Rebel Women vs. Yankee Women

Rebel Women vs. Yankee Women Many stories have been told about the Civil War; there is the story of Gettysburg, Stonewall Jackson’s death, Robert E. Lee leading his solders, and many more. However, we only hear the smallest amount of information about what the wives of these soldiers are doing. It would be interesting to dig deep into the details of the support army general wives gave, what the government expected from women of both sides of the war, and the main differences of lifestyle back on the home front.Women were a huge part of the Civil War and supported the soldiers in many ways. My goal is to find the difference between the support Robert E. Lee’s wife and George Meade’s spouse gave. Robert E. Lee was an outstanding leader so it is a wonder what sort of support he received other than from his soldiers and assistants. George Meade was also an interesting character of the war and took reign at a difficult time, right before Gettysburg; he would have need ed some emotional support. Mary Anna Randolph Custis was General Lee’s wife, married in 1831.Even though many women were not educated, Custis had a fine education and was intelligent. Mary’s mother, Molly, was a huge advocate for freeing slaves and eventually had Mary believing in the same rights. They tried to weaken the harsh conditions of slavery and let their own slaves free. However, they were not quite convinced African Americans should be part of the society. 1 Mary had many suitors; she turned down requests from distinguished cousins, Sam Houston and two sons from the Revolutionary war hero, Harry Lee.It was believed that there were few worthy of her love, but Robert E. Lee claimed it. He was a distant cousin to her and a childhood friend. Although others thought their finances and sexual life was a scandal, they were wedded. The life of a military wife that Mary had to begin living was a worry to General Lee. She grew up sophisticated and had a wealthy life. M ary, even though she missed her childhood home, followed Robert Lee to his field posts.She spent much of the time drawing and would only return home for pregnancy or illness. Through the war she had wished her husband would leave the army, but she stuck with him through it. It is not odd to wonder how she mustered the strength to raise seven children, follow her soldier husband and stay sane. Many would say that focusing on her artwork helped with the extensive traveling. After Virginia succeeded, Mary told her husband that she would support any choice he made. 2 Mrs.General Lee was a very loyal wife and showed her support towards the Confederates after feeling pushed away by the North. She would visit hospitals of soldiers and knit socks for the ill men. A neighbor tells this about the Lee home: â€Å"People came to talk of victory or sorrow; they could stay here if they had nowhere to go†¦The brightness of her nature amidst uncertainty and pain, was wonderful. †3 An in spirational image of her is her sitting on her home porch knitting while there is fire in the street.

Google Marketing Plan

Strategic planning Analyzing Google’s strategic planning process Google’s Strategic planning Strategic planning is the process of developing and maintaining a fit between the organization’s goals and capabilities and its changing marketing opportunities. Google’s story is not that different from many startups in the late 1990s. At first, the operation was run out of Page’s dorm room with borrowed and refurbished equipment. The newly incorporated company, funded by angel investors, moved off campus and soon, at the height of the dotcom boom, attracted $25 million in support from two venture capital firms.In 2004 the company went public with a prospectus that proposed the motto â€Å"Don’t Be Evil† and described an auction to determine its opening share price. STEPS IN STRATEGIC PLANNING: STEP ONE: DEFINE THE MISSION Google’s mission: Organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. STEP TWO: SET OBJ ECTIVES AND GOALS Google’s objectives: Enabling users to search a larger base of information, Google began with the Internet search engine in 1998.They want to make the â€Å"perfect search engine† that â€Å"understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want. † At that time, Google need to invest in research and development for a better search engine. So being profitable becomes an objective. Developing tracking mechanisms and new advertising technology, as their main profit was from Internet advertising, they dug deeper in this field and introduced â€Å"AdWords†, a self-service program for creating online ad campaigns in 2000.It help thousands of businesses grow and be successful. This program has become the main profit resources now. Creating patents and intellectual property – will hold the keys to gaining competitive advantages in the market and retaining and recruiting the best human resources Google has grown to offe r products beyond search, but the spirit of the mission remains. From search to Chrome to Gmail—their goal is to make it as easy as possible for you to find the information you need and get the things you need to do done.In 2011, Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, writes about the company's plans for the coming years, saying â€Å"as I think about Google's strategic initiatives in 2011, I realize they're all about mobile. † Thanks to geolocation and the power of the phone's Web browser platform, it's possible to deliver personalized information to users about â€Å"where you are, what you could do there right now, and so forth, and to deliver such a service at scale. † At this point, Google decided to devote most of their energy in the mobile field, as it can provide the customer with useful information very easily.This objective is persistent with Google’s mission. STEP THREE: Designing the Business Portfolio Nearly everything the company does , including buil ding big data centers ,buying optical fiber , promoting free Wi-Fi access ,fighting copyright restrictions , supporting open source software ,and giving away Web services and data , is aimed at reducing the cost and expanding the scope of Internet use . In year 2011, Google began working on a mobile payments service called â€Å"Google money†, in according with the mobile field development objective.Google’s products a) For individual: Google search; Google Chrome; Gmail; Aim to help you find the needed information easily and conveniently and spare more time for yourself, family and friends. b) For companies: Google AdWords: to find prospects; you don’t have to pay until you ad has been clicked. Google Apps: Gmail; Google Calendar; The Cloud Disk; Google document†¦ Help to improve work efficiency. Google Analytics: optimize your website c) For network: Chrome AndroidAnalyzing the current business portfolio (BCG Analysis) Product| Market Share | Market Growt h| Type| Android| High| High | Stars| Browser| Low| High| Question marks| Ads| High| High| Stars| Searching engine| High| Low| Cash cows| Youtube| High| Low| Cash cows| Developing strategies for growth and downsizing Market Penetration: Google is now expanding in different areas especially in American markets by following the penetration strategy and the customers are targeted by the advertisers in different geographical locations.Market Development: Google search in present market is involved in changing the trends just because of the customers need. Google is now enhancing the features of the search engines to become more attractive for the customers. Diversification Strategy: Google has always been investing heavily in internal R&D projects with the aim of â€Å"solving the world’s problems using technology†. It is now much more than a search engine – it is using its massive retained profits to diversify into a wide range of seemingly unrelated industries.STE P FOUR: PLANNING MARKETING AND OTHER FUNCTIONAL STATEGIES Google has sought to employ the power of differentiation to create a competitive advantage —understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want Applying concentric diversification focus on the core product of search services the company has also been able to benefit from a competitive advantage in â€Å"faster response times, greater scalability and lower costs† Hence, not only does Google have a high advantage in the differentiation arena, but a cost and speed advantage as well.Google offers generous stock options and provide relaxed working atmosphere to retain the best talent and align employee interests with shareholder interests. (Google provides free lunches every day for employees and encourages participation in the weekly roller hockey games. The company regularly sponsors employee outings such as picnics and skiing trips) WHAT ROLE MARKETING PLAYS IN THIS PROCESS?First, marketing provides a guiding philosophy that suggests that company strategy should revolve around building profitable relationships with important consumer groups. To maximize customers’ benefit, satisfy the latest demand, Google develop the technologies that serve people’s life and work. Second, marketing provides inputs to strategic planners by helping to identify attractive market opportunities and by assessing the firm’s potential to take advantage of them.As the development of mobile equipment, more and more people choose the mobile instead of fixture. Google spend much energy in the mobile equipment these years, marketing lead Google to this development direction Finally, within individual business units, marketing designs strategies for reaching the unit’s objectives. Marketing strategies and programs are developed to support marketing objectives.

Earth Day Essay

The subject of Earth Day has been covered intensively by the world press over the past decade. Many an afternoon has been enjoyed by a family, bonding over the discussion of Earth Day. Until recently considered taboo amongst polite society, it is yet to receive proper recognition for laying the foundations of democracy. Often it is seen as both a help and a hinderence to global commercial enterprises, who are yet to grow accustomed to its disombobulating nature. Complex though it is I shall now attempt to provide an exaustive report on Earth Day and its numerous ‘industries’. Social Factors There is cultural and institutional interdependence between members of any community. When Thucictholous said ‘people only know one thing’ [1] he saw clearly into the human heart. Difference among people, race, culture and society is essential on the survival of our world, however Earth Day raises the question ‘why?’ Recent thought on Earth Day has been a real eye-opener for society from young to old. It grows stonger every day. Economic Factors There has been a great deal of discussion in the world of economics, centred on the value of Earth Day. We shall examine the Fish-Out-Of-Water model. Taking special care to highlight the role of Earth Day within the vast framework which this provides. Oil Prices Earth Day What a splendid graph. Obviously oil prices sings a very different tune. Perhaps to coin a phrase Earth Dayeconomics will be the buzz word of the  century Political Factors No man is an island, but what of politics? Comparing the general view of politics held by the poor of the west with those of the east can be like comparing. Consider this, spoken at the tender age of 14 by jazz singer Bonaventure H. Amster ‘Taking a walk across hot coals will inevitably hurt your feet.’ [2] This quotation leads me to suspect that he was not unaccustomed to Earth Day. It speaks volumes. History tells us that Earth Day will always be a vote winner, whether we like it, or not. Why did Earth Day cross the road? – To get to the other side! Just my little joke, but lets hope that Earth Day doesn’t inspire similar hilarity in the next elections. Conclusion To conclude, Earth Day parades along man’s streets and man waves back. It fills a hole, invades where necessary and always chips in.

