Maria Alvarez , a 17-year-old Colombian, making out her boyfriend, Juan. Juan is completely involved in the moment and hinting that he wants to further accelerate the situation, and he even doesnt notice her indifference to his affection. He attempts to get her to agree to let them go back to her house, but she wants to climb on top of the roof. She emasculates Juan by teasing him and he gets irritated and walks away. Instead of complying with Juans wish to go back to her house, Maria responded by taking control of the situation (especially notable because of its sexual nature) and said, See how you treat me? Youre a drag. Because she attempts to step outside of the expectation that she will fulfill the needs of her lover, she is punished by him walking off and leaving her on the roof by herself. In the next scene, Maria is being mistreated by her male supervisor. He refuses to let her go to the restroom even though she feels nauseated, and then proceeds to demand she clean the mess off the roses after she vomits on them. It is implied Maria takes this kind of abuse on a regular basis. When she next sees her mother and sister, at the local pharmacy, she informs them she quit her job at the factory. They are alarmed and ask when and why this happened. This is sparked by argument over money. It is cultural practice for a Colombian family to all chip in and help out with money, even if it is not equally contributed to. Marias nephew, Pacho, is sick and needs medicine. Diana and her mother tell her she is selfish and should be able to deal with her employment issues for the benefit of the family. They ask her to go back, but Maria refuses, saying she will find other work. This is an example of a socially constructed expectation that works in opposition of womens rights. Maria is being harassed by her employer; this should be handled immediately by reporting him to a company employee in charge of human resources. Instead, she sees the only way to stop it is to quit. Because her word would most likely not be taken seriously, she takes the blame instead of demanding action. This form of oppression is a form of muting an individual because of her gender. Not only does she give up her job, but she is chastised by her own family for not thinking of them first. It is conventional for Hispanic families to function together, even at the expense of a womans happiness. Maria is working to take care of her nephew who has no father in sight. Actually, there are no males besides Pacho in the household that are ever mentioned; this leaves only Maria to provide income. Later in the movie, Maria tells Juan she is pregnant, but she does not want to get married. He contends he must live with her, because society wont accept a guy living in his girlfriends house. Again, Maria departs from the norm by rejecting the necessity of marriage because of a pregnancy. She even goes further to reject the notion of marriage without love. Maria is comfortable with her independence, even as a single mother-a concept foreign to most women in her position. Muted group theory is also applicable in this film because it deals with cultural issues. Women often jeopardize their freedom and lives by agreeing to serve as drug mules or couriers to smuggle illegal drugs into another country. Maria is in desperate need of a job because she is obligated to care for her mother, sister, and nephew. She meets Franklin, who at first seemed very innocent, and he mentions a way she could make money if she would take the chance. Franklin delivers her to Javier, the head of this particular drug cartel in Bogat. He explains the arrangements, but not without offering a charitable donation so she could get her affairs in order. The direction and quality of her life is no longer in her hands; it is in those of the men in authority positions in her life. Even when she is in the United States, her fate is determined by Don Fernando (the Colombian travel agent who offers help to her and Blanca) and the male drug dealers who hold Maria, Blanca, and Lucy captive. Don Fernando chose not to turn them into the police, but he did betray the women by telling Carla about Lucys death and its surrounding circumstances. The drug dealers killed Lucy for the heroin in her body; they had no regard for the life that possessed it. If Maria would have fallen ill, she would have suffered the same outcome. Even after her and Bianca escaped, the men had the ability to harm their families in Colombia. Once they returned to give the dealers their pellets, their own lives were once again endangered. They were fortunate to not be killed, much less receive their payment, but it was not without verbal and physical abuse. Each of the trials Maria faces is caused by a social norm that demands womens subordination to men in different areas of her life. Every aspect of her life was affected by this form of inequality: her sexual relations, her relationship with her boyfriend and family, her employment, her welfare, and her basic right to life. Maria Full of Grace is a paradigm for feature films that illuminate the delicate issues that instigate womens involvement in such reprehensible a exploit as drug trafficking.

Life Of Walt Disney essays

Life Of Walt Disney essays Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901, to Elias (Schickel,124) and Flora Disney (Walt Disney: A Biography,1). He was born in Chicago, Illinois to poverty. Disney had four other siblings (Walt Disney: A Biography,1) which included three brothers named Roy, Raymond, and Herbert and a sister named Ruth.(Through the Years 1859-1909,1-2) When he was four years old his family moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri. At the age of eight Disney came to the conclusion that he wanted to draw cartoons like they did in the newspapers. The only problem was his family had no money for paper and pencils. In addition, his father thought drawing was a waste of time (DeWitt,10). When Disney was sixteen years old he, left the farm to join the service. While in the service, he drove an ambulance, and during his free time he would draw (Schickel,124). After he had left the service, he made cartoon advertisements that were shown in the movies (Disney(Walter Elias)Walt,1), until he set up a shop in Kansas City, Missouri. Then in 1923, at age 22, he opened a cartoon studio in Hollywood, California (Schickel,124). Later on, Disney married a lovely woman named Lillian and had two daughters, Diane and Sharon (Schindehette,52). In 1927, the famous mouse named Mickey was created by Ub Iwerks, who first envisioned the mouse (Phillips,100) but Lillian was credited with naming him (Schindehette,52). On the day of September 19, 1928, Steamboat Willie was released which starred Mickey; it was the first movie with a soundtrack (Knauer,118). For the next few years after that, a new Mickey film came to theaters every month! The movie Silly Symphony included the soon to be famous Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto (Disney(Walter Elias)Walt,1). Between the years of 1929 through 1939, Disney produced a series of full-color animated cartoons. Flowers and Trees was the first film in f...

