Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Homeless Just Need a Fighting Chance Article

The Homeless Just Need a Fighting Chance - Article Example This could further result in them being charged and fined for damaging the reputation of the hospital and shelters. The act of falsifying the home addresses for the homeless will result in the provision of wrong information thereby making their billing process insufficient. This will occur when accounting for and raising the funds incurred by the homeless when attaining medical care from both institutions. The fake addresses will also contribute to the obtaining of false figures concerning the number of people who are homeless within the city. This act will additionally bring problems to the health experts who have been bound by their ethical codes of conduct into abstaining from providing false information concerning their patients. On discovering that the information provided concerning the homeless is fake, the homeless people will most likely undergo greater scrutiny before being provided with healthcare services. In addition to the scrutiny being carried out on the patients, the re will be a lot of mistrust among the shelter managers and the management of Ridgefield hospital. This is because they will have previously been deceived by Mayer and Evans in the course of providing their healthcare services through their provision of false information. ... Eventually, the government might result into developing better strategies to take care of the homeless and improve on their living standards (Barrington 212). 2. Strategy For Securing Medical And Shelter Care For Homeless People With Health Problems The strategy to be applied will be guided by various principles at its inception, which will include the setting of targets, beginning work on the set objectives and ensuring accountability for the results that are obtained. It will also involve keeping the strategy alive while continuing with the task of seeking finances to support it. These activities will all be carried out in the course of planning on the new strategy to utilize (Hombs 323). A team of experts should first be sent out to evaluate other healthcare strategies for the homeless people that have been applied successfully. This team should then indulge in the monitoring of the health records for their homeless societies within the previous years. The information will be vita l in evaluating the treatments offered to them and its quality (Hombs 325). They will then be involved in gathering and evaluating the new knowledge along with the changes that should be considered when setting their priorities. These activities will then be followed by the act of seeking financial support for their new strategy. The adopted strategy will have three major development stages, which will include the provision of housing facilities and sufficient medical care, the process of reaching out to the homeless and engaging them in the activities of the approach adopted. Eventually, the prevention of other people becoming homeless through the provision of adequate housing facilities will then take place. The provision of adequate housing facilities for the homeless will be done

Monday, October 28, 2019

Theory Analysis of Critical Theory and Feminist Theory Essay Example for Free

Theory Analysis of Critical Theory and Feminist Theory Essay Critical theory and Feminist theory are both complex in terms of its structure and principles. Critical theory, according to Max Horkheimer in his work titled Traditional and Critical Theory, is a kind social theory oriented toward analyzing the society and in effect and altering society unlike the traditional theory which focuses only in recognizing, elucidating and giving details about it. Horkheimer furthered; â€Å"critical theory must be explanatory, normative and practical at the same time(Bohman, 2005).† That is, one must be aware and be able to identify things that are not in the right flow in a society, must be able to take actions to adjust or modify it. Critical theory being normative as further defined by Sailer must â€Å"be able to carry about alteration in the situations that influence our lives(Seiler).† Critical theory is a philosophical approach that includes feminist theory. Feminist theory seeks to discover the perception of gender. As explained by Sailer, â€Å" Feminist theory assumes that gender is an all-encompassing category for perceiving human experience. The case is that gender is a generally constructed classification of values, identities, and activities. It also emphasizes that sex is biologically determined. It intends to defy the established gender assumptions of society as well as to attain further beneficial ways for women and men to co- exist(Seiler).† The Feminist Theory stress out that the domination of men considerably affects the women. It radically deafens the society about the contribution, roles, and values of the women that leads to the existence of gendered inequities that seems to inundate the cultural way of living. Critical theory recognizes that the ability to understand can lead a change while feminist theory, a philosophical approach of critical theory, sees that the means of thinking of feminine is different from the masculine. Critical Theory(2005). Seiler, R. M. Human Communication in the Critical Theory Tradition. Retrieved November 1, 2006, 2006, from http://www.ucalgary.ca/~rseiler/critical.htm

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Unwind Essay example -- Literary Analysis

Once upon a time, I was a student ignorant of the issues plaguing our nation; issues such as abortion and a frightening scarcity of organ donors meant little to me, who was neither pregnant nor in need of replacement body parts. Today, I fortunately remain a simple witness to these scenarios rather than a participant, but I have certainly established a new perspective since reading Neal Shusterman’s Unwind several years ago. Unwind is a brilliant novel set in the near future following the United States’ second civil war, known as the Heartland War, in which the definition of human life was debated with fatal passion: when does life truly begin and when should it be legally permitted to end? Desperate for an end to the warfare, the factions united in the decision to forbid abortion prior to birth. Instead, children would be given the chance to become worthy of the lives they have been given, but between the ages of thirteen and eighteen they could be sent to â€Å"harvest camps,† where they would then be â€Å"unwound† and sold for little more than scraps to those in dire need of organ donations, a supposedly moral alternative to abortion. The tale follows three â€Å"Unwinds†Ã¢â‚¬â€Connor, Risa, and Lev—as they learn about their twisted society while attempting to escape their fates. The premise of Unwind is a thrill to any teenager who has ever either defied an authority, like Connor, or has ever felt unwanted, such as Risa. As a thirteen-year-old who had dabbled in a little of both from time to time, Unwind was a welcome glimpse into my own subconscious and a realization at how privileged my life has been. The world this novel constructs is a society quite similar to our own, yet its morals have been contaminated: certain lives are considered m... ...ricts, I can’t ignore the fact that districts such as mine, which has already lost so much of its funding, are in need of inexpensive ways to increase efficiency. Another technique implemented in Japan is the use of students as janitors: each day a group of students is assigned to clean their classroom. I believe that if the number of janitors in our schools must be reduced the students should play a part in keeping their environment tidy, be it out of goodwill or punishment. I see this as a great, economical opportunity to maintain the school’s image and promote service. The United States is a melting pot: we have built our country on the customs of many others. We cannot be afraid to revert to old tactics so long as they are successful. Other countries hold the key to success in the education system and the United States must be willing to take note.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Android Essay

