Argumentative Essay Plastic Bags vs Paper Bags - 840 Words

Crispin Lao in one of his articles on the Philippine Daily Inquirer stated the succeeding story. One drizzling day, Aling Saling bought half a kilo of rice. It was put in a brown paper bag which the 40-year-old housewife held at the bottom, all 10  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬-fingers at full stretch. But one side of the bag ruptured, too weak to hold even its meagre content. Aling Saling coddled her torn paper bag like a baby to keep what was left of her precious rice from spilling onto the wet pavement. She was torn: should she kneel and pick up her rice one grain at a time or take refuge from the rain and protect what was left? She walked on, her shoulders hunched over her bag. Her experience captured the essence of the continuing debate about the plastic†¦show more content†¦Paper bags do not have handles making it more difficult to carry and are less preferred for reuse because they cannot hold heavy loads and is unrecoverable when wet. Plastic bags, on the other hand have handles that makes it more convenient to reuse and can still be used even when wet, making it more useful and handy. Carlito Soon, PPIA director and board member of the Packaging Institute of the Philippines, said that a total ban onShow MoreRelatedInstructive Text Types11631 Words   |  47 Pagestype†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Chapter 2.Text Forms†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.... 2.1 The descriptive text form†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.... 2.2 The narrative text form†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2.3 The expository text form†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2.4 The argumentative text form†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2.5 The instructive text form †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦ Chapter 3.The directive-instructive text-type†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦.. 3.1 General characteristics†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3.2 Directive and InstructiveRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pages.............................................................................. 299 CHAPTER 10 Deductive Reasoning .......................................................................................... 312 x Implying with Certainty vs. with Probability ................................................................................ 312 Distinguishing Deduction from Induction ..................................................................................... 319 Review of MajorRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 PagesSTUDIES, SECOND EDITION - PROJECT MANAGEMENT CASE STUDIES, SECOND EDITION HAROLD KERZNER, Ph.D. Division of Business Administration Baldwin-Wallace College Berea, Ohio John Wiley Sons, Inc. This book is printed on acid-free paper. @ Copyright O 2006 by John Wiley Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmittedRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pages269 United Chemical Company 269 Byron vs. Thomas 271 Active Listening Exercise 272 SKILL APPLICATION 274 Activities for Communicating Supportively Suggested Assignments 274 Application Plan and Evaluation 274 274 SCORING KEYS AND COMPARISON DATA 276 Communicating Supportively 276 Scoring Key 276 Comparison Data 276 Communication Styles 276 Comparison Data 276 SKILL PRACTICE Diagnosing Problems and Fostering Understanding: United Chemical Company and Byron vs. Thomas 278 Observer’s Feedback FormRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pages6 (2005), pp. 1185–1203; and S. E. Scullen, M. K. Mount, and T. A. Judge, â€Å"Evidence of the Construct Validity of Developmental Ratings of Managerial Performance,† Journal of Applied Psychology 88, no. 1 (2003), pp. 50–66. 9. F. Luthans, â€Å"Successful vs. Effective Real Managers,† Academy of Management Executive (May 1988), pp. 127–132; and F. Luthans, R. M. Hodgetts, and S. A. Rosenkrantz, Real Managers (Cambridge, MA: Ballinger, 1988). See also F. Shipper and J. Davy, â€Å"A Model and Investigation of

The Rise Of A Middle Class Essay - 1678 Words

Early nineteenth century France gave rise to the ultimate social class called the Bourgeoisie. The Bourgeoisie consisted of the factory owners, wealthy bankers and the rest of upper class and their prestigious employment positions. The upper class glorified a life full of glamor and materialism. In contrast, the lower class or the working class came to be the proletariats. The working class appreciated hard work and strived to improve their circumstances; however, the Bourgeoisie strived to ensure the rise of a middle class did not occur in order to retain their reign in France. Over time, the gap between the upper and lower class grew and attitudes of jealousy and resentment among the lower class showed and these attitudes were seething among other proletariats in excess. As with any shift in culture, the authors, and artists of the time capture the change and attach their perception on influences the time period. In the nineteenth century France, the authors, and artists moved to realism, which reflects more truthful settings and everyday life and pulls away from idealism. A great example of a work of realism in this time period comes from Gustave Flaubert’s work Madame Bovary. Madame Bovary follows the life of Emma and Charles Bovary and highlights the lows and highs of pinning for a Bourgeoisie life in a way where the reader feels this story could be about them. The effects of a life of excess reflect in Madame Bovary through the characters, the character’s interactionShow MoreRelatedRise of the Middle Class2436 Words   |  10 PagesJyoti Rana Research Scholar Dept. of English B.P.S.M.V, Khanpur RISE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS The Victorian Era is named after the Queen of England, Queen Victoria. She ruled from 1837 to 1901 when she died. That era, which followed the Regency time period, is characterized by reforms in the government, industrialization in the factories, economic prosperity, and moral decline. It forms a link and transition between the writers of the romantic period and the very different literature of the 20th centuryRead MoreThe Rise Of The Middle Class1012 Words   |  5 Pagesthe money of the rich through lobbyists or super PACs, who then are the ones receiving the tax cuts and are garnering political favors by doing so, effectively moving us farther from a free and fair democracy, but rather towards oligarchy. The middle class has been fading away due to stagnating wages and a government that has served the interests of the few. Nick Hanauer is a plutocrat and a proud, unapologetic venture capitalist. Hanauer has founded, cofounded or funded over 30 companies and wasRead MoreThe Rise O f The Middle Class1985 Words   |  8 Pagesif those will get some back from the government. A recurring thought in the mind of many of these adults is,† How can my taxes be this high†. The middle class is supposed to be living comfortably and not have to live their lives worrying about money. But, in today’s United States the middle class has to worry about money every single day. The upper class is almost being penalized for earning too much money based on the percentages that they have to hand over to the government. The businesses thatRead MoreThe Rise of the Middle Class in The Untouchable by Thomas L. Friedman566 Words   |  3 PagesThe Untouchable by Thomas L. Friedman speaks about the world being flat, which is â€Å"the stunning rise of middle classes all over the world (pg. 323).† He explains how the American society is becoming global. This globalization that is occurring in today’s society is leading children in America to have a comp eting mindset against cultures such as the Chinese. We have to begin to think wise and know what route we have to take in life in order to flourish or survive. There will plenty of jobs out there;Read MoreThe Fascist Leader in Germany1151 Words   |  5 Pagesand their country would be saved. Fascism was good for people who complied with the rules, but not for those who talked against their leaders. Fascism in the 1920’s lead Europe to support of the middle class and economic instability. Fascism in the 1920’s lead Europe to support for the middle class people. Not many people have first-hand accounts with Fascism. For me, it was a family member born in Fascist Italy. â€Å"They built modern train systems, provided meals for kids at school, providedRead MoreShould Obamacare Be Abolished?1099 Words   |  5 Pageshotly debated topic in both of the last two presidential elections. As the cost of healthcare in America continues to rise, more Americans struggle to pay doctor and hospital expenses. Health insurance is suppose to provide money to pay for medical expenses, but as costs rise so do the insurance rates. Many Americans find private insurance is too expensive. As a result, many middle class Americans and low income households decide to go uninsured forcing taxpayers to cover their medical expenses alongRead MoreHuge Inequity in United States Social Classes624 Words   |  3 Pagesto have the most unstable inequality in the world. In 1978 the upper class generated $48,302 dollars and in 2010 generated more than three times as much, $393,682 dollars. While the middle class generated as little change in their money from 1978 to 2010. After the crash in 2008 People became interested in the inequality in America realizing that majority of the people, the middle class and lower are in the 99% while the top class is 1%. There is a graph that was invented in 1913 that explains whatRead MoreCurrent Trends Of The Middle Class1131 Words   |  5 Pages. Current trends in the middle class In the current century, the middle class is struggling with some issues in the society. Some of the major challenge facing the middle class is debts especially the college loans. From loans, the middle class gets less for more work. Technically, they earn less despite their hard work and this means that they hardly get enough to pay debts as well as save for their future. In addition, the much middle class will tend to reside with their parents to cut downRead MoreTransformation Of Urban Life During The Gilded Age And The Development Of Suburbs1423 Words   |  6 PagesUrban Life in the Gilded Age and the Development of Suburbs for the American Middle Classes This historical study will define the increased economy prosperity of the Gilded Age and the development of suburban planning in the American middle classes. During the late 19th century, the massive growth of the American economy was dominantly formed in urban industrial centers, yet the wealth generated from the upper and middle classes allowed them to move out into rural areas near major cities. More soRead MoreConflict Between The Wealthy And The Needy939 Words   |  4 Pagespower. The wealthy wish to keep their reign over the poor so that they may sustain themselves with money and authority, while the poor wish to rise up and establish their own authority so that they may live a better life and gain wealth. Historical friction between the two groups have resulted in various scenarios such as wars, rebellions, assassinations, the rise of new empires, political arguments, and even the creation of stories such as Robin Hood. The story Robin Hood himself is an ideal example