Definition and Examples of Double Negatives in English

Definition and Examples of Double Negatives in English There are two different definitions of double negatives in English grammar: A double negative is a  nonstandard form using two negatives for emphasis where only one is necessary (for example, I cant get no satisfaction).A double negative is a  standard form using two negatives to express a positive (She is not unhappy). Examples of Double Negatives for Emphasis I wont not use no double negatives. (Bart Simpson, The Simpsons, 1999)Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous. (Geoffrey Chaucer, The Friars Tale in The Canterbury Tales)Nor never noneShall mistress of it be, save I alone.(William Shakespeare, Viola in Twelfth Night)You ain’t heard nothin’ yet, folks! (Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer)Badges? We aint got no badges. We dont need no badges! (Alfonso Bedoya as Gold Hat in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 1948)The world dont owe me nothing. (Delta bluesman Honeyboy Edwards)Listen here, Sam, this  wont do you no good, you know. (Judith Lennox, Middlemere. Hachette, 2004)I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong.† (Muhammed Ali, February 17, 1966, quoted by Stefan Fatsis in No Viet Cong Ever Called Me Nigger. Slate, June 8, 2016)June Cleaver: Oh Wally, I wonder if youd mind going to the supermarket for me.Wally Cleaver: Well, I guess I could. Im not hardly doing anything.June Cleaver: Wally, you never use not and hard ly together. Either youre not doing anything, or youre hardly doing anything.Wally Cleaver: Oh. I wasnt sure, so I stuck em both in.(Beaver Finds a Wallet. Leave It to Beaver, 1960) Mencken on Double Negatives Syntactically, perhaps the chief characteristic of vulgar American is its sturdy fidelity to the double negative. So freely is it used, indeed, that the simple negative appears to be almost abandoned. Such phrases as I see nobody, I could hardly walk, I know nothing about it are heard so seldom among the masses of the people that they appear to be affectations when encountered; the well-nigh universal forms are I don’t see nobody, I couldn’t hardly walk, and I don’t know nothing about it. (H. L. Mencken, The American Language, 1921) Definition #2: Double Negatives to Express a Positive It is hoped that American teachers may not find this Manual inappropriate to their use. (J.M. Bonnell, A Manual of the Art of Prose Composition. Morton, 1867)Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table. (Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1902)I know a college president who can be described only as a jerk. He is not an unintelligent man, nor unlearned, nor even unschooled in the social amenities. (Sidney J. Harris, A Jerk, 1961) Triple Negatives You better not never tell nobody but God. (Alice Walker, The Color Purple, 1982)We try every way we can do to kill the game, but for some reason, nothing nobody does never hurts it. (Sparky Anderson, quoted by George Will in Baseball Lit. 101, 1990) A Triple Positive I got interviews with all three remaining  residents, and one of them told me Ruth Singh had received a visitor that night. So it was worth going back. Information that could lead to an arrest, as they say.Yeah, right, thatll happen.Well done, Meera, a triple positive to make an emphatic negative- nice use of English.(Christopher Fowler, The Water Room. Doubleday, 2004) Quadruple Negatives Why, sir, I never knowed no manner o luck on no ship nowhen and nowhere, wi unmarried females aboard. (Lovepeace Farrance, quoted by George Choundas in The Pirate Primer: Mastering the Language of Swashbucklers and Rogues. Writers Digest Books, 2007)Right down on the ground his stick he throwed.And he shivered and said, Well, I am blowed.And he turned away, with a heart full sore,And he never was seen not none no more.(Robert J. Burdette, Romance of the Carpet)Proscriptions Against the Double NegativeMost kinds of double negative are inappropriate in spoken and written Standard English except in jocular use . . .. This was not always so, however, and the double negative remains one of the best illustrations of what was once a perfectly acceptable locution being driven by the decisions of grammarians, not out of the language, but out of Standard use. (Kenneth G. Wilson, The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Columbia University Press, 1993)The prohibition on double negatives may have begun with Robert Lowth, an 18th century Bishop of London, who wrote A Short Introduction to English Grammar. In it he stated that two Negatives in English destroy one another, or are equivalent to an affirmative. Perhaps his high status as a bishop led people to believe that his strictures on language were divinely inspired. The ban stuck. In the late 19th century, for example, an educator commented: The student . . . is instructed how contrary to reason is a Double Negative. Yet it never entirely disappeared. It is still found in some varieties of English, as in the old music hall song: We dont know no one wot don’t want no nine inch nails. (Jean Aitchison, The Language Web: The Power and Problem of Words. Cambridge University Press, 1997) Like many rules that are apparently based on logic, the view that double negatives are illogical is an artificial  rule introduced in the eighteenth century. It first appears in James Greenwoods An Essay Towards a Practical English Grammar (1711), where we find the statement, Two Negatives, or two Adverbs of Denying, do in English affirm. As is usual in such works, no support for the claim is offered; it is certainly not based on practice, since double negatives had been common since Old English. (Simon Horobin,  How English Became English. Oxford University Press, 2016) The Lighter Side of Double Negatives Albert Collins: Im not sharing with no one.Gene Hunt: What is that, a double negative? Dont they teach you anything in nutter school these days?(Andrew Vincent and Philip Glenister in Life on Mars [UK], 2006)You shut up! You just shut up! Youre a nasty horrid person and we dont want you playing in our house! Alice is my friend!I wasnt doing nothing, I was only talking. I didnt touch nothing, I neverThats a double negative! Youre a stupid uneducated little snot, and you live in a council estate, and youre not allowed to play with nice people! That was a double negative, Alice, did you hear it? Thats what happens when you ask them in. Youll be picking up all sorts of language.(Alan Coren, Baby Talk, Keep Talking Baby Talk. Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks: The Essential Alan Coren, ed. by Giles Coren and Victoria Coren. Canongate, 2008)Dr. House: You two shower together?Dr. Cameron and Dr. Chase: No!Dr. House: Double negative. Its a yes.(Half-Wit. House M.D., 2007) Also Known As:  negative concord

The research paper on the Vietnam War Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The on the Vietnam War - Research Paper Example The chief objective of this paper, however, is to analyse this historic war in relation to Martin Luther King’s seminal anti-war sermon â€Å"A Time To Break Silence†. While many tend to view the war as one that was ‘revolutionary’, King sought to critique the very underlying principle of war. At every level, he expressed his solidarity for those members of the clergy and the laity who critiqued the war and were sympathetic to the Vietnamese civilians. Though King’s speech is a clear articulation affirming the value of human life and liberty, my analysis would attempt to both analyse and question his perspective regarding the Vietnam War. King’s views regarding the land reforms that Ho Chi Minh had carried out during his tenure have been contested and attested by various thinkers. This paper shall try to incorporate these views into the body of the work and provide a balanced argument. The paper shall also look at the position of the poor peas ants in Vietnam who bore the brunt of the war. The land reforms in Vietnam, initiated as a means of the communist revolution in the nation was directed at the distribution of land among the peasants of the society and the displacement of the elite of the village that existed before the revolution. Through these, a new class would arise that would enable the birth of a free and noble nation, one that would be egalitarian in its principles. King’s concern for the rise of such a nation is partially a result of the Christian perspective of egalitarianism that he adopts in his speech as David Bromwich argues. He goes on to locate the root of king’s concern as the need for viewing the people of Vietnam as brothers, in an explicitly Christian manner, without the arrogance of the western man that king argues was responsible for the attitude of the people who wanted to recolonize Vietnam, namely the French and the Americans (Bromwich). This causes him to however, take up a stan ce that is heavily in favor of the Ho Chi Minh administration. In an effort to assert the importance of the Christian point of view, King belittles the importance of the forces of nationalism that were instrumental even in the resistance that the Vietnamese peasants offered to the occupying forces. King, in his speech gives a dominant position to religion. Even this position is not free of its own political implications. King imposes his beliefs while talking of a population that is hardly Christian in its beliefs. Even though King refers to a quotation by the Buddhist leaders of Vietnam, the passage that he chooses to include is one that has no religious overtones. Each day the war goes on the hatred increases in the heart of the Vietnamese and in the hearts of those of humanitarian instinct. The Americans are forcing even their friends into becoming their enemies. It is curious that the Americans, who calculate so carefully on the possibilities of military victory, do not realize that in the process they are incurring deep psychological and political defeat. The image of America will never again be the image of revolution, freedom, and democracy, but the image of violence and militarism. (King) This is characteristic even of the earlier proponents of colonization, whose methods and ideologies