|Google Android |November 15 | | |2011 | |An operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. Developed by the Open |Operating System | |Handset Alliance led by Google. | | Table of Contents Introduction3 About 4 Architecture7 System Threading11 CPU Scheduling 12 Process States14 Memory Management18 Synchronization Techniques19 Event Handling 20 Security21 Networking22 Evaluation23 Bibliography24 Introduction Since its initial launch on the T-Mobile G1 in October of 2008, Google's Android operating system has evolved rapidly, perhaps more rapidly than any other operating system in recent memory, to become one of the most important and prolific smartphone platforms in the market today. The Android OS is the name of the Linux based operating system owned by Google and supported by the Open Handset Alliance. Android is used as an operating system for devices such as cell phones, tablets and netbooks. Google bought the original developer of the software, Android Inc. , in 2005. Android's kernel (core of the OS) was derived from Linux but has been modified by Google developers. Android is also open source, which means developers can customize the OS for different phones and applications. This is why different phones may have different looking graphical interfaces and features even though they are running the same OS. Android OS is completely open source, which means that developers can use the core OS functions to develop applications, unlike iphone OS which is a closed system. About The version history of the Android operating system began with the release of version 1. 0 in September 2008. Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance. Android has seen a number of updates since its original release. These updates to the base operating system typically fix bugs and add new features. Generally, each version is developed under a code name based on a dessert item. The code names were released in alphabetic order: Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, and Ice Cream Sandwich. Like Apple's Appstore, Google opened its Android market, allowing the apps developers to publish their apps without any restrictions. Unlike Apple's Appstore, Google Android market does not have any restrictions for third party development and will not run an apps approval system. Android is an open source platform. The entire stack, from low-level Linux modules all the way to native libraries, and from the application framework to complete applications, is totally open. More so, Android is licensed under business-friendly licenses (Apache/MIT) so that others can freely extend it and use it for variety of purposes. Even some third-party open source libraries that were brought into the Android stack were rewritten under new license terms. Therefore, every developer has access to the entire platform source code. There are several advantages of the Android OS for developers, besides the fact that it’s completely open source, let’s mention a few: Advantages [pic] †¢ The entire Application framework can be reused and replaced by selective components Wi-Fi network applications support (Depends on hardware) †¢ Dalvik[1] virtual machine enhances the power management systems †¢ Supports 2D and 3D graphics †¢ Supports common media file formats †¢ Reliable and enhanced data storage using SQLite framework[2] †¢ Open source Web-Kit Engine-based web-browser †¢ GPS, Navigational compass, Touch-Unlock, and acceleromet er applications support †¢ Androids development environment includes a device emulator, debugger, performance profiling tool, and an Eclipse IDE plug-in [pic] Logo of Android OS Architecture [pic] The main components of the Android architecture: 1. Applications: These are applications written in Java. Some of basic applications include a calendar, email client, SMS program, maps, making phone calls, accessing the Web browser, accessing your contacts list and others. [pic] 2. Application Framework: This is the skeleton or framework which all android developers has to follow. The developers can access all framework APIs an manage phone’s basic functions like resource allocation, switching between processes or programs, telephone applications, and keeping track of the phone’s physical location. The architecture is well designed to simplify the reuse of components. Think of the application framework as a set of basic tools with which a developer can build much more complex tools. [pic] 3. Libraries: This layer consists of Android libraries written in C, C++, and used by various systems. These libraries tell the device how to handle different kinds of data and are exposed to Android developers via Android Application framework. Some of these libraries include media , graphics, 3D, SQLite, web browser library etc. The Android runtime layer which includes set of core java libraries and DVM (Dalvik Virtual Machine) is also located in same layer. [pic] 4. Runtime Android: This layer includes set of base libraries that are required for java libraries. Every Android application gets its own instance of Dalvik virtual machine. Dalvik has been written so that a device can run multiple VMs efficiently and it executes files in executable (. Dex) optimized for minimum memory. [pic] 5. Kernel – Linux: This layer includes Android’s memory management programs, security settings, power management software and several drivers for hardware, file system access, networking and inter-process-communication. The kernel also acts as an abstraction layer between hardware and the rest of the software stack. pic] The basics of the Android kernel are just like any other monolithic architecture, all services (file system, VFS, device drivers, etc. ) as well as core functionality (scheduling, memory allocation, etc) are a tight knit group sharing the same space. The kernel of this system is both a hybrid and a monolithic modular design. It is br oken down into five major subsystems: †¢ Process Scheduler: (SCHED) responsible for controlling process access to the CPU. The scheduler enforces a policy that ensures that processes will have fair access to the CPU, while ensuring that necessary hardware actions are performed by the kernel on time. Memory Manager: (MM) permits multiple processes to securely share the machine's main memory system. In addition, the memory manager supports virtual memory that allows Linux to support processes that use more memory than is available in the system. Unused memory is swapped out to persistent storage using the file system then swapped back in when it is needed. †¢ Virtual File System: (VFS) abstracts the details of the variety of hardware devices by presenting a common file interface to all devices. In addition, the VFS supports several file system formats that are compatible with other operating systems. Network Interface: (NET) provides access to several networking standards an d a variety of network hardware. †¢ Inter-Process Communication: (IPC) subsystem supports several mechanisms for process-to-process communication on a single Linux system. System Threading By default, an Android application runs on a single thread[3]. Single-threaded applications run all commands serially, meaning the next command is not completed until the previous one is done. Another way of saying this is that each call is blocking. This single thread is also known as the UI thread because it’s the thread that processes all the user interface commands as well. The UI thread is responsible for drawing all the elements on the screen as well as processing all the user events, such as touches on the screen, clicks of the button, and so on. Threads may suspend themselves or be suspended either by the Garbage Collector (GC), debugger or the signal monitor thread. The VM controls all the threads through the use of a internal structure where all the created threads are mapped. The GC will only run when all the threads referring to a single process are suspended, in order to avoid inconsistent states. CPU Scheduling The Linux kernel uses the Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS), which has the objective of providing balance between tasks assigned to a processor and applies fairness in the way that CPU time is assigned to tasks. This balance guarantees that all the tasks will have the same CPU share and that, each time that unfairness is verified, the algorithm assures that task rebalancing is performed. Although fairness is guaranteed, this algorithm does not provide any temporal guarantees to tasks, and therefore, neither Android does it, as its scheduling operations are delegated to the Linux kernel. Android uses its own VM named Dalvik (see footnote 2), which was specifically developed for mobile devices and considers memory optimization, battery power saving and low frequency CPU. It relies on the Linux kernel for the core operating system features such as memory management and scheduling and, thus, also presents the drawback of not taking any temporal guarantees into consideration. [pic] In terms of execution, the algorithm works as follows: the tasks with lower virtual runtime are placed on the left side of the tree, and the tasks with the higher virtual runtime are placed on the right. This means that the tasks with the highest need for the processor will always be stored on the left side of the tree. Then, the scheduler picks the left-most node of the tree to be scheduled. Each task is responsible for accounting the CPU time taken during execution and adding this value to the previous virtual runtime value. Then, it is inserted back into the tree, if it has not finished yet. With this pattern of execution, it is guaranteed that the tasks contend the CPU time in a fair manner. Another aspect of the fairness of the algorithm is the adjustments that it performs when the tasks are waiting for an I/O device. In this case, the tasks are compensated with the amount of time taken to receive the information they needed to complete its objective. [pic] Since the introduction of the CFS, the concept of scheduling classes was also introduced. Basically, these classes provide the connection between the main generic scheduler functionalities and the specific scheduler classes that implement the scheduling algorithms. This concept allows several tasks to be scheduled differently by using different algorithms for this purpose. Regarding the main scheduler, it is periodic and preemptive. Its periodicity is activated by the frequency of the CPU clock. It allows preemption either when a high priority task needs CPU time or when an interrupt exists. As for task priorities, these can be dynamically modified with the nice command and currently the kernel supports 140 priorities, where the values ranging from 0 to 99 are reserved for real-time processes and the values ranging from 100 to 139 are reserved for normal processes. Process States The order in which processes are killed to reclaim resources is determined by the priority of the hosted applications. An application’s priority is equal to its highest-priority component. Where two applications have the same priority, the process that has been at a lower priority longest will be killed first. Process priority is also affected by interprocess dependencies; if an application has a dependency on a Service or Content Provider supplied by a second application, the secondary application will have at least as high a priority as the application it supports. All Android applications will remain running and in memory until the system needs its resources for other applications. A process has five different states. [pic] †¢ Active Processes Active (foreground) processes are those hosting applications with components currently interacting with the user. These are the processes Android is trying to keep responsive by reclaiming resources. There are generally very few of these processes, and they will be killed only as a last resort. Active processes include: o Activities in an â€Å"active† state; that is, they are in the foreground and responding to user events. You will explore Activity states in greater detail later in this chapter. Activities, Services, or Broadcast Receivers that are currently executing an onReceive event handler. o Services that are executing an onStart, onCreate, or onDestroy event handler. †¢ Visible Processes Visible, but inactive processes are those hosting â€Å"visible† Activities. As the name suggests, visible Activities are visible, but they aren’t in the foreground or responding to user events. Thi s happens when an Activity is only partially obscured (by a non-full-screen or transparent Activity). There are generally very few visible processes, and they’ll only be killed in extreme circumstances to allow active processes to continue. Started Service Processes Processes hosting Services that have been started. Services support ongoing processing that should continue without a visible interface. Because Services don’t interact directly with the user, they receive a slightly lower priority than visible Activities. They are still considered to be foreground processes and won’t be killed unless resources are needed for active or visible processes. †¢ Background Processes Processes hosting Activities that aren’t visible and that don’t have any Services that have been started are considered background processes. There will generally be a large number of background processes that Android will kill using a last-seen-first-killed pat- tern to obtain resources for foreground processes. †¢ Empty Processes To improve overall system performance, Android often retains applications in memory after they have reached the end of their lifetimes. Android maintains this cache to improve the start-up time of applications when they’re re-launched. These processes are routinely killed as required. State Diagram [pic] Memory Management Android’s process and memory management is a little unusual. Like Java and . NET, Android uses its own run time and virtual machine to manage application memory. Unlike either of these frameworks, the Android run time also manages the process lifetimes. Android ensures application responsiveness by stopping and killing processes as necessary to free resources for higher-priority applications. Each Android application runs in a separate process within its own Dalvik instance, relinquishing all responsibility for memory and process management to the Android run time, which stops and kills processes as necessary to manage resources. Dalvik and the Android run time sit on top of a Linux kernel that handles low-level hardware interaction including drivers and memory management, while a set of APIs provides access to all of the under- lying services, features, and hardware. Synchronization Techniques Regarding synchronization, Android uses its own implementation of libc – named bionic. Bionic has its own implementation of the pthread library and it does not support process-shared mutexes and condition variables. However, thread mutexing and thread condition variables are supported in a limited manner. Currently, inter-process communication is handled by Open-Binder. In terms of real-time limitations, the mechanisms provided by the architecture do not solve the old problems related with priority inversion. Therefore, synchronization protocols such as priority ceiling and inheritance are not implemented. Event Handling In terms of interrupt/event handling, these are performed by the kernel via device drivers. Afterwards, the kernel is notified and then is responsible for notifying the application waiting for that specific interrupt/event. None of the parts involved in the handling has a notion of the time restrictions available to perform its operations. This behavior becomes more serious when considering interrupts. In Linux the interrupts are the highest priority tasks, and therefore, this means that a high priority task can be interrupted by the arrival of an interrupt. This is considered a big drawback, as it is not possible to make the system totally predictable. Security Android has a unique security model, which focuses on putting the user in control of the device. Android devices however, don’t all come from one place, the open nature of the platform allows for proprietary extensions and changes. These extensions can help or could interfere with security, being able to analyze a distribution of Android is therefore an important step in protecting information on that system. Android applications run in a sandbox, an isolated area of the operating system that does not have access to the rest of the system's resources, unless access permissions are granted by the user when the application is installed. Before installing an application, Android Market displays all required permissions. A game may need to enable vibration, for example, but should not need to read messages or access the phonebook. After reviewing these permissions, the user can decide whether to install the application. Networking Android supports connectivity technologies including Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)[4], Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE)[5], Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN)[6], Code division multiple access (CDMA)[7], Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO)[8], Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)[9], Bluetooth[10], Wi-Fi[11], LTE[12], (Near field communication) NFC[13] and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)[14]. Evaluation Mobile software development has evolved incredibly over time, giving us the power of not having to carry our laptop everywhere, or waiting to get home to access our networks or documents, 3G and 4G speeds directly on our phones give us that power, making mobile devices the most popular way to stay connected, as speeds are comparable to standard net speeds. Android has emerged as a new mobile development platform, building on past successes and avoiding past failures of other platforms. The android OS is an open source, meaning that is freely available to anyone who wishes to learn it. Google has opened up the software to creativity, because now we all have access to learning the development process. Hackers, coders, and all techy gurus have created a plethora of net-libraries ranging from support groups, forums and websites to further help newbies in the process. Android was designed to empower developers to think creatively by giving them almost absolute power over creating innovative applications. Bibliography Android Developers. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. . Burnette, Ed. Hello, Android: Introducing Google's Mobile Development Platform. Raleigh, NC: Pragmatic helf, 2010. Print. Burns, Jesse. â€Å"DEVELOPING SECURE MOBILE APPLICATIONS FOR ANDROID. † DEVELOPING SECURE MOBILE APPLICATIONS FOR ANDROID (2008). Print. Linux. com | The Source for Linux Information. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. . Maia, Claudio, Luis Nogueira, and Luis Pinho. â€Å"Evaluating Android OS for Embedded Real-Time Systems. † Print. â€Å"Memory Management in Android  « Welcome to Mobile World !!! † Welcome to Mobile World !!! Web. 11 Nov. 2011. . Shevchenko, Aleksey. â€Å"Application Handling of Database Timeouts and Deadlocks – Developer. om. † Developer. com: Your Home for Java and Open Source Development Knowledge. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. . â€Å"White Paper Android by 2012, Android OS, Android SDK. † Upload & Share PowerPoint Presentations and Documents. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. . ———————– [1]A Java interpreter machine, completely optimized for Android platform a nd which is developed to run on low-end memory mobile devices. One of the prominent aspects in Dalvik is its capability to run along an application compilation enhancing the runtime performance of the applications. Dalvik is not exactly, a Java machine, because Dalvik could not read Java code, but consists its own byte code called â€Å"dex† and so the executable files compacted using Dalvik holds the file type name ‘. dex'. Google states that the credit for Androids successful development goes to Dalvik VM, because this type of virtual machine, delivers a good performance over various stages of an application runtime environment, conserving more battery-power during long run of an application. [2] An embedded relational database management system contained in a elatively small (~275 kB) C programming library. The source code for SQLite is in the public domain. [3] Processing of one command at a time [4] A standard set developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to describe technologies for second generation (or â€Å"2G†) digital cellular networks [5] A digital mobile phone technology that allows improved data transmission rates as a backward-com patible extension of GSM. [6] A mobile telecommunications technology, developed by Motorola, which provides its users the benefits of a trunked radio and a cellular telephone 7] A channel access method used by various radio communication technologies [8] A telecommunications standard for the wireless transmission of data through radio signals, typically for broadband Internet access [9] A third generation mobile cellular technology for networks based on the GSM standard [10] Technology standard for exchanging data over short distances (using short wavelength radio transmissions in the ISM band from 2400-2480 MHz) from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks (PANs) with high levels of security 11] A mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices [12] A preliminary mobile communication standard, formally submitted as a candidate 4G system [13] NFC allows for simplified transactions, data exchange, and wireless connections between two devices in proximity to e ach other, usually by no more than a few centimeters [14] A communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Brown vs Board of Education Case