Dantes Inferno Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dantes Inferno - Essay Example .." subordinator, and ending with main clauses that open with "so..." Rendered by a single translator, these similes tie together disparate styles encountered between analogies; codified by a recurring language of analogy, they give us a dark comfort just as Homer's tropes of analogy--"Wine dark sea," "Rose fingered dawn"--comfort us. If we can safely assume that what we have accomplished sounds better than prose, can we also believe that we have dislodged Dante's sense little enough to justify the effort It all comes down to no more and no less than that. It seems fair to conclude with a test case. Here is the lovely simile, a mixture of Virgilian pastoral and everyday Tuscan agricultural elements that opens Inferno 24, first in John Sinclair's prose, and then in our free verse. The situation is this: Virgil has been irritated by the mocking of his intelligence by the shade of a Jovial Friar from Bologna, since he had been tricked by a devil and almost gotten Dante killed in an ambush: Dante's style changes with different speakers and settings, and the translator must adjust his style to suit that variety. Francesca's mode in telling of the love that brought her to hell, is very different from the tone Ulysses uses in recalling how he inspired his men to follow him to the ends of the earth. Bertran de Born, holding his head up like a lantern as he tells his sin, has a voice very different from Ugolino's expression of pain and vicious fury. Language and mood shift with the shifting canvas. The simile of the arsenal in Venice as the workmen caulk their unsound ships' with viscous pitch' which introduces the scene devoted to the devils of barratry is different in language and mood from the hoarfrost' image of a country scene evoked to describe the protagonist's feelings of relief at seeing Virgil smile again. Dante succeeds in commemorating not only the paramount movement from visual to verbal levels but the contrary movement from the verbal surface to the picture or vision that lies behind it. The acrostics are something between writing and picture. They have neither the differentiated articulation of a discursive argument nor the representative density of a picture, nor are they as schematic as a diagram, although their numerological distribution has diagrammatic elements. They instantiate rather the locus of a contest among the arts. On the side of vision is the immediacy that places as a picture in "logical space" the Dantean message of man's connection with pride--the fundamental sin. Vision, not discourse, is that toward which the power of the poet

Ashima's pregnancy experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ashima's pregnancy experience - Essay Example Therefore, Ashimas’s first pregnancy brings her significant outcomes in order to give a birth. She feels abnormal to raise a child in a foreign country. She is concerned by her first experience in the hospital, and she feels discomfort because of her family members’ absence during her pregnancy. Ashima is worried by the fact that she is going to raise a child far away from her parents. It is extremely difficult for her to give birth, and raise a child in a strange country where she knows almost nothing. Therefore, she feels lonely and more worried than anything else. Even though becoming a mother brings her satisfaction in her life just like her ancestry, â€Å"she is terrified to raise a child in a country where she is related to no one, where she knows so little, where life seems so tentative and spare† (Lahiri p.6). Ashima is also concerned with giving birth in the hospital because she has a different belief from where she hails. The fact that she is going to deliver a child where people experience extreme difficulties makes her unhappy. She thinks that giving birth in a hospital is an unnecessary experience a woman should never undergo. She reasons that women in India feel more comfortable giving birth in their parents’ house than in the hospital. For instance, she mentions, â€Å"there is nothing to comfort her in the off-white tiles of the floor, the off-white panels of the ceiling, the white sheets tucked tightly into the bed† (Lahiri p.4). For these reasons, Ashima feels strange giving birth in the hospital. Ashima feels discomfort since she lacks relatives who can support her during her pregnancy. Being pregnant in a strange country without her mother’s and grandmother’s support is the most difficult part for Ashima. She feels that she misses the most important people in her life. She has a different feeling due to the absence of her relatives during her baby’s birth. Furthermore, the birth of her baby brings her

Exam questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Exam questions - Essay Example The Discounted Cash Flow ("DCF") technique is the most commonly used valuation method that accounts for the "going-concern" value of the Company. The cash flow projections are derived from (a) assumed revenue generation on product sales, less (b) operating costs and debt repayment on capital investments (not including interest payments), plus (c) an estimate of the Company's residual value at the end of the 3 to 5 year period. These projections are then discounted back to the present by the risk-adjusted, weighted-average cost of capital. This cost of capital accounts for interest payments and/or equity returns expected by investors in the Company over the projection period. Venture Capital Valuation Techniques Sophisticated investors such as VCs, institutional investors and corporate investors generally begin the valuation analysis by examining management's cash flow projections to test the underlying assumptions and business model. Once the investor has developed a certain comfort level in the projections, a variety of techniques are used to determine the percentage ownership the investor will require. Each of these methods start with the management's projections under the DCF technique, but ignore management's application of its assumed discount rate to the present in order to value the Company. Instead, the VC investor imposes its own ROI, as indicated in each of the methods described below - to meet its own investment parameters irrespective of management's analysis of the cost of capital. By applying its own ROI, the investor can then determine the percentage ownership it will require to reach this ROI assuming a certain market valuation for the Company. Where these VC valuation methods differ from the DCF method is in (a) the difference...Once the investor has developed a certain comfort level in the projections, a variety of techniques are used to determine the percentage ownership the investor will require. Each of these methods start with the management's projections under the DCF technique, but ignore management's application of its assumed discount rate to the present in order to value the Company. Instead, the VC investor imposes its own ROI, as indicated in each of the methods described below - to meet its own investment parameters irrespective of management's analysis of the cost of capital. By applying its own ROI, the investor can then determine the percentage ownership it will require to reach this ROI assuming a certain market valuation for the Company. Where these VC valuation methods differ from the DCF method is in (a) the difference in the discount rate, or ROI applied by the Company and by the investor, and (b) the use all VC methods employ of P/E ratios to determine market valuation of the Company at the end of the projection period (equivalent to the methods used under the DCF technique

Economic growth and convergence in poor countries Dissertation

Economic growth and convergence in poor countries - Dissertation Example d stimulation of the sales by means of advertising, personal sales, public relations and various material incentives addressed to consumers, agents and sellers; provision of price conditions, that include planning of the systems and price levels for provided goods, defining technology of price, credit, discount usage; satisfaction of technical and social norms of the region where the products are sold, which means the duty to provide appropriate security of product consumption and environment protection, accordance to moral norms, appropriate level of consumer value of the product; managing economic growth activity as a system, i.e. planning, carrying out and control of economic growth program and individual duties of each participant of production process; evaluation of the risks and profits, efficiency of economic growth decisions. The given paper will provide the analysis of the problems, which developing countries face on the way to economic growth and will prove that in order to stimulate economy, it is necessary to provide innovations in the field of marketing and management. Research analysis and limitations The research process should cover a number of stages. First and foremost, the detailed review of literature is performed, to identify the gaps in research and develop a clearer picture of contemporary management practices in the developing countries. The development of the research question was followed by the analysis of the available literature and potential research objects. Researched countries made the whole research relevant, efficient, and justified. The choice of Ukraine as an example was followed by the development of the research instrument and its analysis. The most important research findings include: The prevailing majority of developing... During the process of market-oriented reformatting a new model of economic development was shaped in many developing countries. It is characterized by high degree of economical openness towards foreign commerce. Many developing countries face the following problems:†¢Ã‚  Limited domestic demand, caused by total pauperization of the population and large-scale humiliation of pre-reforming savings. It leads to narrowness of domestic market, which produces a small volume of solvent demand, regardless of relatively big population. Under such circumstances export becomes a significant factor of economic growth, which is abnormal for economical security of the state, and affects the perspectives of the state influence on the processes of world economy. Market narrowness does not produce appropriate stimulus for investment in the state from domestic and foreign investors.†¢Ã‚  Unfavorable nature of investment climate, caused by incompleteness of the market-addresses institutional r eforms, high level of interference of state institutions and officials into economical activity, high rates of corruption, incompleteness of market infrastructure. It produces the narrowness of domestic market and detracts the capital flows from the country.For example, the crisis of Ukrainian economy was caused by insufficiently considered monetary policy of the government and influence of the structures that are interested in creation of economy of non-payment. Government is planning to remove these structures.

Air Pollution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Air Pollution - Research Paper Example Air pollution emanates from air pollutants. These are substances that have adverse effects on the natural ecosystem when released into the atmosphere. The air pollutants can be liquid droplets, gases, or solid particles. The pollutants are either generated through the natural processes or by the action of human activities. One of the commonest natural sources of air pollution is the volcanic eruption. The gases emitted through volcanic activities may contain toxic pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. The human activities that cause air pollution are mainly due to industrial production. Many modern factories emit sulphur dioxide through the production processes. The pollutant can also build up in the air due to the reaction of other gases such as sulphur monoxide with oxygen. In other words, the presence of oxygen in the air causes pollution after some non-polluting gases react with oxygen (Haerens 12). Sulphur may react with oxygen in a chain of processes leading to the emission of sulphur dioxide. Similarly, oxygen may react with carbon in a chain of reaction processes leading to the emission of carbon monoxide, an air pollutant. The other source of air pollution is the oxides of nitrogen. They result from human activities, especially due to motor vehicle exhausts. Some vehicles are not fitted with the required catalytic converters to convert the oxides into the non-polluting nitrogen gas. When the oxides of nitrogen combine with those of sulphur in the atmosphere, the air becomes unpalatable and unsuitable for human health (Ayres, Robert & Roy 4). The result is the outbreak of skin cancers and other infections associated with the pollutants. Likewise, the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is directly associated with global warming. The gas causes greenhouse effect that leads to the preservation of more heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Although the sources