International developments in accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International developments in accounting - Essay Example The historical development of accounting in India can be mainly traced along three period viz. before the colonial era, during the colonial era and in the postcolonial period. Pre-colonial period in India dates back to the time of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa civilizations where the functions of commerce and trade started flourishing on a gradual scale. In these periods the accounting practice depended on a system of bookkeeping originally prevalent in Greece. Further documentary evidence of historical accounting systems can be found in the Smritis, which contained rules, and regulations of partnership dealings. With the emergence of the Chandragupta Empire the practice of accounting system earned huge focus with the works of Kautilya or Chanakya. Kautilya developed the treatise of ‘Arthashastra’, which depicted the different rules, regulations, and ethical conducts of accounting practices. However with the emergence of the British colonialists, India started becoming the ho me ground for rapid industrialization wherein the accounting systems became more scientifically treated to meet the complex industrial and trade demands (Hopwood & Chapman, 2008, pp.1399-1400). Colonial and post-colonial India became filled by many small groups of industries, which generally maintained records based on conservative and traditional practices. These industries generally did not feel the urge to maintain large sets of accounting records for business purposes and thus relied on traditional practices like ‘Single Entry Book Keeping’ (Mukherjee & Hanif, 2003, p.22.1). Traditional Accounting Systems in India The accounting systems in use in India during the traditional period were systematic and laid main focus on the receipt and payment system. Furthermore the practice of accounting was not conducted in an isolated manner but served a continuity of different periods. The period for which the accounts were developed varied along daily, weekly, bi-weekly, month ly or for annual periods. However in such systems the monetary transactions were not carried forward from one period to another. Separate heads were created for different nature of accounts maintained and strict governance was maintained depending on timing deadlines. Further for each of the separate transactions conducted a written record was mandatorily maintained which was produced on request. The person responsible for the keeping and maintenance of such accounting records also conducted separate audits to verify their authenticity (Sarkar, 2003, p.248). The practice of accountancy in Indian context can also be studied along the system of bookkeepings, which were prevalent in the accounting practices. The system of bookkeeping refers to the style of maintaining and recording of financial transactions under the separate books of accounts. Book keeping systems maintained in the Indian context contained of four different types of practices viz. Cash, Single Entry, Indian and Double Entry. The ‘Cash System’ of maintaining records of financial transactions is carried out in those concerns where sales and purchases are conducted only on the basis of cash. Here in case of credit transactions they are accounted at later periods when met in cash. Moreover the ‘Cash System’ of financial book keeping also depended on the maintaining of revenue and expenditure accounts to check the position of

Electrical Cars Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Electrical Cars - Annotated Bibliography Example The fact that gasoline is a flammable substance powering these cars increases the chances of gasoline-powered cars catching fire. The system in gasoline-powered cars burns up the fuel to make different parts move. This way, there are increased chances of the car catching fore. As the author points out, â€Å"recent fires in the Tesla Model S were contained in the front part of the car.† This is an indication that these cars more often than not are riskier than the electric models. This is an article from the website, www.MITTechnologyreview.com. The source provides additional information on the reasons why electric cars are safer than gasoline powered cars. As such, this website will support arguments raised by other sources on the reasons why the world should embrace electric cars. The information is highly reliable, because it provides arguments that not only are electric cars efficient, they are also safer to use. The website aims at promoting the concept of electric cars, expressing then as better models than gasoline cars. The author speaks about this topic because of the increased uncertainty about the use of electric powered cars. This website will help provide reliable information in the research on the electric cars. Although different companies have launched electric cars, few people have embraced the idea. Hence, this source will seek to support the idea of the use of electric powered cars among the people. it will give additional information on the viability of electric car use among the people. when using this article in conjunction with others, the element of safety of the electric cars, considered unsafe for their lithium-ion batteries, will show that gasoline cars are in fact more dangerous. Therefore, the analogy of the safety concerns of electric cars is simply not true. Since the launch of the first electric car in 1997, the Toyota Prius, the world is yet to go mainstream in the manufacture and consumption of

Teaching Turkish through Turkish novels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teaching Turkish through Turkish novels - Essay Example This essay discusses that the Turkish language is blessed with significant writers who took pains to write exquisite books portraying life around a plethora of backgrounds and events that had readers glued to the books they wrote. They are interesting and make the business of language learning so much simpler and easier (Dino, Guzine; 1986).Teaching Turkish through Turkish novels is a wonderful challenge. The teacher has only to encourage the hesitant student to take the plunge. The process may be slow initially because the student has to stop time and again to check grammar and vocabulary. But soon, armed with improving language, the student will gain confidence and discard the use of grammar text books and the dictionary. Today, learning the Turkish language using novels makes learning a quicker and simpler proposition. It works well when these novels are translated into English or the learner’s mother tongue. The student can then read the novel in his own language and then continue with the novel in the Turkish language.This depends on the capacity of the student to learn, and a written test at the end of the course. Some basic expressions can be learnt fairly quickly. Simple expressions such as: Ne yapÄ ±yorsun? (What are you doing?), Evli misiniz? (Are you married?), or Selam Ãâ€"zge, nereden geliyorsun? (Hi Ozge, where are you from?) are capable of being learnt fast. However, grammar and vocabulary takes time. But novel reading helps in learning grammar and vocabulary faster (Ãâ€"ztopà §u, Dr. KurtuluÅŸ; 2006).

Animals and the Myriad Ways They Can Kill or Heal Us Essay - 3

Animals and the Myriad Ways They Can Kill or Heal Us - Essay Example This is in as much as the sting from the bee itself is fatal if the subject in discussion has encountered a fierce be attack from many bees whose result is incapacitation if not death. On the bright side, controlled bee stings are probably one of the first natural cures for arthritis (Krylov et al., 2007, p. 23). In the ancient civilization of countries like Egypt, India, Greece, Babylon and china bee venom was used for apitherapy. The bee venom in itself is composed of very complicated mixtures and combinations of peptides, very low molecular components and proteins (Bogdanov, 2012). In this mixture the main compositions are proteins and peptides. Its fresh counterpart mainly differs from it in regard to the volatile components but the biological activity is similar. Polypeptides: the constituents of polypeptides are the very small organelles that are composed of more than one amino acid with the main component of it being the melittin. This main component contains 2840 daltons and as a result it assumes a tetrameric form (Giri, et al., 2010, p. 95). The melittin and the protein electrophoretic patterns are typically of the honey bee species. Proteins: this component in itself is one that is catalysts specific in its reaction and since bee venom has around 5 enzymes, there is existence of very small quantities of very minimum or low molecular compounds which in themselves are not similar in any way (Bogdanov, 2012, p. 6). These may include amino acids, sugars, minerals and catecholamines. In the case of sugars, we see that they have been identified in bee venom preparations which is collected with a collector while preventing the likelihood of a contamination by pollen and nectar thus in most cases if not all, it usually does not contain carbohy drates. Composition of the dry matter of bee venom: The protein group has components that include Phospholipase A2, phospholipase B and hydraluronidase. Its counterpart i.e. peptides has