Fifty years ago when the decision was handed down in the Brown vs Board of Education case segregated school systems came to a screeching halt. Five decades later there are still hot debates on the effectiveness of such a ruling. Today, while schools are not legally segregated, there are segregation trends because of the way populations gather in areas and the local schools are impacted by such populations. Laws have been in place to prevent segregation and children have been bused across town to try and achieve racial balance, but recent changes to legislation have stopped that as well. Today, the nation is divided on the segregated school issue once again. The main theme of the first article is that segregation in schools today, does not take on the same meaning as it did when the Brown decision was handed down. Today, according to the author population imbalance has more to do with population desires to be located near each other, as is the case with many Spanish speaking and European areas of the nation(Mckenna 1995). According to the author, segregation in this case is a positive thing as it places people of the same language in the same area thereby reducing fear and inability to function until the children can develop stronger English skills(Mckenna 1995). The author believes that the answer to racism is not to force busing or other methods that will put children in diverse school populations. Instead, the author believes racism can be ended by working on society as a whole and embracing the very differences that make America the nation that it is today. For the most part I agree with the article. I know if I did not speak English I would be hesitant to allow my child to be bused across the city just for the sake of racial balance within the school system. I would prefer to keep them close to a familiar area with their familiar language being spoken. I do not agree however with the statement that segregated schools are not evil. I believe there is a fine line between not pushing kids and letting them be left behind. If we do not force the balance of race within the school system we must instead be very careful not to let the minority school systems fall by the wayside when it comes to funding and other things that make education possible. In the second article the author believes that segregated schools put certain students at a disadvantage. Citing the problems including not preparing children for a naturally diverse society the author believes it is essential to mix the races while students are young enough to embrace such cultural differences(Droesch, 1996). â€Å"With or without a desegregation plan in place, many of our children continue to experience segregation and racial bias in school. If our children continue to live in racially polarized communities and attend segregated schools, they will be at a distinct disadvantage in today's global village. For all of our region's youth to meet the challenges of working in a multicultural world, they must have the opportunity to learn in an environment that advocates inclusion and respect for diversity(Droesch, 1996).† The author believes desegregation plans for school systems is a beginning step to solving the problem of racism in America. I agree that segregated schools will cause a continued polarized attitude. I agree with the author that we must prepare our nation†s children for a racially diverse community. I believe it is important to reach students when they are young and most open to diversity. This will assist in the nation†s global effort to stop racism. I agree more with the second article than the first one if language barriers are taken out of the equation.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Early Mobilization Following a Stroke Essay

Early Mobilization Following a Stroke Essay Early Mobilization Following a Stroke Essay Issue of mobilization of patients especially those with stroke illness has been a major problem in most hospitals across the globe. The reasons attached to the said lateness have never been set, but concerns have been drawn on the same to establish the contagious situation. Lateness in mobilization sweeps out all the possible benefits if early measures were not put in place. In my essay am going to discuss the possible reasons that drive most clinicians not to take early measure upon stroke patients. The paper focuses on the challenges that face the clinicians in their professional duty and their interaction with the stroke patients (Adler Malone, 2012). Clinical care is very vital to any patient seeking assistance from a center or a personal physician. The service by the professional might be useful or not helpful depending on the urgency and availability of the same. Early mobilization of patients improves the safety of patients during treatment, but this can be dangerous especially for stroke patients. This is because these patients when under medication care normally have safety machines, which when removed during mobilizing patients may cause harm (Adler Malone, 2012). Stroke patients, however, are victims of late attention. This is because these patients undergo varied conditions of sickness and treatment thereof. The outstanding records show very high rates of lateness in the mobilization of stroke patients. This comes out because most of the patients take much longer recovery time than the expected and get neglected due to the negative mentality by the clinicians towards them. Treatment of the disease may require large cash, which may lead to seclusion of the low achievers due to limited cash dispensation. The little intervention towards the said patients by the governing forces has led to the reluctance of the counterpart in caring for the subjects. Due to all these factors, stroke patients end up finding themselves in a situation of late treatment hence the increased incidences of death among the stroke patients.

Monday, October 21, 2019

steinbeck essays

steinbeck essays Well in this short report on John Steinbeck I am about to include all of the work that I have done in this class Including my full report on one of his books, a little background on Mr. Steinbeck and many other things, All out of the mind and the computer of Jeremy Slaven. An American author and winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize for literature, John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr., b. Salinas, Calif., Feb. 27, 1902, d. Dec. 20, 1968, based most of his novels on the American experience, often with sympathetic focus on the poor, the eccentric, or the dispossessed. Steinbeck grew up in Salinas Valley, a rich agricultural area of Monterey County and the setting of many of his works, where he learned firsthand of the difficulties of farm laborers. From 1919 to 1925 he studied intermittently at Stanford University but did not receive a degree. His early novels (Cup of Gold, 1929; The Pastures of Heaven, 1932; and To a God Unknown, 1933) aroused little public interest. The latter novel, however, a mystical story of self-sacrifice, is one of Steinbeck's strongest statements about the relationship between people and the land. Steinbeck turned to filmmaking after the film success of The Grapes of Wrath. He wrote impressive screenplays for the Mexican-based The Forgotten Village (1941) and Viva Zapata! (1952), as well as film scripts for his stories The Red Pony (1938) and The Pearl (1947). Another novel and play, The Moon Is Down (1942), about the German invasion of Norway, won critical praise. After World War II, in which he served as a war correspondent, Steinbeck wrote increasingly about social outcasts. Cannery Row (1945) relates the story of a group of vagabonds on the Monterey coast. The Wayward Bus (1947) presents a morality tale about characters who supposedly represent middle-class society. Burning Bright (1950) preached universal brotherhood but was largely unsuccessful. Steinbeck devoted several years to his most ambitious project, East of...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Top 10 Confused English Words [U-Z]

Top 10 Confused English Words [U-Z] Top 10 Confused English Words [U-Z] Top 10 Confused English Words [U-Z] By Maeve Maddox Having come to the end of the alphabet with my series of â€Å"words often confused with one another,† I find myself hard-pressed to come up with a final set of ten for the remaining letters, U-Z. I can’t think of any for U or Z, but here are some for V, W, and Y. 1. vane / vain / vein All three sound alike and speakers know what they mean when they say them. The confusion arises with the spellings. INCORRECT: A cupola sat astride the angled wedge of the rooftop, sporting a beautiful gold colored  weather vain. CORRECT: A cupola sat astride the angled wedge of the rooftop, sporting a beautiful gold colored  weather vane. INCORRECT: If we cut one of our vains what chance do we have to live? CORRECT: If we cut one of our veins what chance do we have to live? vane noun: a blade that rotates vain adjective: 1. hopeless: â€Å"She continues to harbor a vain desire to write a novel that will make her rich.† 2. having an excessively high opinion of ones own appearance, attainments, qualities, or possessions: â€Å"He is especially vain about his hair.† vein noun: the tubular vessels in which the blood is conveyed through the animal body. 2. venal / venial Neither word is common in ordinary speech. Catholics are familiar with the adjective venial in reference to a lesser kind of sin than a mortal sin. In a secular context, â€Å"a venial fault† is one that does not deserve severe censure. Venial (three syllables) is usually applied to a thing. The adjective venal (two syllables) applies to people as well as to things.    â€Å"As a politician in a venal age, he preserved his independence and purity.† â€Å"The venal man raised the price from  $13.50  a pill to  $750 overnight.† venial adjective: easily forgiven. venal adjective: corruptible; likely to accept bribes. 3. vicious / viscous Although pronounced differently, viscous [VIS-kus] is often misspelled as the more familiar word vicious [VIH-shus], with comical effect. INCORRECT: Polymer solutions are very vicious so need lots of solvent. CORRECT: Polymer solutions are very viscous so need lots of solvent. vicious adjective: cruel and mean. viscous adjective: thick and sticky. 4. wave / waive Both words are pronounced the same. wave verb: move back and forth. â€Å"The sign waved in the wind. waive verb: give up; not require. â€Å"Do you waive your right to an attorney?† The usual error is to leave the i out of waive. INCORRECT: Can a 21-year-old who waved his rights to appeal without knowing the law get another trial? CORRECT: Can a 21-year-old who waived his rights to appeal without knowing the law get another trial? 5. weather / whether Both words are pronounced the same by speakers who don’t distinguish between the sounds of w and wh. weather noun: condition of the atmosphere at a given place and time. â€Å"The weather outside is frightful.† Whether is a function word used as different parts of speech. One use is as a conjunction to introduce an alternative expressing doubt or choice. The usual spelling error is to spell whether as weather. INCORRECT: I am a grown-up and can make decisions  weather to marry  or  not. CORRECT: I am a grown-up and can make decisions  whether to marry  or  not. 6. wet / whet The h in whet is often omitted, perhaps because so many speakers pronounce wh as w. wet adjective: full of moisture. â€Å"The wet dog shook vigorously.† wet verb: to make wet. â€Å"The oboe player wets his reed before playing.† whet verb: to sharpen. â€Å"Here, whet your sword on this grindstone.† whet verb: to stimulate. â€Å"The scent of baking bread always whets my appetite.† INCORRECT: One day in Quebec  will wet your appetite for  a longer visit.   CORRECT: One day in Quebec  will whet your appetite for  a longer visit.   7. wreck / wreak Although pronounced differently, the words are frequently mixed up in writing. wreck /REK/ verb: to damage severely; to destroy. wreak /REEK/ verb: to cause damage. Wreak is an old word, used chiefly in the phrase â€Å"to wreak havoc.† â€Å"Patricia is no longer a hurricane, but it’s about to wreak havoc in Texas.† INCORRECT: A  tornado wrecked havoc  in the city in 1896 killing several hundred people. CORRECT: A  tornado wreaked havoc  in the city in 1896 killing several hundred people. 8. wreath / wreathe The error with these words is failure to recognize wreathe as a verb in which the th is voiced. wreath noun: [The th is unvoiced, its sound in thin.] a ring-shaped arrangement of leaves or flowers. â€Å"She hung a Christmas wreath on the door.† wreathe verb: [The th is voiced, its sound in then.] to surround or encircle. â€Å"Inside, she wreathed the mirrors with holly branches.† INCORRECT: Martha Stewart makes small arborvitae wreathes to accent the front door of her home. CORRECT: Martha Stewart makes small arborvitae wreaths to accent the front door of her home. The plural of the noun wreath is wreaths. The third person singular of the verb wreathe is wreathes. 9. yoke / yolk Both words are pronounced the same. Yoke is usually spelled correctly in the context of a contrivance used to hook two animals together, as in â€Å"a yoke of oxen.† It’s when yoke is used in the context of sewing that it is sometimes misspelled as yolk. And on cooking sites, sometimes yolk is misspelled as yoke. yoke noun: (sewing) part of a garment, made to fit the shoulders. yolk noun: The yellow internal part of an egg. INCORRECT: The Creek Line House: How to Separate Egg Whites from the Yokes CORRECT: The Creek Line House: How to Separate Egg Whites from the Yolks INCORRECT: How To Sew A Shirt Yolk CORRECT: How To Sew A Shirt Yoke 10. your / you’re The query â€Å"difference between your and you’re† brings up 323,000,000 Google hits when typed in the search box. Clearly, a great many English speakers remain uncertain as to the difference. Your is a possessive adjective. â€Å"Is that your dog?† Your is always followed by a noun. You’re is a contraction of the words â€Å"you are.† The apostrophe in you’re indicates that something is missing. The ’re stands for the verb are. The a of are is what is missing. You’re may be followed by a noun, an adjective, or the present participle of a verb. â€Å"You’re [you are] the best friend I ever had.† (noun) â€Å"You’re [you are] wrong about this matter.† (adjective) â€Å"You’re [you are] making a big mistake.† (present participle) People who have difficulty with these words can avoid problems by spelling out â€Å"you are.† If the result sounds stuffy in an informal context, the writer can replace â€Å"you are† with you’re in revision. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before WordsBest Websites to Learn EnglishUsing "zeitgeist" Coherently