Teacher free essay sample

Running head: FINDING THE LEADER IN YOU Assignment 1: Finding the Leader in You: Self-Assessment / Johari Window Paper Submitted to Instructor: Dr. G. Reeley BUS520037VA016-1134-001  Leadership and Organizational Annette West Strayer University April 27, 2013 Assignment 1: Finding the Leader in You: Self-Assessment / Johari Window A Paper In order to become more informed about specific leadership styles that are commonly used in an organization, the Wiley Schermerhorn: Management Self-Assessment tool was utilized to assist in defining areas of strength. With the information provided and the assessment results obtained, there was an easy comprehensive interpretation of what the results meant. Table 1 provides the Profile of Personality Characteristics and Assessment Results. This information assists in determining how personality characteristics help shape how we lead in organizations. Table 1 Personality Characteristics| Assessment Results| 21st Century Manager| 8. 5| Transformational Leadership Transactional Leadership| 2426| Intuitive Ability| 7| Organizational Design Preference| 1=†the baseball team†2=†the club†3=†the fortress†4=†the academy†| Along with the assessment results, the Wiley Schermerhorn tool was able to provide a summarized interpretation of what the scored results represented. We will write a custom essay sample on Teacher or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page According to the scores from the 21st Century Manager domain, it determined that the score of 8. 5 is a good starting point as I consider where and how to further pursue the development of your management skills and competencies. My success will rest on (1) an initial awareness of the importance of these basic management foundations and (2) a willingness to trive continually to strengthen them throughout the work career. In reviewing Transformational and Transactional Leadership characteristics, the score 24 and 26, respectively, describes a leader/manager that is able to inspire its members to â€Å"buy-in† to the vision and mission of the organizational. Even though both leadership characteristics are needed and must be used in most environments, the Transactional leadership prototype appears to be the one identified to be strongest style of the two identified in my assessment. Throughout my own career choices, I believe that I’ve learned to employ this style because as a public education teacher we have always had a teacher’s union to ensure that we receive â€Å"exchanges† for our commitment to the District. Hollander (1978) states that transactional leadership is formulated on the expectation that there is an â€Å"exchange† between the whoever is in charge and those that work for that individual, meaning that those who work for the person in charge receive some form of compensation for completing required tasks. It is my desire to embrace the ability to use a Transformational style to compel individuals to go beyond the basic level of their responsibilities. (Howell amp; Frost, 1989). In my current position, I have found that employees are staying with our organization â€Å"not just because they are being paid for their work but because they have the need to supply a need to its clientele and also to feel like they are making a difference. The assessment score of 7 was obtained in the area of Intuitive Abilities. According to the interpretation summary given, it appears as if I continue to utilize â€Å"traditional analytical techniques† to make decisions (Agor, 1989). In his book titled â€Å"Intuition in Organization,† Agor (1989), states that in order to be successful in the future one must began to prepare themselves to use more intuitive skills in decision making. The scoring in this area does not surprise me coming from a classroom environment to a leadership position now where I am forced to make decisions quickly while keeping in mind how it effects the whole organization. It future goes to explain some of the struggles that I have with managing larger and older groups of individuals. The skills exist within but I must place closer attention on making sure that I work to develop those skills. According to Veiga amp; Yanouzas,  (1979), the focus on Organizational Design Preferences should be to assist in determining how decisions are made about grouping people and how to place them in the best environment so that individuals are successful. In the area of Organizational Design Preference, my score was a 71 which meant that I was more comfortable with a â€Å"mechanistic design†. References Agor, W. (1989c). Intuition in organizations: Leading and managing productively. California: Sage Publications, Inc. Hollander, E. New York: Free Press; 1978. Leadership Dynamics. Howell JM, Frost PJ. A laboratory study of charismatic leadership. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 1989; 43:243–269. Veiga, JF, Yanouzas, JN. ,  The Dynamics of Organization Theory: Gaining a Macro Perspective  (St. Paul, MN: West, 1979), pp. 158-160 Appendix Submitted and Completed Self-Assessment Score Sheet .