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Entrepreneurship and Innovation - Essay Example (comscore.com/press_events). There has been a surge in smart phone ownership, with growth particularly strong over the last year, up by 81 per cent from 7.2 million users in May 2009 to 12.8 million in May 2010. In June 2010, over a quarter of people in the UK (26.5 per cent) said they had a smart phone; more than double the number two years previously (media.ofcom.org.uk). This data can be used to imply that the Smart Phone would have wide acceptability in the market. One of the important assumptions which we can make here is that the growth in the market will make smart phone more affordable majority of people in the United Kingdom, their proliferation will increase and also lead to a surge in the contents of the mobile and data consumption. A new report regarding the geography of smart phones indicates that the shipment of smart phones in the first quarter of the year was 55.2 million with the growth hitting 67% year-on-year. (microscope.co.uk). It is assumed further that it provi des a substantial opportunity for different people in the mobile ecosystem – from operators and manufacturers to publishers and advertisers – who adapt to this dynamic market. ... On 7th May, 2009, a long-awaited recommendation on the mobile termination rates to reduce termination charges was adapted by EU by the end of 2012. (berr.gov.uk). On 1st April, 2010, a statement with a further consultation was issued to the mobile number porting process in which the porting time took one day (berr.gov.uk). The standard Value Added Tax rate is 17.5%, however, it will be increased to 20% in January 2011 (hmrc.gov.uk). The call tariffs indicate that calls may be charged by any residential or business package selected as the Charge Costing Package (telecom-tarriffs.co.uk). This implies that the market for mobile phone users is likely to be damaged as the call rates may rise because of the increases in tariffs mentioned above. Apart from that, the mobile operator companies are likely to introduce new packages to attract more consumers. This would directly have an impact on Vertigo as the demand for cell phones would rise pertaining to offers and packages introduced by Ope rators (Gruber, 2005). PART B 1. Financial Budget and Forecast for 3 year (Apple iphone; Assumed) The sales forecast is assumed on the basis of iPhone units sold by Apple in the past year when it was launched. As reported by O2, Vodaphone, Tesco and Apple’s management, iPhones were set to reach 2.5 million units. Furthermore, 10.7 million units were sold throughout Europe and 11 million units are expected to be sold in the year 2010 therefore, these figures are assumed to be the UK’s share in the latter. (ipodrepublic.com; Wordpress.com). Prices are kept constant however; they are adjusted with an expected inflation rate of 4%. The Annexure at the end of this

Animals and the Myriad Ways They Can Kill or Heal Us Essay - 3

Animals and the Myriad Ways They Can Kill or Heal Us - Essay Example This is in as much as the sting from the bee itself is fatal if the subject in discussion has encountered a fierce be attack from many bees whose result is incapacitation if not death. On the bright side, controlled bee stings are probably one of the first natural cures for arthritis (Krylov et al., 2007, p. 23). In the ancient civilization of countries like Egypt, India, Greece, Babylon and china bee venom was used for apitherapy. The bee venom in itself is composed of very complicated mixtures and combinations of peptides, very low molecular components and proteins (Bogdanov, 2012). In this mixture the main compositions are proteins and peptides. Its fresh counterpart mainly differs from it in regard to the volatile components but the biological activity is similar. Polypeptides: the constituents of polypeptides are the very small organelles that are composed of more than one amino acid with the main component of it being the melittin. This main component contains 2840 daltons and as a result it assumes a tetrameric form (Giri, et al., 2010, p. 95). The melittin and the protein electrophoretic patterns are typically of the honey bee species. Proteins: this component in itself is one that is catalysts specific in its reaction and since bee venom has around 5 enzymes, there is existence of very small quantities of very minimum or low molecular compounds which in themselves are not similar in any way (Bogdanov, 2012, p. 6). These may include amino acids, sugars, minerals and catecholamines. In the case of sugars, we see that they have been identified in bee venom preparations which is collected with a collector while preventing the likelihood of a contamination by pollen and nectar thus in most cases if not all, it usually does not contain carbohy drates. Composition of the dry matter of bee venom: The protein group has components that include Phospholipase A2, phospholipase B and hydraluronidase. Its counterpart i.e. peptides has

The Fax Machine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Fax Machine - Research Paper Example It first became an office workhorse in the 1980s and has continued to appear on business cards ever since! Although threatened by more advanced technologies like scanners, printers and email, the fax machine continues to dodge extinction and to remain attractive to businesses and individuals. Fax Machine’s Share in the History of Communications Alexander Bain, a Scottish mechanic, invented the fax machine or ‘facsimile’ in 1843 in Britain. Bain’s fax machine used a stylus attached to a pendulum that scanned an image or text on a metal surface. The machine used by Bain was a combination of several clock parts that worked in sync with a telegraph machine. It transferred encoded image data via telegraph lines. This machine however did not gain significant ground at the time of its inception, and people soon abandoned it due to its bulky size and limited utility. 1 The invention of the telephone in 1876 revived the use of fax machines, which then used telephone lines for data transmission. Later on, these machines could also transmit data via radio waves. By 1924, journalists faxed photographs to distant newspapers, and by 1955, radio fax enabled the transfer of data across continents. Newspapers and weather services were the earliest users of fax machines for transferring photographs and weather maps across the world.2 By 1980, telephone-based fax machines had gained immense popularity because of their reduced prices and fixed Grade 3 standards of operation. About a million fax machines were sold in 1988 alone, and they became the fastest selling machines adorning homes and office desktops word wide.3 Fax machines proved to be of immense utility to the Japanese. The Japanese alphabet has thousands of characters, and keypads can only afford a limited number of keys. Fax machines provided the Japanese an easy way of transferring their written documents. According to the American facsimile association, about 50% of all calls made in the 198 0s to the USA from Japan were to fax machines.4 Frank Vizard, a contributing editor of Popular Mechanics magazine, has suggested that the increasing popularity of fax machines blurred the line between the home and the office, as business documents could easily be faxed to homes within seconds. People dealt with work related documents from the comforts of their homes. Fax machines soon replaced postal mailboxes and reduced the time of delivery of documents. They became a convenient tool for telecommuting before the advent of the email. This was both a convenience as well as an inconvenience, as people felt increasing pressure to work from home.5, 6 Are Fax Machines Becoming Obsolete? – Not Yet! Fax machines, which were at risk of extinction right after their invention, were revived by the invention of the telephone and later by the invention of the radio. After the advent of email, hybrid printers and scanners, fax machines were again under threat of extinction. Yet again, the y adapted to changing times by incorporating advanced features like LAN connectivity, LCD displays, and Fax over IP capabilities. Fax machines also doubled up as copiers. Prominent scanner and printer manufactures have also incorporated faxing capabilities in some of their models. Fax machines can now convert paper copies into TIFF and PDF files that can be sent as email attachments. Fax machines today are fully equipped with broadband connection

Research question vs. Hypothesis Essay Example for Free

Research question vs. Hypothesis Essay Does your study take an experimental approach to answer questions? Are you making a prediction about the phenomenon being studied? If your answer to these questions is yes, then you will need a hypothesis, but if it is no then you will need a research question. This is because a hypothesis is a statement that is tested by experiment(s) to confirm or deny the phenomenon Turning now to a research question, if you are incorporating a research question rather than a hypothesis, then remember that some of the important features of a good question are that the question or problem should be: about one issue; clear and concise; addresses an important, controversial and/or an unresolved issue; feasible to undertake within a specified timeframe; adequately resourced. Hypothesis (plural = hypotheses) A hypothesis is not a question, but rather it is a statement about the relationship between two or more variables. So, for example, the first question above could become a hypothesis by making this a statement rather than a question, namely: The perceived needs of the patient and users of South Bedfordshires palliative care services are being met. To be complete a hypothesis must include three components: The variables The population The relationship between the variables As you can see, the hypothesis translates the research question into a prediction of expected outcomes. A hypothesis is the tool of quantitative studies, and is only found in such  studies. In fact, a hypothesis is usually only found in experimental quantitative research studies. You will be able to find out more about hypothesese when we look at them in more detail later in the session. Research question. A research question is the question that the research project sets out to answer. In actual fact, a research study may set out to answer several questions. The methodology used for that study, and the tools used to conduct the research, all depend upon the research questions being asked. For example, in the example of a qualitative research study, the following two research questions that underpin the study, and also needed to be answered by the study, are shown in the box below. There are two research questions that will need to be answered by this phase of the research. These are:  · Are the perceived needs of the patients and users of South Bedfordshires palliative care services bei ng met?  · If not, what needs to be done if these needs are to be met in the future? The first question can be answered by a quantitative study, whereas the second one may require a qualitative study to answer it. Research questions can therefore be used in quantitative and qualitative research studies.

