Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Action Research Plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Action Research Plan - Coursework Example It makes it hard and more expensive to access credit. It also increases the demand for basic necessities and essential human services. Financial crisis also brings about downward pressure on the government and philanthropic revenue sources. It also takes non-profit organizations long to recover from a financial crisis. This is due to the state budget timing and depressive giving rates. Collaboration is one way in which non-profit organizations can deal with a financial crisis. Non-profit organizations should enter into mergers and alliances with other organizations so as to fulfill a mutual mission. Collaboration should range from planning and analysis to implementation and forecasting. This makes it easy for a non-profit organization to cope during a financial crisis. During a financial distress, the leaders of a non-profit organization should start viewing it as a business. They should do this when a financial crisis is forecasted. This ensures that there are good financial reporting and measures of success (Landskroner, 2002). Therefore, non-profit organizations should take appropriate measures prior to a financial crisis. Good preparation ensures that non-profit organizations do not get affected badly by a financial crisis. It is also important for non-profit organizations to collaborate with other organizations so as to reduce the effects brought about by a financial

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Social Subject in the Age of Innocence Essay Example for Free

The Social Subject in the Age of Innocence Essay The Age of Innocence major theme is based around a battle of the individual’s desire and the monotonous life, rules and duties that control New York during the eighteen seventies. The conflict is between freedom and society. It was a society â€Å"intent on maintaining its own rigid stability†. Each man and woman had its own duties and people were forced to maintain this social code that existed, even if they wanted to put their happiness into their own hands. Big decisions were made by group choice not by the individual. This is evident through the protagonist Newland Archer who has doubts and changes with his life upon meeting Ellen Olenska. The protagonist in Ethan Frome can be compared to Archer by the way they both have difficulty with their desires and duties particularly through love and freedom. Archer realises New York is suffocating him from achieving his desires. I will discuss throughout how he conflicts with his desires and duties throughout along with other characters and compare them to Ethan Fromes decisions also. The setting of The Age of Independence is eighteen seventies New York. The Cambridge Online Collections state that Edith Wharton wanted to get the â€Å"1870s right the moustaches (†not tooth brush ones, but curved slightly twisted at the ends†), the clothes and the buttonhole flowers (violets by day, gardenias by night), the manners and the language (no slang, no Americanisms â€Å"English was then the language spoken by American ladies gentlemen†). Since she had insisted that she did not want the novel taken as a â€Å"costume piece† (Letters, 433), this punctiliousness might seem surprising. But in The Age of Innocence, social details matter.† The setting alone plays a huge part in Archer achieving his desires. New York is conformed during this period people are expected to follow the social codes that are implemented. This puts a hold on Archer and Ellen’s desires to be with one another. New York has a hold on their feelings. They cannot express them in this kind of community because of judgemental eyes. The time and place in the novel controls their actions towards one another. There are expectations that are supposed to be met. A normal wealthy New Yorker would have children and get married. The worst thing that could happen in a wealthy New Yorker’s eyes is a divorce or an affair. This leaves Ellen in a difficult place while in New York. She wants to divorce her Polish husband but Archer tells her she should not as society will abandon her. Even though Archer and Ellen love each other the fact that their families would be so disappointed by them if they were to go with their gut feeling. Mary Douglas states â€Å"society does not exist in a neutral, uncharged vacuum It is subject to external pressures; that which is not with it, part of it and subject to its laws is potentially against it† (Wharton 40) this evokes that The Age of Innocence was about being around the right people and marrying into good families and not to disappoint even if there is something out ther e that one desires. Through the novel we follow Newland and how his eyes are opened to what is expected of him in nineteenth century New York. He becomes engaged to May Wellend this is a normal and expected engagement of that of him and May. May is introduced in the opening and â€Å"appears at the opera pink-faced and fair-hairedone immediately associates her name with youth and virginity† she is what is taught to be as a fiancà ©e at this period perfect for this social circle. Then there is Ellen Olenska the cousin of his fiancà ©e the contrast between the two is extreme. Ellen is different and exotic. Ellen escapes from a marriage which is a taboo in this era. This evokes how Ellen breaks away from her duties as a wife to desire happiness. She is introduced as a controversial figure. Ellen is unaware of this and what happens at the Opera. The Opera is like a courtroom people are judged here. Ellen is judged by the gossiping men and this is predictable in this society. From coming across someone different from all he sees and expected from what a woman is to be Newland finds reason to doubt what he is expected to do as his duties and desires come into place. It is like if Ellen became an inspirational figure t o him and defends her Women ought to be free as free as we are, he declared, making a discovery of which he was too irritated to measure the terrific consequences. Even though from previous chapters he is happy his own fiancà ©e follows the customs of the social circle that New York women should acquire. Although he does not approve of Ellen’s behaviour he is captivated by it. Ellen has made the subject of romance and marriage a complicating issue for him. Seeing Ellen as an outcast from the rest of the women he knew, he begins to think why the likes of May do not have experiences as what males do in New York and why they should only have one partner. May Wellend to Archer and the reader initially is a â€Å"picture of an ingenuous and demure young girl whom Archer hopes to shape into a worldly-wide mould of the married woman with whom he has recently had a two year-year-long affair† this evokes Archers duties and what he firstly hopes will become of his marriage but now that Ellen is in the frame his thoughts about life, marriage and love are different. This quote also shows the duty of May and what is expected of her in this pe riod in New York typical marriage material for Archer. Wharton based many of her novels around failing relationships as like her own with her husband. Ethan Frome and Newland Archer were both heading in the same direction. They are both stuck in a love triangle and are unable to be with the one they love because of their duty. Once Archer finds out May is pregnant his plan to stay with Ellen is abandoned due to the fact that he must be a father now. Ethan is quite similar even though he is in love and wants to leave the horrid town he lived in he was unable to because of Zeena being ill and it being his duty as a husband to stay with her. Both Ellen and Mattie play as a ray of light they were both something different from what the protagonists were expected to do, a break from normality. Mattie was something fresh and something to break away from Ethan’s monotonous life in Starkfield and Ellen was something exotic for Archer to admire in New York compared to what he was used to seeing. They act as a forbidden fruit for the protagonists. Both want the thing society doesn’t allow them to have, both wanted the thing their duty won’t allow them to have but they both conform to what is expected of them and do not follow their desires and stay in the Garden of Eden which is nothing like paradise. Ethan has Zeena to destroy his desires and Archer has May and the wealthy community of New York to destroy his. Both offer up love for them but both are hit with complications Ellen is told by May that she is pregnant so that she would leave and Zeena shortens Mattie’s stay. Newland Archer cannot belong to the socially elite because of what it is and will not be changed and this is why someone like Ellen is so exciting for him and Ethan does not belong in Starkfield as he is seen differently because of his injuries and something fresh like Mattie enhance his life. Both having a way to escape from new women in their lives makes it exciting for them. It can be realistic but both don’t take the opportunity due to their duties. Martin Scorsese’ depiction of The Age of Innocence also deals with the same themes of desire and duty as the book does. Scorsese says that â€Å"What I wanted to do as much as possible was to recreate for a viewing audience the experience I had reading the book.† He was enthralled by how Edith Wharton was able to blind the reader and he put his own persona on it. Scorsese shows Archers desire for a woman to mould through a symbol. The first thing we see when Archer meets Ellen alone for the first time just after leaving his fiancà ©e is that of a painting of a woman who is faceless. This symbolizes how Archer wanted something different from which he would have seen everyday like May who was artificial. He wanted something he could mould himself something he could fill the blank face with and not what he was supposed to have a ‘creation of factitious purity, so cunningly manufactured by a conspiracy of mothers and aunts and grandmothers and long-dead ancestress, because it was supposed to be what he wanted, what he had a right to, in order that he might exercise his lordly pleasure in sma shing it like an image made of snow.’ (Wharton 35) this evokes that Archer desired something different against his duty to be with something that actually was picturesque May and Scorsese was able to get this across by drawing our eye to the unfinished image. The conflict of desire and duty is based on the protagonists’ battle of wanting something different and sticking to something normal. He is understandably fed up with the duties that he along with people in his same wealthy state are supposed to do. With the emergence of Ellen he finds love in a place where everyone else in that society would be embarrassed about. The Age of Innocence shows how desire can throw a life off the straight and narrow. Left with though not knowing what would have been the best outcome as he does stay with May. What would have become of him if he went with his desires? Love has no limitations and it is says conquers all but not in this case he is held back from his duty as being a husband and a father instead of leaving with May.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Computers in the Educational Curriculum :: Education Teaching

Computers in the Educational Curriculum Over the past 15 to 20 years, technological advances have been phenomenal. Computers are becoming a part of our everyday life and greatly affecting our society. Our educational system is one area that is being greatly affected by technology. An increasing amount of students are incorporating technology into their learning in many different ways. As improvements continue to be made, schools will be able to provide their students with a technologically enhanced curriculum. Students now have the ability to create more artistic projects through the use of computer programs such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Publisher. These programs allow students to incorporate pictures, graphs, and charts that add to the overall quality of projects and assignments. Students are also able to put their work on the World Wide Web, for other students to look at and learn about. With the help of the government, schools’ access to the Internet is on the rise. In 1990, very few schools were connected to the Internet, and those that were had very poor connections. The rate of access in schools began increasing and reached 95 percent in 1999. Also increasing is the amount of Internet access within individual classrooms. . "In 1994, only 3 percent of U.S. classrooms had Internet access. In 1996, President . Clinton announced a set of national educational technology goals, including . providing Internet access to every classroom in the United States. By 1997, the . proportion of connected classrooms had grown to 27 percent. Sixty-three percent . of U.S. public school classrooms had Internet access by 1999, according to . National Center for Education Statistics data (2000)." I believe that the Internet provides many opportunities for students. The Internet has valuable sources for research and allows communication with other students. By providing each and every classroom with Internet access, it connects students and teachers to each other. Kentucky is one state where technology has become a main objective of their curriculum. "The student-to-computer ratio is 6.4 to 1; KDE’s goal is 6 to 1. The teacher-to-computer ratio is 1.4 to 1, with a goal of 1 to 1." This is an example of one state that has realized the influence that technology is having on our society, and is trying to integrate it into the student’s curriculum. One article discusses what classrooms of the future will be like. They believe that students will have their own personal, lightweight appliance that they will take with them from school to home.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Public Video Surveillance Essay -- Cameras Privacy Issues