Dumb-blonde stereotypes Essay Example

Dumb-blonde stereotypes Essay Tony then arrives to let Gary know that their pub is closing down, both shocked Gary walks out abandoning Dorothy, this is a stereotypical think that men dont care about woman as much as booze, or footie.  In scene 2 Gary and Tony have a drink with the new pub landlord; the drink is seen as a stereotypical bonding way of men. Scene 3 in Debs flat is a good scene because it shows how careless men are, when Tony shows up with a condom machine badly wrapped, this also supports the stereotypical idea of men being obsessed with sex. Debs flat is stereotypically feminine in that it is tidy, clean, bright, homely and tasteful unlike Gary and Tonis flat which is dirty and overloaded with beer cans. When Debby tells Tony about her interest in astrology Tony then gives her a stereotypical male view of it guys dont believe in all that bollocks, unless they want to get off with a girl who really thinks (its true). Tony then makes a joke with a sexual overtone, you show me yours, Ill show you mine, again this stereotypical idea that men only think about sex. We will write a custom essay sample on Dumb-blonde stereotypes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Dumb-blonde stereotypes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Dumb-blonde stereotypes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In scene 4 Tony and Gary go o n a pub crawl to find a new pub, as mentioned they approach this as if buying a house, as it will become their home from now on. Gary makes a list of what to look for in a pub, the list includes taking a good look at the outside step (when they are drunk), and local take-ways (stereotypical lad, them getting drunk and getting the munchies). Over the scene Gary and Tony start dancing drunkenly in the street, this is a very stereotypical. In scene 5 we see Garys flat which has been turned in a pub with the old pubs filthy toilets and the optics. They then start having a conversation about girly words like: loo, doobry, oops, potty, flip flop, being different from guy words such as carburettor, penalty shoot-out. The girly words have a more soft and connotations of home, where as the guy words are linked to stereotypical male obsessions like cars and football. When Dorothy comes in and Gary tries to explain the importance of pubs to men by comparing a pub to cathedral, suggesting that drinking is their religion. Gary then enacts all of his bad habits mentioned earlier. When Gary goes to the pub he lives to-do notes for Dorothy, and she from furry goes to the pub and does a role reversal and acts like a stereotypical lad does. Now what Dorothy does is, in effect, to expose the dominant ideology that says its socially acceptable for men to behave like this, but totally taboo for woman to do the same. The humour in this scene comes through the surprise of the role reversal/breaking of stereotypes showing us what we do not expect to see. The second comedy I am going to look at is AbFab, now the humour comes form the characters breaking the stereotypical representations of woman, unlike MBB where the humour comes form the exaggerated stereotypes. AbFab is an almost entirely female sitcom, there are hardly any men in the programme, and those that appear are usually either gay or unimportant (seen as sex objects, as woman would be seen in MBB and earlier sitcoms. The humour in this sitcom comes from Patsy and Edina acting in this extreme, and in social terms unacceptable behaviour.  The episode of AbFab that Ive studied is the first ever episode made of AbFab. In scene 1 and throughout the episode we see that Edina breaks the stereotype of being a good mother and there is a theme of role reversal in which Edina is, is a teenager and Saffy is the responsible mother figure. The scene opens with Edinas room and shes in bed as she had a hangover from the previous night. This is where we see that she had none of the qualities of a mother: as she is messy, get drunk and smokes to excess (we see bottles, ash trays and cigarette buds all over the room), she is irresponsible (as she cant be asked to get up to go to work), she is lazy and she is very loud. The role reversal is seen when Saffy comes in and starts shouting at Edina to get up and go to work (as if a parent would do to their child), Edina reacts by hiding the drink bottle under her duvet so that Saffy doesnt see it (again as a teenager would hide drinks or fags). The comedy comes from Edina breaking the stereotypical mother image. In the second scene we see Edinas kitchen and again that is also covered with drink bottles everywhere. We see the Edina is not at all domestic because she confuses the washing machine with a cupboard, this reveals that she is not a stereotypical domestic housewife and the humour comes from that.  Saffy is presented as a stereotypical mother should be: caring, responsible, practical, concerned and trying to tell Edina the difference between right and wrong (as a mother should instead its the daughter). Edina acts in a very unfeminine manner, as she is loud, vulgar, aggressive and childish (like a stereotypical teenager would be perceived as). In scene 3 we meet Patsy for the first time, now as soon as she enters the room we can tell that Saffy doesnt like her (like when parents meet daughters boyfriends and think their not good enough). Patsy arrives in a smart suit (this reflects the dominance over Edina and as if she is the man in the partnership). She has a sixties beehive hairdo, this is a throwback to the time that Patsy and Edina are stuck in. now Edina sees her relationship with Patsy more important that the motherly relationship with Saffy ( un stereotypical, as mothers should put their kids before everything else), similar to the relationship in MBB, where they see mates more important than girlfriends. In scene 4 we see Edina and Patsy doing things to excess like drinking, smoking (these are unfeminine vices), later we see them taking drugs like its a everyday, normal thing. Edina seems to have few maternal instinct and Patsy none, Patsy asks whats the point of having kids when all they do is ruin your body, and not come with you to fashion shows, Patsy only sees the disadvantages. Patsy is independent and in control other own sexuality without any maternal hang- ups at all (like a stereotypical man, who has one night stands all the time and doesnt care). Patsy breaks the stereotypical traditional feminine stereotypes as her life seems to revolve around; drinking, smoking, bitching, drugs, and drugs, those things you would expect only a man to do, this breaks all feminine stereotypes, and thats why its seen as funny to the audience as they would never expect a woman to do that. In scene 5 we meet Bubble, she is perceived as and extreme dumb-blonde stereotypes, her name presumably refers to the fact that she is an air-head, but also she is reversing the stereotype of the efficient female assistant. In this scene Edina is very much her own boss (as you would expect a stereotypical man to be), also you see how AbFab is a world of woman, as there are no men in it or the fact that no men are mentioned. We also see how ruthless, insincere, heartless and totally lacking maternal feelings Edina is (you wouldnt expect to see woman like that, it breaks away from the stereotypical representation of woman) when she organises the fashion show.