The Factors That Influence Taste Cultural Studies Essay

The Factors That Influence Taste Cultural Studies Essay What is taste. Taste is cultural phenomenon that is based on the choice in cultural method and reference. It is an ideology and not just purely aesthetic, even cultural social and political processes can create it. Taste and  consumption can be connected  together because the choices of consumers in the market are directly affected by the taste for certain types of products or clothing. The relationship between taste and consumption is however more complicated than a direct chain of events in which taste creates demand that, thus creates supply. Taste has been studied in many scientific fields, especially within the fields of psychology, economics and sociology. Gijs Bakker said that taste is an individual choice, which has nothing to do with good or bad taste. So what are the influences of taste? To explain such influences, I shall use high fashion as the backbone for discussion. What is haute couture? In French, Haute couture means High fashion. Haute means High or elegant and couture means dressmaking. But the term haute couture not only means high dressmaking or elegant dressmaking, the term Haute Couture represents and consists of exclusive business of designing, making, and selling custom handmade womens clothing (David Johnson, infoplease.com). Haute Couture is the top of the fashion market because the prestige commands the highest prices. Designers will use the expensive materials like Toile and definitely pay attention to the details to make high-quality dresses for their consumers. It is a time-consuming work because the dresses are usually hand-stitched. High fashion is always a pioneer on their design process and idea in the fashion industry. Nowadays, the examples of famous couture houses that are considered as high fashion are Valentino, Lacroix, Chanel, Balmain, Dior, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Lanvin and Yves Saint Laurent. The price of a simple blouse could cost from about  £10,000 to  £40,000. Sometimes the price would even get higher! For example, a Chanel suit that was sold in the year 2002 had cost  £20,000; also an evening frock cost  £50,000 in the mid 2004. Due to the craftsmanship, services, originality of the design and the finest quality of superb materials, it is very hard to accept the price by those people who cant afford it  (Pauline Weston Thomas, fashion-era.com). Nowadays there are only around 2,000 women are buys couture clothing in the world, 60 percent of them are Americans, and only 200 of them are regular customers. Designers will always loan clothes to celebrities or well known people for publicity. After World War II, it was the golden age of high fashion, there were around 15,000 women wearing couture. (David Johnson, infoplease.com). Although it was the golden age of high fashion, but yet the market was very small so that the designers had to be forced to use their p restige to help sell other products, such as cosmetics, perfume, and their ready-to-wear lines (David Johnson, infoplease.com). In this essay, I will argue that major economic and social changes have been important factors that influenced the taste in high fashion. World War II was one of the factors that had the greatest influence on haute couture in the 1940s. The war had brought many restrictions on it. During the war, the need for parachutes and other materials had caused the low supply in nylon fabric. Not only that, the Nazi forces also occupied the primary couture design center that is Paris during that time. This occupation had caused the couture houses to be unable to do business therefore many people were looking for new designers at other places instead of Paris. By 1947, the couture houses in Paris were still continuously dominating the high fashion industry after it had reopened. After the war, designers started using new fabrics. Women were encouraged to become homemakers after the war. They were moving out of the workplace, and the Western countries were also encouraged the feminine and ornate fashion. (www.ladyjojosboutique.wordpress.com) Dior stated that: War had passed out of sight, and there were no other wars on the horizon. What did the weight of my sumptuous materials, my heavy velvets and brocades matter? When hearts were light, mere fabrics could not weigh the body down. (Christian Dior, 1947) The short skirts and square shoulders (Fig. 1) were replaced by the Christian Diors New Look (Fig. 2). It included sweeping longer skirts, fitter waist and rounded shoulders. I wanted my dresses to be constructed, melded upon the curves of the feminine body, whose sweep they would stylize, stated by Christian Dior in his autobiography. Utility suithttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1moacDWgt1CHeSoTT9EIfKbujNyfVOcYpsgy3MXqab1jZ2OyiZT0PZ-1KszfEeENuiDfMgRJg_YTPmBIRfOzksscU4RAjtwATkLNpkElWJvIMfO6idS8KNN__8Tq2hMMUmvLWYHHZkw/s320/fashion_1940s.jpg Fig. 1 The fashion during World War II http://trixiefantastic.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/theoldnewlook.jpg?w=600h=249 Fig. 2 The New Look Once the New Look had appeared, the designs of Dior were very  influential in the decade which refers to the silhouette of broad hips, small waists, and breasts pushed up and out rounded shoulders (Fig. 3) of the 50s style. Big day for fashion designers: Christian Dior (Jan. 21,  1905 1957), was an influential French fashion designer, who despite his short life did more than anyone to revive fashion after WW II with his modern New Lookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Photo: Suzy Parker in Christian Dior, 1952 http://adrianasassoon.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/christian-dior1.jpg?w=720 Fig. 3 The style of Dior of the 50s The emergence of Hippies culture in 1960s also influenced the design of high fashion. The Hippies rebelled against the established institutions and also criticized middle class values. The trend of Hippies look (Fig. 4) was popularized by mainly musicians, such as; Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger and the Beatles. http://www.asjcollection.com/current/graphics/pd361.jpgtalitha getty Fig. 4 Hippie looks As a youth movement, the ideology of Hippie started in the United States; it was a protest against a society that was increasingly becoming conformist and restrictive. Finding their own ways and their own meanings to life were the aims of the Hippies, which were focused on going back to nature and freedom. As cultural anthropologist and writer Margaret Mead said, Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world, indeed its the only thing that ever has. (Margaret Mead, 1964) The styles and cuts of the fabric of their clothing reflected their thoughts; even the fabrics were natural fibres like hemp and cotton. The Hippies used their clothes to express their individualism. The spirit of youthful exuberance inspired forward-thinking high fashion designer. They began designing mini-skirts and pantsuits because they saw the creative and financial potentials in the youth market. For example, the Safari jacket of Yves Saint Laurent (Fig. 5) from his Ri ve Gauche boutique. http://www.stylebizportal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ysl-1.jpg Fig. 5 Yves Saint Laurent The Safari jacket 1967 During the 1980s there were great economic growth and prosperity. It was a period of wealth, excess and desire. Many women had entered the workforce and some have been moved to higher positions. The office clothings that women usually wore had made them feel uncomfortable, impractical and insufficient due to being in the business industry. This causes mens styles of clothing to become very popular among women. Women value unique products and brands that they can use to define their individuality. Females actively seek new styles and fashion trends to a larger extent than men. Women are more sensitive to clothing needs and possess a greater clothing awareness than men. (Adjei, Griffith Noble, 2006, p.177) The large shoulder pads and tailored suit pants were created stronger silhouette of women in their new success. One of the examples is Giorgio Armanis Power Suit (Fig. 6). As fashion editor for  Vogue,  Harpers Bazaar  and  The New York Times Magazine Carrie Donovan said that, Giorgio Armani was the first to float the idea. When the Milanese maestro of the tailored suit decided to soften his precise shapes a few seasons ago, he also began paying special attention to the blouses that accompanied them. Adding details like delicate collars or a bit of draping, and making the blouses from semi sheer silky fabrics, he started a trend that has bloomed into an American fashion statement. (http://garmentozine.com/tag/giorgio-armani/) Armanis suits were applauded by executive women in the 1980s as a method of casually asserting their status and talent, because of their high quality materials, beautiful tailoring, and comfortableness. Shoulder pads increased the sizes of shoulders. Bes ides that, they also wore the extend pants and tight skirts that waist and hips were trimmed in. These can help them to conceal their femininity and thus having the ability to defeat men in the business world. The term gender can be further developed with the terms gender identity and gender role attitudes. However, to simply measure sex cannot be a guarantee of capturing gender identity or gender role attitudes. Gender identity can be explained as to which degree a man or a woman identifies with masculine and feminine personality traits. Gender role attitudes refer to differences regarding the responsibilities, roles, and rights of men and women. (Fischer Arnold, 1994, p.163) http://garmentozine.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/armani1988.jpg?w=500 C:UsersUserDesktopVisual CultureDetail of collections 1980s KCI Digital Archives_files207_l_AC10191.jpg Fig. 6 Giorgio Armanis power suit In 2000s, natural disasters prompted human to accept that the earth was sick. So, the eco-friendly concept has been used in high fashion to improve the health of the environment. In the mid-late 2000s, recycled vintage clothing styles from 1940s to 1980s and also ethnical clothing such as fake furs were predominant in this decade. The fashion industry has the biggest support on the eco-friendly fashions. Designers started using the organic fabrics such as wool, organic cotton, soy silk and bamboo. (http://stylechicago.com) Linda Loudermilk was the pioneer of the green fashion movement. She merges the skills of high fashion and environment awareness with the materials made from sasawashi, bamboo, sea cell and soybeans. Linda Loudermilk urged that: Look for three-dimensional designs and fabric embellishments, unusual insets fashioned from vintage laces and trims transform frocks from classic to collectable. Venture beyond the plain and simple to luxury-eco artistic designs that usher i n a new era of environmentalism fresh from an artists palette of sophisticated styles. (Michael Lackman, 2005) Her fall 2007 collection Too Hot to Handle (Fig. 7) was a corn fibre volume coat with wood pulp leggings on the left and Japanese rice paper ice blue-falling floor length train coat on the right. It was inspired by icebergs, the rock stars of nature. Nature is the inspiration for Loudermilk. Her adroit design turns the funk into stylish punk and it all goes back to the nature. Her official websites claimed that: We aim to give eco glamour legs, a fabulous look and a slammings attitude that stops traffic and shouts the message: eco can be edgy, loud, fun, playful, feminine (or not) and hyper-cool. (http://www.lindaloudermilk.com) http://www.lasplash.com/uploads/1/linda_loudermilk-fall_2007-collection-4.jpg Fig. 7 Linda Loudermilk Fall 2007 Collection   In conclusion, high fashion is the sign of wealth and elegance. Major social and economic changes are important factors that influenced the design concepts and taste in high fashion. One of the best ways for designers to predict trends of high fashion is perhaps to understand the key events of a decade. Fashion reflects society. Fashion is always of the time in which you live. quoted by Coco Chanel. Some events will change the style of high fashion, but some will impact on the usage of materials in design. Similar to a piece of artwork, the designs of high fashion are the artistic expressions of designers. It represents the social symbol through its cultural connotations. I believe that high fashion will always be the pioneer in the fashion industry. (2115 words)