Do revolutions 'happen' or are they 'made' Discuss with reference to Essay

Do revolutions 'happen' or are they 'made' Discuss with reference to at least two theories of revolution, and using exa - Essay Example A revolution is known to be a change, a metamorphosis for the outbreak of the whole political, social and economic system of a certain area. The whole setup is not just crashed because of some unknown reason of just by a group of people who are seeking their vested interest; rather, there is some lack and seepage in the system which in turn gives rise to the revolution. The primary advocates of this theory include Aristotle. He says that causes of every revolution lie in mass spread inequalities, rejection of the working class by elite class of the society and oppressive behavior of the rich. The rejectionist behavior that is faced by majority of the masses makes them set their foot out for a change that will bring them eventually some honor, pride, power and money. Abuse of standards of legal frameworks and misuse of power by the privileged class are also the main causes of revolution. ... will try to oscillate the running system because the majority is happy with the system and any attempt from outside to throw away the current regime will not be entertained by the environment or the people. According to this theory, the revolutions are triggered by the events caused by the running class, and then these events can be manipulated by other parties who have their own interests in the coming revolution, but this does not mean that revolutions are made up by some powers initially. The idea is that each revolution is started internally on some causes that are very much anticipated in the books of revolution. Aristotle said that under corrupt regimes, people are tired to rule over by fear and brutal behaviors. As a result of this, the ambitious people get their emotions beefed up and they set out some movements to change the tyrant and oppressive ruling class. This is the stage when other powers can show interest, but the starting of the revolutions has already taken place. Karl Marx was in support of the same theory as he said potential working class and lower middle class are often offended by the upper class or the rich class because they regard themselves as some kind of more privileged people than others. They think the production in society is earned by them, and this gives them every right to harm or humiliate the lower classes. They can also hurt their feelings because they are gentiles in their view. As a result, the consequences take the form of revolution and the working class uses their numerical edge and power of numbers against the ruling class because the suffered class has always been in majority and exploitative classes are always in minority. When there is an open battle between minority and majority, the end result goes in favor of majority

Nature vs. Nurture Essay Example for Free

Nature vs. Nurture Essay Over recent years the nature vs. nurture debate has been extensively discussed and researched. Should human characteristics such as intelligence, personality, behavior and ability be attributed to our genetics or our environment? One problem with this is how to pin a trait down to either an inherited or learned characteristic, or perhaps itÂ’s both. Are we to blame for our behavior or is inevitable due to our genetics? This question and others seems to be part of the controversy over the subject. Also, these questions play a factor in how to change and adapt behavior. Different techniques would be more effective depending on the cause of a particular behavior or characteristic. When analyzing the causes of behavior problems in children the question of nature vs. nurture is a legitimate question. One recent study conducted by the University of Virginia and several others including one in Australia studied 1,045 twins and their 2,051 children. Some of the parents were identical twins with others being fraternal. This affected the amount of genes that were shared among the siblings. Participants were twins from a volunteer twin registry and information was gathered through a series of phone interviews beginning in 1993 and ending in 2003. The study discovered that spousal fighting wasnÂ’t to blame for behavioral problems in their children. Rather, it was the genes that influenced how often they argued with spouses. These genes when passed to their children caused more conduct problems. The conclusion of the study was that in family therapy, more focus on the child rather than the parents would be more effective (Society for Research in Child Development, 2007). This conclusion supports the theory that it is nature or our genetics that influence this particular behavior. On the other end of the spectrum another study involved observing children in different childcare settings. Researchers from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development studied the children beginning in 1991 from the age of one month until they were school age. These 1,364 participants were selected at birth and were studied through phone and personal interviews at three month intervals. The childrenÂ’s cognitive and social functioning was measured at certain intervals and followed up to the  children on sixth grade. It was concluded that center based care yielded more aggression and disobedience than other types of childcare, with the quality of childcare was also found to be a factor (Society for Research in Child Development, 2007). This conclusion supports the theory that it is nurture or our environment that influences this particular behavior and the type of care children receive is an important factor in a childÂ’s development. Both of these studies posed the question of whether the cause of a particular problem, this one being behavioral issues, is genetic or ones environment. Both of these studies looked exclusively at one cause or the other with little being discussed about the other possibilities. The differences in the studies was the length of time given to each study with the genetic study being short term and the childcare study involving observations over a period of time. Another difference is the twin study looked at parents of a specific group, that being twins. The child care study looked at the children of many different types of parents. While both of these studies have their merits, neither study was able to conclusively determine the cause of behavioral problems observed as being attributed solely to genetics or the environment. The question of which one plays a greater role will likely continue to be asked. Hopefully this leads to more research and answers that will further our understanding of human behavior. References Society for Research in Child Development (2007, March 26). Center-based Care Yields More Behavior Problems; In Other Types Of Care, Problems Short-lived. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 31, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com ¬ /releases/2007/03/070326095340.htm. Society for Research in Child Development (2007, February 7). Parents Genes, Not Parents Arguing, May Cause Childrens Conduct Problems. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 31, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com ¬ /releases/2007/02/070207090943.htm.