Saturday, October 19, 2019

TEXT Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TEXT - Article Example In order to implement this marketing concept, the target market is identified first and segmentation is carried out on the basis of psychographics, geography, behavior and finally the product mix is applied to satisfy and build long term customer relationships. Product mix is comprised of four P’s of marketing namely product, pricing, placement and promotion. A product could be any physical product or a service that meets the demands of the customers. Pricing is carried out on the techniques of marketing skimming or penetration so that market share is grabbed by the company by setting initially higher and lower prices respectively. Distribution of products to the customers involves a supply chain of activities where the raw materials are provided by the supplier, assembled at the manufacturer’s plant, stored in the warehousing and then sent to the retailer for making it available for customer’s purchase. In order to create awareness among the customers about the product/service the company offers, techniques of advertising, personal selling and maintaining public relations are regarded significant. Customer relationship management is considered vital for any organization’s success because satisfied customers yield more profits. Every product has to go through a cycle where is it first introduced in the market, then it sees a phase of growth where the focus is on generating sales, then the product stabilizes or becomes mature in the market and generates good profits. Lastly, when competition becomes intense or the marketing efforts to maintain the product’s image fails, it goes through the declining

Friday, October 18, 2019

Emergency Response Plan MOD 1 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emergency Response Plan MOD 1 SLP - Essay Example All these are hot sports for fires and disasters and hence mitigation plans to prevent such disasters as well as plan on emergency response in case the fire disaster happens should be in the plan. California as a whole including this county is a very hot area and hence fires are likely to happen and when they do they are likely to spread faster and wider in a short period of time (White, T., Ariaratnam and Michael, 2012). Riverside County has been reported to have several hundred earthquakes and earth tremors this year alone. This therefore means that the area is liable to earthquake disasters of larger magnitude and the emergency response team should be prepared on ways to handle it. Earthquake is a natural disaster and hence there are no mitigation efforts and preparations that can be made. The only way to tackle such a disaster is to wait for it to occur so that rescue efforts can be put in place. Even though the area has never experienced an earthquake of higher magnitude to crippling and alarming levels according to richer scale, this does not mean that it should be ruled out as a disaster possibility. California is generally an area prone to earthquakes and even if the earthquake will not happen with the Riverside County, the effects of a huge earthquake can be passed to this county and hence strong response is necessary (Geschwind, 2001). Terrorism is a man-made emergency and disaster that is likely to happen in Riverside County similarly to any other place in the US what with the terrorism threats and activities already taking place in other locations in the country. This county is likely to be a target because of several reasons first being the fact that it has a military base known as March Air Reserve Base. The military has been an enemy of terrorists and hence are likely to attack the county as a way of retaliation. There is also an international airport where they can arrive from which is the Palm Springs International Airport.

Marketing Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Communication - Essay Example In the third section, semiotic analysis is done on the advertisement of United Colours of Benetton and has been interpreted depicting the underlying meaning of the advertisements. Semiotic Analysis Semiotics deals with symbols which occur in the form of pictures and text along with underlying meaning. Since advertisements both print and television tends to make an extensive use of signs and symbols in order to generate awareness about the product and the brand along with cultural meaning (Murphy, 2007). Semiotics has been applied in various fields such as film, medicine, theatre, zoology, architecture and other fields which involve communication and transfer of innovation. Two key notion of semiotic analysis are signs and relations. A text like ‘Star Trek’ can be interpreted as system of sign and the meaning stems from system and sign which ties them together. In semiotic analysis temporary and arbitrary separations are made in between the form and context and attention is mainly focused on the system of sign which makes the text. The essay deals with signs and not text so the discussion will mainly involve signs and its forms. Semiotic is concerned with sign and are made up of three main areas which includes are the sign, codes and the culture. According to Saussure a sign is a combination of sound image and concept by signified and signifier where signifier may constitute actual objects like lines or backgrounds and signified is the actual concept in one’s mind (Tsotra et al, 2004, 4212). Signs are mostly used in advertisements as sign of symbol which are used by corporate to create an identity (Berger, 2004, p. 11). In cases of images or pictorial advertisements takes into consideration three different types of models which are narrative model, rhetorical model and finally the Laokoon model. In the essay image analysis will be used to interpret the three advertisements of Benetton. Semiotics can be related to brand management as it helps the researcher to clarify issues with regards to brand identity, the personality along with the association which the brand communicates in the current environment. By means of locating the meaning of packaging, logo, and the messages send through advertisements, semiotic analysis thus enables marketer’s to tie brand communication with brand legacy and marketing strategy and remain relevant in the changing environment (Oswald, 2007, p.4). Benetton is among the strongest brand globally and one of its biggest advantages adding to the popularity of the brand is the advertising strategy of the brand. One of the biggest accolades for the company was for its practice to separate the products from advertisements. Benetton group is famous for its unusual themes and techniques used in advertising where most of the ads puts u a debate or controversy. Benetton utilised â€Å"shock value† along with the reality of the images in order to grab the attention of the viewers to make th e brand memorable. Unlike advertisements which usually are centered on the product and image of the brand, advertisements of Benetton address political as well as social issues like child labour, pollution, death, AIDS awareness radical integration and others. The company tries to communicate to the world regarding such issues and not just sell accessories and apparels. Benetton has over the years created worldwide recognition through its advertisements themes which

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Motivating Employees in internship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivating Employees in internship - Essay Example I believe money can buy most of the thing but it certainly cannot buy everything (Nohria, Groysberg & Lee, 2008). Mental peace, leadership and behavioral approaches of the leaders also motivate me significantly. Leisure time or time off refreshes my mind and it thus motivates me. That is why I don’t get enough motivations from money. To get motivations I need other things apart from the money. Only high money can’t motivate me. During the economic down turn managers can motivate people with the help of continuous persuasion. At that point of time generally subordinates feel that their career goals and objectives are beyond their reach. During that period of time managers should play a role of mentor where the mangers should inspire the people for more hard works. In the context of economic downturn, managers lead by example. During the period of economic boom, employees often feel that they can easily reach towards their goals. Under these circumstances employees generally take everything for granted. It results in to lots of mistakes from the side of the employee. In this circumstances managers should motivated their employees for further more excellence. Diversity in the workforce is highly important for the motivational efforts. It always increases the environment of motivation. Diversity is a factor that creates a sense of unity in the organizational context. Diversity creates an environment of information sharing. With the information sharing employees in the organization can share their ideas among them. It allows them to increase their organizational knowledge (Burton, 2012). Diversity creates cultural bridges among the highly diverse workforce. Cultural bridge can motivate the workforce and creates suitable organizational environment. All the above discussions and arguments are clearly indicating that, diversity in the workforce affects motivation efforts in positive ways. That means