Car Troubles :: Autobiography Essay, Personal Narrative

Ever since I set eyes on my car, I have had nothing but a headache. Not only is it the loudest car, but it also drifts right into the trees, and it shakes at thirty and sixty m.p.h. Even with all of my car’s faults, nothing prepared me for its final act of cruelty. My lemon died thirty minutes before warm-ups for our big game, and I had the starting line up with me. Laura, Allison, Kristen, Kierra, and I had all packed into my two-door death trap to get a snack at Dunkin Donoughts. Being the responsible upper classman, I made sure we left with ample time to get ready for the game. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time in the world to help us with our disaster. We were stopped at a red light howling along to a Lenny Kravitz song, which I now hate, when Kristen nervously uttered,† Meg I think your car stopped running.† I confidently replied, â€Å"Nah!† Well, to my surprise, when I stepped on the gas, we didn’t go anywhere. All of a sudden, I began laughing hysterically and the rest of them chimed in, until, â€Å"BEEP† the light had turned green! â€Å"AAHH!† we shrieked. We finally realized that we were stuck in a useless hunk of metal at Toms River’s busiest intersection. â€Å"What are we gonna do?† I thought. At the time, shrieking and laughing were our best solutions. Finally, as people were going around us, giving us the finger and cursing at us, my four skinny mini passengers got out to push my 2000 lb. pile of tin. As they set out on their mission to rescue us from being stranded in a sea of road rage, all I could do was laugh. The time was twenty minutes until warm-ups and my mighty mouse teammates had managed to push my lemon into Amoco’s parking lot. We had to hurry and this scrap heap running again. Laura yelled,† Maybe it needs anti-freeze!† So, she galloped away to the store and in two minutes she was back with a container of anti-freeze. After we poured the fluid into my car, we tried to start my car, â€Å"Vroom Vroom!† â€Å"Nothing! Shit!† I panicked. So, we decided to stare at the car a little longer hoping the car would tell us what it needed. There were only five minutes of stretching time left, and we were still stranded ten minutes away from school. â€Å"We are so dead,† I thought to myself.