Public Video Surveillance INTRODUCTION Today’s technology has changed the way we live. It has changed the way that we view the environment, act when out in public, and the way we go about doing our daily task. Computers have greatly increased our capabilities to achieve our goals much faster. Human interaction between people has decreased because of this technology. The changes continue daily with an endless stream of new ideas and ways of doing things. There seems to be no end in site. This technology is also changing our moral and ethical values along with the way we employ them. The â€Å"burden of proof† has a new meaning because of surveillance cameras. Most of us will agree that surveillance cameras are a good idea. These cameras provide a deterrent against crime, and provides public buildings and other areas a since of security. Law enforcement use surveillance cameras to track and catch criminals, as proof in courts, and as protection for themselves and the public. Surveillance cameras can also be used for educational purposes. X-ray cameras have the ability of detecting weapons in baggages at our airports and other public buildings. They now have cameras mounted on top of stoplights to detect red light runners with ways of sending the red light violators their tickets by mail. There must be an endless list of ways that cameras can be used. We even have satellites in outer space with cameras that help us to spy on other countries. Most of us will agree that the technology of camera surveillance is important and needed to improve for the most part our lifestyles. PROFESSIONAL ISSUES FOR SURVEILLANCE PROTECTION OF PEOPLE AND PROPERTY, which includes the general public and law enforcement. This type of surv... ...nce cameras affects everyone. It is for the common good of everyone that we continue its use. It has given our nation a sense of security that we have become a custom to because it has improved our justice system. REFERENCES â€Å"CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT RADIO-TELEVISION NEWS DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION.† Ethics. 21.2 (2002). 14 September 2000. http://www.rtnda.org/ethics/coe.html â€Å"DIGEST OF LAW REFORM COMMISSION REFERENCES.† 90. Surveillance. 21.2 (2002). Surveillance: an interim report, 6 December 2001. http://www.agd.nsw.gov.au/lrc.nsf/pages/r98chp03/ Leahy, Patrick. â€Å"Scientific American. 28.2 (2002), 29 September 2002. http://www.library.ca.gov/CRB/97/05/CRB97-005.html Nieto, Marcus. â€Å"Public Video Surveillance: Is It An Effective Crime Prevention Tool?† California Research. Bureau. June 1997. http://www.globalprivacysummit.net/Pages/sessions.html Public Video Surveillance Essay -- Cameras Privacy Issues Public Video Surveillance INTRODUCTION Today’s technology has changed the way we live. It has changed the way that we view the environment, act when out in public, and the way we go about doing our daily task. Computers have greatly increased our capabilities to achieve our goals much faster. Human interaction between people has decreased because of this technology. The changes continue daily with an endless stream of new ideas and ways of doing things. There seems to be no end in site. This technology is also changing our moral and ethical values along with the way we employ them. The â€Å"burden of proof† has a new meaning because of surveillance cameras. Most of us will agree that surveillance cameras are a good idea. These cameras provide a deterrent against crime, and provides public buildings and other areas a since of security. Law enforcement use surveillance cameras to track and catch criminals, as proof in courts, and as protection for themselves and the public. Surveillance cameras can also be used for educational purposes. X-ray cameras have the ability of detecting weapons in baggages at our airports and other public buildings. They now have cameras mounted on top of stoplights to detect red light runners with ways of sending the red light violators their tickets by mail. There must be an endless list of ways that cameras can be used. We even have satellites in outer space with cameras that help us to spy on other countries. Most of us will agree that the technology of camera surveillance is important and needed to improve for the most part our lifestyles. PROFESSIONAL ISSUES FOR SURVEILLANCE PROTECTION OF PEOPLE AND PROPERTY, which includes the general public and law enforcement. This type of surv... ...nce cameras affects everyone. It is for the common good of everyone that we continue its use. It has given our nation a sense of security that we have become a custom to because it has improved our justice system. REFERENCES â€Å"CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT RADIO-TELEVISION NEWS DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION.† Ethics. 21.2 (2002). 14 September 2000. http://www.rtnda.org/ethics/coe.html â€Å"DIGEST OF LAW REFORM COMMISSION REFERENCES.† 90. Surveillance. 21.2 (2002). Surveillance: an interim report, 6 December 2001. http://www.agd.nsw.gov.au/lrc.nsf/pages/r98chp03/ Leahy, Patrick. â€Å"Scientific American. 28.2 (2002), 29 September 2002. http://www.library.ca.gov/CRB/97/05/CRB97-005.html Nieto, Marcus. â€Å"Public Video Surveillance: Is It An Effective Crime Prevention Tool?† California Research. Bureau. June 1997. http://www.globalprivacysummit.net/Pages/sessions.html

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Importance of customer care Essay

It shows a great deal of professionalism when a company takes good care of its customers, both internally and externally. Professional employees will most likely deal with clients in a professional manner, with the right communication, with respect and a genuine attitude. A good customer service will help the company: To keep loyal clients – develop trust To gain new clients To develop a good referral To develop within its employees a sense of proudness and loyalty The main objective of communicating is to send a message the most effective way as possible and to make sure it is received the way it was intended to. In communication, there are many barriers to overcome: a good standardised communication within the organisation will help to deal with those problems. Communication is a two-way process: 1. What we say and how we say it: 1.1. Intention of sender: right information in the right format 1.2. The message: method of communication. 1.3. Receiving the message: receptiveness of the person receiving the message 2. What and how the message is received and perceived: 2.1. Message interpretation: has the message been properly understood? 2.2. Feedback: has the communication been successful? To achieve an effective communication, the organisation and its management must clearly communicate the rules and guidelines established by the company. Standardised communication will help with: Consistency Equality Bring knowledge of what to do in any circumstances Establish boundaries Communicating with people, both internal or external of the organisation, is not only a matter of using the right guidelines or rules; an important part of the communication is also to consider your audience in order to adapt your communication and convey your message for a better reception. Knowing who you are talking to will avoid assumption, and will help you understand their needs and motivations. Communication is a combination of 4 mediums: 1) The written communication 2) The verbal communication 3) The non-verbal communication 4) Listening 1) What is important in written communication? The accuracy of the words To be clear To be legible To do proof reading 2) What is important in verbal communication? To use a formal or informal way of speaking according to your audience To use the appropriate language: choose the right style To make sure to use the right pace: not too fast, not too slow To use the right tone of voice To speak at a good distance from your audience: physical proximity 3) What is important in non-verbal communication? The signs and signals of body language Movements, gestures, facial expressions, shifts, body positioning The way of being dressed, the hairstyle, tattoos The tidiness of the working place 4) What is important in listening? To listen properly a person you need to stop what you are doing: give importance to the person you are communicating with While listening appear interested Listen actively and ask questions Truly listening helps to avoid misinterpretation To communicate more effectively, one should pay attention to its body language: the non-verbal communication is as important as any verbal or written communication as it conveys a message of its own, an emotional state. Failing to provide a good customer care will prevent the organisation to be successful and to expand. But it will also create stress among people working for the organisation, leading to unhappiness and unprofessionalism. The golden rule of the PA should be: â€Å"Mind what you say,   who you are talking to  and how you are communicating†

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Explore the phenomenal box office success of blockbuster films Jaws and Star Wars and how they forever changed the film making industry Essays