On Decay of the Art of Lying Essay Essay Example

On Decay of the Art of Lying Essay Essay Example On Decay of the Art of Lying Essay Essay On Decay of the Art of Lying Essay Essay On decay of the art of lying essay â€Å"On Decay of the Art of Lying† was, as the title suggests, an essay discussing the topic of lying. Mark Twain, who was the author of the essay, suggests that everyone is a liar, and that no one can go through life without lying even if they claim that they are completely honest. People lie everyday, every hour even without realizing that they are lying. The world would be a completely different place if people never lied, this wouldn’t necessarily be for the better however. Lying isn’t always bad as most people perceive it to be. Lying is used a lot when trying to avoid hurting someone’s feelings and to avoid some sort of conflict such as fighting or arguing. Twain believes lying is good, when it is courteous and used to make everyone happy and not just yourself. The author makes a good valid point when he mentions that a lie to better everyone is better than a truth that hurts everyone, which I fully support. Twain wants everyone to practice lying in a thoughtful and unselfish manner because it will make the world a nicer place. Before, reading this essay I had always thought of lying as being a bad thing even though I do it sometimes. After reading this, I am fully convinced that lying can be good. I never realized before reading this that people lie so much, even more then they would ever think because they sometimes don’t notice it. I am also starting to notice more how much me and the people around me lie all the time even just about the smallest things that don’t even seem to matter that much. I fully support everything that has been said in this essay.

Qilinâ€The Chinese Unicorn

Qilin- The Chinese Unicorn The qilin or Chinese unicorn is a mythical beast that symbolizes good luck and prosperity. According to tradition in China, Korea, and Japan, a qilin would appear to signal the birth or death of a particularly benevolent ruler or sage scholar. Because of its association with good luck, and its peaceful, vegetarian nature, the qilin is sometimes called the Chinese unicorn in the western world, but it does not particularly resemble a horned horse. In fact, the qilin has been depicted in a number of different ways over the centuries. Some descriptions state that it has a single horn in the middle of its forehead- hence the unicorn comparison. However, it may also have the head of a dragon, the body of a tiger or a deer, and an oxs tail. The qilin is sometimes covered with scales like a fish; at other times, it has flames all over its body. In some tales, it can also spout flames from its mouth to incinerate evil people. The qilin is generally a peaceful creature, however. In fact, when it walks it steps so lightly that it doesnt even bend down the grass. It can also walk across the waters surface. History of the Qilin   The qilin first appeared in the historical record with the Zuo Zhuan, or Chronicle of Zuo, which describes events in China from 722 to 468 BCE. According to these records, the first Chinese writing system was transcribed around 3000 BCE from the markings on a qilins back. A qilin is supposed to have heralded the birth of Confucius, c. 552 BCE. The founder of Koreas Goguryeo Kingdom, King Dongmyeong (r. 37-19 BCE), rode a qilin like a horse, according to legend. Much later, during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), we have solid historical evidence of at least two qilin showing up in China in 1413. Actually, they were giraffes from the coast of Somalia; the great admiral Zheng He brought them back to Beijing after his fourth voyage (1413-14). The giraffes were immediately proclaimed to be qilin. The Yongle Emperor was naturally extremely pleased to have the symbol of wise leadership show up during his reign, courtesy of the Treasure Fleet. Although traditional depictions of the qilin had a much shorter neck than any giraffes, the association between the two animals remains strong to this day. In both Korea and Japan, the term for giraffe is kirin, or qilin. Across East Asia, the qilin is one of the four noble animals, along with the dragon, the phoenix, and the tortoise. Individual qilin are said to live for 2000 years and can bring babies to deserving parents much in the manner of storks in Europe. Pronunciation: chee-lihn

Strategic Quality and Systems Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Quality and Systems Management - Essay Example For better results, all the workers in the organization should participate in the approach. This is because teamwork is part of all the processes taking place in the organization such as processing, product services, and sales. To attain the preferred results, various stages have to be undergone. The strategic plan should be revised to make sure that it incorporates with the organization. It is through this revision that past strategies and initiatives will be highlighted. Any weaknesses will be noted and given priority in the new strategic plan to make sure it works. Remarkably, the customer is presumed to be right; hence, his/her voice should be heard and attended to. Employees should collect data from customers on their views on the product and customer satisfaction. Analyzing the data will help in the provision of the right product standards and qualities.Additionally, a strategic implementation plan will be launched to improve on the quality of the food produced to ensure that it is unique and acquires a larger market share. It should have its goals and objectives. The planned strategic change has to be embraced by all the employees in order to work hence the human resource department has got involved. It will help in the provision of new ideas to employees who will reflect them in their processing, marketing, and sales departments. To facilitate the change, resources must be pumped in the projects. They may be obtained from loans, capital, profits, or equities. They will be used to improve product quality and manage supply channels to ensure that the customer is satisfied on the produced foods. Quality management will help monitor changes to suit customer preferences leading to increased sales and profits. Internally, it may be arrived at through training, coaching and motivating the employees who will in turn provide good results in the issue of quality management. Externally, good relations with the suppliers will ensure supply of

How do primary schools meet the emotional, psychological and Essay

How do primary schools meet the emotional, psychological and behavioural needs of pupils - Essay Example In the past, children were just considered as miniature adults and less attention was paid to their development, especially in the field of cognition, language and physical growth. However, the beginning of the 20th century saw growing interest in the field of child development. This enormous interest led to many theories proposed by researchers. It is important to understand these theories to understand child development properly. The child development theories can be classified into psychoanalytic, cognitive, behavioural and social child development theories. The main proponents of psychoanalytic theories are Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson. Freud described child development as a series of psychosexual stages (Carver, & Scheir, 2000). The first stage is also known as oral stage. In this stage, the primary source of interaction to the infant is through mouth. Thus sucking and rooting reflexes are important and the infant derives pleasure from activities involving oral stimulation lik e tasting and sucking. Even trust and comfort to the infant is derived from oral stimulation. The primary conflict in this stage is weaning. Fixation in this stage leads to problems with eating and drinking and indulging in smoking and nail biting. The second stage is the anal stage. Gratification in this stage is gained by bladder and bowel movements. The major conflict in this stage is toilet training and how this conflict affects the child is dependent on the way parents approach toilet training. Training using rewards and praises leads to positive experiences and serves as a basis for the child to become productive, creative and competent adults. Parents who take a lenient approach to toilet training can lead to anal-expulsive personality wherein the individuals are destructive, messy and wasteful. On the other hand, strict toilet training leads to rigid, stringent, orderly and obsessive personality as the child grows into an adult. The