Capital One Financial Corp: Setting and Shaping Strategy Essay

Strategy Capital One Financial Corp’s strategy is to develop and market products and services to satisfy the demands of a competitive and ever-changing marketplace by utilizing information technology for mass customization which will deliver the right product to the right customer at the right time and at the right price. Such a strategy requires the employment of talented people and a flexible culture promoting innovation to help identify, develop and market products and services. Capital One’s information-based strategy, or IBS, serves as the strategy to improve operations in every aspect of the company. IBS technology enables Capital One to provide more valuable products, thereby creating a positional advantage over its competitors. However, by focusing on the IBS capability as its sole competitive advantage, Capital One neglects any positional advantages, such as its brand, that might become more valuable than the potential advantage IBS might yield elsewhere. Analysis Capital One makes it a point to hire the top talent from top schools. Even though this is an important initiative to obtain quality assets, it is just as important to organize such assets in a way that achieves competitive advantage. Capital One has done a good job aligning its organizational structure with its strategy. Its functional structure enables Capital One to facilitate technical excellence within each function and still achieve cross-functional sharing of information or knowledge due to its loose coupling of departments. By aligning the internal organizational structure with the talented resources they become a source of competitive advantage. Capital One created a culture that rewarded data and fact-based decision making which flattened its hierarchy and promoted innovation. Employees were empowered to test and learn through all aspects of the organization. Performance reviews were conducted by peers and bosses, providing constant feedback. Compensation was heavily weighted on cash bonuses and long-term incentives; further aligning employee behaviors with the long-term goals of the company. Departments were encouraged to work closely with each other, which promoted information sharing. This loose coupling benefited Capital One’s explorative initiatives in finding completely novel ways of doing things, rather than doing the same things better than the competition. Capital One’s IBS capabilities aligned with its internal functions enabled it to differentiate its credit card product offering from the existing competitors. In so doing, it attracted the lowest risk applicants creating a completely new super-prime market segment. Due to the explosive success of the credit card divisions, it would be very easy to support the Summit Acceptance Corporation initiative. The IBS capability was easily applied to the credit sector, and one would deduce that this competitive advantage would be successful in other credit-based markets. Even though Capital One was in a position to easily leverage its existing IBS capabilities into products not previously considered, it would be difficult to support the America One initiative. There was a lack of synergy with Capital One’s existing operations, and the telecommunication market was a drastically different industry. Alternatives Even though Capital One experienced rapid growth and success in the credit industry due to its superior IBS capabilities, it is clear that the company’s strategy is lacking exploitive competencies. Systems have become increasingly complex and duplicative which could impact Capital One’s ability to react to environmental changes quickly. The company’s explorative focus on growth and change has made it difficult for the finance division to forecast effectively. The company must continually develop and deepen its current IBS advantage if it is to meet the challenge of competition both locally and globally. They are great at exploring new opportunities but fall short from further exploiting those markets. They were able to get things done operationally, but were not able to add any additional value. Capital One needs to recognize that environments change and as they explore new opportunities, they may want to create new forms of competitive advantage. By focusing on the IBS capability as its sole competitive advantage, Capital One neglects any positional advantages, such as its brand, that might become more valuable than the potential advantage the capabilities might yield elsewhere.

Los Angeles Abrasion Value

LOS ANGELES ABRASION VALUE This method describes the procedure for the determination of the Los Angeles Abrasion Value of aggregate APPARATUS Australian Standard sieves (Grade B) as required. 1 2 A thermostatically controlled oven with good air ventilation capable of maintaining a temperature within the range of 105Â °C to 110Â °C. 3 Sieve brushes. 4 Balance readable and accurate to at least one gram. 5 Sample divider of the multiple slot type. A suitable design is shown in Figure 1. 6 Los Angeles Machine essential dimensions complying with Figure 2.Worksheet, MRD 1165 (recommendation only) 7. PROCEDURE 1 Obtain a test sample taken in accordance with Test Method WA200. 1. 2 Select a grading defined in Table 1 appropriate to the particle size distribution of the test sample. 3 Wash the test sample by agitation under running water for approximately ten minutes. 5 Dry the test sample to constant mass (Note a), in an oven at a temperature within the range of 105Â °C to 110Â °C, cool to room temperature and sieve it on the appropriate sieves until a sufficient mass of each fraction has been obtained.Adjust the mass of material so obtained for each sieve fraction by quartering or riffling, if necessary, to within two percent of the relevant mass shown in Table. 1. Determine the mass of each fraction and combine the sieve fractions to form a test portion ), to at least the nearest 1g, of the test portion. Place it, together with the appropriate ball charge defined in Table 1, in the Los Angeles Machine. Rotate the machine for 500 or 1 000 revolutions as required in Table 1 (Note b).

To what extent is this true and how important is this conflict to the novel as a whole?