Explore the phenomenal box office success of blockbuster films Jaws and Star Wars and how they forever changed the film making industry Essays Explore the phenomenal box office success of blockbuster films Jaws and Star Wars and how they forever changed the film making industry Paper Explore the phenomenal box office success of blockbuster films Jaws and Star Wars and how they forever changed the film making industry Paper Essay Topic: Jaws Contemporary cinema today is a fierce market. Most Fridays of the week see a new release featuring our favourite stars on the big screen, in the next highly anticipated movie. The seasons, Summer and Winter also see the years biggest movies hit the screen in order to satisfy our entertainment needs. However, the movie industry hasnt always operated in this way. In the early stages of cinema, our much loved multi million dollar Blockbusters were only a thing of dreams, from the incredible special effects to the massive budgets. This essay aims to explore the impact of Blockbuster films and how they have changed modern cinema, with reference to the hugely popular Star Wars franchise, and the Jaws movies. The essay will also explore the effects these films have left on popular culture, and if they still exist today.The term blockbuster simply defines as a form of media that sustains widespread popularity, achieves enormous sales figures and creates a cultural phenomenon. The beginning o f this new blockbuster era was pioneered by, Steven Spielbergs Jaws and George Lucas Star Wars franchise, both of which were released in the 1970s. The movie Jaws is about a number of shark attacks taking place on the beaches of the U.S.A, in which a $3000 bounty is offered for the animal, in which sparks off a frenzy of people attempting to hunt for the shark. The Star Wars movies tell the story of Luke Skywalker, and his fight against the evil Darth Vader and the Empires efforts to rule the galaxy.Both movies were a huge success, with Jaws being the first movie to earn over $100 million dollars at the box office, and eventually grossing over $470 million dollars worldwide. Star Wars however topped its success, by earning around $775 million dollars worldwide. Before these films, the term Blockbuster simply described the film by box office sales success, rather than its cultural phenomenon and influence on other mediums.One way in which these films changed the film making industry was through the way of merchandising. If the actual movies themselves didnt make enough money (despite doing so), the merchandise for each film would have helped. Merchandise ranges from action figures to video games to sequels and soundtracks (in which John Williams composed the soundtracks to both films). The soundtracks themselves are easily recognisable when listened to, and are so around the world. The iconic string section in Jaws when the shark is ready to hunt down its prey, to the grand orchestral opener to Star Wars, as the introduction rolls down the screen.According to Filmtracks.com, movie music before these films, soundtracks had begun to take on pop route and avoid orchestral music, until the score for Star Wars was written. The themes such as the title music and the imperial march are something of a cultural nature due to their popularity. For example, if anyone was to imitate the tune, we as a culture associate this with bad news or a bad person. The soundtrack has been released a total of six times, with re-mastered tracks and additional audio tracks. Even a disco version of the song was mixed and played in clubs a year after the films release. John Williams furthered his movie soundtrack career by providing soundtracks to countless movies, including Home Alone, Superman and the Harry Potter Movies.Altogether since 1977, Star Wars merchandise alone earned around $13.5 billion (NPR News 2007) in retail sales. Dale Pollock (author of Skywalking, an unauthorised biography of George Lucas) stated that It was much more than just action figures and toy sets It was merchandise in more variety and volume that Hollywood had ever seen. (Pollock, D, 1999). For the first time in 1977, toy stores such as Toys R Us had shelf and isle space just for movie tie ins thanks to Star Wars merchandising. With products such as this available, it helps keep the franchise alive as more than just a film, and allows the consumer to be Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader and let the movie live on. The merchandising continues today, as more and more various products are made, such as video games like the Lego Star Wars series, and further toys and action figures from the prequel films made in the 2000s. This form of mass merchandising is still happening today with other blockbuster movies, such as Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) movies and The Dark Knight (2008).The impact that these movies have left on popular culture, are also a force to be reckoned with. Both movies are frequently parodied in other forms of media. For example, the T.V series Family Guy frequently parodies the Star Wars trilogy in various episodes. Also, the T.V show dedicated a whole 45 minute, special episode named Blue Harvest, which parodies the whole of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and are currently working on finishing up the parody trilogy by repeating this with the remaining two movies.With this in mind, we can use this example and relate it to Christian Metzs (1974) theor y of genre cycle changes. He argued that through a genres lifetime, it would go through 4 stages of changes, which can be down to technology (introduction of sound and colour) or contemporary issues (World War I, II, AIDS, Terrorism etc). These include the Experimental Stage, The Classic Stage, The Parody Stage and The Deconstruction stage. Metz suggested that the Experimental movies were very early on, and dynamic in which case we could use Frtiz Langs 1927 movie, Metropolis. Star Wars would then fit into the Classic stage, as the successful codes and conventions of early sci-fi films are taken and built on until made more formulaic. The parody stage is where the films clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s are made fun of or to re-engage with the audience, in which we can use the previous example of Family Guy, or Mel Brooks sci-fi comedy, Spaceballs. The Deconstruction stage is when the generic elements are placed out of context, for example, Kurt Wimmers Equilibrium (2002), where the mise en scene is sci-fi, yet the story is dealing with other issues, such as emotion and fascism.A strong sense of Star Wars popular culture impact was discovered in the British 2001 census. An Internet campaign that spread via email encouraged the public to identify their religion as Jedi or Jedi Knight in the other religion section. According to the BBC, the number of people in the U.K that were faithful to the Jedi religion that year was around 390,000 strong.Both movies also showed new technological innovations and furthered some already used.Jaws used rare filming techniques such as the reverse dolly zoom, originally used in Alfred Hitchcocks movies. This is when the dolly on which the camera is held moves backward on its track, whilst the camera zooms in on the face. This is used when Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) spots danger in the sea during the beach scene. Special effects were further improved with the use of animatronics. The mechanical shark, named Bruce (Times online) was actually three sharks, used for different movements. One of these was just for use in the water, improving technical areas of special effects.Star Wars special effects however have changed the movie industry forever. The effects used in the movie were way ahead of its time and have set a certain standard for future film productions.The use of foley sound is one of these. Foley sound is when sounds effects are recorded in a studio and then later placed in the film. For example, the sound of the Tie Fighter spaceships in the movie are actually noises of a bellowing Elephant and the sound of the character Jabba The Hut moving is actually the sounds of a trash can filled with wet towels.Throughout the film, Lucas used a variety of special effects techniques, new and old combined. From the use of puppets, animatronics and stop motion animation, to the use of green screen and CGI. People were willing to pay the ticket price to simply witness in awe the effects that Lucas had brought to t he screen with his special effects production company, Industrial Light and Magic. This company in itself has had a massive impact on the movie industry alone, regardless of the Star Wars movies, as it has provided special effects for countless movies and Hollywood Blockbusters. These include E.T, Star Trek Movies, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Jurassic Park and Men In Black just to name a few from Industrial Light and Magics impressive C.V. These movies clearly range from the origins of sci-fi that they were created to work for, and are now a more general company rather than a niche in the sci-fi genre. The movie trilogy also created the company Skywalker Sound, that have also progressed to work on such movies as Speed (1994), Forrest Gump (1994), Titanic (1997), Fight Club (1999) and even video games, such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008) and the Mercenaries (2005) games series. Therefore without Star Wars, these effects companies wouldnt have helped create films thro ugh time.Although with this in mind, many re releases of the original Star Wars trilogy have been issued with improved Special effects, CGI and sound. These are included years later in the special edition video and DVD versions. George Lucas stated that There were various things I wasnt happy with, special effects, scenes that hadnt been included due to money and time. (Star Wars Special Edition Video Interview). Many hardcore Star Wars fans and purists argue that the films shouldnt have been tampered with and left alone, however if they had not been restored, the original films would have deteriorated with age. Also from the same video, Rick McCallum, the producer of the special edition video stated that: if they had not been restored for this particular edition, they might not have been available ever again.With other versions of these films in mind, fans of the original Star Wars trilogy became very critical when regarding the later made prequels of the movies, especially episode I, The Phantom Menace (1999). A re edited version of the movie was created entitled, Episode 1.1: The Phantom Edit, that was allegedly better than Lucas version. The revised version contained the more promising footage from the movie. Tapes of the movie were quickly circulated through the underground scene of die-hard Star Wars fanatics.However, although with special effects making the visuals impressive, we could say that this could diminish the plots and storylines to these films.We could apply this with Vladimir Propp (1928) theory on narrative structures. He studied the narrative structures of Russian folk tales and discovered that regardless of individual differences in plot, settings, genre etc such narratives share common features, particularly character types. I shall apply his list of character types to the Star Wars movies (although may change over the course of the trilogy) in the table below.

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Draft essays

The Draft essays Currently, the United States and other countries are faced with a large number of citizens smoking. It is estimated that 1.1 billion people smoke worldwide. This is a very high number. The biggest problem with this number is the percentage of teenagers smoking before the legal age of 18. 89% of people who currently smoke started before they were of legal age. Cigarette companies such as Philip Morris, maker of Marlboro, Parliament, Basic and Winstons create a large part of their revenue off of minors. Philip Morris himself Quoted Todays teenager is tomorrows potential regular customer. An employee of Lorillard, Inc., producer of Newport cigarettes commented on teenagers in the cigarette market, The success of Newport has been fantastic during the last few years...The base of our business is the high school student. RJ Reynolds Tobacco, producers of Camel cigarettes also agree with the fact that much of their revenue comes from minors by stating, The 14-18 year old group is an increasing segment of the smoking population. RJ Reynolds must soon establish a successful new brand in this market if our position in the industry is to be maintained over the long term. These major cigarette companies all are aware that minors are buying their cigarettes. As a result, they are making a huge profit from them. Anti-smoking organizations such as Just Eliminate Lies and The Whole Truth on the other hand are fighting with Big Tobacco as they call the major cigarette companies to stop them from promoting smoking through advertisements to teenagers. The situation between Big Tobacco and anti-smoking organizations can be looked at through two different viewpoints. The first, looking at the situation economically, you would see how much cigarette sales help it. Besides sales of cigarettes, health care institutions also benefit from smokers who develop l ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Biography of Janet Emerson Bashen, American Inventor