Hills Like White Elephants Essay Example for Free

Hills Like White Elephants Essay Ernest Hemingway’s short story â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† touches on an issue people have faced in the past and continues today: communication problems in a relationship. The ability to communicate your feelings to another person during complicated times reveals the true strength in a relationship. Hemingway tells his story through conversations between the two main characters, the American and the girl, named Jig. The characters face the harsh reality of an unexpected pregnancy and conflict is created through their dialogue. Their obstacle is complicated by their inability to deliver their differing opinions to each other. The couple’s failure to communicate their opinions straightforward turns the conversation into a tactic of manipulation. On the surface, it seems the American is the one doing the manipulation and trying to persuade the girl to have the abortion, but when Jig’s dialogue is looked closer, it’s clear that she participates in attempting to control the conversation, as well. Regardless of who is more successful, their relationship is damaged forever. To begin, the man does not want to be forced to deal with the complications of starting a family and giving up his lifestyle of travelling. He wants the girl to have an abortion, but he wants her to feel like the decision she makes is that of her own. The truth is he believes and knows his words will play a huge influence on her decision. After a few drinks, the man brings up the sensitive issue to the girl by choosing his words carefully: â€Å"It’s really an awfully simple operation† (Hemingway 133). The man tries pushing the issue further by inserting his own judgment and assuring her that â€Å"they just let the air in and then it’s all perfectly natural (133). His manipulation can be seen clearly when he suggests â€Å"[The baby’s] the only thing that bothers us† (133). It is clear that their relationship has not been the same since hearing news about the baby. I think she begins to realize that she is left with the choice between having the baby or being with him, which could be depicted when she â€Å"put her hand out and took hold of two of the strings beads, â€Å"referring to only two people being able to be together: her and the baby or her and the man. The man is also planting the idea into the girls mind that he wants her to have a say in the matter and to soften its impact. You’ve got to realize†¦ that I don’t want you to do it if you don’t want to. I’m perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you (134). Yet, when asked if the baby means anything to him, the man replies, â€Å"I don’t want anyone else†. In this line the American is referring to the baby in the girls womb and is saying that he wants only her. While its implications are insensitive, the man believes he is appealing to the girls desire for a man devoted to her. Instead of telling Jig that he does not want a baby to complicate their lives, the man tries to make it seem like an abortion is the best thing for the couple through his careful manipulation. The man’s manipulation is very noticeable, but he is not the only one who can play that game. On the surface, the girl appears helpless and dependent, but if viewed from a different perspective she could be seen as manipulative. Hemingway names her â€Å"the girl† to portray her as somebody who is naive and immature. She appears to be dependent on the man by asking him questions such as, â€Å"What should we drink?† (132) or â€Å"What does it say?† (132). However, she is much smarter than she may seem and communicates her feelings through indirect ways without being offensive to the older man. During their conversation about the drinks tasting like licorice, the girl comments, â€Å"Everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe† (132). She is trying to show her frustration towards the man in a subtle way. Her frustration is built on the fact that, despite always wishing for a baby, she might not have that chance anymore if she decides to have the abortion. The girl also makes it aware that her frustration runs deeper into their relationship. Upon trying a new drink, Jig questions their life, â€Å"That’s all we do, isn’t it — look at things and try new drinks?† She uses â€Å"all† in a desperate attempt to show the man that she is bored of her life and their relationship, which Bauer suggests â€Å"does not seem to be moving into any kind of commitment† (Bauer), that she deeply wants. As the man suggests that everything will be better after the abortion, The girl reacts, â€Å"And you think then that we’ll be alright and be happy† (133). Without the man even realizing, the girl, to me, has gone from uncertainty to certainty because she did not have to ask the question, already knowing that, as Bauer suggests, â€Å"Whatever they do about the baby, they will not go back to where they were† (Bauer). The girl seems to be in control of the conversation and in response to the man’s claim â€Å"I’ve known lots of people that have done it† (133), she offers sarcasm, â€Å"And afterwards they were all so happy.† The girl realizes that the man is clueless and will never understand. She realizes that she does not have a real decision in her abortion, feeling that the man has already made the decision for her. To compensate for her lack of autonomy, she wants to make the man feel guilty for making her have the abortion, so she tells him, â€Å"then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me† (134). Jill grows more explicit to her refusal, as she repeats several times â€Å"No we can’t† (134), ironically refuting his agreement of her own sarcastic statement, â€Å"We can have everything† (134). The man fails to understand her point of view and when Jill points out that â€Å"once they take it away, you never get it back† (134), the man thinks she is talking about their world of travelling, proving his ignorance and selfish desire to hang on to that. Yet if the girl carries the baby to term, the steady sex life that the American has enjoyed will come to an end: Not only will he have to forego sex during her pregnancy, but he will also have to fight for time to have sex with the girl once the babofy is born. Regardless of how seriously the American would take his responsibilities as a father, simply having the baby living with the girl at home would remind the American that he can no longer enjoy the fairly carefree lifestyle that he and the girl led prior to the babys birth. In a sense, he would be entering adult life a second time. Another aspect of youth that the American relives is traveling. In looking at the bags with labels from all the hotels where they had spent nights (Hemingway 76), he is not only thinking of their lovemaking but also of the different places they have been to. Not only is the American sleeping with a young woman but he is also taking her to countless different cities. The man and the girl are vagrants with money, seeing the world as if there were nothing else for them to do. This vagrancy also serves the purpose of masking the fact that the American is not moving quickly from one woman to another—indeed, that he cannot do so. Instead of moving between partners, he is moving between cities and countries. Were the girl to give birth to the baby, though, this traveling would likely be forced to stop—and even if the couple could still go to different places, they would either have to take the baby with them or find someone to leave it with. In observing the girls willingness to carry their baby to term, he sees that she is ready to grow up, to take on responsibility, to settle down.

The Cost-Benefit Analysis of Solar Energy Essay -- alternative energy,

In recent decades, much debate has ensued about the vast amount of natural resources and ecological services society depletes. Moreover, the debate has evaluated how society depletes these natural resources at a faster rate than the environment can replenish. It also assesses how society can mitigate these environmental issues in order to preserve our natural resources for the prosperity of future generations. Research suggests that the natural resources we currently use, such as coal and petroleum, could be fully depleted within the next 25 and 100 years respectively (Byrd, 2012). Given that society has a tendency to over-consume natural resources, many economists have suggested that the use of alternative energy could alleviate the effects of overconsumption and the environment's ability to replenish. Therefore, this study evaluates the potential of solar energy (SE) on society and the environment by evaluating a cost-benefit analysis between solar energy technology (SET) and conve ntional energy resources. Electricity and The Call for Solar Technology: Research on conventional energy resources has shown that the demand of electricity has drastically increased in recent decades, and will continue to increase in the future (Zweibel, 2010). Moreover, by evaluating business as usual models, where the annual growth rate of demand for electricity ranges from 2% and 3.2%, research has suggested that annual world demand for electricity will soar from around 20 trillion kWh (kilowatts) in 2010 to 60 trillion kWh in 2050 and 200 trillion kWh by 2100. Additionally, the average growth rate of renewable resources has only increased about 1.6% per annum, in comparison to the 4% annual growth rate of conventional energy resources. (Lloyd & F... .... Solar Photovoltaic Installation in California: Understanding the Likelihood of Adoption Given Incentives, Electricity Pricing and Consumer Characteristics. Duke University, USA. [Found using CRS, Wiser, R., Barbose, G., & Peterman, C.] Sarzynski, A., Larrieu, J., & Shrimali, G. (2012). The impact of state financial incentives on market deployment of solar technology. Energy Policy, 46, 550-557. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.04.032 [EL] Tsoutsos, T., Frantzeskaki, N., & Gekas, V. (2005). Environmental impacts from the solar energy technologies. Energy Policy, 33, 289-296. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0301-4215(03)00241-6 [Conceptual] Zweibel, K. (2010). Should solar photovoltaics be deployed sooner because of long operating life at low, predictable cost? Energy Policy, 38(11), 7519-7530. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.07.040