The functional organisation of the visual system

The functional organisation of the visual system The aim of this essay is to describe the organisation of the visual system in relation to its specific functions. In order to perform essential functions, the visual system is faced with many computational problems needing to be solved in order to maintain effective visual perception. This essay aims to describe one such computational problem the visual system must solve; colour constancy. If light coming down from the sky changes colour, the perceived colour of objects should also change, however this is not the case. The nervous system is highly involved in the process of maintaining effective colour constancy and this essay aims to look into how colour constancy is achieved in the nervous system. The first part of this essay will outline the functional organisation of the visual system, focusing on the general anatomical organisation, the retina, lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), organisation of the cortex and parallel and hierarchal processing. Focus will then be on the chosen co mputational problem of colour constancy and the importance of the visual system maintaining successful constancy of colour. The next issue will be to assess how colour constancy is achieved within the human nervous system, focusing on the functional specialisation of the cortex, cone receptors and retinal involvement in attempt to understand how colour constancy is maintained in the nervous system. The visual system is part of the central nervous system and includes the eyes, connecting pathways to the visual cortex and different parts of the brain that collectively allow for sight. The visual system must convert patterns of light that fall onto the retina into perception. Initial visual processing takes place within the retina, with the preliminary aim to convert information about luminance into information about contrast (Kuffler, 1953). All in all the visual system works by the rule of relative qualities, i.e the luminance of an object in relation the luminance of its surrounds. These relative qualities and comparisons take place within the retina. The retina contains two kinds of photoreceptors (rods and cones) that absorb light and send signals to bipolar cells, which are connected to ganglion cells that send information to the LGN. The LGN has six layers; four parvo-cellular layers and two magno-cellular layers. Ventral to each of these layers is a thin kinocellular layer. Parvo-cellular cells and kinocellular cells play a role in colour vision. Therefore, initial colour vision takes place within the retina, with cone photoreceptors being specialised for colour processing. It has been found that there are three types of cone receptors within the retina which are sensitive to different wavelengths of light; short wave length light (blue light), medium wavelength light (green light) and long wavelength light (red light). Colour detection is perceived largely by the relative activation of the short, medium and long wavelength cones. The trichromatic theory of colour vision proposed by Young-Helmholtz (1800/1867) is a predominan t theory into colour perception. Cone cell receptors contain light-sensitive photo pigments which allow them to respond to light and create colour vision. Young-Helmholtz theory proposed that we have one cone type most sensitive to short wavelength light (blue), one most sensitive to medium wavelength light (yellow/green) and finally one most sensitive to long wavelength light (red). It is the relative activation of each cone type that results in the perception of colour. Another dominant theory into colour processing has come from Herings (1878) opponent processing theory. Hering argued that there are three types of opponent processes within the visual system that account for colour perception. One opponent process results in the perception of red at one extreme and green at the other extreme. Another type results in perception of yellow at one extreme and blue at the other. The final opponent process results in perception of black at one extreme and white at the other. Hering argu ed that it is the ratio of activation along these opponent processes that accounts for colour perception. Opponent cells have been found within the LGN, which provides functional evidence for the involvement of the LGN in colour vision. There are red/green colour coded cells and yellow/blue colour coded cells within the LGN which are essential for colour processing and colour constancy. However in essence the function of the LGN is to pass signals from the retina to the cortex rather than to process them. Another important functional part of the visual system is the visual cortex, which contains cells that respond to wavelengths coming from an object in relation or comparison to wavelengths coming from surrounding objects. This comparison is essential in the analysis of colour. The visual cortex contains many layers of cells, with colour, form, movement and disparity being dealt with by separate groups of cells. It is divided into sub-layers; IVA, IVB, IVCÃŽÂ ± and IVCÃŽÂ ². Cells in the parvo-cellular layers of the LGN, dealing with colour, project to layers IVCÃŽÂ ² and IVA, thus showing the functional organisation of the cortex. In the secondary visual cortex (V2), cells dealing with colour, form and disparity are also kept separate. V2 processes properties such as colour and brightness. V4 deals particularly with colour and form. The visual cortex is organised into a columnar form. The similar properties of the cells within the cortical column are most likely due to the arrangement of anatomical connections. There have been found to be columns dominant for colour and orientation of edges. According to Zeki (1977) within area V4 there are separate columns for red, green and blue perception. Thus showing the visual cortex is organised on the basis of functions. One factor that has been made clear is that different features of a visual stimulus are dealt with in parallel processes within the visual system. The features of colour are kept separate through at least three levels of processing; V1, V2 and V4. However it has been found that within these parallel processes, hierarchal processing occurs. Dew (1984), has provided clear evidence for a hierarchy of cells types within the colour system. Photoreceptors join onto opponent colour cells which respond to some wavelengths and not to others. The visual system is functionally organised to overcome many computational problems, one of which is colour constancy. Colour constancy is a tendency for a surface or object to appear to have the same colour when there is a change in wavelength contained in the illuminant. (Eysenk, 5th edition). The phenomenon of colour constancy indicates that colour vision does not depend only on the wave length of reflected light. The problem involved in colour constancy is to assign colour to a scene in the ambient light (spectral reflectance) (Maloney, 1985). Spectral reflectance is the percentage of light at each wavelength a specific surface reflects. As the illuminant power varies, the light reaching the eye also varies. However the percentage of light a surface reflects (due to its physical properties) does not change. The function of colour constancy is to discount the illuminant and recover information about surface spectral reflectance. Marr (1982) claimed that there must be an extra leve l of perception and processing. Light is reflected off objects with a fixed percentage of energy at each wavelength (surface spectral reflectance) and some of it enters the eye of the observer where is it selectively absorbed by cone receptors. The maintenance of colour constancy is achieved in the nervous system in various ways. The functional specialisation of the cortex is one way in which colour constancy is achieved. Zeki (1992, 1993) argued that different parts of the cortex have different and specialised functions. V1 and V2 have been found to have inputs in early stages of visual perception. Both cortical areas contain specialised cells responsive to colour and form which process these properties and relay signals to specialised visual areas, (Zeki, 1992, p47). V3 and V3A have been found to be responsive to form and shape but have no input in colour processing. V4 however has been found to be responsive to colour and combines connections from temporal and parietal cortex, (Baizer, Underleider and Desimone, 1991). Zekis critical assumption was that colour and motion are processed in anatomically distinct parts of the visual cortex. Lueck et al (1989) have provided supporting experimental evidence of the anatomically distinct processing of colour. They presented coloured or grey squares to observers. PET scans showed 13% more blood flow within area V4 when presented with coloured stimuli, other areas were found to be unaffected. On the other hand Wade, Bewer, Rieger and Wandell (2002) used FMRI and found areas V1 and V2 were also actively involved in colour perception. Zeki (1983) has provided evidence for the involvement of V4 in promoting colour constancy. Zeki found that within monkeys, certain cells in area V4 responded strongly to a red patch in a multicoloured display illuminated predominantly by red light. These cells did not respond when the red patch was replaced by green, white or blue patches, even though the dominant reflected wavelength was red. Therefore these cells respond to the actual colour rather than the wavelength reflected from it and has a role in the process of colour constancy. Lesions in area V4 have been found to impair colour constancy while other aspects of colour vi sion are unaffected, (Heywood and Cowey 1999). The cortical area of V4 has argued to be able to distinguish differences between surface colour and colour of the illuminant thus being important in achieving colour constancy. Land (1977) retinex theory argues that both the retina and the cortex are involved in visual processing. The basic assumption of this theory is that we decide the colour of a surface by comparing its ability to reflect short, medium and long wavelengths against adjacent surfaces. When comparisons cannot be made, colour constancy does not occur. The three types of photoreceptors in the retina absorb light; each level of activation within each cone receptor is compared to that of others. Kraft and Brainard (1999) conducted a visual experiment in a box which included a tube wrapped in tin foil, a pyramid and a cube as well as a Mondrian stimulus. When all objects were visible, colour constancy was high (83%), even with changes in illumination. Progressively removing the cues decreased colour constancy. The most important factor in maintaining colour constancy was local contrast, involving the comparison of retinal cone responses from the target surface with that of the immediate backgro und. Colour constancy dropped to 53% when local contrast information was not available. Also global contrast was important; the retinal cone responses from the target surface are compared to the cone responses of the whole visual scene. When observers could not use global contrast colour constancy dropped from 53% to 39%. This therefore indicates that we need to know about lots of different stimuli in the visual scene if we are to calculate what the illuminant is like, discount it and achieve colour constancy. Photoreceptors have therefore been shown to be heavily involved in colour constancy which provides evidence for the involvement of the nervous system. Young-Helmholtz (1800/1867) trichromatic theory of colour vision and Herings (1878) opponent process theory outlined previously in this essay provide evidence that photoreceptor cone cells within the retina are heavily involved in colour perception and constancy. Shepard (1990) stated that the trichromacy of human colour vision is a reflection of the three phases of natural light/illumination; light-dark light, red-green light (low sun) and yellow-blue light (poor illumination and sky light). To achieve colour constancy on the basis of their surface reflectances, the visual system must discount perceptually for the three types of variation in illumination. Shepard (1990) and Maloney and Wandell (1986) argued that trichromacy of the visual system allows for colour constancy. In conclusion it has been shown that the visual system is highly organised on a functional basis. The visual system is faced with many computational problems which it must solve. Evidence that functional specialisation of cortical areas, cone receptors and the retina are methods for which the nervous system uses to overcome the problem of colour constancy. Word Count: 1992. Baizer, Ungerkeider and Desimone, (1991). In Eysenck M. And Keane M (5th edition). Cognitive Psychology, (pp.38). Psychology Press. Carlson, (7th edition). Physiology of Behaviour. pp184-186. Pearson Education Company. Daw, (1984). The psychology and physiology of colour vision. Trends in Neurosciences. Pp 330-336. E. Thompson (first edition). Colour Vision. A study in Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of Perception. (pp80-105). New York: Routledge Eysenck M. Keane M (2005). Cognitive Psychology, 5th edition p.33-54. Psychology Press. Eysenck M. And Keane M. Cognitive Psychology, 5th edition p.49. Psychology Press. Gross, R, (2005) Psychology the science of mind and behaviour, (5th edition) p.89-91.Hodder Arnold. Hering (1878). In Eysenck M. And Keane M (5th edition). Cognitive Psychology. pp 50. Psychology Press. Hering (1878). In Gross, R, Psychology the science of mind and behaviour, 5th edition p.89 Heywood and Cowey, (1999). In Eysenck M. And Keane M (5th edition). Cognitive Psychology, pp.53. Psychology Press. Kraft and Brainard, (1999). In Eysenck M. And Keane M (5th edition). Cognitive Psychology, (pp.53). Psychology Press. Kuffler, S. W. (1953). Discharge patterns and functional organisation of mammalian retina. Journal of Neuropsychology, 16, pp37-68. Land (1977). In Thompson. E, (first edition). Colour Vision. A study in Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of Perception. (pp81-90). New York: Routledge. Land, (1977, 1982). In E. Thompson (first edition). Colour Vision. A study in Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of Perception. (pp81-86). New York: Routledge. Land (1977). In Eysenck M. And Keane M (5th edition). Cognitive Psychology, (pp.52-53). Psychology Press. Luek et al. (1989). In Eysenck M. And Keane M (5th edition). Cognitive Psychology, (pp 39). Psychology Press. Maloney, (1985). In E. Thompson (first edition). Colour Vision. A study in Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of Perception. pp43. New York: Routledge. Maloney, (1985). In Thompson. E, (first edition). Colour Vision. A study in Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of Perception. pp81. New York: Routledge. Maloney and Wandell (1986), In Thompson. E, (first edition). Colour Vision. A study in Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of Perception. pp194-195. New York: Routledge. Marr, (1982). In E. Thompson (first edition). Colour Vision. A study in Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of Perception. (pp42) New York: Routledge. Shepard, (1990). In Thompson. E, (first edition). Colour Vision. A study in Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of Perception. (pp190-195). New York: Routledge. Snowden, Thompson and Troscianko, (2006). Basic Vision, an introduction to visual perception. (pp159-163). Oxford: University Press. Wade, Brewer, Rieger and Wandell, (2002). In Eysenck M. And Keane M (5th edition). Cognitive Psychology, (pp 39). Psychology Press. West, G. (1979). Colour Perception and Limits of Colour Constancy. Journal of Mathematical Biology. 8, 47-53. Young-Helmholtz (1800/1867). In Gross, R, (2005). Psychology the science of mind and behaviour, 5th edition p.90. Hodder Arnold. Zeki (1992, 1993). In Eysenck M. And Keane M (5th edition). Cognitive Psychology, pp.37-42. Psychology Press. Zeki (1983). In Eysenck M. And Keane M (5th edition). Cognitive Psychology, pp.53. Psychology Press. Zeki, (1977). Colour Coding in the Superior temporal sulcus of the rhesus monkey visual cortex. Proceeding of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences. Pp195-223.

Ethnic Variation among Cancer Patients Essay -- Medical Research

Ethnicity is a term used to distinguish individuals and classify them into groups based on cultural and occasionally physical characteristics. Ethnic groups vary in the degree to which they exhibit common ethnic factors from those who share no or little cultural traditions to those who share a wider range of factors such as cultural traditions, place of origin, ancestry, language, and religion. To clarify the misunderstanding between ethnic groups and ethnic minorities, ethnic groups vary in their size from those of a small number which called minorities to those of a large number which called majorities(Stillwell & Ham, 2009). There is a substantial evidence that suggests the presence of disparities among different ethnic groups and different socio-economic levels(Hill et al., 2010a, 2010b; Jeffreys et al., 2005; King, 2000, 2001; Tobias & Cheung, 2003) . Maori, for instance, have a lower life expectancy rate than that of non-Maori, to be exact Maori have life expectancy low er by 9 years than non-Maori (Hefford et al., 2005; Tobias et al., 2009 ). Moreover, they show higher susceptibility rates to disease, particularly heart and respiratory diseases and diabetes, compared to non-Maori(Hefford et al., 2005; King, 2000, 2001; Tobias et al., 2009). Similarly, people of low socio-economic level - poor education, housing, and low income- have poor health status (King, 2000, 2001; Tobias & Cheung, 2003). In fact, although ethnic groups are closely related to socio-economic status, ethnic disparities exists in all different groups with different socio-economic level(Tobias & Cheung, 2003). In order to explore ethnic disparities in depth, studies that prove cancer inequalities among different ethnic groups will be provided. ... ...alth Metrics, 1(1). doi: 12773214 Stillwell, J. & Ham, M. (Ed.). (2009). Ethnicity and Integration: Understanding Population Trends and Processes- Volume 3. Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London & New York. Springer. Doi: 10.1007/978-90-481-9103-1 Tobias, M., Blakely, T., Matheson, D., Rasanathan, K. & Atkinson, J. (2009). Changing trends in indigenous inequalities in mortality: Lessons from New Zealand. International Journal of Epidemiology. 38, 1711-1722. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyp156 Hefford, M., Crampton, P. & Foley, J. (2005). Reducing health disparities through primary care reform: the New Zealand experiment. Health Policy. 72(1), 9-23. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2004.06.005 Blakely, T., Tobias, M., Robson, B., Ajwani, S., Bonne, M. & Woodward, A. (2005). Widening ethnic mortality disparities in New Zealand 1981-99. 61(10), 2233-2251. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.02.011