Biography of Janet Emerson Bashen, American Inventor Janet Emerson Bashen (born February 12, 1957) is an American inventor and entrepreneur and the first African-American woman to hold a patent for a software invention. The patented software, LinkLine, is a web-based application for Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) claims intake and tracking, claims management, and document management. Bashen has been inducted into the Black Inventors Hall of Fame and is the recipient of numerous awards for her business and technological achievements. Fast Facts: Janet Emerson Bashen Known For: Emerson is the first African-American woman to secure a patent for a software invention.Also Known As: Janet EmersonBorn: February 12, 1957 in Mansfield, OhioEducation: Alabama AM University, University of Houston, Rice UniversityAwards and Honors: National Association of Negro Women in Business Crystal Award, Black Inventors Hall of Fame, Houston, Texas Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle AwardSpouse: Steven BashenChildren: Blair Alise Bashen, Drew Alec BashenNotable Quote: â€Å"My success and failures make me who I am and who I am is a black woman raised in the south by working-class parents who tried to give me a better life by fostering a fervent commitment to succeed.† Early Life Janet Emerson Bashen was born Janet Emerson on February 12, 1957, in Mansfield, Ohio. She was raised in Huntsville, Alabama, where her mother was the citys first black nurse. Bashen attended an elementary school that had only recently been integrated, and she faced discrimination throughout her childhood and youth. After attending Alabama AM University, a historically black college, Emerson married Steven Bashen and relocated to Houston, Texas. Years later after achieving her business success, Bashen said that growing up in the South sparked her interest in social inequality and diversity: â€Å"As a black girl growing up in the segregated South, I asked my parents many questions; they didnt have answers. This started a life-long quest of trying to understand our country’s history and struggle with issues of race. This research led me to gender issues and then my passion with EEO grew into a business interest that has evolved, incorporating diversity and inclusion initiatives.† Education Bashen earned a degree in legal studies and government from the University of Houston and completed postgraduate studies at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Administration. She later earned a certificate from Harvard University for her participation in the â€Å"Women and Power: Leadership in a New World program. Bashen also has a masters degree from Tulane Law School, where she studied labor and employment law. Bashen Corporation Bashen is the founder, president, and CEO of Bashen Corporation, a leading human resources consulting firm that pioneered end-to-end Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) compliance administration services. Bashen established the company in September 1994, building the business from her home office with no money, only one client, and a fervent commitment to succeed. As the business grew, Bashen began servicing more and more clients, and this demand led her to design her own case management software known as LinkLine. Bashen earned a patent for this tool in 2006, making her the first African-American woman to earn a patent for a software invention. For Bashen, the tool was a way to simplify claims tracking and document management by replacing the cumbersome paper process used by most businesses at the time: â€Å"I came up with the idea in 2001. Not everyone had a cell phone in 2001. I saw that papers in process got lost. There had to be a way to take in complaints- something Web-based and accessible away from the office...We worked months and months on the design. At the same time, I contacted a very large law firm and told the team I wanted to see if I could get a patent because no one was doing this. Bashen and her company have been recognized nationally for their business achievements. In May 2000, Bashen testified before Congress regarding the effect of the FTC opinion letter on third-party discrimination investigations. Bashen, along with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, were key figures in a debate that resulted in a change in legislation. In October 2002, Bashen Corporation was named one of America’s entrepreneurial growth leaders by Inc. Magazine in its annual ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, with an increase in sales of 552%. In October 2003, Bashen was given the Pinnacle Award by the Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce. Bashen is also the recipient of the prestigious Crystal Award, presented by the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc., for achievement in business. In 2010, she was recognized at the World Festival of Black Arts and Culture in Dakar, Senegal. Since creating LinkLine, Bashen has developed additional tools to bolster and support diversity in the workplace. One of these is AAP Advisory, a division of Bashen Corporation that offers guidance to clients on best practices for affirmative action in the workplace. The company has an advisory team in place to help businesses achieve diversity within their organizations. Bashens AAPLink is a software service designed to assist with such diversity efforts. Bashen also runs the hotline 1-800Intake, a tool to help small- and medium-sized businesses receive and manage workplace complaints. Together, this suite of tools enables businesses to ensure they are following the best practices for building diverse and inclusive environments. Public Service Bashen serves on the board of directors for the North Harris Montgomery County Community College District Foundation and chairs the corporate advisory board of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. She is also a board member of PrepProgram, a non-profit organization dedicated to preparing at-risk student-athletes for college. In 2014, she served on the women’s leadership board at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Sources Ackerman, Lauren. â€Å"Janet Emerson Bashen (1957- ) BlackPast.†Ã‚  BlackPast.Holmes, Keith C.  Black Inventors: Crafting over 200 Years of Success. Global Black Inventor Research Projects, 2008.Montague, Charlotte.  Women of Invention: Life-Changing Ideas by Remarkable Women. Crestline Books, 2018.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Ration Analysis in Decision Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ration Analysis in Decision Making - Assignment Example The healthcare company that is going to be evaluated in this report is Cameron Memorial Community Hospital. The financial statements of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital are illustrated in Appendix A and B. The tool that is going to be used to analyze the financial statements of the company is ratio analysis. The Cameron Memorial Hospital was founded in 1926 by Don F. Cameron. The hospital is a 25 bed Critical Access Community Hospital. â€Å"CMCH is a comprehensive healthcare system that services the Tri-State Area of Northeast Indiana, South Central Michigan and Northwest Ohio† (Cameronmch). Some of the services offered at Cameron Memorial Community Hospital include radiology, sleep center, surgical services, occupational health, and hospice care. There are over 100 doctors working at Cameron Memorial Community Hospital. In order to comply with its civic duties and social responsibility the hospital created the Cameron Hospital Foundation. The 2010 fiscal year of Cameron M emorial Community Hospital started September 30, 2009 and ended September 30, 2010. In 2010 Cameron Memorial Community Hospital generated total revenues of $41.94 million (In). The company’s revenues increase by 4.98% in comparison with fiscal year 2009. The total expenses of the hospital in 2010 were $41.10 million. The net margin of the company in 2010 was 4.51%. The net margin is an absolute measure of profitability. It is calculated by dividing net income by total revenues. In order to determine whether the net margin of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital is good or not we must compare it to the industry standard. A good database that has information regarding the industry standards across different industries is the Dun & Bradstreet database. The health care industry net margin industry standard is 4.2% (Dun & Bradstreet). The net margin of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital was above the industry standard by 0.31%. The table below illustrated a ratio analysis of Camer on Memorial Community Hospital in 2010. Cameron Memorial Community Hospital 2010 Net Margin 4.52% Return on Equity 7.30% Return on Assets 4.12% Debt Ratio 2.29 Current Ratio 1.97 Working Capital $4380419 Debt to 'Equity 0.77 The return on equity of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital in 2010 was 7.30%. The return on equity metric measures how effective a company was at generating profits from its total equity. The formula to calculate return on equity is dividing net income by total equity. The industry standard return on equity is 9.2% (Dun & Bradstreet). The return on equity of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital in 2010 was 1.90% below the industry standard. The return on assets of the company in 2010 was 4.12%. The return on assets metric can be calculated by dividing net income by total assets. The industry standard return on assets is 4.30% (Dun & Bradstreet). The return on assets ratio measures how effective a company was at generating profits from its total assets. The retur n on assets of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital was 0.18% below the industry standard. The debt ratio measures a company’s ability to pay off its long term debt. The debt ratio is calculated dividing total assets by total liabilities. The debt ratio of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital in 2010 was 2.29. The general rule for a debt ratio is that a debt

Friday, October 18, 2019

Effects of science on the environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Effects of science on the environment - Essay Example Science has introduced various forms of environmental pollutions. The thesis of my research attempt is to look into the relationship between science and environment and analyze this relationship to be able to conclude whether or not science harms the environment. Modern environmental pollution is attributed to burning of fossil fuels, which is used to run industries and increase in industries. It is also attributed to transport of raw materials and machines. One of the principal environmental concerns is the conduct of oil industries and the multinational companies in the oil producing area. The oil industry is involved in a number of activities that lead to direct environmental pollution. These activities range from exploration, refining, production and transportation. These activities have lead to both social and ecological disturbances. Pollution from pipeline oil leaks and seismic surveys that cause explosions are some of the negative effects of the science on environment. Most o f the scientific wastes are none biodegradable. Offshore drilling oil leaks, flaring refinery effluents and drilling floods are known to cause terrible negative impact on the environment. This has resulted in land alienation and extreme disruption of natural terrain due to oil exploration and oil drilling. Oil related infrastructure and installations are known to cause deforestation which leads to desertification (Molina and Zaelke, 5). Most of The oil exploration and drilling activities happen on virgin land with natural vegetation causes significant changes in the natural ecosystem. Gas flaring has been having tremendous environmental impact from these multinational companies. According to World Bank, gas flaring had contributed greenhouse gases on the atmosphere of the earth than any other source by 2002. Moreover, these gases are not used as fuel. According to a research done in 2010, over 191 billion cubic feet of the gases produced at the time, 145 billion cubic feet were flar ed. All this happened at the detriment of the environment. Gas flaring is known to contribute to climate change, which is one of the biggest global threats in the world today. Climate change is said to cause skin cancer, food insecurity and other significant diseases. Climatic changes and extreme weather conditions like El Nino are said to cause a rise in the cost of living directly or indirectly. Gas flares are known to contain toxins like benzene. This means that rain water becomes contaminated (EPA, 9). They pollute the air leading to respiratory challenges and health conditions like bronchitis and asthma. Science has been causing environmental degradation. Gas flaring has led to alteration of vegetation and destruction of soil nutrients due to the presence of chemicals in the rain water (Hester and Harrison, 87). Scientific activities continue to pump destructive gases into the ozone layer leading to depletion of the ozone layer. This has had an adverse effect on cultivation whi ch is a source of livelihood for mankind (Molina and Zaelke, 5). Places, which were fertile, are now covered with stubborn grasses and natural vegetation has been replaced by emerging resistant species. Intense heat, which has resulted from these flared gases, has caused the vegetation in affected areas to become extinct. The destruction brought by science is gradual and possible that is why the impacts caught the world unawares. The world has become to appreciate the

The Englishman's Boy by Guy Vanderhaeghe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Englishman's Boy by Guy Vanderhaeghe - Essay Example National Identity is a very important part of our personality. The formation of national identity is a process of comparing and contrasting the values of our own nation with the values, principles and beliefs of other nations. Certainly, not all the people have an opportunity to travel, thus we have got another reliable and valuable source of information that help us form our views and got different feelings. This is an art. We see films and beautiful pictures, read poems and novels created by our ancestors and also modern artists. Studying the masterpieces of art, we receive valuable information about our history and this helps us form our own identity. We can learn about what is good and what is bad from different examples provided by the pieces of art. Art also serves as a reflection of our own feelings and thoughts. However, not all the information we receive is true and it is important to understand what to absorb and what to ignore. When the Great War was over, a new important period started began in the life of America. Actually, this period predetermined the future of the United States and its reputation of the most developed country in the world. It was a period of thriving, the time of economic development. There were many new opportunities opened for Americans that time and it is natural that this made the United States attractive for immigrants. The myth of American Dream appeared and many people from different countries in the world left their motherland to come to the United States seeking for better life. The United States became multicultural that caused many problems for immigrants. Instead of American Dream they faced terrible racial intolerance. Guy Vanderhaeghe tells us the story of Harry Vincent, a young scenarist, and his boss, a rich man Damon Chance, who wanted to create a special movie. The main purpose of the Damon Chance is to create a real â€Å"American† movie, which would reflect n amely American spirit. Chance thinks that the main problem of Americans is the lack of national identity. Here we can trace the attitude of Chance towards immigrants. It seems that he accuses multiculturalism caused by mass immigration of the lack of national identity in The United States. He respects real American nation and is sorry that it does not have its own art. He wants to create a real American masterpiece: â€Å"The Germans gave the world their music. The Romans their architecture. The Greeks their tragedies. We recognize the soul of a people in their art" (Vanderhaeghe 108). Chance is irritated by European’s domination and wants to help form separate American national identity. He criticized Griffith: â€Å"It was pure genius on [Griffith’s] part to advertise [The Birth of a Nation] as fact. Americans are a practical people, they like facts.†¦ You mark my words, Harry, there’ll come a day when the public won’t swallow any of our stories unless they believe them to be real. Everybody wants the real thing, or thinks they do.†¦ Facts are the bread America wants to eat. The poetry of facts is the poetry of the American soul† (Vanderhaeghe 19). Damon paid Harry Vincent for creating a scenario about a history of a cowboy. The book is divided into two parts with parallel plots and this makes the novel unique. The second half tells us about a boy who is travelling to Cypress Hills. This was done by the author to demonstrate the different interpretation of the same story. We have a chance to trace the process of movie making and compare it with the story of a real boy. The reader can see how the both Harry and the Englishman boy try to resist the actions of their common opponent Damon Chance and how this forms the plot of the book. At first, Harry was impacted by Damon Chance’s aspiration to create a movie and was going to do his best to