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

Global Warming - Research Paper Example Green house gases trap heat in the atmosphere and this causes an increase in temperature on the earth surface, these gases include carbon dioxide, an increase in carbon dioxide in the air has mainly be contributed by human activities, states that this include carbon emissions by cars and power plants, power plants that utilize coal to produce electricity have largely contributed to an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Houghton 14). The use of internal combustion engines to run cars has also contributed to the increase in the increase in carbon dioxide, over 30% of carbon dioxide emission in the US is from cars. Worse effects are caused by traffic congestion that results into unnecessary combustion of gasoline (EPA 5). Nitrous oxide is green house gas that is produced by cars and nitric acid products produced, this product is also a major contributor of global warming. He also states that water vapor is considered a green house gas, the increase in water vapor in the atmosphere is mostly contributed to the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as temperatures increase more water is vaporized and this results into an increase in heat trapped in the earth’s atmosphere (Philander 15). Deforestation is also considered to have contributed to global warming, human economic activities such as timber production and agriculture contribute to the reduction of forest cover on the earth surface, when this happens the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere declines in two ways, one of the ways in which deforestation contribute to an increase in carbon dioxide is that the decomposing carbon material increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and second trees utilize carbon dioxide to make their food referred to as photosynthesis which reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere and a reduction in the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Motivating Employees in internship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivating Employees in internship - Essay Example I believe money can buy most of the thing but it certainly cannot buy everything (Nohria, Groysberg & Lee, 2008). Mental peace, leadership and behavioral approaches of the leaders also motivate me significantly. Leisure time or time off refreshes my mind and it thus motivates me. That is why I don’t get enough motivations from money. To get motivations I need other things apart from the money. Only high money can’t motivate me. During the economic down turn managers can motivate people with the help of continuous persuasion. At that point of time generally subordinates feel that their career goals and objectives are beyond their reach. During that period of time managers should play a role of mentor where the mangers should inspire the people for more hard works. In the context of economic downturn, managers lead by example. During the period of economic boom, employees often feel that they can easily reach towards their goals. Under these circumstances employees generally take everything for granted. It results in to lots of mistakes from the side of the employee. In this circumstances managers should motivated their employees for further more excellence. Diversity in the workforce is highly important for the motivational efforts. It always increases the environment of motivation. Diversity is a factor that creates a sense of unity in the organizational context. Diversity creates an environment of information sharing. With the information sharing employees in the organization can share their ideas among them. It allows them to increase their organizational knowledge (Burton, 2012). Diversity creates cultural bridges among the highly diverse workforce. Cultural bridge can motivate the workforce and creates suitable organizational environment. All the above discussions and arguments are clearly indicating that, diversity in the workforce affects motivation efforts in positive ways. That means

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Sociology - Final Essay Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sociology - Final Essay - Term Paper Example We would think that because of feminism, our society would be aware of the sexist attitudes involved therein and try to get rid of them as soon as it can; however, that is not the case. Families in America are still patriarchal and marriage is similarly male-oriented. To give a few examples, a woman who exerts more control in her marriage is often termed a â€Å"shrew† and is viewed in less esteem than a woman who is submissive to her husband, or always puts the needs of her husband before her own. On the other side, a man who exerts more control in the marriage is not looked down upon, rather he is applauded for taking charge and taking more responsibility, with those men who have handed over the control to their wives judged to be effeminate or meek. The family is a sphere where our society perpetuates constant sexism without it being brought to task, except perhaps by the feminists (who, it may be added, are often looked down upon for this very reason, as this is considered to be an effort of feminists to break down the institution of marriage itself). Much is needed to control the sexist behavior that presents itself in a marriage. For a marriage to be truly equal and free from any sexism, perhaps the best course would be for us, as a society, to come to an agreement that it is just as important for a woman to have her needs fulfilled in a marriage as it is for a man; whether these needs are personal, emotional or professional; a woman has just as much rights to try to get fulfillment as her husband does in the marriage. The feminist approach seems daunting and scary to us, however, upon closer inspection we can easily see that it is not so much as the breakdown of the institution of marriage that is warranted by following the feminist path, but the total emancipation of women in the sphere of marriage, so that they can be on

Conditioning and Learning Essay Example for Free

Conditioning and Learning Essay Learning, acquiring knowledge or developing the ability to perform new behaviors. It is common to think of learning as something that takes place in school, but much of human learning occurs outside the classroom, and people continue to learn throughout their lives. (Gregory, 1961) Conditioning is the term used to designate the types of human behavioral learning. Since the 1920s, conditioning has been the primary focus of behavior research in humans as well as animals. There are four main types of conditioning: ? Classical Conditioning ?Operant Conditioning ?Multiple-Response Learning ?Insight Learning. Conditioning and Learning 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Classical Conditioning Classical conditioning, also called associative learning, is based on stimulus-response relationships. A stimulus is an object or situation that elicits a response by one of our sense organs, like how a bright light makes us blink. Associative learning allows us to associate two or more stimuli and change our response to one or more of them as a result of simultaneous experience. (Moore, 2002) According to classical conditioning, learning occurs when a new stimulus begins to elicit behavior similar to the behavior produced by an old stimulus. Studies into classical condition began in the early 1900s by the Russian physiologist Ivan P. Pavlov. (Klein, 1998) Pavlov trained dogs to salivate in response to two stimuli: noise or light, and food or a sour solution. The dogs salivation is automatically elicited by the food and sour solution, so these were called the unconditional stimulus. However, when the noise or light (conditional stimulus) was repeatedly paired with the food or sour solution over an extended period of time, the dogs would eventually salivate at the noise or light alone. This is a prime example of a conditioned response. Unconditional stimuli, such as the food and sour solution, allow the learning to occur, while also serving to reinforce the learning. Without an unconditional stimulus in his experiment, Pavlov could not have taught the dogs to salivate at the presence of the noise or light. Conditioning and Learning 3 Classical conditioning is particularly important in understanding how people learn emotional behavior. For example, when we develop a new fear, we have learned to fear a particular stimulus, which has been combined with another frightening stimulus. Operant Conditioning. Operant conditioning is goal-directed behavior. We learn to perform a particular response as a result of what we know will happen after we respond. (Blackman, 1975) For example, a child may learn to beg for sweets if the begging is usually successful. There is no single stimulus that elicits the begging behavior, but instead it occurs because the child knows that this action may result in receiving treats. Every time the child receives sweets after begging, the behavior is reinforced and the tendency of the child to beg will increase. During the 1930s, American psychologist and behaviorist Burrhus F.Skinner performed several important experiments into operant conditioning. Using what is now termed a Skinner Box, he trained rats to press levers to receive food. A hungry rat would be placed in a box containing a special lever attached to concealed food. At first the hungry rat would wander around the box, investigating its surroundings. Eventually it would accidentally press the lever thereby releasing a food pellet into the box. At first the rat would not show any signs of associating the two events, but over time its exploring behavior becomes less random as it begins to press the lever more Conditioning and Learning 4Â  often. The food pellet reinforced the rats response of pressing the lever, so eventually the rat would spend most of its time just sitting and pressing the lever. This type of learning is based on the idea that if a behavior is rewarded, the behavior will occur more frequently. There are four main types of operant learning: Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, Punishment and Omission Training. Observational Learning When we learn skills, we must first learn a sequence of simple movement-patterns. We combine these movement-patterns to form new, more complicated behavioral patterns with stimuli guiding the process. (Domjan, 1995) For example, efficient typing requires us to put together many finger movements, which are guided by the letters or words that we want to type. We must first learn to type each letter, and then learn to put the movements together to type words and then phrases. To investigate this type of learning, psychologists have observed animals learning to run through mazes. An animal first wanders aimlessly through the maze, periodically coming to a choice-point, where it must turn either left or right. Only one choice is correct, but the correct direction cannot be determined until the animal has reached the end of the maze. By running through the maze numerous times, the animal can learn the correct sequence of turns to reach the end. It has been found that the sequences of turns near the Conditioning and Learning 5 Two ends of the maze are learned more easily than the parts near the middle. Similarly, when we try to learn a list of items, we usually find the beginning and the end easier than the middle. Insight Learning Insight refers to learning to solve a problem by understanding the relationships of various parts of the problem. Often insight occurs suddenly, such as when a person struggles with a problem for a period of time and then suddenly understands its solution. Therefore insight learning is solving problems without experience. Instead of learning by trial-and-error, insight learning involves trials occurring mentally. In the early 1900s, Wolfgang Kohler performed insight experiments on chimpanzees. Kohler showed that the chimpanzees sometimes used insight instead of trial-and-error responses to solve problems. When a banana was placed high out of reach, the animals discovered that they could stack boxes on top of each other to reach it. (Schwartz, 1983) They also realized that they could use sticks to knock the banana down. In another experiment, a chimp balanced a stick on end under a bunch of bananas suspended from the ceiling, then quickly climbed the stick to obtain the entire bunch intact and unbruised (a better technique than the researchers themselves had in mind). Kohlers experiments showed that primates can both see and use the relationships involved to reach their goals. Conditioning and Learning 6 CONCLUSION There are many differences and similarities between each of these learning processes. For example, classical conditioning involves only involuntary or reflex responses where as operant conditioning involves both involuntary and voluntary reflexes. These diverse learning processes can be used independently in many different situations. Where classical conditioning may be extremely effective in one situation it might be ineffective in another. For this reason each of these learning processes, classical and operant conditioning and observational and insight learning are each as important and effective as the other. Conditioning and Learning 7 References. Kimble, Gregory: (1961) Conditioning and Learning, New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc. John W Moore: (2002) A Neuroscientists Guide to Classical Conditioning. Stephen B. Klein: (1998) Contemporary Learning Theories: Pavlovian Conditioning and the Status of Traditional Learning Theory, Chap. 5 (Perceptual and Associative Learning). Derek E. Blackman: (1975) Operant Conditioning: Experimental Analysis of Behaviour (Manual of Modern Psychology). Michael Domjan: (1995) The Essentials of Conditioning and Learning. Tighe, Schwartz: (1983) Modern Learning Theory, Psychology of Learning and Behavior 2nd edition.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