Romanesque and Gothic Architecture Essay -- History Architectural goth

Romanesque and Gothic Architecture The 11th to 15th centuries saw a great surge of the Christian Church within Europe which was emphasized by the persuasiveness of the Crusades. The growing population of the Church increased the demand for the increased presence in architectural monuments and during the Romanesque and Gothic periods, a great cathedral construction boom occurred across Europe. The Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles were distinctive in not only the massiveness of the Romanesque monuments and the introduction of the cruciform plan but also for the introduction of the Gothic era art within the Cathedrals which included the inclusion of art the radiating Rose Window, column figures and the gargoyle among many others. Within Europe, there was a progression of architectural styles, many of which are still evident in the monuments today. The major styles are considered as Carolingian (800-900 AD); Ottonian (1000s); Romanesque (1000s-1100s); Gothic (late 1100s-1400s). While Romanesque is considered as the architectural style which preceded the Gothic, many of the distinct Romanesque features found within the great cathedrals of Europe were lost to the greater Gothic movement. However, many Romanesque features, as well as the earlier Carolingian reside within the Gothic-built monuments. The Romanesque name is deliberate in its direct relation to the styling designs found in Rome and there most distinctive feature is their massiveness as opposed to the much more thin monuments of the Gothic era which followed. An important structural development during the Romanesque period was the origin of the vault. The vault was originally designed as an alternative to the more fire prone wooden roofs but soon became a major architectural feature in all cathedrals. The Romanesque era and style also refers to the Norman variations in the church architecture which also occurred in the late 12th century. The Twin towers are considered examples of the typical Norman facade developed during the Romanesque period and which are now considered a standard of medieval cathedrals. Another development during the relatively short Romanesque period was the origins of the cruciform structure of the church in that church plans (as seen from above) are in the form of a crucifix; a feature usually associated with the later Gothic styles but which had originate... ..., which was obviously influenced by Roman architecture saw the development of massive structures and Cathedrals and also included the introduction of the architectural features of the vaulted roofs. The Gothic period and saw the development of the Cathedral construction boom in which several innovative art forms were also introduced in the Church design. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cedron, R. Romanesque: Foundations Stones of Learning. Earthlore. http://www.elore.com/Gothic/Learning/romanesque.htm. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cedron, R. Blackford, N. (2001). Gothic Dreams: Appreciating a Cultural Legacy. Earthlore. http://www.elore.com/Gothic/introduction.htm. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cedron; Blackford, N. (2002). Art Periods and Styles related to Gothic Architecture. Earthlore.http://www.elore.com/Gothic/Glossary/periods.htm. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  KMLA: Korean Minjok Leadership Academy. (2001, September 17). Basilicae, Cathedrals, Abbeys - Large Scale Ecclesiastic Architecture. World History at KMLA. http://www.zum.de/whkmla/art/hma/cathedrals.html. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Neagley, L. Gothic and Romanesque Architecture. Rice University, Humanities Electronic Studio Project. http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~hart205/Cathedrals/Plan/plan.html.

I Wanted to Share My Father’s World Essay -- Literary Analysis, Jimmy

Although single parenthood is on the rise in homes today, children still often have a father role in their life. It does not matter who the part is filled by: a father, uncle, older brother, grandfather, etc...; in almost all cases, those relationships between the father (figure) and child have lasting impacts on the youth the rest of their lives. In â€Å"I Wanted to Share My Father’s World,† Jimmy Carter tells the audience no matter the situation with a father, hold onto every moment. As Carter opens the poem, he tells how at this point in his life, he still has this essential want for things his own father presented him growing up. In the beginning, he expresses he has this â€Å"†¦pain [he] mostly hide[s], / but [that] ties of blood, or seed, endure† (lines 1-2). These lines voice how he longs for his father and just how painful it is without him at his side. In addition, he still feels â€Å"the hunger for his outstretched hand† (4) and a man’s embrace to take [him] in† (5). Furthermore, Carter explains how this â€Å"pain† he â€Å"feel[s] inside† (3) are also due to his â€Å"need for just a word of pr...

Porter Analysis of Starbucks

I. Threats of Competitors Now a day, Starbucks is very well known in the market, so with this competitors are arising rampantly. Small coffee retail outlets are growing rapidly in America and it seems to be multiplying. Based on the study of the Ivey Management, there are more than 3485 competitors in the market. All are coffee retailing or even cafe or with carts. In US, they have low barrier to entry in the retail specialty coffee market. This has resulted in a drastic increase in competition within the specialty coffee industry. The diversity among these competitors still remains very high but the grounds on which companies are still innovating and changing. As larger and larger companies enter the industry the strategic stakes become higher. An example of competitor is Caribou; they implemented an American Style cafe which is very suitable to the country while Starbucks implemented European Style which is new to the Americans yet somewhat not the same with their culture. II. Threat of New Entrants. Like what is said in the case study, the entry of barrier for coffee industry is very low. There are many potential new entrants like the once with no problem in capital as well as large or well-funded companies. Since the trend of specialty coffee is going up while basic coffee industry is going down, may are investing or starting a business of specialty coffee. Well, McDonald’s do want to invest on selling Starbucks Coffee which is a potential New Entrants who wanted to engage in coffee industry. III. Threats of Buyers. Due to premium coffee are with high cost, buyers tend to not buy specialty coffee. Another is consumption of coffee was reduced from 2-3 cups per day to 1. 7 cups per day only. Based on the study, appearance and development of the product affects the buying power of the customers. Another point is the new entrants offering low cost but quality coffee. This can greatly affect to the buying factor of the customers because there are certain amount allotted in buying beverages or an amount that fits their budget. Starbucks are serving high quality service yet high cost as well. On the other hand, health concerns are also a factor and a place where people can meet or relax when breaks. So Starbucks made its store suitable for relaxing as well as pleasing to the eyes of the customers. IV. Threat of Substitute For product substitutes, one can be water or on the grab sodas. Water is convenient for people as well as no harm in the body. This is a universal solvent where in people can get it for free in their house and bring it along with them. Another is on the grab sodas wherein they can buy it anywhere in a low price. Since coffee cannot be bought easily, people tend to buy the most convenient beverages which can substitute coffee. Another factor is the place or ambience of the shop, lower end coffee places or fast food chains can be a substitute also. V. Threat of Suppliers Since Starbucks is a big company, coffee bean suppliers are making moves to get Starbucks’ orders for coffee. These suppliers have no bargaining power because Starbucks can choose any suppliers available in the market. Another is due to the long process of acquiring the coffee beans, it takes a long time to produce coffee because the supply is short as well as the price of the coffee bean being sold is higher. One factor is the changing environment and fast innovations of technology, many developed a machine to have fast refining of coffee and this have a high bargaining power. Another is quality of the coffee bean being sold, since unforeseen events can happen, prices varies and can decrease the consumption of coffee.