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Water Crisis in Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Water Crisis in Middle East - Essay Example Still, conflicts related to water management have not been avoided. Current paper presents the various aspects of water crisis in Middle East. Reference is made, as example, to the water management problems of Israel, Palestine, Syria and Jordan. The academic studies developed in this field reflect different perceptions for the criteria on which water management should be based. This phenomenon could be explained by the following fact: the high development of technology has affected ‘the perception of people on nature’ (Selby 2005, p.332). Therefore, the terms under which water available in a particular area is characterized as a ‘resource’ have been differentiated today, compared to the past (Selby 2005). In this context, the rights of a state on its water resources are difficult to be fully defined while the support provided by international organizations for such issues is often inadequate (Selby 2005). On the other hand, the water resources worldwide fac e a continuous shrinkage, mostly because of the pollution but also because of the increasing global population. In certain countries, such as those of Middle East, the problem is more intense. In fact, there are countries in the particular region that can be characterized as ‘water – poor countries, meaning that their water production, per capita, is below 1000 m3/yr’ (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). ... 2. Water crisis in Middle East 2.1 History The lack of adequate water resources is not a recent problem. In addition, there are certain regions where the specific problem is quite critical: Africa, South and East Asia and Middle East are the regions that are mostly characterized by water shortage; in certain areas of these regions water shortage can be extreme leading local populations to survival concerns (Kummu et al. 2010, p.4). The water crisis developed in the above regions is characterized by the following trend: water shortage in each of these regions has been developed in different rate. More specifically, up to 1900s water shortage was extreme in Africa while from 1960s and up today water shortage is expanded across South Asia and Middle East (Kummu et al. 2010, p.4). In other words, the appearance and the rate of development of water shortage cannot be foreseen in advance (Kummu et al. 2010). In countries of Middle East water shortage is a common problem. For example, in Jo rdan ‘the drying of streams has led to the lowering of water levels across the country’ (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). In the above country, water shortage first appeared about 1960s and has highly expanded since then (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). The two factors that have been considered as enhancing the country’s water shortage problem are the following: a) the extremely dry climate and b) the rapid economic development of the country supported the increase of population, which, in its turn, led to the increase of need for water (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). In a recent report, where the ability of countries to cover their needs for water through their own

Future, past. present Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Future, past. present - Essay Example Therefore, this discussion seeks to analyze the past, present and future of law enforcement, with a view to establishing how this particular component of the legal system has evolved over time, how it has related with the other components forming the criminal justice system, its present state, and the likely nature of this component in the future. The past of law enforcement The history of the concept of law enforcement dates back to the settlement of the colonists in America, where the colonists who settled in America imported their constable system of law enforcement, with each community required to constitute a watchdog force that kept peace while dealing with the criminals and crime resolution, under the leadership of a chief peacekeeper, also referred to as the constable (Bumgarner, 2006). This was mainly applicable in the urban regions where the settlers had established their settlements. In the southern states, the concept of law enforcement developed with the establishment of the slave patrols, which was meant to whip and terrorize slaves, to prevent them from holding meeting or leaving their plantations without the express authorization of their masters, or even travelling (Roth, 2011).The first organized and paid policing force was established by City of Boston in 1635, followed by Texas in 1835, whose police force was referred to as the rangers, followed by the Municipality of New York in 1884, and eventually the other cities started following suit, but it is only until the Civil War, that a uniformed law enforcement force was established, which used nightsticks as their main weapon (Roth, 2011). Despite this organization, the law enforcement forces were controlled by politicians who presided over the cities and the municipalities, and thus they operated on the basis of their orders. However, the data of the number of the police officers in America remains scanty especially regarding the past, considering that the police officers established by diffe rent municipalities and cities could not be practically enumerated, since the law enforcement forces were not organized into a full disciplined force (Bumgarner, 2006). However, the existing data regarding the earliest disciplined force that was well organized is that of the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) formed in 1852, which comprised of the 7 officers, with a chief officer, 4 assistant chiefs and 2 other ground patrol officers (Bumgarner, 2006). The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) forms one of the few primary law enforcement force, still maintained by the federal government, which currently comprises of over 1,000 disciplined officers, forming the USCP federal department. The major reforms in the law enforcement started in the 20th century, where reforms regarding the qualifications, education and training of the enforcement officers, as well as the elimination of the political control over the law enforcement came into the limelight. The present of law enforcement The present state of la w enforcement in the US now comprises of well trained and disciplined forces, with well structured recruitment formulae and requirements. The other aspect of the current state of the law enforcement component of the justice system is that their duties and responsibilities are now well cut out, with such provisions enshrined in the constitution and in the law enforcement policies and regulations that guide their operations. Presently, as

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Water Crisis in Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Water Crisis in Middle East - Essay Example Still, conflicts related to water management have not been avoided. Current paper presents the various aspects of water crisis in Middle East. Reference is made, as example, to the water management problems of Israel, Palestine, Syria and Jordan. The academic studies developed in this field reflect different perceptions for the criteria on which water management should be based. This phenomenon could be explained by the following fact: the high development of technology has affected ‘the perception of people on nature’ (Selby 2005, p.332). Therefore, the terms under which water available in a particular area is characterized as a ‘resource’ have been differentiated today, compared to the past (Selby 2005). In this context, the rights of a state on its water resources are difficult to be fully defined while the support provided by international organizations for such issues is often inadequate (Selby 2005). On the other hand, the water resources worldwide fac e a continuous shrinkage, mostly because of the pollution but also because of the increasing global population. In certain countries, such as those of Middle East, the problem is more intense. In fact, there are countries in the particular region that can be characterized as ‘water – poor countries, meaning that their water production, per capita, is below 1000 m3/yr’ (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). ... 2. Water crisis in Middle East 2.1 History The lack of adequate water resources is not a recent problem. In addition, there are certain regions where the specific problem is quite critical: Africa, South and East Asia and Middle East are the regions that are mostly characterized by water shortage; in certain areas of these regions water shortage can be extreme leading local populations to survival concerns (Kummu et al. 2010, p.4). The water crisis developed in the above regions is characterized by the following trend: water shortage in each of these regions has been developed in different rate. More specifically, up to 1900s water shortage was extreme in Africa while from 1960s and up today water shortage is expanded across South Asia and Middle East (Kummu et al. 2010, p.4). In other words, the appearance and the rate of development of water shortage cannot be foreseen in advance (Kummu et al. 2010). In countries of Middle East water shortage is a common problem. For example, in Jo rdan ‘the drying of streams has led to the lowering of water levels across the country’ (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). In the above country, water shortage first appeared about 1960s and has highly expanded since then (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). The two factors that have been considered as enhancing the country’s water shortage problem are the following: a) the extremely dry climate and b) the rapid economic development of the country supported the increase of population, which, in its turn, led to the increase of need for water (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). In a recent report, where the ability of countries to cover their needs for water through their own

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Research Paper - Essay Example els of those gases, by emitting carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels such coal, oil, and natural gas; methane and nitrous oxide produced by agricultural activities and changes in the use land use; and by some industrial gases that do not occur naturally but are long lived in the atmosphere. Emissions of poisonous gases from vehicles are also constantly polluting the air. In fact, a large proportion of harmful gases in the atmosphere are being emitted from the vehicles. With the development of civilization, the rate of transportation has also increased. Today, most of the vehicles are run by fossil fuels, like petrol, diesel, coal etc. the burning of these fuels emit hazardous gases in the atmosphere and enhances the risk of global warming. In order to protect the Universes from the curse of global warming, the immediate need is to reduce the emission of those gases that are responsible for global warming. In order to reduce emission level, the prime requirement is to discover alternative sources of energy other than fossil fuel. The vehicles, therefore also need to be run by the energy whose production does not need petrol, diesel or coal. Scientists are experimenting several alternatives to the traditional source of energy for the vehicles. Fuel cell cars are being treated by many scientists and car making company as the greener versions of the modern day cars. It is being increasingly expected that these fuel cars will be able to reduce pollution level and offer great fight against global warming. But the issue of concern is how far these expectations will be materialized in reality. A number of questions relating to fuel cell cars will be addressed in this paper including the questions like what the concept of fuel cell cars is all about? What are its advantages and dis-advantages? And will it be able to provide a strong fight against global warming? All these questions will be addressed in the following sections of this paper. Fuel cell car is a