Throughout Iris Murdoch's novel, ‘The Bell' we are constantly being presented with conflicts, many of which relate to the discord between sex and religion which have been opposed to each other since the dawn of creation when Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation in the Garden of Eden. This conflict has particularly dark tendencies and acts as a destructive force for several characters, namely Catherine, Michael and Nick. Despite this being the primary theme of the novel we are also presented with a number of conflicts of a different nature. The main conflict of the novel is that existing between sex and religion, as embodied by Catherine and Michael. Michael is constantly confronted by the issue of his sexuality and how it affects his religion. He is always striving to live a good life and he believes that entering into the priesthood would allow him to achieve this. However he is prevented from fulfilling this wish by his homosexuality which goes completely against the Church's teaching. Michael believes that to live a good life, â€Å"One should have a conception of one's capacities †¦ study carefully how best to use such strength as one has†. In initiating relationships with firstly Nick and then subsequently with Toby, Michael is clearly failing to do this. He is aware of his sexual tendencies and knows that they are viewed as improper but fails to take measures to prevent them from overpowering him. Michael admits to this failing in Chapter 16, â€Å"Michael was aware now †¦ that it had been a great mistake to see Toby †¦ the clasp of hands, had had an intensity, and indeed delightfulness, which he had not foreseen – or had not cared to foresee. † Michael seems to take pleasure in the feeling of guilt which these forbidden relationships cause in him. When he is confronted by James Tayper Pace, following Toby's confession of what had taken place between them, he is quite willing to take all the blame for the whole situation, â€Å"The real blame belongs to me. By sending Toby away you've made him feel like a criminal. † It is as though Michael wants James to blame him. He feeds off guilt; the constant cycle of guilt, redemption and then further guilt. Nick's arrival at Imber Court acts as a further reminder of his sins and at the conclusion of the novel when Nick has killed himself, Michael is left with a permanent reminder of his actions as he becomes responsible for Catherine. Despite all the guilt, Michael feels that his love of God and his love of Nick â€Å"come from the same source†. The moments in which he claims to feel closest to God are ironically found with Nick and Toby. Of Michael's feelings over his initial contact with Toby the narrator comments that, â€Å"He had felt his heart heel over in tenderness for the boy, and had been sure that such a spring of feeling could not be wholly evil. † However, Michael is unable to reconcile his homosexuality with his religion and is tormented by it constantly. Nick's death destroys his faith in God and causes him to question whether he had ever really believed at all. He is ridden with guilt over his failure to give Nick the redemption he was looking for. He made desperate cries for help but Michael was too concerned with trying to lead a ‘good life' to notice. The one good thing he could have done was to be true to Nick, however he fails to realise this until it is too late. Although he does eventually return to the Mass he simply â€Å"existed beside it†. There is no longer any future for him in religion; he must concentrate on looking after Catherine. As the Abbess said, â€Å"the way is always forward, never back†. Michael is facing in the right direction but it is up to him to start walking. Catherine, like Michael, cannot reconcile her sexuality with her religion. As a postulant nun she is preparing to sacrifice her whole life to serve God. Iris Murdoch believed that one of life's great tasks was to engage in a process called unselfing. By joining the convent Catherine is attempting this process. Therefore, her feelings for Michael are totally improper for someone in her position; consequently she is ridden with guilt, which leads to her attempt to take her own life. The entire community is oblivious to her feelings for Michael. She is viewed as being something the other members should aspire to, â€Å"our little saint† as Mrs Mark observes. Dora is particularly in awe of her, both for her beauty and apparent sexual purity. She also feels slightly threatened by her as she represents what she can never have or be. It is as a result of Dora's interest in Catherine that we first get a suggestion that she is not as holy as everyone believes. Dora questions her motives for wishing to enter the abbey and Catherine's reply is, â€Å"There are things one doesn't choose †¦ I don't mean they are forced on one. But one doesn't choose them. These are often the best things†. This hints that she is not whole-hearted in her wish for a religious life: it appears that it is what was always expected of her, rather than being of her own design. Dora is the only character who notices this; the rest are all deceived until the dramatic incidents at the end. However nobody suspects that she may have feelings towards Michael. The only incident where we are given an inkling of any attraction is when Nick is working on the van and Catherine is sitting beside him with her skirt up around her waist; Michael arrives and she doesn't readjust it. Michael feels uncomfortable in this situation but gets the impression that she must â€Å"positively dislike him† as she looks up at him without smiling. Catherine ultimately fails to suppress her love for Michael and when the new bell falls into the lake she views this as a sign that God has condemned her, driving her to attempt to take her own life. Like Michael she cannot be truly good as she cannot reconcile her faith with her sexuality. There are also religious conflicts within the community as a whole. Firstly there is the conflict between the abbey and the lay community. The abbey is cut off both physically and in terms of the role it plays in everyday life. The abbey is separated from Imber Court by a large lake. The only way to reach the abbey is by a rowing boat which can be pulled across from either end. Then there is a high wall which goes all the way around the abbey. The only way in is through a door in the wall, which surprisingly is always kept unlocked. Toby discovers this when he climbs over the wall into the abbey as part of his sexual awakening. This incident follows the embrace with Michael and is Toby's attempt to convince himself that he is not homosexual. There is very little contact made between the abbey and the court. We only see rare glimpses of the nuns and Michael is the only person who is allowed to visit the Abbess. Most communications are made through Mother Clare, her intermediary. These boundaries are all representative of the widening gap between lay and spiritual life, and the fading role of religion in everyday existence during the 1950's when Murdoch was writing. People were abandoning the church in favour of other beliefs more relevant to the world they were living in. The community as a whole is separated from the rest of the world as there is a boundary wall enclosing both the abbey and the court. As Michael comes to realise, the community was an impossible dream; it is an attempt to isolate themselves from the realities of life. We also see religious and sexual conflicts between individual characters. Take for instance the contrasting speeches given by Michael and James Tayper Pace, in chapters 9 and 16 respectively, on how to live a ‘good life'. James teaches that the good life is, â€Å"to live without any image of oneself†. He has absolute faith in God and believes that he will guide him through life. James is a very sure person, confident in his own beliefs and very dismissive of anyone who disagrees with him. â€Å"I have little time for the man who finds his life too complicated for the ordinary rules to fit†. This viewpoint is very much the orthodox view of religion that had held prominence unchallenged for centuries until the time period in which Murdoch wrote the novel, when people started challenging this blinkered outlook. Michael by contrast takes a much more open stance. He believes this it is important to, â€Å"have some conception of one's capacities† so as to know â€Å"how best to use such strengths as one has†. Rather than having blind faith in God alone he suggests that you should explore yourself, test the boundaries of your capabilities. Ironically Michael fails to be aware of his own shortcomings in his dealings with Nick and Toby. To most modern audiences this attitude would seem much the better of the two. Nevertheless, in presenting these two different viewpoints Murdoch acts as a moral philosopher but allows us to contemplate and draw our own conclusions. She does not appear to be endorsing one in particular, possibly suggesting that the way forward is a compromise between the two. There is also a conflict of character between Mrs Mark and Dora. Mrs Mark strictly enforces the religious ideals of the community. For example when Dora asks her what she and her husband did before entering the community she is told, â€Å"We never discuss our past lives here †¦ when people ask each other questions about their lives, their motives are rarely pure†. In fact Dora is asking purely out of interest, she does not attempt to judge others. By conversing with Mrs Mark she was simply trying to show human warmth but this is killed by Mrs Mark's restrictive nature, which is reflected in the community as a whole. Murdoch uses symbolism to show conflicts with this novel and the most obvious use of it is the two bells. The old bell depicts scenes from the life of Christ, illustrated by rural, peasant images. It is inscribed with the words, â€Å"Vox ego amoris sum† (I am the voice of love). The bell is symbolic of a traditional way of life that had existed for centuries, with religious and secular life co-existing in harmony. In contrast the new bell is covered with â€Å"arabesque swirls†: these are meaningless, therefore reflecting the declining importance of religion in peoples' lives. Spiritual fulfilment was becoming more abstract during the 1950's, an example being Dora's revelation in the National Gallery when she is standing in front of Gainsborough's painting of his two daughters and experiences something â€Å"real† but at the same time â€Å"perfect†. In the past people would have turned to religion to provide such feelings and called them revelations. The story of the bell flying into the lake and the nun who drowned herself because she was having a relationship with a man are representative of the ongoing conflict between sex and religion. When the old bell is rung again it heralds the revealing of the long know truth that this conflict will never die, as Catherine declares her love for Michael and Toby confesses to James Tayper Pace over his encounters with Michael. The tarnishing and growths encrusted on the bell from years of being underwater illustrate the loss of purity in contemporary religion, also the tarnishing of Michael and, through his actions, Nick. The lake is another important symbol which contains different meanings. As well as providing a physical gap between the court and the abbey it is symbolic of the divide between spiritual and temporal life. When at the end of the novel Dora cuts the painter on the rowing boat it shows that there is no future for these two lifestyles to exist side by side. The lake is particularly significant when analysing the character of Toby. When he is contemplating his relationships with Dora and Michael he walks â€Å"carefully† around the lake. He is young and inexperienced in the ways of the world, not yet ready to make important decisions such as his sexuality. The murky waters of the lake represent the mysteries of life; Toby has tested the water out but is not going to throw himself in until he is certain. His ability to swim is also symbolic of the fact that he can cope with situations that face him; likewise, the aquatic nun who comes to the rescue of Catherine and Dora. She has learnt to live a purely religious life. Dora cannot swim at the beginning of the novel, she is drowning in Paul's restrictive power, however by the end she has learnt to live without him and take control of her own life. By contrast, Catherine is never able to come to terms with her feelings for Michael, resulting in her near death experience by drowning. There are other significant examples of symbolism. When Michael is in the chapel and describes the singing of the nuns as â€Å"hideous purity† this symbolises the struggle between sex and religion which is taking place inside him. It is because of this conflict that he finds their singing repulsive, as they have what he wants but knows he will never get; a truly religious life. Catherine is in a similar position, therefore it is perhaps significant that they both have the same dream about the drowning nun. There is ironic symbolism in the name of Dora's lover, Noel Spens. Noel is a very Christian name but he speaks out strongly against religion. He believes that it misguides people and places unfair restrictions on their lives. Dora's changing musical tastes are also significant. At the beginning when they hold an evening of Bach's music, Dora dislikes this as she finds it too structured and formal. She much prefers listening to Noel's jazz music, with its jungle rhythms and exuberant style. However by the end of the novel we are told that she has taken an interest in listening to Mozart. This is representative of the change from chaos to order in her life in general. She learns to take control of her life and not let Paul repress her. Initially she describes marriage as being â€Å"enclosed in the aims of another†. She is scared of Paul's physical power and will follow his orders to the letter. She is like the butterfly trapped on the train. Toby saves her from his restrictiveness by allowing her to rediscover her youth. He releases her. At the same time Dora saves Toby from being trapped in a relationship with Michael by allowing him to realise that he is not homosexual. There are many conflicts within this novel, the majority of which relate in some way to that existing between sex and religion. It is its destructive nature which makes this conflict so dark and I would argue that it is a conflict that can never truly be resolved. We do see different kinds of conflict as I have discussed but these do not play such a central role in the novel.