Bully In schools Essay

At times people tend to fear for their lives especially when being intimidated by someone who has a stronger might than them. By this the common term in today’s society is known as Bullying. Bullying is the use of force, threat, by pressuring one to be abused, intimidated, or imposing domination over others through fear. To this Sort of issue there are two sides to this manner, by one imposing threat with a result of being maliciously handled and the other being intimated by the dominant opponent who is pressing upon the weaker person. To as much as this may occur in America there are many ways to being bullied. There is verbal bullying which involves being harassed or picked on. Another one of the most common bullying today is cyber bullying which involves being bullied on the internet by perpetrators who are sickly involve to embarrass one individual because of features, gender, et cetera due to unjust hate and prejudice. Lastly another type of bullying is the Physical aspect of imposing fear by using abusive touches, by which one is maliciously abused or attacked. Bullying in schools has taken a height in violence and abuse where groups of students are not able to go to school due to intimidation and fear. This proposal will focus on the prevalence’s of bullying, why students and others should really care, and ways to address the issues of progressive bullying for future events. There are issues in which bullying shows the cases of Verbal-Bullying, Cyber-Bullying, and Physical –Bullying which can be all resolved with that of prevention strategies, which can restrict bullying by doing more than just creating programs to hope preventing bullying in schools. Verbal bullying is the cause of how bullies carryout there plans to intimidate, basically is the starting process. Many are times where we as ordinary unique people naturally hate to be teased by anybody that we do not  like or may not even know. The NICHD said that bullying can be â€Å"belittling insults about looks and speech where a common form of bullying won’t be identified† (Greenya, 2005). By this bullying at one point was mainly an era of just insults that cite violence and just plainly making in front of someone that is smaller and weaker. â€Å"Many victims of verbal bullying are affected in very real ways. Verbal bullying can affect one’s self image, and affect someone in emotional and psychological ways. This type of bullying can lead to low self-esteem, as well as depression and other problems. It can aggravate problems that a victim may already be experiencing at home or in other places. In some cases, verbal bullying can reach a point where the victim is so depressed† (Greenya, 2005). Bullying has evolved to playing around or joking around to simply insulting a person by just talking or teasing that person, and in most cases in verbal bullying is the foundation of different types bullying that are happening today. Verbal bullying can be the case of a fourth grader who is being teased around by his or her classmates who do not think he or she is cool enough to hang with them. â€Å"According to the report, more than half of the 8,289 students who committed acts of harassment or bullying were in grades 5 through 8†(McGlone, 2013) in schools. The â€Å"funny† thing is that â€Å"seventy-seven percent of bullying was verbal† (McGlone, 2013) during a school year. With statistics at high in schools calls for some attention in some cases especially dealing with scenarios like name calling which also should call for some disciplinary charges from the teacher or headmaster (principal) who can stop the abuse by initiating equality amongst the students i n the sense that no matter the differences there should never be bullying. Verbal bullying is more than just game playing or name calling is the cause of most social problems for some children. The way things form in school will also be happening in other places like workplaces and other places of companionship. When a child is being teased in school they are six out of ten times to skip school. If verbal abuse cannot seem to stop there will be other ways of abuse, therefore the ways to stop verbal bullying by people, and students like â€Å"Ignore the bully: This is difficult, but if you can shrug off insults and provide no reaction, there is a chance that eventually the bully will move on to someone who provides a more interesting and responsive target, Remain civil: Do not resort to rudeness yourself. Many bullies lose interest if you  do not sink to their level. Also, if you act rudely and aggressively yourself, you may invite a physical confrontation, which could add physical hurts to the emotional. Look for other sources of enjoyment: After school activities and other interests and hobbies can help you take your mind off of the verbal bullying.†(Greenya, 2005). By just putting on a straight face cannot help prevent future situations so getting more awareness and standing up for somebody can be a perfect way to alleviate stress and mental pains.   Cyber bullying is another extremism of harassment which can be insulting, threatening or even spreading rumors about an individual online. Even though cyber bullying is a social problem in the United States, individuals who are in power to do things should try and improve-bullying. In the article of CQ Researcher about bullying â€Å"the senator of Indiana Tom Wyss proposed anti-bullying legislation after seeing reports on the news investigating bullying in his state†( Billitteri, 2008). The senator recalls â€Å"Of kids getting beat up; of girls saying things on the internet like so-and-so is sleeping with so-and-so† (Billitteri, 2008) are common ideals of cyber bullying in schools and in public. Some of the perspectives of cyber- bullying are â€Å"sending mean messages or threats to a person’s email account or cell phone, spreading rumors online or through texts, posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites or web pages, stealing a person’s account information to break into their account and send damaging messages† (Koch, 2000). For a senator to see comments like that online is enough proof to that cyber bullying is taking its peak. The senator went on to push for better support on anti-bullying, after seeing that children are committing suicide and suicide itself is on the rise. Another way one should look at bullying is the fact that some students are willing to go to the extreme by just ousting their problems. â€Å"In the October 1997 a student in Pearl, Miss., murdered his mother, then opened fire on classmates, killing two students and wounding seven. Two months later came the Paducah shootings. In 1998 two middle-school students in Jonesboro, Ark., killed four students and a teacher and wounded nine others† (Billitteri, 2008). In some or most cases the result from embarrassment online depending on the victim is seven out of ten times to commit suicide. Suicide is a very sudden thought to killing oneself due to thoughts of impoverished feelings due to  aggression and embarrassment. Suicide killing in the United States is a very common act especially for young teens from ages fourteen to their adult age of twenty-one. There are ways to address cyber bullying in points which are â€Å"Talking to teens about cyber bullying, explaining that it is wrong and can have serious consequences. Make a rule that teens may not send mean or damaging messages, even if someone else started it, or suggestive pictures or messages or they will lose their cell phone and computer privileges for a time, Encourage teens to tell an adult if cyber bullying is occurring. Tell them if they are the victims they will not be punished, and reassure them that being bullied is not their fault† (Hansing, 2004). Those are the ways of dealing with cyber bullying and also getting authority to be involved. Another result of cyber bullying is going on from the stepping stone from cyber bullying to physical abuse in other terms physical bullying. Nobody likes to be embarrassment or abuse on the internet which of course is a total disgrace and a bred of shame. Physical Bullying is another form of abuse which is done with malice. Nobody likes to be abused just because their overweight issues, sexual orientation or uniqueness. Many times researchers say that people who have been bullied in school are mostly because they are overweight, gay or et cetera. The result of these end up in physical abuse which is either a kid getting beat up by two or more kids who are more stronger and effective in number. â€Å"A lot of the issues that kids get into fights over are the same as they were 25 years ago,† he says. â€Å"What’s turn to weapons to end a dispute† (Koch, 2000). By this happening children who are beat up are most likely eight times out of ten times aware of danger next time before it happens again. The serious issue in the United States is decreasing the rate of teen suicide. Most of the reasons for teenage suicide is mainly due to physical abuse. This is a case that is not to be taken lightly as it is serious issue. According to CQ research â€Å"Gay students are also three to seven times more likely to attempt suicide; five times likely to miss school because they feel unsafe; four times as likely to be threatened with a weapon at school, and three times as likely to be hurt so badly in a fight that they need medical attention†(John Greenya, 2005). The case of bully because one is gay is very silly and senseless due to the fact that there is no  discipline from teachers and the headmaster. What are the ways to prevent physical abuse? Nobody really wants to step up to tackle physical bullying that is why there needs to be more reinforcements in how to prevent physical abuse. In the case of bullying and other abuses, there are ways to stop bullying and other kinds of abuses. The verbal bullying can be stopped by just reporting to a higher authority. For example a child of the age of five who is picked on by a group of students, the child can report to the teacher who is has the authority to punish the other students for abusing verbally. Another aspect of bullying which of course is cyber bullying which deals with abuses or the spreading of rumors online can be stopped can by simply contacting the authorities like the policemen who can resolve issues by handling the matter of the abuse. Lastly the aspect of physical bullying can be dealt with by taking the matter to court depending on how serious the abuse is, also pressing charges is a way dealing with matter. â€Å"Understand that the accusations, allegations, criticisms, taunts etc that the bullies make are all false and are a projection of the bullies’ own weaknesses, shortcomings, wrongdoings and failings. Whilst the accusations often contain a grain of truth, that grain of truth is there to fool you into thinking the whole accusation has validity, which it does not. The bullies’ have criticisms, allegation, accusation, taunts etc have no validity whatsoever. It is important to understand this† (Field, 2012) Bullying can be dealt with in so many ways it is the amount of support behind if that would have people looking at it as bad character instead of belittling it as a tease. Bullying is something of a disgrace in society where it has no control nor can it be subdued. Day by day four out of ten people in the United States of America commit suicide due to bullying, which is definitely not the answer nor is it a cure, it is simply taking your own life because of dis tress and nobody to back you up. The only way to get rid of a problem is to find a solution and the case with bullying in general is reporting. Annotated Bibliography Billitteri, Thomas J. â€Å"Discipline in Schools.† CQ Researcher 15 Feb. 2008: 145-68. Web. 24 Nov. This article talks about the differences in the schools and how school official are not doing enough to straighten issues in school one of which is bullying. There are many issues with bullying especially the aspects of the physical bullying and point which need to be address in schools. Students are not behaving like the way they should behave as the young academicians in schools. All of these are due to the fact there are more privileges being given to the wrong students who are empower to control student associations and et cetera. This article was very helpful to me due the fact there were lots of information take from in the article that were plentiful. Some of the quotes that are used in the article talk about rumours that talk â€Å"Of kids getting beat up; of girls saying things on the internet like so-and-so is sleeping with so-and-so† which show some the petty things people say. This quote will be used especially to talk about the things mentioned from a speech of a former governor of Indiana. This source is credible to the fact that it backs with some of the major events taken place in chronological order such a case â€Å"In the October 1997 a student in Pearl, Miss., murdered his mother, then opened fire on classmates, killing two students and wounding seven. Two months later came the Paducah shootings. In 1998 two middle-school students in Jonesboro, Ark., killed four students and a teacher and wounded nine others†. During these events students were both bullied and victims of attacks. These quotes will be used to talk about the physical and verbal aspects of bullying in schools. Field, Tim. â€Å"How to Combat Child Bullying and Tackle Bullying at SchoolExcerpts Summarised Tim Field’s BookBullycide: Death at Playtime.† How to Combat School Bullying, Action to Tackle School Bullying and How to Overcome Child Bullying. N.p., 13 Nov. 2012. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. This article is more of an informative article which tells us different ways to accept bullying and dealing with bullying by coping with the abuse. The article was written in a British journal to deal with different causes of bullying like mass suicide. If really noticed there is a phrase in the title named â€Å"Bullycide† which refers to the cause and effects in one word. Bullying which results in extreme cases such as suicide. This article would make the reader think well and feel the need to do something to change wayward  attitudes towards bullying. The author explain different types that have affected him due to the fact he was not cool or some type of way with his mates. The author went through physical abuse where in London he was bullied nearly everyday of the week at secondary school level, but the author used a quote that explains the strengths of standing out abuse like â€Å"â€Å"Understanding that the accusations, allegations, criticisms, taunts etc that the bullies make are all false and are a projection of the bullies’ own weaknesses, shortcomings, wrongdoings and failings. Whilst the accusations often contain a grain of truth, that grain of truth is there to fool you into thinking the whole accusation has validity, which it does not. The bullies’ have criticisms, allegation, accusation, taunts etc have no validity whatsoever. It is important to understand this† issue is for just a little while before there is a solution. Greenya, John. â€Å"Bullying.† CQ Researcher 4 Feb. 2005: 101-24. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. This article talks about the problems with bullying and perspectives of bullying in schools which causes problems for students who are trying to learn at school but end up skipping due to bullying. All of these are due to the fact there are more privileges being given to the wrong students who are empower to control student associations and et cetera. Students are described as the future of tomorrow in western societies. This article was found useful which talk about the difference in American schools and due to sexual orientation, gender, races things you know? like prejudice. Some of the quotes seen in this paper or used in the paper were used to talk about the verbal implied abuse like when in the article cites the superintendent of an Chicago county quoting what someone said by â€Å"belittling insults about looks and speech where a common form of bullying that won’t be identified†. Another quote from the article talk about the â€Å"verbal bullying can reach a point where the victim is so depressed† and feels the need to commit suicide. One of the issues that is very, very current talks about the â€Å"Gay students who are also three to seven times more likely to attempt suicide; five times likely to miss school because they feel unsafe; four times as likely to be threatened with a weapon at school, and three times as likely  to be hurt so badly in a fight that they need medical attention† from all the bruises collected from fighting. These quotes are useful due to the fact that it talks about the abuse children are getting whether their personal beliefs or just for the perpetrators amusement to be a prick. Hansen, Brian. â€Å"Hazing leading to Bullying.† CQ Researcher 9 Jan. 2004: 1-24. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. This article talks about the impressions form a simple hazing to do things are uncommon. One of the examples that can explain this is when Scott Krueger, a freshman from New York, went into a coma and died after binge drinking 15 shots of whiskey during a hazing ritual at MIT for the now-banned Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Part of this article focuses on the abuse being used when children are being overzealous or pressured to do something that is not allowed. Just imagine this young individual whose life have wasted due to the â€Å"coolness† of fraternity. Bullying was a key factor in the life of Scott Krueger which led to his death. This article was helpful to me due to the fact it explains avenues in which bullying can be proven. The quote used in the proposal was â€Å"Talking to teens about bullying, explaining that it is wrong and can have serious consequences. Make a rule that teens may not send mean or damaging messages, even if someone else started it, or suggestive pictures or messages or they will lose their cell phone and computer privileges for a time, Encourage teens to tell an adult if cyber bullying is occurring. Tell them if they are the victims they will not be punished, and reassure them that being bullied is not their fault†. This quote falls under the cyber bullying where I painted picture of what if someone did not do something but then was threatened cyberly on the internet. Koch, Kathy. â€Å"Zero Tolerance for School Violence.† CQ Researcher 10 Mar. 2000: 185-208. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. This article talks about the â€Å"A series of schoolyard mass killings in recent years has prompted school officials and lawmakers to impose mandatory punishments for a multitude of misbehaviors, many of them seemingly minor.  Proponents credit tough disciplinary policies with driving school crime rates down. But critics question their effectiveness and worry about the impact the policies are having on individual rights. And civil rights advocates say the policies are being used to kick out minority, disabled and academically challenged students who might drag down standardized test scores. But the latest school violence — the shooting of a Michigan first-grader on Feb. 29 by another 6-year-old — left little doubt that zero-tolerance policies will remain in force†. This phrase was pulled to talk about the widespread of abuse is creeping in schools. This article was helpful to me due to the abuse and violence in schools that need to be approached by law makers. One of the quotes used in the article goes on the physical, cyber and verbal aspect of bullying and can be identified through â€Å"sending mean messages or threats to a person’s email account or cell phone, spreading rumors online or through texts, posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites or web pages, stealing a person’s account information to break into their account and send damaging messages† which can be used as a source of evidence to send the authorities. McGlone, Peggy. â€Å"Bullying Incidents Dropped Sharply in N.J. Public Schools Last Year, Report Finds.† NJ.com. N.p., 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. This article talks about the results from taking a stand against bullying whether in school or outside of school in New Jersey. This article shows that bullying in schools have drastically been dropped. This article used logos by citing numbers and percentages of how went down and what the key steps are in tackling bullying. One of the quotes used in the article for to my proposal was According to the report, more than half of the 8,289 students who committed acts of harassment or bullying were in grades 5 through 8 in schools. Which is to say that some of the actions taken in New Jersey schools were for children who were able to learn the differences of teasing and picking on students. Another quote used in this article was talking about the percentages which another form of logos when stating that out of the students who took surveys for verbal bullying â€Å"77 percent of the bullying was verbally abused† in schools. The quotes from the articles will talk about the reasoning in the aspects of getting verbally abused in  primary and secondary schooling.