Ultralight Trike Essay Example for Free

Ultralight Trike Essay An ultralight trike, also known as a flex-wing trike, weight-shift control aircraft, microlight trike, deltatrike[1] or motorized deltaplane,[2] is a type of powered hang glider using a high performance Rogallo wing coupled to a propeller-powered three-wheeled undercarriage. While many powered aircraft have three-wheeled landing gear, the term trike refers specifically to the form of aircraft described here. The principles of this page can generally be applied to the single place ultralight trike and the two place weight-shift control light-sport aircraft. Control This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008) Flight control in a trike is by weight-shift. [3] This is similar to controlling a hang glider, in which the aviator or pilot is suspended from the wing made from high-strength aluminium and fabric. The pilot controls the attitude of the wing by holding onto and operating a triangular control bar (or triangular control frame) (TCF) that is rigidly attached to the wing. Pushing, pulling, and turning the TCF causes a corresponding shift in the aircrafts center of gravity. For instance, pushing the TCFs basebar forward causes the center of gravity to shift back. This, in turn, causes the nose of the aircraft to pitch up, causing the angle of attack to increase which causes the aircraft to fly more slowly. In contrast, pushing forward on the control stick of a traditional aircraft would cause that aircraft to dive. Detail of a Mainair Blade ultralight trike (in 2009) Turns are accomplished by rolling the wing in the direction of the intended turn. This is accomplished by moving the control bar to the left in order to enter a right hand turn. This causes the center of gravity—represented primarily by the weight of the undercarriage and pilot—to shift in the direction of the intended turn. This in itself does not cause the aircraft to turn, but it does cause the aircraft to bank, or tip, to the side. Some adverse yaw is also initially produced, which is soon damped by the natural yaw stability of the wing. A banking maneuver becomes a turn because of the natural yaw stability of the wing. When a roll is applied, the aircraft begins to side slip towards the lower wing. Since the wing is yaw stable, a yaw is set up in the direction of the bank, thus coordinating the turn. A small anhedral effect may be built into the wing to aid roll response, where the side slip causes increased banking. This is similar to the way in which a hang glider is controlled. In fact, trikes are essentially propeller-powered hang gliders with seats and wheels. Trikes have often employed wings designed for hang gliding; the Rogallo-winged trike Paresev 1B of NASAs 1960s experiments and Barry Hill Palmers trike (Fleep inspired) modeled the wing that has evolved to contemporary trike wings. As weight and performance goals have increased purpose-built wings have become more commonplace. They are now long distance cross country machines as shown by record-breaking flights that echo the exploits of fixed-wing aviators in the 1920s and 1930s, e. g. , the circumnavigation of the world.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Food Insecurity in the United States

Food Insecurity in the United States Food Insecurity In The United States Julie Hurley Introduction This paper will introduce the topic of food insecurity and hunger in the United States. According to the definition approved by the 1996 World Food Summit, â€Å"food security exists when†¦all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life†.(Simon, 2012, p. 4-5) Food insecurity therefore, is the inability to acquire adequate food intake for all household members as the result of insufficient resources. Food Insecurity is also the official term used to describe the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) measurement for all the possible variations that a family or house might experience while getting insufficient to sufficient food. The USDA measures the degree to which good food is available and how nutritious that food actually is. So while some members of a family might be getting food most of the time, some of the time some members are getting no food, others are getting food that is not very good and sometimes no one is eating at all. All these variations are taken into account and measured. Food insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all of the time and food insecurity may also reflect the trade-offs a household needs to make between paying the bills and purchasing nutritionally adequate food. (NYC Food Insecurity, 2014) Not surprisingly, low-income families are more likely to experience food insecurity than middle or higher income families. There are four dimensions to food security: availability, accessibility, utilization and stability. So food insecurity occurs when there is: a lack of food (no availability); a lack of resources (no access to food); an improper use (no proper utilization of food); or changes in availability, accessibility or utilization (no stability with regards to food). (Simon, 2012, p. 5-8) The United States produces more food than it could ever use for domestic consumption. Yet despite the ability to produce all this food, food insecurity is still a problem in the United States. American hunger is the result of economic poverty, when some people literally do not have enough funds to purchase food. But levels of income and poverty do not fully predict food insecurity. This suggests that other things (such as the ability to budget resources), are important in determining whether or not someone will be food insecure. (Gowda, Hadley, Aiello, 2012, p. 1586) In 2008, 17 million US households were considered to be food insecure.(Gowda et al., 2012, p. 1579) In 2010, household food insecurity in the US was at its highest level since measurements began in 1995.(Fram et al., 2011, p. 1114) Also in 2010, over one-fifth of U.S. children lived in food-insecure homes. The problem was considered serious enough at the time that President Barack Obama publicly pledged to end child hun ger by 2015.(Fram et al., 2011, p. 1114) Today, food insecurity is combated by both government programs and aid from the private sector. And while both types of aid have increased in this century, hunger relief by the government has outpaced that provided by the private sector.(Gowda et al., 2012, p. 1583) However, this was not always the case, and for many people throughout American history people were essentially on their own. History The prospect of food insecurity is a constant part of the human condition and in the United States has been a concern for as long as people have been living in North America. The European colonists who first settled in North America faced the prospect of severe hunger much of the time. Transplanting crops brought from Europe and trying to grow native crops was difficult. In the early days of the first colonies, many settlers watched their crops fail and ultimately died of starvation or the effects of starvation. But many other settlers were saved from starvation through the generosity of Native Americans. Over time the colonists adapted and they either copied, continued or created farming methods that were successful. In the process of doing this, they discovered that the land in North America was very fertile.(Eisinger, 1998, p. 32-34) They were so successful that despite the rugged environment and violence, hunger in North America was already becoming less severe than the level of hunger found throughout Western Europe. Improved food security had the effect that despite the dangers of life in the colonies, by 1776 American colonists enjoyed a higher life expectancy than their European cousins. The average life expectancy in North America at that time was 51 years; in Great Britain 37 years; in France only 26 years.(Eisinger, 1998, p. 44) A big factor in the food security experienced by North Americans though was that in addition to good fertile land, there was also a low population level. There was also no shortage of jobs. With low unemployment levels and plenty of work, any able-bodied person was prevented from suffering from the effects associated with unemployment, such as low income and the resulting inability to access food.(Fogel, 2004, p. 14-15) But conditions changed by the early 19th century when good land (or at least access to good land) became more scarce, usually available only to those who already had with wealth. It had also become harder to make a living from public land or by owning and operating a small farm. Poor economic conditions forced many small farmers off their land, making them homeless. With a growing population of homeless people, America’s first homeless shelters (which also provided food), were set up, called Poorhouses.(The Poorhouse, 2012) In some areas city officials would also â€Å"hand out† emergency cash to the starving to buy food, but this did not stop the overall rise in poverty or hunger. By 1850 living conditions had fallen so low that in America that life expectancy had dropped to 43 years. It is thought that by 1865, as many as 1 in 5 Americans could have been suffering from food insecurity.(Fogel, 2004, p. 36) After the Civil War, the industrial revolution began to change this situation to some degree. Factory jobs provided more access to income for workers and by the 1870’s there was less hunger and homelessness in the U.S. Of course most of these jobs were low wage and workers suffered in terrible conditions, but there were more jobs to choose from (and therefore less unemployment) so that at least people could earn enough money to eat. Though these â€Å"sweat shops† with their bad working conditions were the engine driving the â€Å"Gilded Age† the overall result was that they improved economy. This in turn created even more (and better) jobs being created outside of the factories as consumers had more money to spend. One side effect however, was that life for the poorest of the poor actually got worse. Many wealthy Americans opposed the idea of government intervening to help the hungry, thinking this would only create masses of lazy unemployed people. They also th ought that it would somehow sabotage the growth of the free market. Laissez Faire capitalism was thought to be the appropriate response to the starving poor. But at the same time, the private sector began to provide help to the poor by creating America’s first soup kitchens.(DePastino, 2005, p. 22) In the early 20th century there was a revolution in farming with the creation of the first methods of mechanized agriculture.(Janick, 2014) Ironically, although this lead to an increase in rural unemployment it also created a surplus of food which helped lower food prices in the United States. As a result, during and after the first World War (1914-1918), the United States sent about 20 million tons of food to a war ravaged Europe. And since World War I the United States has continued to be a world leader for relieving hunger.(Vernon, 2007, p. 242) In the 1920’s America’s economy was booming, but the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed reversed much of the progress that the United States had made in reducing domestic hunger. But as a result of the Great Depression, the issue of American hunger became a major issue for the government. In time both the government and the private sector responded to the needs of the American people. More private soup kitchens and bread lines were opened and the â€Å"New Deal† program of government relief was launched. Some government programs like the Works Progress Administration (or WPA) tried to reduce unemployment by providing much needed jobs. Other programs tried to reduce poverty by raising wages. Another government program, the Federal Surplus Relief Corporation tried to provide poor people with food and bought surplus food from farmers. By the 1940’s the New Deal programs had improved the economy and seemed to have reduced most of the hunger in the United States. Until the late 1960s, many Americans considered hunger in their nation to be a solved problem.(Poppendieck, 1999, p. 11) So much so that some states even ended the practice of distributing federal food surpluses for free. Instead they provided an early form of food stamps but there was a price charged and since many could not pay for them, more people began to suffer from severe hunger again.(Poppendieck, 1999, p. 10) As American society rediscovered hunger, more private charity groups opened soup kitchens and the first modern food bank was created in 1967.(Poppendieck, 1999, p. 112) The so-called â€Å"Hunger Lobby† was also launched to petition politicians to improve welfare for the hungry. By 1967 senate hearings were held on hunger and in 1969 President Nixon called on Congress to end hunger in the U.S. once and for all.(Melnick, 1994, p. 311) In the 1970s, U.S. federal hunger relief grew substantially with food stamps distributed free of charge. Though these efforts again helped combat food insecurity, eventually the federal government again reduced welfare spending.(Dando, 2012, 177–178) The private sector again responded with grass roots relief agencies, essentially in the form of bigger and better food banks.(Dowler, 2012, p. 1) Food Insecurity Interventions America’s heritage of food insecurity provides an interesting look at the cycle within which food insecurity rises and falls. By now the relationship between economics and food insecurity seems pretty well documented: as the economy gets worse, poverty increases and with more people experiencing poverty, more experience food insecurity. Sadly, government policy, again operating in cycles, provides some initial, emergency, short term assistance but then eventually seems to blame the victims for their own deprivations and ends assistance. To be realistic about ending hunger in America, we must acknowledge that no matter how good the economy might ever get, there should always be interventions already in place to prevent food insecurity in the first place and to provide food to the hungry in preparation for the next big economic downturn. As a nurse viewing food insecurity as a public health issue, there are three types of interventions in the field of healthcare: primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Primary preventions try to protect healthy people from developing a problem to begin with. Secondary preventions happen after an illness has already been diagnosed, with the goals being to halt or slow the progress of the illness. Tertiary preventions try to help an ill patient cope with the long term issues associated with an already exiting, full blown condition that cannot be reversed.(Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention, 2006) Primary Interventions: Creating Food Security/Measuring American food insecurity Community food security is created through several avenues like nutrition education, public health, sustainable agriculture and anti-hunger activism. And as a modern public health issue, a primary intervention used to try and prevent food insecurity from occurring, is to track it using reliable and precise methods of measurements. With accurate statistics, policy makers and organizations can address problems before they get worse. The only way to really do this is to get statistics about what demographic is accessing food programs, and the circumstances which caused them to have to do this. The USDA is the government agency which has been tasked with tracking and fighting food insecurity and in 1994, the USDA organized a conference to try and figure out the best way to track food insecurity. The conference identified the appropriate basis for a nationwide measure and agreed that the best way to take such a measure was with nationwide surveys.(History Background, 2014) This conferenc e resulted in the creation of the U.S. Food Security Measurement Project (USFSMP), and current food security statistics are based on the survey measure the USFSMP developed. In 1995, the U.S. Census Bureau first carried out a field test of the first food security survey called the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement. The Food Security Supplement was repeated again from 1996 to 2001 and has been continued annually ever since. Taking the data from these surveys and using the highly sophisticated statistical techniques, USFSMP created â€Å"an accurate scale that measures the severity of deprivation in basic food needs as experienced by U.S. households.†(History Background, 2014) So a major component of primary intervention is already in place by tracking and measuring food insecurity. But the second half of this prevention-oriented approach for community food security is to take those statistics and addresses a diverse range of issues such as: â€Å"food availability and affordability; direct food marketing; diet-related health problems; participation in and access to Federal nutrition assistance programs; ecologically sustainable agricultural production; farmland preservation; economic viability of rural communities; economic opportunity and job security; community development and social cohesion.†(Food Security In The US, 2014) According to the USDA themselves, primary intervention should also support the development of long term strategies: â€Å"To improve access of low-income households to healthful nutritious food supplies. To increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for their own food needs. To promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues.† (Food Security In The US, 2014) Some of these issues can be addressed directly by the USDA but some can only be address in conjunction with or solely by other government agencies and policy makers. For example, the USDA has no say in influencing â€Å"economic opportunity and job security† but at least it can provide other agencies that do, with feedback as to how their policies may or may not be working. It seems unrealistic to think that the USDA alone can end food insecurity and clearly the magnitude of the problem – and the power it would take to prevent it – is beyond the scope of the USDA as it currently exists. But at least this primary intervention is in place and can be used in the future to continue trying to prevent hunger from happening and, until preventing it completely, to act as an alarm for strengthening secondary interventions. Secondary Interventions While primary interventions for food insecurity involve the policy and decision making that affects poverty in America, the interventions that most of us associate with food insecurity are those involving tangible hunger relief that provides food to the hungry. Modern secondary interventions include the following: Food pantries. The most common food aid establishments in the U.S., food pantries collect food from donors and give out actual parcels of food to those in need. Although used by anyone, they are designed to help families have enough food for a few meals which will be eaten at home. The food closet. The food closet has the same purpose as a food pantry, but is not big enough to be in a building of its own. The food closet will be a closet or room in something like a church and is often found in more remote communities. Soup kitchens. Soup kitchens are also called food kitchens and meal centers, all of which provide hot cooked meals for the hungry. These meals are prepared and eaten in the soup kitchen building (not at home). Soup kitchens are the second most common food aid establishment in the U.S. The food bank. The food bank is the third most common food aid establishment. in the U.S. Most food banks usually warehouse food and distribute it to other agencies like food pantries, instead of giving it directly to the hungry. They get their supply of foods from large farms, manufacturers, supermarkets and the federal government. Food rescue organizations also warehouse food and distribute it to other agencies but they operate on a smaller scale than food banks and get their food from different sources – restaurants, smaller shops and small farms. The network of these organizations that provide food assistance is sometimes referred to as the Emergency Food Assistance System (EFAS).(Riches, 1986, p. 15-20)