In Depth Financial Analysis Of Morrisons And Asda Finance Essay

In Depth Financial Analysis Of Morrisons And Asda Finance Essay Financial analysis using ratios between key values help investors cope with the massive amount of numbers in company financial statements. For example, they can compute the percentage of net profit a company is generating on the funds it has deployed. All other things remaining the same, a company that earns a higher percentage of profit compared to other companies is a better investment option. It shows the relationship between profit investment e.g. return on investment, return on equity capital. Financial Ratios Can Measure Different Things. The Net Profit to Capital Employed ratio mentioned above measures the success of a company in using funds available to it. There are ratios to measure the companys: Financial health Operating performance Cash flows and liquidity Under each category, there are multiple ratios that measure different aspects, or fine tune the measurements. For example, different profitability ratios measure profit margins at different stages return on owners funds and effective tax burden. Ratio analysis Ratios express a mathematical relationship between two quantities taken from financial statements. The  study  and interpretation of the  relationships between various  financial  variables, by  investors  or lenders. A  tool to conduct a quantitative analysis of information  in a companys financial  statements. Ratios are  calculated from current year numbers and are then compared to previous years, other companies, the industry, or even the economy to judge the performance of the company.   Ratio analysis is predominately used by proponents of fundamental analysis. Methods of Ratio Analysis : There are two methods of Ratio Analysis : 1. Time Series analysis 2. Cross-sectional analysis Time- Series Ratio Analysis : Time-Series Ratio Anlysis evaluates performance over time. It allows to analyse trends over a number of years and to examine the way in which performance may have changed over time. For instance time series analysis can make by comparing any companys performance of for two or more years i.e. 2007 and 2008. Cross-sectional Ratio Analysis : Cross sectional Ratio Analysis allows for comparison with the industry average or with competitors at a single point in time. This comparison allows a judgement to be made about the firms position within the industry. For instance to make a comparison of any company performance against its rival (competitor) for the same year. e.g. Shall Companys ratios are compared with British Petroleum company.(both are in same industry and same business). Advantages of Ratios : The advantages of Ratios are as follow : Simplifies Financial Statements. Facilitates Inter-Firm Comparison. Helps in Planning. Helps in Investment Decisions. Limitations of Ratios : Ratios have some limitations as well which are mentioned below ! Limitations of Financial Statements Comparative Study Requires Ratio alone are not adequate Lack of adequate standards Limited uses of single ratios Personal Bias Types of Financial Ratios : There are different types of financial ratios used in carrying out financial analysis. These financial ratios are mentioned below :  · Liquidity Ratios  · Activity Ratios  · Solvency Ratios  · Profitability Ratios  · Market Ratios  · Cash Flow Ratios Defining Types of Financial Ratios : Liquidity Ratios : Liquidity ratios assess companys ability to pay off its  short-terms debts obligations.   Generally, the higher the value of the ratio, the  larger the margin of safety  that  the company possesses to cover short-term debts. A  companys  ability to turn short-term assets into cash to cover debts is of the utmost importance when creditors are seeking payment. Bankruptcy analysts and mortgage originators frequently use the  liquidity ratios to determine  whether a company will be able to continue as a going concern. Activity Ratios : Activity ratios are used to assess the effectiveness of management towards utilization for generation of sales/revenue. Let us know how current and fixed assets are efficiently used by company to generate sales. Also analyze the account receivable, payables and inventory roles towards of sales, purchase and cost of goods sold. Determine how quickly account receivables are recovered. Enable us to know duration in which company pays its payables. Inventory conversion period is also calculated under the head of activity ratio. Solvency Ratios :  · Solvency ratios are used to  measure a  companys  ability to meet long-term obligations. It provides a measurement of how likely a company will be to continue meeting its debt obligations. Acceptable solvency ratios will vary from  industry  to industry, but as a general rule of thumb, a solvency ratio of greater than 20% is considered financially healthy. Measures the percentage of total assets provided by creditors or how much debt is supported by assets. Shows ability of the company to cover its interest expenses Solvency ratios tell about the ratio between equity and total assets. Companys total assets are enough to meet its debt obligations These ratios also tell about ratio between debt and total assets. Also tell equity ratio in company And determine debt ratio in company. Profitability Ratios : Measure the ability of profit generations in company. Profitability Ratios are used to assess a businesss ability to generate  earnings as compared to  its expenses and other relevant costs incurred during a specific period of time. They are used to measure the overall effectiveness of management to produce the profitability of the company. For most of these ratios, having a higher value relative to a competitors ratio or the  same ratio from a previous period is indicative that the company is doing well. It is important to note that  a little bit of background knowledge is necessary in order to make  relevant comparisons when analyzing these ratios. For instances, some  industries experience seasonality in their operations. The retail industry, for example,  typically experiences higher  revenues and  earnings  for the Christmas season. Market Ratios :  · They are used to measure a companys standing and position in the market.  · These are considered to be the most important ratios for shareholders.  · They are important for potential investors. Cash Flow Ratios :  · Cash flow ratios are derived from cast flow statement.  · These are used to measure the three activities found in cash flow statement. ASDA ASDA launched an online retailer in 1998, but from the start had over estimated demand. It started off from a dedicated depot facility based in Croydon but was closed with a number of redundancies shortly after as sales were not as expected. It continued the online retailer service but copied the Tesco store based model instead. Wal-Marts corporate stance is anti union, which is refelcted in the stance of Asda. In 2006 A planned five-day strike by Asda warehouse staff was been called off, unions have confirmed. The action had been due to begin on June 30 after thousands of workers voted for industrial action in a dispute over pay and bargaining rights. The decision followed prolonged negotiations between unions and the supermarket chain at the TUC. Asda was about to seek an injunction to block the action, claiming irregularities in the strike ballot. In 2006 Supermarket giant Asda said they were to offer staff up to two weeks unpaid leave to go on a German jolly during the 2006 World Cup tournament. Its 150,000 workers were to be able to take one or two weeks off in the month starting on 9 June. Requests dealt with on a first come, first served basis depending on staffing needs at individual outlets. The first Act of The ASDA Story was set in the old Queens Theatre, Castleford, West Yorkshire in the early 60s. Its roots can be traced to two branches in twenties. The Asquith family had a family business, a butchers shop in Knottingley, W. Yorkshire. The business was eventually expanded to seven butcher shops. The two sons of W.R. Asquith, Peter and Fred were actively involved in the family business and were later to become co founders of ASDA. At the same period, in the 20s, a group of West Riding dairy farmers joined forces, as Hindells Dairy Farmers Ltd. These included the Stockdale family (A. Stockdale), and a subsidiary company, Craven Dairies Ltd, was formed. Through a process of acquisition and diversification, a new public company was formed in 1949 Associated Dairies Farm Stores Ltd. with Arthur Stockdale as Managing Director. During the 50s and early 60s Associated Dairies expanded the number of pork butchery shops and also created the fascia Craven Dairies for its cake shops and cafà ©s. The son of Arthur Stockdale, Noel, met and struck up an immediate rapport with the Asquith brothers and so became the other co-founder of the future ASDA. ASDA was founded in 1965 by farmers from Yorkshire. The name is a contraction of Associated Dairies. For a short time in the 80s Asda Stores Ltd was a subsidiary of ASDA-MFI plc follwing a merger between the companies. Other companies in the group were Associated Dairies Ltd, the furnture retailer MFI and Allied Carpets. After the sale of MFI and Allied the company name changed to ASDA Group plc. The dairy division was sold to Northern Foods plc. The company went through a troubled period in the early 90s, but was revived under the leadership of Archie Norman, who became a shadow cabinet Conservative MP. He was chairman of the company in 96-99. ASDA, which then owned 229 stores, was purchased by Wal-Mart of the USA, on July 26, 1999. Following the takeover by Wal-Mart, several Asda-Wal Mart Supercentres have opened, creating some of the largest hypermarkets in the UK. The first of these stores opened at Patchway, near Bristol, in August 2000. At first, it was criticised for its scale and condemned as an eye sore, but the format has now become extremely popular. In November 2004 a refurbishment of the hypermarket was completed, addressing some of the complaints. In March 2006, ASDA launched a format called ASDA Essentials in a former Co-op store in Northampton. With a focus on own brand products on a much smaller floorplate than ASDAs mainstream stores, the Essentials will only stock branded products are perceived to be at the core of a familys weekly shop. This is seen as ASDAs response to the increasing strength of Tesco and Sainsbury in the convenience store sector. If the trial is a success, it will be rolled out nationally. ASDA is expanding its range of services to include Financial Services sold in store and online. Products currently sold are Child Trust Funds and Credit Cards, Car Insurance Home Insurance, Travel Insurance, Life Insurance, Mortgage Life Insurance, Over 50s Life Cover, Pet Insurance. http://www.asdafinance.com In 2006 Supermarket chain Asda took Brazilian beef off its shelves after claims it could have come from areas where foot-and-mouth disease is rife. In 2006 Supermarket group Asda started selling property through stores. Shoppers were to be able to browse properties for sale via an in store computer terminal. People choosing to sell their homes through Asda will pay lower than average estate agency fees and receive a free Home Information Pack (HIP). The system will be trialled in 10 Asda stores in the Sunderland area during the summer but is planned to be rolled out across the UK by the end of the year. Asda has sponsor techniques the name has been put on the WRU Asda Leagues: the lower leagues of the rugby system. Morrison Morrison is a mainly food and grocery the weekly shop. Uniquely source and process most of the fresh food that we sell though own manufacturing facilities, giving us close control over provenance and quality; and have more people preparing more food in store than any other retailer. Every week nine million customers pass through our doors and 124,000 colleagues across the business work hard each day to deliver great service to them. With competitive prices and hundreds of special offers, we are proud to save our customers money every day. As the Food Specialist for Everyone, they are different from their competitors. Their expertise helps them deliver fresher food, which is also great value. Being closer to source, they understand where food comes from; and they can talk with authority to their customers about the provenance and freshness of their food offer. It is one of the countrys largest supermarket chains, offering a range of goods including both branded and own label products aim is to provide all our customers with the very best value for money wherever they live and uniquely, we have always charged the same prices in every one of our large stores. They view resource efficiency as integral to sustainability and delivering better value to our customers. They approach to CSR recognises both responsibility and opportunity, enabling us to make a difference in ways that are good for the environment and good for business. They have made considerable progress in meeting our challenging targets. Carbon emissions have been reduced by 56% better than they planned; theres much less waste going to landfill and they have cut packaging. They are also running their own farm, which is being used as a base for research projects looking at the sustainability of food supplies and the efficiency of agriculture. They research will provide benefits to their business  and will also strengthen our relationships with the farming community. Morrisons Fresh Food Academy offers training and progression for all their staff, providing them with the opportunity to grow from shop floor to top floor and means they can deliver more knowledgeable service to their customers. CSR is embedded into their operations and plans. They do not claim to have all the answers but aim to do all they can to make a real difference by being both practical and persistent.   