African Americans in American Society 1920s Essay

Throughout US history, there is an abundance of racism, segregation and discrimination towards the African American people. In 1619, the first African slaves were brought to Jamestown to produce tobacco, tea, cotton, coffee and other precious commodities. In this time period, 12 million Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas, where they worked as slaves until 1865, where the 13th Amendment abolished slavery. Although suppressed by whites and organisations such as the Ku Klux Klan, African Americans in the 1920s began to work towards social, economic and political independence as well as freedom from segregation and discrimination. From this decade, groups in favour of ending prejudice towards African Americans were formed, such as the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) led by W. E. B. DuBois and the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) led by Marcus Garvey, who, in their own rights, continued the legacy of Booker T. Washington who had worked towards Black rights in the 1890s. * â€Å"We must canonize our own saints, create our own martyrs, and elevate to positions of fame and honor black men and women who have made distinct contributions to our racial history† – Marcus Garvey World War I was a perfect opportunity for African Americans to prove themselves to their white neighbours, and fulfil the policies of Booker T. Washington, that in order to achieve acceptance, equality and freedom, they must first prove that they are worthy of their rights, which was done through service in the armed forces. However, instead of being accepted by white society, African Americans found that racial tensions only grew during the 1920s. Starting from the 1910s, a phenomenon had been occurring known as the Great Migration – the movement of African Americans from Southern cities to Northern ones as a result of extreme racism, the threat of lynching and the general aggression from whites. The African American population grew from 44 000 in 1920 to 234 000 in 1930 in Chicago, and Black Chicagoans gained access to city jobs, expanded their professional class and even won elective office in local and state government. However, in places such as Harlem, New York City, many African Americans were forced into small ghettos due to the unavailability of housing to them. Despite this, migration to the North meant that African Americans had become a powerful voting group, one that many white politicians took interest in (such as the Communist Party of America) and also pushed for civil rights of African Americans as they realised that racism was not just a Southern problem. Another side effect of the Great Migration, and ghettos was the flourishing of African American culture in the Black, or Harlem Renaissance. This movement was characterised by the idea of the ‘New Negro’ whose intellect through music, art and literature would challenge racism and stereotypes to promote progressive politics and social integration. One such example of the New Negro is Marcus Garvey, the Jamaican-born founder of the UNIA, who acted the part of a Negro king, established the African Orthodox Church and promoted a policy of separatism and a move of all African Americans back to Africa. The Harlem Renaissance saw a new culture develop in Harlem, the ghetto backstreets of New York City, where African Americans would reach back to their rich cultural heritage and produce creative works to express their feelings in the 1920s, such as Jazz music, which employed the minds of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington and many more. Other famous figures include Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and Countee Cullen, who inspired African Americans to remain strong despite the threat of racial violence. As a result of the Harlem Renaissance and the culture produced there, African Americans through taking pride in their heritage found empowerment, which lead to the beginnings of groups such as the Civil Rights Movement, and also, due to the significant effect they had on white culture (such as the development of modern music) it was impossible for white Americans to ignore the achievements occurring in Harlem and other black communities, and allow segregation to continue at such a large scale. Despite the cultural developments in Harlem and the formation of the African American identity, white culture found it extremely difficult to accept their black neighbours, leading to racial tensions, and often as a result, lynchings. One such example of racial tension leading to horrific consequences was the Tulsa Race Riots. In 1921, Tulsa Oklahoma was experiencing an economic boom thanks to the discovery of oil. Due to this African Americans also prospered, although confined to the Greenwood section of the city, also referred to as the Black Wall Street, due to a number of wealthy black entrepreneurs residing there. At this time, membership in the Ku Klux Klan was rising and there was an active chapter in Tulsa. On Memorial Day, a riot was triggered by a report in several white newspapers that a white, female elevator operator had been allegedly raped by black youths. In response to this, rumours circulated around the city that a mob was going to attempt to lynch the youths, then a group of armed African Americans bolted to the local police station in order to stop the lynching mob, that did not exist. A confrontation followed where shots were fired and several whites killed. As news of the events spread through Tulsa, thousands of whites caused uproar through Greenwood as they ran through the Black Wall Street, killing African Americans and vandalising, burning and looting homes and businesses. However, when the National Guard was called in, only blacks were arrested (around four or five thousand), and as a result of the day’s violence, around 35 blocks of Greenwood were destroyed, $1. 5 million worth of damage caused, and reports of up to 300 African Americans killed, and only 20 whites. Today, white citizens of Oklahoma have only recently accepted the blame for the hundreds of deaths as a result of the Tulsa Race Riots. * â€Å"I was frequently whipped and also put into an electric chair and shocked and strangling drugs would be put in my nose to make me tell that others had killed or shot at white people and force me to testify against them† – Alf Banks. One of the many goals of the NAACP was to make Black Americans aware of their political rights, including their right to vote. They also wished to see an end to the lynching of African Americans throughout the US, and with the help of the Tuskegee Institute compiled information that revealed that from 1890 to 1921, there had been more lynchings than executions, and that of the 4096 known lynchings, 810 of those had been for rape or attempted rape. In 1922, the law known as the Dyer Anti-Lynching Law was passed through the House of Representatives with more than two-thirds in favour of the bill, but failed to make it through the Senate, due to the lack of political will in the 1920s to see an end to lynching, and also because of the influence of the Southern Democrats. However, due to the research undertaken by the NAACP and the Tuskegee Institute being released in the press, and thus, to the general public, the outcry leads to a decrease in lynchings. In 1923, the NAACP gained an impressive legal victory against the courts of Arkansas in what is known as the Moore versus Dempsey case. In the Elaine, Arkansas riot of 1919, 5 whites were killed, allegedly by African Americans. As a result of this, over 700 African Americans were arrested, 67 sent to prison and 12 sentenced to death, after being tried by an all white jury. Walter