Saturday, October 12, 2019

True Meaning of Love Revealed in Snow Falling on Cedars Essay -- Snow

True Meaning of Love Revealed in Snow Falling on Cedars      Ã‚  Ã‚   David Guterson's novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, is one that covers a number of important aspects in life, including some controversial topics like racism and the Japanese internment during America's involvement in the Second World War. It speaks to this reader on a more immediate and personal level, however, through the playing out of Ishmael and Hatsue's relationship-one which Hatsue seems to be able to walk away from, but which shapes the way Ishmael tries to "live" his life because he cannot let go of the past, or a future that is not, and was not meant to be.    Ishmael never recovers from the severance of his romantic relationship with Hatsue because of the type of relationship that it was for him, and that it was not for Hatsue. During the internment, Hatsue realized that she "loved him and at the same time couldn't love him" (231). For Hatsue, the relationship was a friendship that grew into something it was not meant to; something she did not expect, yet allowed to continue because she could not decide if it was right or wrong. Ishmael, on the other hand, was in love. His was not a passionate lust, or a romantic love, but what true love is: an action, a decision, yet something beyond his control. For Ishmael also, the friendship grew into something unexpected, but for him it was a discovery that "[a]fter all these years that we've been together, I find you're a part of me. Without you, I have nothing" (222). Ishmael's relationship with Hatsue was something he had to hold on to, because it was all that he had.    During the War, after Ishmael's return, and throughout the trial of Kabuo, Hatsue's husband, Ishmael struggles with his feelings, hi... ... is not something that can be defined, controlled, or conquered. But through Ishmael, Guterson reveals to his reader that it is possible to love someone without letting one's passions destroy life when that relationship is not meant to be, and never will. There is a reason to hope for something greater, something more in life than a dream that will never come true. This reader would like to believe Ishmael will never stop loving Hatsue because his love is true love, which, like God Who is Love (1 John 4:7) never changing. But Ishmael learns to see that loving Hatsue means moving on with his life and doing what Hatsue always knew, and what he now realizes, are the great things he is destine to do in life.    Work Cited: Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars. New York: Vintage, 1995. New American Standard Bible. Reference ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1975. True Meaning of Love Revealed in Snow Falling on Cedars Essay -- Snow True Meaning of Love Revealed in Snow Falling on Cedars      Ã‚  Ã‚   David Guterson's novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, is one that covers a number of important aspects in life, including some controversial topics like racism and the Japanese internment during America's involvement in the Second World War. It speaks to this reader on a more immediate and personal level, however, through the playing out of Ishmael and Hatsue's relationship-one which Hatsue seems to be able to walk away from, but which shapes the way Ishmael tries to "live" his life because he cannot let go of the past, or a future that is not, and was not meant to be.    Ishmael never recovers from the severance of his romantic relationship with Hatsue because of the type of relationship that it was for him, and that it was not for Hatsue. During the internment, Hatsue realized that she "loved him and at the same time couldn't love him" (231). For Hatsue, the relationship was a friendship that grew into something it was not meant to; something she did not expect, yet allowed to continue because she could not decide if it was right or wrong. Ishmael, on the other hand, was in love. His was not a passionate lust, or a romantic love, but what true love is: an action, a decision, yet something beyond his control. For Ishmael also, the friendship grew into something unexpected, but for him it was a discovery that "[a]fter all these years that we've been together, I find you're a part of me. Without you, I have nothing" (222). Ishmael's relationship with Hatsue was something he had to hold on to, because it was all that he had.    During the War, after Ishmael's return, and throughout the trial of Kabuo, Hatsue's husband, Ishmael struggles with his feelings, hi... ... is not something that can be defined, controlled, or conquered. But through Ishmael, Guterson reveals to his reader that it is possible to love someone without letting one's passions destroy life when that relationship is not meant to be, and never will. There is a reason to hope for something greater, something more in life than a dream that will never come true. This reader would like to believe Ishmael will never stop loving Hatsue because his love is true love, which, like God Who is Love (1 John 4:7) never changing. But Ishmael learns to see that loving Hatsue means moving on with his life and doing what Hatsue always knew, and what he now realizes, are the great things he is destine to do in life.    Work Cited: Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars. New York: Vintage, 1995. New American Standard Bible. Reference ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1975.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Dramatic Dialogue Analysis Essay