Many of the issues they address are wide ranging, complex and sometimes very challenging. Solutions may develop over the long term and they can sometimes prove elusive for a variety of reasons, including cost effectiveness, practical application, or they lack direct benefits. However, many projects and initiatives have come to fruition successfully to deliver tangible results that are  making a real difference. They offer a number of useful services for your convenience, so you can save time and money while visiting them.  To find out when your local store is open, visit our store finder, type in your postcode and youll find all the information you need. Fill up at your convenience Stop by their petrol station to fill up and enjoy many other services like gas, a car wash and snacks for the road. Facilities for shoppers with disabilities They offer lots of services to our shoppers with additional needs, including dedicated parking, wheelchairs, staff assistance, seating and induction loops.   Take a break at our cafà © If you fancy a relaxing bite to eat, their cafà © serves freshly prepared meals to your table, from all-day breakfasts to hot puddings with custard as well as freshly ground coffee. Your one-stop medicine counter Get free advice on medicines and healthcare from their pharmacists no appointment necessary and why not have your prescriptions dispensed while you shop. Print your memories in store They offer quality photo processing in store, including digital and 1-hour photo printing services. Latest price Change Currency LSE code 277.50 -4.20 GBX MRW Last closing price 277.50  (23  Jul  2010 4:30pm ) Current share price information Bid 277.50 Ask 277.80 Day high 286.00 Day low 277.00 Year high 305.00 Year low 257.60 Day open 280.20 Day volume 10,130,828 On 11th March 2010 the Board comprised a Chairman, four Executive Directors and  six Non-Executive Directors. With the retirement of the Chairman and the planned recruitment of an additional Non-Executive Director, at least half of the Board will ultimately comprise of independent Non-Executive Directors. The Board is responsible for setting and approving the strategy and key policies of the Group, and for monitoring the progress towards achieving these objectives. It monitors financial performance, critical operational issues and risks. The Board also approves all circulars, listing particulars, resolutions and correspondence to the shareholders including the Annual Report, Half yearly financial report and Interim management statements. The Formal Schedule of Matters Reserved for the Board can be found in the Corporate Governance Compliance Statement. Committees of the Main Board The principal committees of the Board are the Audit, Remuneration,  Nomination and Corporate Compliance and Responsibility (CCR) Committees.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The composition and terms of reference of each of these Committees are set out in the Corporate Governance Compliance Statement. Internal control The Board is responsible for setting a system of internal control for the Group and reviewing its effectiveness. The control system is intended to manage rather than eliminate the risk of not meeting the Groups strategic objectives. Any such system can only provide reasonable, not absolute, assurance against material misstatement or loss. The Board is satisfied that a continual process for identifying, evaluating and managing significant risks has been in place for the financial year to 31 January 2010 and remains in place. Shareholder relations The CEO and the Group Finance Director meet regularly with analysts and institutional shareholders. The Investor Relations Director also maintains a programme of work that reports to the Board the requirements and information needs of institutional and major investors. This is part of the regular contact that the Group maintains with its institutional shareholders. All Directors, Executive and Non-Executive attend the AGM. The Chairs of the Audit, Nomination, Remuneration and CCR  Committees are available to answer any questions. Additionally, the Groups brokers sought independent feedback from investors following the Annual and Interim results in 2009. This feedback was reported to the Board. Liquidity Ratios (ASDA) : Ratio Name Answer Result Reason 2009 2008 Current Ratio 0.526 0.491 Favourable C. Assets increased more in proportion to C. liabilities Quick Ratio 0.282 0.252 Favourable More C. Assets in proportion to C. liabilities Absolute Quick Ratio 0.111 0.345 Unfavourable Stock and debtors increased, C. Assets decreased Working Capital ratio (958) (943 ) Unfavourable Lower proportion of Assets to Liabilities W.C. to C. Liabilities Ratio (0.473) ( 0.508 ) Favourable Assets increased Activity Ratios (ASDA): Ratio Name Answer Result Reason 2009 2008 Current Asset Turnover Ratio 13.628 14.251 Favourable Assets increased in 2009 Sales to Cash Ratio 44.428 67.900 Favourable Cash increased in 2009 Fixed Asset Turnover Ratio 2.029 1.928 Favourable The proportion of sales to fixed assets was a bit higher W. Capital Turnover Ratio (15.164) (13.752) Unfavourable Less working capital in 2009 Inventory Turnover Ratio 29.091 25.963 Favourable CGS increased in 2009 A. Receivable Turnover Ratio : 65.441 58.418 Favourable More sales in 2009 A. Payable Turnover Ratio 7.101 7.237 Unfavourable A. Payable increased in 2009 Average Collection Period Ratio 5.501 6.162 Favourable Higher A.Receivable turnover in 2009 Average Payment Period Ratio 50.704 49.792 Unfavourable A.Payable decreased in 2009 Solvency Ratios (ASDA): Ratio Name Answer Result Reason 2009 2008 Debt Ratio 0.450 0.426 Unfavourable Total Debt increased in 2009 Equity Ratio 0.306 0.573 Favourable T. Equity and T. Assets increased Debt to Equity Ratio 1.470 0.744 Unfavourable Total Equity decreased Debt Income Ratio 3.656 2.536 Unfavourable Long term debt increased, net income decreased Profitability Ratios (ASDA): Ratio Name Answer Result Reason 2009 2008 Gross Profit Ratio 6.284 6.307 Unfavourable Lower gross profit in proportion to sales in 2009 Net Profit Ratio 3.166 4.271 Unfavourable Lower net income in relation to sales in 2009 Return on Equity Ratio 18.253 12.654 Favourable Higher proportion of net profit to total equity Return of Total Assets Ratio 5.592 7.255 Unfavourable Lower net profit in proportion to total assets Return on Investment Ratio 7.416 9.579 Unfavourable Lower return on investment Morrison: Liquidity Ratio Ratio Name Year 2008 Year 2009 Result Reason Current Ratio Quick Ratio Absolute Quick Ratio Working Capital 0.48 0.22 0.32 947 0.52 0.30 0.42 958 Favourable Favourable Favourable Favourable Cash increased while liability decrease Cash increased while liability decrease Cash increased while liability decrease Cash increased while liability decrease Reason Liability increased while cash decrease Cash increased while liability decrease Cash increased while liability decrease Cash increased while liability decrease Reason Liability increased while cash decrease Liability increased while cash decrease Liability increased while cash decrease Activity Ratio Ratio Name Current Asset Turnover Ratio Fixed Asset Turnover Ratio Working Capital Ratio Inventory Turnover Ratio Solvency Ratio Ratio Name Debt Ratio Equity Ratio Debt to equity Ratio Year 14.31 1.92 13.6 27.4 Year 0.42 0.57 0.74 Year 13.62 2.0 15.1 28 Year 0.45 0.54 0.81 Result Unfavourable Favourable Favourable Favourable Result Unfavourable Unfavourable Unfavourable Profitability Ratio Ratio Name Gross Profit Ratio Operating Profit Ratio Net Profit Ratio Operating Ratio Year 6.30 % 4.7 % 4.2 % 95.7 % Year 6.28 % 4.6 % 3.1 % 95.6 % Result Unfavourable Unfavourable Unfavourable Favourable Reason Liability increased while cash decrease Liability increased while cash decrease Liability increased while cash decrease Cash increased while liability decrease Market Ratio Earning Per Share Dividend Pay out Ratio Cash flow Ratios Cash flow Operation to Net Income Cash flow from investing to Operation Financing Year 20.7 0.23 Year 1.04 0.25 Year 17.39 0.33 Year 1.71 0.75 Result Unfavourable Favourable Result Favourable Favourable Reason Liability increased while cash decrease Cash increased while liability decrease Reason Business has excess cash Business has excess cash Cash flow from Sales to Total Sales Cash flow to Long Term Debt Operations Cash flow to Current Liabilities Cash Dividend Coverage Ratio 0.044 0.90 0.31 120.6 0.053 0.86 0.38 136.2 Business has excess cash Business has Cash flow Problem Business has excess cash Business has excess cash Regression Line: Year (Sales) X (Asda) y (Morrison) xy (x)^2 (y)^2 Y2007 14856 12115 179980440 220700736 146773225 Y2008 12969 12462 161619678 168194961 155301444 Y2009 14528 12969 188413632 211062784 168194961 Y2010 15180 14528 220535040 230432400 211062784 = 57533 = 52074 = 750548790 = 830390881 = 681332414 B = 4 (750548790) (57533) (52074) 4 (830390881) (57533)^2 B = 3002195160 2995973442 3321563524 3310046089 B = 6221718 11517435 B = 0.54 A = Y 0.54X A = 18145.75 0.54 X A = 18145.75 (0.54) (57533) A = 18145.75 31067.82 A = 12922.1 Y = 12922.1 + 0.54 X Correlation Co-efficient of Correlation: R = 4(750548790 ) (57533) (52074) [4(830390881) (57533)^2 ] [ 4 (681332414) (52074)^2 R = 3002195160 2995973442 [ 3321563524 3310046089 ] [2725329656 2711701476 R = 3002195160 ( 11517435 ) (13628180) R = 3002195160 156961677318300 Time Series Analysis: ASDA : Year Sale 3 point total 3 point moving average Variation 2006 14756 2007 14856 42581 14193.67 662.33 2008 12969 42353 14117.67 -1148.67 2009 14528 42677 14225.67 302.33 2010 15180 Morrison Year Sale 3 point total 3 point moving average Variation 2006 12115 2007 12462 37546 12515.33 53.33 2008 12969 39959 13319.66 350.66 2009 14528 42907 14302.33 225.67 2010 15410 Task: 3 Table presents annual net income and net cash flow figures for three projects A, B C. Initial investment for all three projects is same  £98,500. Year Project A Project B Project C NI NCF NI NCF NI NCF 0 (98500) (98500) (98500) 1 7500 24750 16450 45000 24500 44300 2 95000 31000 17650 52000 30500 39200 3 14750 34000 17950 59250 19000 39000 4 21250 40250 2400 5000 13000 31250 5 24950 44500 5000 24200 (1) Calculate ARR (Accounting Rate of Return) by selecting the required rate of return. (a)Project A (b)Project B (c)Project C (2) Calculating payback periods for A, B C projects. Solution: (a) Project A Year Cash flow Net Cash flow 0 (98500) (98500) 1 24750 (73750) 2 31000 (42750) 3 34000 (8750) 4 40250 31500 5 44500 76000 Pay back Period project A = 3.22 year (b) Project B Year Cash flow Net Cash flow 0 (98500)