Sex’ vs ‘Sexuality

Assembling an Understanding of ‘Sex’ Verses ‘Sexuality’ â€Å"Biologists and psychologists who have accepted the doctrine that the only natural function of sex is reproduction have simply ignored the existence of sexual activity which is not reproductive† Alfred Kinsey (The Invention of Sexuality 40) The terms ‘sex’ and ‘sexuality’ have not always had a clear differentiation, but as the study of sexuality (sexology) has continued and become more commonly studied and recognized, these terms have adapted their own definitions.However, each does not have a perfect definition, because people will have their own opinions regarding the terms. The above quote by a historian of sex was interesting to me because it brings up the aspect of biology within the understanding of the terms ‘sex’ and ‘sexuality’. My personal idea, or understanding, is that ‘sex’ constitutes the more biological side†” ones physical features, gender, reproduction (‘sex’ is also the abbreviation for sexual intercourse); and the term ‘sexuality’ makes up everything else that surrounds an individual’s definition of their sexual identity, orientation, and feelings.When reading articles online, I came across this quote: â€Å"sexuality is about who or what you are attracted to, not where you put your dick† (bitheway), which I found to be a very blunt but interesting way to think about what constitutes ‘sexuality’. â€Å"Where you put your †¦Ã¢â‚¬  is your personal preference, but that preference is a compilation of the aspects of one’s personal world and how they have come to define and understand their individual inclination. All of the parts that are compiled in order to form ones individual definition are aspects of ‘sexuality’ within our culture.Another page online gives definitions for ‘sex’ and Ã¢â‚¬Ë œsexuality’ that I have found to be the most clear and complete: Sex refers to whether or not a person is male or female, whether a person has a penis or vagina. Sexuality refers to the total expression of who you are as a human being, your femaleness or your maleness†¦ Your sexuality is an interplay between body image, gender identity, gender role, sexual orientation, eroticism, genitals, intimacy, relationships, and love and affection†¦ includes his or her attitudes, values, knowledge and behaviors.How people express their sexuality is influenced by their families, culture, society, faith and beliefs. (Sex and Sexuality: Understanding the Differences) The influence from all aspects of our lives that guide us to define our sexuality is a major component in sexology. The italicized words in the definition above are some I think are very significant in understanding what constitutes ‘sexuality’.Since the study of sex started to dramatically change, there has been more understanding within so many topics of sexuality, such as gender (roles and variance), marriage and the family, homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality, intersex, trans-gender/sex/vestite, evolution of sexual identities, legal and medical regulation, religious roles/codes, phallocentricism, women’s bodies and health, illegitimacy, â€Å"and the importance of social networks and oppositional sexualities† (The Invention of Sexuality 39).This is only the first week that I have studied sexuality and culture in an educational environment, and after enjoying many sources of new material I have begun to compile my own understanding of ‘sex’ and ‘sexuality’, which is just the beginning of my learning on the subject. One of the most important aspects to take away from these introductory lessons is how grand of a role society and culture have on sexuality.It is so important to be aware of and take into account culture’s influen ce on sexuality now and within the history of sex. In our US society (and this is a generalization) some vital influences are class, race/ethnicity, gender, age, family history and how one was raised, physical ability, religion and region. Now that I have collected a better understanding of ‘sex’ and ‘sexuality’ as educational terms, I can further my knowledge of everything that makes up sexuality within cultures around the world.Bitheway. Sex Verses Sexuality. Bi The Way: An exploration of Male Bisexuality. 6 May 2008. http://www. bitheway. co. uk/2008/05/06/sex-versus-sexuality/. Sex and Sexuality: Understanding the Differences (Learning Activity). RECAPP 2007-2009. http://www. etr. org/recapp/index. cfm? fuseaction=pages. LearningActivitiesDeta il&PageID=167 The Invention of Sexuality. Sexual Lives: A Reader on the Theories and Realities of Human Sexualities. McGraw-Hill, 2003.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan- Dominator of Basketball Who is the best basketball player of all times? Michael Jordan is the greatest all-time NBA player. He left college after his junior year to join the league. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls and soon proved himself on the court. Michael Jordan dominated the sport from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He led the Chicago Bulls to six national championships as well as earned the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Most Valuable Player Award for five times.This professional basketball player has accomplished so much more. He is also an Olympic athlete, business entrepreneur, and actor. During the summer of 1984, Jordan made his first appearance in the Olympics. He was a member of the United States basketball team. Jordan helped earned the gold medal at the games. Later, in 1992, he also played on the â€Å"Dream Team† which participated in the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. The team easily won the gold medal. Jordan is involved in a number of business ventures.In 2006, he bought a share of the Charlotte Bobcats. He joined the team’s executive ranks and became a managing member. He landed several endorsement deals with companies such as Nike, Old Spice and Gatorade. Many popular clothing and shoe designs are inspired by his talents. He also has vested in several restaurants. Michael Jordan was pushed further into the spotlight as he enters the film industry. He was the star actor in the movie Space Jam in 1996. He has made several appearances on the Today Show, ESPN, and even Oprah.It is also very common to view him on athletic commercials such as Gatorade ,Nike, and old spice. It is so obvious that Michael Jordan is the one of the most successful, popular, and wealthy athletes in the professional sports history. He still remains the most decorated player in the NBA. Jordan received one of the greatest honors in basketball. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fam e. This accomplishment alone proves that Michael Jordan will always be know Because of his Olympic athlete, business entrepreneur, and acting career.