Language is a natural process of living. It plays a great part in our lives. Its effects are remarkable, and include much of what distinguishes man from animals. We use it to interact with one another, to construct and maintain our interpersonal relations and order. In doing so, we interpret and represent the world for one another and for ourselves. Language is used to store the experiences built up, both personal and collective. It is a tool for constructing knowledge and for constructing meaning. The study of language is an inquiry into the nature of mind and thought on the assumption that languages are the best mirror of the human mind (Stainton, 1999). Analysis of everyday language use affirms that it is in the realm of art that their challenges are most evident and tangible (Gerbig and Muller-Wood, 2006). Linguistics shares a common tradition with literary study. Not so long ago, language and literature were studied together by philologists, who saw the study of both areas as mutually beneficial. Later development and the advent of specialization in both fields have oven produced scholars whose work does not cross over form one field to another (Oaks, 1998). Even so, scholars in either discipline regularly voice the truism that there is natural conjunction between literature and linguistics. After all, both fields deal with the raw material of human communication and expression – language. There is a need for interdisciplinary cooperation between the disciplinary identity of linguistics as empirical and descriptive while literary study being interpretative and analytical (Gerbig and Muller-Wood, 2006). Linguistics helps us to â€Å"trust the text† (Gerbig and Muller-Wood, 2006), to interpret the text, rather than impose interpretations upon on it. Application of linguistic empirical tools to literature may not lead to ultimate truths. It can nevertheless bring precision to otherwise often impressionistic treatment of text. There is a need to treat text as interchangeable products of a discursive system. Mogliola (1981) posed the question: â€Å"what are the structural conditions for the valid reading of a text, in so far as these conditions are revealed by a phenomenology of interpretative experience? † Heideggerian hermeneutics takes as its origin the pre-objective oneness of interpreter and phenomenon (be the literary text) – sees in interpretation a reading that is faithful to this oneness. Interpreter is never neutral, but always approaches a text with an explicit or implicit question. Interpretative activity manifests three functions: the interpretative question, the textual aspect, and the interpretation which is the meaning. Any given interpretative question should select and illuminate its affiliated â€Å"textual aspect†, an aspect which is there is the text. Linguistics can place literature more firmly and credibly in its context for other aspects of meaning depend more on the context and the communicative intention of the speakers. Communication clearly depends not only on recognizing the meaning of words in an utterance, but recognizing what speakers mean by their utterances. The principles and rules of grammar are the means by which the forms of language are made to correspond with the universal form of thought. The study of generative grammar represented a significant shift of focus in the approach to problems of language. The shift focus was from behavior or the products of behavior to states of mind/brain that enter into behavior, the central concern becomes knowledge of language: its nature, origins, and use. The three basic questions arise: ‘What constitute knowledge of language? ’, ‘How is knowledge of language acquired? ’, and ‘How is knowledge of language put to use? ’. The answer to the third question would be a theory how the knowledge of language attained enters into the expression of thought and the understanding of presented specimen of language, and derivatively, into communication, an other special uses of language (Stainton, 1999). The third question takes an important part in this study, particularly in the performance of the language which main purpose is communication. Communication is conceived as a relation that binds together the three elements: sender, receptionist, and topic. Corresponding to the three elements are three distinct functions: expression, appeal, and representation. These functions consist communicative function depending on what takes the center-stage. The function does exclusively what is represented or depicted in the communicative act. The three functions become the explicit focus of conversation (Medina, 2005). Alongside communication is conversation. Smith (2001) describes conversation as a process of two people understanding each other. Thus it is a characteristic of every true conversation that each opens himself to the other person, truly accepts his point of view as worthy of consideration and gets inside the other to such an extent that he understands not a particular individual, but what he says. The thing that has to be grasped is the objective rightness or otherwise of his opinion, so that they can agree with each other as a subject. Furthermore, in conversation, knowledge is not fixed thing or commodity to be grasped. It is an aspect of process. It arises out of interaction. In conversation, there is a to-and-fro play of dialogue. Dialogue is the encounter between men, mediated by the world, in order to name the world. It is culturally and historically specific way of conceiving certain verbal transactions and as such has considerable rhetorical force (Maranhao, 1990). The root sense of dialogue is that of talk (logos) that goes across or back and forth (dia). In contemporary English, dialogue is a conversation of two persons. At formal level, it is an economics of verbal exchange. In the functional usage of dialogue, a text or social interaction is treated as a social field across which multiple voices and multiple cultural logics contend with each other (Tedlock and Mannheim, 1995). What makes something as dialogue? The spirit of its participants of the form its utterances take? In Plato’s inception, dialogue has always been and continues to be programmatically liminal: interstructural, between two states or conditions, essentially unstructured rather than structured by contradictions; because of its deliberate avoidance of closure and finality. It serves perpetually as a vehicle for reformulating old elements into new patterns. Dialogue provides a meeting ground, community, and manifests itself in a variety of spontaneous and ritual modes of discourse in which nature and structure meet. Understood as a conceptualization of a kind of discourse and also a way of viewing and interpreting discourse, dialogue shares with narrative the characteristic of being atemporal, existing in many times and places. As discourse phenomena, it is internally atemporal. It does not talk about events in time; instead it spans in ‘dialectic event (i. e, discourse event) and meaning’; it presents utterances, ideas, and undertakings in nonlinear, recursive, diaeretical, and synthesizing sequences (Maranhao, 1990). Treating dialogue as an ideal evidently has an ethical implication. Furthermore, when a particular mode of communication is chosen as a model of dialogue, it becomes identified with the sense of goodness or rightness adhering in the ideal to the exclusion of other modes of communication. (Maranhao,1990). Spoken and written languages are what Maranhao (1990) termed as modes of communication. Although written and spoken languages are very different, they are not easy to separate. In fact, they are closely intertwined, and in daily life people participate in literacy events where reading and writing are mixed with spoken language and with other means of communication. Writing is based on speech in some very real ways; spoken language is the basis for the most people’s learning of written language, for instance, and the very form of written language gets inspiration form spoken language. However, other aspects of communication come into play with written language. Most significantly, it is visual: laid out in some way and displayed. The importance of the role design, layout and other aspect of the physical context should be evident and they form part of what is meant by writing. Writing enables us to go much further than spoken language: its ability to fix things in space and time. Writing results in text. It extends the functions of language, and enables to do different things (Barton, 2006). It is in the realm of art where study of language is evident and tangible. Dramatic dialogue, the interplay between written and spoken language, fits for the study. It is therefore desirous to investigate the workings of dramatic dialogue. Dramatic dialogues usually serve a number of purposes such as developing the plot, and presenting the characters and providing information about them. Playwrights attempt to achieve balance between some features of actual speech and the employment of dialogue by putting not too much closeness to actual speech so as not to make dialogues dull and uninteresting (Al-Rubai’i and Al-ani, 2004). Dramatic dialogues (plays) exist in two ways – on the page and on the stage. It is therefore necessary to adhere to the argument that sensitive understanding of plays (explicitly contains dramatic dialogue) can be arrived at through â€Å"mere reading† through linguistic analyses that dramatic text contains very rich indications as to how they should be performed. Dramatic dialogue takes into account that one crucial aspect in which drama differs from poetry and fiction is in its emphasis on verbal interaction, and the very relationship between people are constructed and negotiated through what they say. It is where linguistics takes into its own. Linguistics, and the techniques of discourse analyses in particular, can help analyze the exchanges between characters, in order to: help us understand the text, help us understand how conversation works, and allow us to appreciate better the skill demonstrated by the playwright (Thornborrow and Wareing, 1998). Chapter 2 Dialogue as discourse is characterized by a fundamental structural principle: it is interactive and interactional. It is a mode of speech exchange among participants, speech in relation to another speech not merely the verbal expression of one character or actors’ part. In the study of dialogue as interaction, the dramatic text as written text, addresses a context of performance which requires a change in mode of discourse – the transformation and transmutation of the written lines into dynamics of speech, which involve more than recitation of the lines by the actors (Herman, 1995). In the study of dramatic dialogue, understanding the workings of the dialogue as interaction and conversational speech versus dramatic speech are taken into account. It is also important to note that dramatic dialogue, taking part in the speech exchange system, must be safeguarded from conversation in order to preserve the formers’ ‘literary’ quality (Herman, 1995). In the construction of conversational practices and actions, participants use co-occurring structures and devices from different levels of linguistic organization as well as the employment of linguistic features in conversation. In the linguistic analyses of dramatic dialogue, Gricean semantics and analyses on the linguistic features: turns, pauses or silences, adjacency pairs, chaining, and back channel support, will be employed. According to Gricean Semantics, in ordinary conversation exchanges, there is much more to the meaning of an utterance than what appears on the grammatical and logical surface: utterances often convey things other than what they literally mean and they often imply things other than what they strictly entail. The adequate understanding of meaning requires the processing of what has been termed as ‘an invited inference’. Grice formulated the maxims as follows: ‘Make your contribution to the conversation as informative as possible, but not more informative or less informative that is required (Maxims of Quantity); ‘Do not say what you believe to be false’ and ‘Do not say that which for you lack adequate evidence (Maxims of Quality); ‘Avoid obscurity’, ‘Avoid ambiguity’, ‘Be brief’, Be orderly’ (Maxims of Manner), and ‘Be relevant’ (Maxims of Relevance). According to Grice, all these different maxims are corollaries of the most fundamental principle of communication that governs all conversation. This is what he called as Cooperative Principle which read as follows: ‘Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk-exchange in which you all engaged. ’ (Medina, 2005). The central premise of the Gricean approach is that the communicative intention of a normal speaker under normal circumstances conforms to the cooperative principle and the conversational maxims that derive from it. For Gricean semantics, the speakers’ conversational contributions are governed first and foremost by these general rules of cooperative communication, rather than by the semantic conventions that fix word-meanings and sentence-meanings. It is also important to note that intended meanings of speakers can depart sometimes even wildly like that of ironic utterances. Grice’s analyses of intended meanings put a lot of weight in the speaker’s communicative intentions undermining the traditional emphasis on linguistic conventions, which on his view become mere tools to be used and bent in all kinds of ways (Medina, 2005). One of the linguistic features in conversation which tends to be modified in dramatic dialogue is the way turns are taken, the way people having a conversation organize who is going to speak next. Schegloff (1995) had the idea that syntax of spoken language in interaction should be looked upon as resource that is deployed and exploited for the organization of turns and sequence in conversation. Turn-taking is one important communication skill emerging during preverbal routines. It is a mechanism use to reorganize conversation so that interactants smoothly exchange speaking consequences. Through turn-taking, participants coordinate their conversational contributions to each other. Turn-taking works as the onset of dialogue and is a prerequisite for latter emergence of communicative rule (Haslett and Samter, 1997). In general, for the construction of conversational practices and actions, participants use co-occurring structures and devices from different levels of linguistic organization, not only from prosodic, phonetic-phenological, but also form morpho-syntactic and lexico-semantic structures in turns-at-talk in their sequential context. The possible types for turn constructional units (TCU), for English, are sentential, clausal, phrasal, and lexical. Syntactic units are important resources for the construction of TCU and turns. TCU is a linguistic unit in talk constructed in the interplay of syntax and prosody in its sequential context. For spoken language in interaction, syntactic entities like sentences are not to be conceived as static or fixed, but flexible. That is why when talking about transmission relevance placed as the relevant loci for the negotiation of turn-taking; ends of sentences, clauses or phrases etc. are not talked about but the ‘possible completion points’ of sentences, clauses, phrases, and one-word construction. It is the flexibility of the possible syntactic unit that enables them to be used for the organization of turn-taking in conversation (Hakulinen and Selting, 2005). In the construction of conversation, participants are not concerned with the construction of units as such, but the construction of units is contingent upon practices or activities such as holding, organizing, and yielding the turn. TCUs are not themselves relevant for participants, but for the practices and activities of turn-taking and activity constitution (Haslett and Samter, 1997).