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Fight Club Essay -- Movie Film

Fight Club Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham-Carter, Meatloaf Director: David Fincher Writer: Jim Uhls Based on Novel By: Chuck Palahniuk Studio: Fox Studio Rating: R 18+ Genre: Action, Thriller Running Time: 139 minutes approx. Filming Locations: Los Angeles and California Special Effects: Many of the visual effects in Fight Club have been overshadowed by effect-based movies (LOTR, The Matrix) but upon closer examination I found that they were perfect in their own right. They depicted a chaotic sense of disengagement, not only from society but also from oneself. Two of the most technically advanced shot were CGIs (computer generated enhancements) of Jack’s IKEA apartment. One was a tracking shot, entering through the door and circling his apartment before zooming to a macro shot of the back of his fridge, that apparently contained a gas leak that in turn led to the demise of his apartment. The other apartment-based shot was almost comical, a shot circling through his apartment labelling his designer furniture and appliances, not unlike a magazine catalogue. Although not a breakthrough in the world of visual effects, when combined with the atmosphere of Jacks cynical, mundane voiceovers and brilliant cinematography it makes for an enchanting shot that gives a ver y true to life insight of the average material-bound American male. Cinematography: Jack realises that Tyler was a creation of his own mind, in a feeble attempt to finally free himself from the restraints society places on him, a 360 ° pan circles him, getting more erratic and destabilised as it finally sinks in. Diversity is the key to Fight Clubs style of cinematography, in every aspect from the shot itself, to its point of view. From observing a security television monitor displaying Jack, coming to terms with his inner demon to Jack in a state of euphoria, were he is introduced to his power animal, a CG penguin that tells Jack simply to â€Å"slide†. In another standout sequence Tyler gives Jack a severe chemical burn, and in hope of dismissing his raging pain Jack begins to mediate, where he refers back to his power animal before being slapped in the face and told â€Å"Stay with the pain, I’m giving you the f*ing experience of your life and your drifting in Tibet†. He attempts to meditate again, and the viewer is subjected to a breathtak ing contrast ... ... misunderstood. This film is not only entertaining but it also raised public awareness. No doubt many people will buy into Tyler’s extremist point of view, if only for a short amount of time, but in this time they will understand what many people from all over the world feel constantly, an urge to fight authority, an urge to be individual and stop following the mainstream. Tyler’s ideals may be summarised in one quote, â€Å"You cannot truly be free until you’ve lost everything†. This philosophy is perfect in theory; you are ridding yourself of restricting material possessions and all other things that bind you into society. Unfortunantly life isn’t all theory and when an individual does lose everything they feel anything but free. This film was a wake up call to me and hopefully to many others, not only about the over importance we place on material possessions and the power they have over us, but the restraints that society places on us as wel l. Conclusion: A film worth seeing no matter what the occasion, Fight Club has a serious philosophical meaning for the deeper audiences and could still keep a person with the attention span of an ant entertained viewing after viewing.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Of Mice and Men “Which of the character in of mice and men is the loneliest and why?” Essay

â€Å"Of mice and men† is the title of John Steinbeck’s novella the name is inspired by Robert Burns’s poem. There was a belief that America was the land of opportunity. In the nineteen hundreds, there was great depression in America because there wasn’t enough money around, so people couldn’t get jobs with decent pay. Some people went around from farm to farm doing temporary work, they were called ranch workers. Due to this lack of money and jobs being temporary, people moved around so much they were unable to hold friendships, so some people became very anti social and others developed unusual characteristics. John Steinbeck was a writer who did travel around ranches and had an idea of what the ranch life was like I believe he wrote the novella not just to show people the lives lead in the great depression but also to give them an idea of what his personal experiences had been like. The two main characters in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† are George and Lennie. George is first introduced as being â€Å"small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features.† where as Lennie is described as being Georges opposite â€Å"his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders:† Lennie is very distinctive for his animal like qualities. During the play Of Mice and Men George and Lennie go round together unlike most others people in there time. Lennie has a mental disability where he forgets large amounts of the information he is given. This causes him to have to rely on his instincts. He possesses a child-like characteristic in the way he acts and responds to the feedback others give him. Lennie is a large, powerful man. He and George have a strong friendship and have known each other for a long time and don’t want to lose each other despite the friction that Lennie’s memory occasionally causes in conversations. George is a clever person and has a powerful friendship with Lennie. He finds that he is sometimes isolated from proper conversation when alone with Lennie because of his superior intellect and understanding. George has a need to look after Lennie like a parent due to Lennies mentality, he was asked by Lennies aunt to look after him when she died. I believe he uses this reason as a partial excuse to hide his attachment to Lennie as a friend and parental figure which he needs to feel moderately more secure than those around him who travel alone. Both Lennie and George need each other’s friendship and each other’s ability to survive; George provides Lennie with knowledge of what to do and how to survive whereas George has Lennie to protect him from physical attacks as they go around. They also share a hope to accomplish the â€Å"American dream† to go â€Å"‘An’ live of the fatta the lan'† as Lennie states which basically means is to live of the land or farm the crops. I feel that both characters have developed unusual characteristics to deal with the lack of people they can rely on and trust. Lennie has an unusual desire to pet anything that’s alive and show it affection. This attachment to his desire causes him to break the rules George sets him to help himself. I think this form of emotion is propelled by his desire to have happiness and be loved by something that lives. This is fairly ironic as every animal he pets he kills due to his strength, which in turn creates a void of loneliness in Lennies life. George does not appear to have any huge flaws, he is fairly untrusting as to why people do things and analyses everything he’s told. Apart from Lennie, he has no solace and even the trust between him and Lennie cannot give him too much support as Lennie is retarded and attempts to sneak animals around with him. Because they both have each other, they don’t feel like the loneliest people in the world. Is something George says to Lennie â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world† â€Å"With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.† Is what Lennie says after George has done his part of there story so all in all I don’t believe that either George or Lennie are the loneliest characters in Of Mice and Men because they have a friendship that no one else has and can talk between each other to an extent without worrying over consequences. The next person to be properly introduced into the novella is Candy, an old man who enters slowly into the room. Candy walks in and has his dog next to his heel an old sheep dog â€Å"gray of muzzle, and with pale, blind old eyes. The dog struggled lamely to the side of the room and lay down, grunting softly to himself and licking his grizzled, moth-eaten coat.† The dog is old and tired and hurts as it moves around; later on the dog is shot as it is of no use to anyone and is in pain whilst it’s alive. I feel the sheep dog reflects its owner’s future; as Candy grows older, he will be no use to any farm and will be kicked out and die due to his lack of money. I personally feel that the dog’s qualities are mentioned more than the man’s so that you see the man like his dog sharing a sort of bond similar to George and Lennies. Candy loses his dog the chapter after it is introduced. This dog is an animal that Candy has become extremely attached to and I believe he sees it as an old companion he can always trust to be there. When he looses his dog he looses his friend. Candy knows he is getting old and his fate in the novella seems sealed and he knows it. When he is of no use and cant do any labor work he will die. Which shows he must have lead a fairly lonely unfulfilled life even by that years standards. I consider Candy to be one of the people who could possibly be seen as the loneliest as he loses his companion and is sort of an image of how most ranch workers are doomed to end up dying due to loosing there abilities to work. He shows how desperate he is to escape his fate when joining with George and Lennie to try and get enough money to buy some land. The next character to be mentioned in â€Å"Of mice and Men† is Crooks he is a black person who is referred to as a nigger. He is disabled and outcast from the society of white people as racism was very strong in those years. He lives in a stable away from everyone else in the novella and has only books for company. The only one who ever enters his room without a purpose is Lennie and when he does Crooks starts off being uneasy about it when more people enter he pretends to be angry but it says â€Å"It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger.† I think this suggests he is a decent guy who likes company but doesn’t want to appear weak to any of them. Crooks is taken advantage of by Curley’s wife a character who appears to everyone in the play to be trouble and not worth any of there time. She discriminates Crooks and has power over him because she is the bosses’ sons’ wife and they will believe anything she says about him and if that happens he will get kicked off the ranch. Of all of the people to be alone in this novella I believe Crooks is possibly one of the loneliest. Crooks has no one to be friends with, is discriminated against and shown prejudice and is also disabled so he cannot walk or get around easily. I think Crooks represents all people treated poorly because of racism and in a way how black people lived through the depression. The next person to enter into the novella is a woman whose name is never shown as she is always referred to as Curley’s wife, which shows that males are the dominant sex at the time the play is based on. Curley’s wife is the only woman within the entire novella she is a very complex woman and shows different people varied personality. She comes into the story flirting with the group of men she meets to tempt the men for attention and because she is bored. She wears makeup and has red lips and polished nails this suggests she has a lot of spare time. She is considered bad news by the men who are around her because she is the wife of Curley who is the son of the boss and can get anyone kicked off the farm. When alone with Lennie Curley’s wife confide in him about her life â€Å"I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.†, â€Å"Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes – all of them nice clothes like they wear† I think that Curley’s wife was tricked by a chat up line about the possibility of her being in the movies and is fairly naive about the fact he could have been lying. I believe that she thought she was running out of options and time and decided to be with someone who wasn’t doing to badly for themselves and went with Curley. I believe this was a bad idea because Curley doesn’t have any time to be with her except to make she is being loyal to him and whilst doing this makes everyone try to evade her so they don’t get into trouble with Curley. So Curley’s wife doesn’t receive much attention apart from when taunting the men. She knows she has power over one of the workers especially and threatens Crooks as she knows how easily she can get him into trouble so she uses this power to entertain herself and discriminates him. I think that Curley’s wife could be one of the loneliest in the novella as everyone deliberately tries to evade her. Anyone she stays around gets threatened by her husband that does not spend time with her so she is left alone and since there are no other women around on this farm she is alone and powerless. Curley enters the novella shortly after his wife has and demands someone tell him where she is. I think Curley is a very insecure and aggressive, ignorant person. He is insecure because he is short and uses his strength to fight people who are tall so as to show that he is strong and keep a powerful reputation this makes him aggressive so the people he works around don’t like him. I feel he is ignorant for various reasons he fights to prove he is strong but the only one he is proving this too is himself whilst doing this he scares everyone else away as whoever he does fight will get in trouble and risk loosing there job as he is the son of the boss. Curley I don’t think is one of the loneliest in the novella as he has a wife and a successful parent to look after him and keep him content in several ways, he has the power to get rid of people he does not like or work against them and he gets respect from his status. Of all of these main characters in the novella I consider Candy and Crooks to be the two loneliest Candy because of the fact he knows how he will soon be useless and the fact he looses his closest companion and Crooks because he is disabled and discriminated against yet seems happy to be around people. I think Crooks also because he is sort of an outcast from a community that is made up from people who are afraid of each other but still able to group up on him when he is around. Both of these characters know they have no future where they are and wont be able to secure anything before dying both there fates are sealed with them completely alone unlike all the others that’s why I chose them.