Eastern European Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Eastern European Politics - Essay Example At a certain point in these transformations, the communist parties gave up their monopoly of power -- often removing a constitutional clause on that subject and admitting rival parties -- and submitted to competitive elections, which turned over power to their opposition. There were significant differences, for example, with regard to the abruptness or completeness of the change among the elites, ranging from the purge of the old elites in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) to the sliding-scale, power-sharing arrangements in many other postcommunist societies (Robert, 1985). As in Southern Europe and Latin America, the ruptura with the old regime transferred authority only with certain de facto limitations to the new elites. Whereas in the former areas, the army and both private and foreign big business often continued to wield powerful influence, in Eastern Europe it was more often the bureaucracy and large, state-owned firms and farms. In Russia, the entire military-industrial complex at first survived the meltdown of communist control. The new governments began to make inroads into the realms of state-owned and cooperative enterprises whose managers had somehow inherited command from the defunct state planning commissions at the center of their command economies. In many cases, this left the economy half in and half out of the range of authority of the new democratic governments (David, & Bruszt, 1998). There is no need to go into the complexities of the transfer in each country, except to stress the paramount role of particular elites -- political or nonpolitical -- along with the rebellious masses in the unraveling of the old and the consolidation of the new regimes. The masses effectively challenged the authority of even the last hard-line dictatorship. "We are the people" was the chant of the East German demonstrators in Leipzig and elsewhere as they confronted the claims of popular legitimation of their communist government (Samuel, 1991). Were the economic crises of the old regime or its dictatorial character at the roots of rebellion Most immediately, the latter, although the multiple failures of the communist economy played a significant role under the surface. Crucial to the final collapse of the old regimes were also the defeat of the repressive apparatus at home -- especially the secret police and other repressive forces such as the workers' combat groups in large factories -- and the end of the outside military threat, both of Soviet power to reformist regimes like that of Alexander Dubcek and of the Western military counterpressure that had for so long been the alibi of Soviet pressure on the satellites. Once Mikhail Gorbachev had renounced the Brezhnev doctrine of Warsaw Pact intervention against nonconforming communist regimes and, in fact, encouraged them to follow in his path of glasnost and perestroika, hard-liners in Czechoslovakia and East Germany were on their own, with predictable results (Joseph E., 1 994). The complex requirements of a working democratic system, of course, did not automatically fall into the laps of the aspiring peoples of Eastern Europe when communism fell. Far from it, each element had to be acquired separately, and, as of this moment, some are still missing, incomplete, or in

Topic is going to be given in the word file Essay

Topic is going to be given in the word file - Essay Example In the course of the last two centuries, the global national incomes have significantly increased resulting in exceptionally his living standards at least as compared to retrospective civilizations. The main reason behind this exponential increment in the quality of life can be attributed to among other things the efficiency in the extraction of energy from the environment. Humanity has achieved unprecedented level of efficacy owing to technological advancement, which makes it easy for people to easily convert raw resources into inputs. Various Geologic processes and atmospheric systems such as ecosystem and animal or human societies are inherently tied together through a series of transformational energy activities operating through a complex series of feedback mechanisms that allow them to be self-regulating. The process of energy transformation thus functions throughout the biosphere so that energy can be degraded and materials can be organized in hierarchical systems of constantl y increasing spatial temporal scales (Odum and Odum, 2001). The first and cardinal rule of energy conservation states that one can either neither create nor destroy energy, at the end of the day, the energy lost is directly proportional to the among that is gained. The underlying supposition is that one cannot get anything for nothing and the consistency of energy is often described in diagrams in which the energy flowing must be accounted for within the boundaries either in form of output or storage. Secondly, the energy in an isolated system at equilibrium will investable increase over time, the key transformative agent for energy is work; therefore, dispersed energy is incapable of doing any work thus resulting to degradation in the system. The connection between energy efficiency and economic growth has been demonstrated and restated for centuries in the world’s economic arena, as the countries that exploit and

What Culture Fears do the Antagonists of Ridley Scott's Alien Movie Review

What Culture Fears do the Antagonists of Ridley Scott's Alien Represent - Movie Review Example The main actors of the film are Sigourney Weaver (Ripley), Tom Skerrit (Dallas), Veronica Catwright (Lambert), John Hurt (Kane), Ian Holm (Ash), Bolaji Badejo (Alien), Yaphet Kotto (Parker) and Harry Dean Station (Brett) (IMBD). The movie holds many symbolic cultural and economic representations of the 1970s essentially through the portrayal of the antagonists. During 1970’s the Feminist movements were wide spread. Women in America were fighting for Equal Rights Amendment in US constitution. Over 1000 people were involved in the Equal Right Amendment Extension march of 1978. In this background Alien shows the gender role reversal in the form of tough female protagonist (Ripley) who finally slays the alien at the end. Again in a scene from the film, Ash refers to the alien creatures as Kane’s son thus implying him to be a mother. The success of the film was due to its embodiment of feminism. During that time in America, sexually transmitted disease was wide spread. It af fected nearly 40% of sexually active individuals of that time. In the movie this issue was also addressed. The Alien was born through the penetration of the host Kane and Ripley made it a point to use quarantine for fear of infection. Ash, the android in the movie signifies the way how technology is getting beyond human control. The movie released a short time after the partial nuclear meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania and this event changed the way how people viewed this movie. In 1979 America experienced second oil crisis because of disrupted production and Iranian revolution and so there was a continuous oil price increase and there was a fear among the people that there would be no more oil or gasoline left. The movie portrays this fear of the people and shows that the crew’s mission was to bring mineral ore from distant places in the galaxy and to return them to earth (Alien: Film analysis). There are many sexual imageries and connotat ions in the film. Alien  screenwriter Dan O’Bannon spells it out himself: "One thing that people are all disturbed about is sex... I said 'That's how I'm going to attack the audience; I'm going to attack them sexually. And I'm not going to go after the women in the audience, I'm going to attack the men. I am going to put in every image I can think of to make the men in the audience cross their legs. Homosexual oral rape, birth. The thing lays its eggs down your throat, the whole number† (Dietle). The human crew members who invaded the alien ship are in effect the ‘man sized sperm crawling’ through it. The birth of the alien holds another story. The filmmakers presented the birth in a violent manner and it was representing the men’s ignorant ideas about pregnancy and birth (Dietle). Alien is not just a sci-fi monster movie. The distinct part of Alien is the way in which the alien encounter is destabilized by an inclusion of provoking themes like hig h technology and human sexuality. James H. Kavanagh interpreted the film within a Marxist framework. Judith Newton has reappraised the film in the light of contemporary feminist discourse and Barbara Creed had applied Freudian concepts of sexuality to it (Pimley, 3). Although the film employs a familiar and traditional scenario, the themes of technology and sexuality explored in Alien anticipate the new wave, displaying a newfound interest and concern for the human body that would become a defining feature of 1980s science fiction. It was to be a decade during which the boundaries

Review of Strategies Undertaken by AIG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Review of Strategies Undertaken by AIG - Essay Example American International group which is a financial services company constitutes of different business units. These are AIG Bank, AIG Direct, SunAmerica financial group, Chartis insurance, United Guaranty Corporation and International Lease Finance Corporation. The main revenue of the company is from the Chartis insurance which is major name in the global insurance sector. SunAmerica financial group is the other which generates maximum revenue for the AIG group. From this statistics, it can be said that the company is mainly focusing on the life insurance, general insurance, wealth management, asset management programs. It can also be said statistics that the major percentage of revenue comes from the casualty and specialty line of business. In any type of industry, the companies should design and offer the product or services according to the customer needs. Financial services industry is a volatile industry. During the economic downturn, the companies generally don’t profit mu ch from the financial services. The reputation of the companies plays a big role in that situation. If the financial services companies provide the products according to the needs of the customers and build customer loyalty then they will have a competitive edge than their competitors. For having a good percentage of market shares as well as retaining the customers in the time of financial downturn a loyal customer base is necessary for the financial services company (The Economist, 2008, p.5-7).... During the economic downturn the companies generally don’t profit much from the financial services. The reputation of the companies plays a big role in that situation. If the financial services companies provide the products according to the needs of the customers and build customer loyalty then they will have a competitive edge than their competitors. For having a good percentage of market shares as well as retaining the customers in time of financial downturn a loyal customer base is necessary for the financial services company (The Economist, 2008, p.5-7). The services those are providing by the company should be customized. American General Life and Accident Insurance Company (AGLA), the middle market life insurance and accidental insurance division of SunAmerican financial group provides personal customer service to the small business owners and middle market segment by an effective field force consisting of the full time employees. Chartis is gaining revenue from the per sonal lines; casualty and speciality sector of insurance which means the company is also focused on the personalized services to the customers (American International Group, 2011, p.8). So it can be said that the company is applying the right strategy i.e. they are providing customized and customer oriented services to their customers which in turn make a loyal base of customers for the company. It would be helpful for the company to retain the market share in time of financial downturn. Segmentation strategy is one of the important strategies that should be addressed by the company management properly. American International Group is a large group constitute of many companies. Every company is providing different type of services and their target market is