White, a member of the NAACP, took interest in the case and after travelling to Arkansas posing as a newspaper reporter, and into Phillips County where the ‘massacre’ took place, he published what he had found. The NAACP then hired black and white lawyers, who argued that due to the mob that had circled the courthouse on the day of the trial, the 12 men had not received a fair trial. On the 19th of February 1923, the Supreme Court decided in the favour of the NAACP, the case was handed down to the lower courts and all 12 men were freed. * â€Å"Until your produce what the white man has produced, you will not be his equal† – Marcus Garvey Marcus Garvey, the founder of the UNIA believed that the only way to establish African Americans as an independent group was through capitalism. On January 30 1920, the Negro Factories Corporation was created in Delaware, whose purpose was to help African Americans rely on their own efforts. By May the same year, the corporation had taken over the management of the steam laundry in Harlem, and was also opening millinery. Soon afterwards in June, the organisation had commenced the production of UNIA uniforms and insignia at the Universal Tailoring and Dress Making Department. Throughout America, UNIA branches were encouraged to buy into their own buildings and open their own businesses, such as the Panama branch, which ran a bakery. The shares however, of these establishments were open to only to members of the UNIA. In 1921, the Negro Factories Corporation fell victim to organisational mismanagement, and ceased operations. Although the company never reached the height of Garvey’s vision, it gave hundreds of African Americans hope by providing people with employment in Harlem, as well as assistance through aid societies, small loans and death benefits. Another organisation set up to help stimulate the African American economy was the National Urban League, although established in 1910, helped African Americans migrate from rural to urban areas during the 1920s, its purpose being â€Å"to promote, encourage, assist and engage in any and all kinds of work for improving the industrial, economic, social and spiritual conditions among Negroes†. In 1921, the Department of Research was created by the League for the purpose of surveying Black populations in northern cities, resulting in the discovery African Americans faced regarding employment, sanitation and hygiene, and education. By addressing these problems, the League quickly grew, and is still in action today. One of the main problems facing African Americans when seeking employment was that union membership was discouraged throughout the 1920s, by the American Federation of Labor (AFL). This, along with the increased job competition brought about by migrants, lead to a weakened labour movement in the US. All African American unionists were banned from condemning the activities of the Ku Klux Klan, and the anti-labour behaviour of capitalists (who believed African Americans were associated with the increased industrialist power) lead not only to increased racial tension, but also further economic competition between lower classes. The Communist Party of America had hoped through their own establishment, the American Negro Labor Congress that all African American unionists would be brought together, in order to assist their own political fortunes. This movement however had little support, with less than 200 African American members in 1928. Due to the difficulties African Americans had with finding work should they be part of a union, as well as the increased racial tensions brought about with taking up their rights to be part of a union, memberships declined from 5 million to 3. 5 million by the end of the 1920s. Despite the difficulties African Americans had finding work, when actually in employment, the pay differences between white and black workers, especially in factories, were small. Unfortunately, the jobs open to African Americans were generally limited and concentrated around unskilled labour, which was often unpleasant, and dangerous, such as working in blast furnaces in steel plants, or in the killing and cutting departments of meat packing plants. Also, because of the reluctance of blacks to join unions (many employers banned union membership) they were more likely to be hired at times of strikes. The Ford Motor Company hired large amounts of African American factory workers, starting with only 50 in 1916, and increasing to over 10 000 in 1926. Unlike motor companies in Detroit who refused to hire African American workers, Ford treated their black employees with the same policy as their white employees, including the amount of working hours paid, with only a 40 hour, 5 day week for workers, unlike companies in the steel industry which supported a 12 hour day. The lack of education in African Americans, with the average standard of highest education being the 5th grade (the average for whites being 8th grade), lead many to seek work at the Ford Motor Company, and by the end of the 1920s, accounting for 7% of the total workforce. * As a result of all that occurred in the 1920s African American USA, many examples of what were achieved, and what happened can be seen today, in modern America. For example, the Harlem Renaissance which saw the flourishing of Jazz Music in New York, helped lead to the music we hear today. The NAACP which gained legal victories, such as the Moore versus Dempsey case, and helped win Blacks civil rights, is still operating today, as America’s oldest and largest civil rights group for ethnic minorities. The Great Migration, and willingness for black workers to prove themselves, established African American populations in all major cities in America, making them a huge driving force in politics, and incorporated them into what we now see a slightly less racist, more accepting society. America, as we know it, would never have occurred unless African Americans had been there to influence the growth of one of the largest capitalist societies in the world. Bibliography †¢ Harlan, L. R. (1974 – source). History Matters. [on-line]. Available from: http://historymatters. gmu. edu/d/39 [accessed 16 Aug. 2010] †¢ South Dakota Alliance for Distance Education. (2002). The 1920s. [on-line]. Available from: http://doe. sd. gov/octa/ddn4learning/themeunits/1920s/americans. htm [accessed 18 Aug. 1010] †¢ Manning, C. (2005). African Americans. [on-line]. Available from: http://encyclopedia. chicagohistory. org/pages/27. html [accessed 18 Aug. 2010] †¢ Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2002). [on-line]. Available from: http://www. pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/ [accessed 18 Aug. 2010] †¢ Ogunyemi, B. (2009). Tulsa Oklahoma’s Greenwood District. [on-line]. Available from: http://traditionofexcellence. wordpress. com/2008/02/08/tulsa-oklahomas-greenwood-district-black-wall-street/ [Accessed 24 August 2010] †¢ Schultz, S. (1999). Civil Rights in an Uncivil Society. [on-line] Available from: http://us. history. wisc. edu/hist102/lectures/lecture26. html [accessed 24 August 2010] †¢ Ellsworth, S. (2010). The Tulsa Race Riot. [on-line]. Available from: http://www.tulsareparations. org/TulsaRiot. htm [accessed 24 August 2010] †¢ Van Leeuwen, D. (2000). Marcus Garvey and the UNIA. [on-line]. Available from: http://nationalhumanitiescenter. org/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/garvey. htm [accessed 19 August 2010] †¢ Maloney T. M. (2010). African Americans in the 20th Century. [on-line]. Available from: http://en. net/encyclopedia/article/maloney. african. american [accessed 19 August 2010] †¢ Library of Congress. (2009). African Americans and Consumerism. [on-line]. Available from:

70s Fashion Began Where the 60s Left Off

70s fashion began where the 60s left off. Mini skirts were popular and theflower power influence was everywhere. 60s' trends first adopted by the beautiful people filtered into mainstream wear. Trousers were flared and shirts had big collars. For men, the kipper tie was soon standard wear with a suit. These girls (above) are at a party in the summer of 1970. They show that the mini skirt was far from dead. 70s' fashion took on a multitude of different styles and influences. As well as the hippy style of the late sixties, there was nostalgia for the past. First for the 20s and 30s, then the 40s and 50s and finally the Edwardian era. There was also concern for the environment and strong ethnic influences. Men's fashion adopted a look that would have been considered too feminine a few years earlier. Shirts were tight fitting with big collars and were brightly patterned. There was also a trend towards unisex clothes. The formal suit was still expected to be worn to a dinner party in the 70s; for younger men it was usually only worn in the office or for formal occasions. Jeans, increasingly flared, were popular with men and women for everyday wear. By the end of the decade, change was on the way. Punk rejected everything that had gone before. Mini, midi or maxi The popularity of the mini skirt was challenged in the early 70s and a group of (male) truckers even organised a campaign to bring it back in 1970. However, the mini remained popular in the early years of the 70s, but women now could chose between, mini, midi, (mid-calf length) or maxi (full length) skirts. Hot pants, ultra short shorts, sometimes with a bib and braces, were a variation on the theme. The girl on the above, right, is wearing a pair of navy hot pants with long white socks. Her blouse is in a floral pattern and has a big collar with rounded corners. Longer dresses, inspired by the hippy era of the late sixties, were also in fashion, with paisley or floral patterns being popular. I lived in Portsmouth in 1970/71/72 and was aged 16-18 at that time so had the best of it. Hot pants, mini skirt/dress, long dress and maxi coat, wide brimmed hats, seed bead jewellery and a headband round my head!! I was a true hippy to begin with and went to the Isle of Wight pop festival in 1970. Chris Flares and platform soles Two trends defined the 70s in a fashion sense: flared trousers and platform soles. Flares were derived from the hippy fashion for loon pants of the late 60s. They were worn by men and women. The flare was from the knee and reached exaggerated proportions in the middle years of the 70s. The trousers were often hipsters, sitting on the hips rather than the waist, and tight fitting. The combination of flares and denim made flared jeans the fashion phenomenon of the decade. Platform soles were mainly worn by women and more fashionable men. There were health warnings about damage that could be caused to the back in later life, but the fashion did not last long enough for that to have an effect. There was an element of thirties retro in the style of some of the shoes, which echoed the thirties' love of two-tone or co-respondent black and cream or brown and cream colours. Bright colours also gave the shoes more of a space age look. Platform soles on eBay Nostalgia Nostalgia had a big influence on fashion in the 70s. Barbara Hulanicki's Biba label popularised a look derived from the 20s and 30s. There was a brief fashion for loudly checked tweed Oxford Bags for men and women from around 1972. These were usually worn with platform soled shoes in 30s style two-tone patterns. Biba took over venerable, old London department store, Derry and Toms, in 1973 and turned it into an Art Deco palace. The Biba store became a hip meeting place and a complete lifestyle emporium. The Biba look was a long cotton skirt, worn with a long sleeved shirt or smock, and topped with a floppy brimmed hat. Biba was ahead of its time in providing a complete lifestyle store. However, Biba did not make commercial sense; it was more of a place to hang out than to shop. A large part of the store's floor space was not used to sell merchandise. Big Biba, as the store became known, closed two years later. Laura Ashley, founded by Bernard and Laura Ashley in the 1950s, looked back further when they introduced British women to Edwardian style dresses and nineteenth century inspired floral prints in the mid-70s. Laura Ashley, unlike Biba, was commercially successful and is still going strong today, although sadly Laura Ashley herself met an untimely death in 1985. Formal occasions The 70s were more relaxed than the 60s. However, on formal occasions and in the office men still wore suits. The kipper tie, favoured by the fashionable in the late sixties, became a standard men's accessory. For women, long dresses were often worn for formal occasions. This wedding, left, is from 1970. The lady's floppy hat and long dress drew inspiration from the hippy era as well as nostalgia for the 1930s. The brown colour, also derived from the 1930s, was very popular throughout the 70s. Long hair was fashionable for both men and women. Beards were also popular. This again was a hangover from the flower power years of the late 60s. In many peoples' minds psychedelia was very much in, although the pop music scene had moved on by then. Jeans and the casual look In the more relaxed mood of the 70s, jeans were increasingly popular. Initially little changed from the sixties, but by the mid seventies most people were wearing flares. Printed t-shirts were also increasingly popular in the 70s, as were trainers and canvas shoes. Late 70s fashion By the end of the 70s, flares were still mainstream fashion. This group, left, shows two younger men with long hair. One wears a suede safari jacket with a wide collar and brown, flared trousers. This look was favoured by Brodie and Doyle in the TV series, ‘The Professionals'. The other young man with a short leather jacket and flared blue jeans is more casual and younger looking. The older man has a beard (a very fashionable look in the 70s) and wears a wet-look type anorak. The woman is wearing a suit. Flares, denim, long hair and cheesecloth shirts were the staple of 70s men's fashion throughout most of the decade. Inspired by the hippy movement of the late sixties, this look, echoing the hippy dream of Free Love and optimism, did not fit with the closing years of the 70s, but mainstream fashion was unable to change. 70s Punk fashion Punk came to most people's attention from 1977 onwards through the publicity surrounding the original Punk band, The Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols' promoter, Malcolm McLaren, together with his partner, designer Vivian Westwood, created the original Punk look. Their shop at 430 Kings Road, originally named ‘Let it Rock', a Ted revival store, was called ‘Sex' at the time the Sex Pistols band appeared. The look was based on a sexual fetish for black leather, mainly for its shock value, combined with ripped t-shirts carrying slogans designed to provoke. McLaren and Westwood changed their shop's name again to ‘Seditionaries: Clothes for Heroes' at the end of 1976. The new name heralded a wholly Punk outlook. The stock featured bondage trousers, bondage dresses and a new t-shirt featuring the Punk message, â€Å"Destroy†. Punk was a rejection of anything that was considered good taste. Ripped and bleached clothes were part of the look, as was spiked hair, dyed in bright colours. Black make up and safety pins as earrings were often worn. For most Punks, quite a few of whom were unemployed, the look could easily be created from modifying second-hand clothes rather than from a trip to the Kings Road. Punk itself lasted into the early 80s. Its importance though, was as a catalyst for change in the fashion world. Punk rejected the flared jeans and cheesecloth shirts which were popular mainstream fashion. It rejected the hippy style and the hippy view of the world. Vintage Punk fashion on eBay Late 70s fashion trends The end of the seventies saw the appearance of a number of youth cults formed formed in the wake of Punk. Amongst those was a revival of the Mod style of the sixties, as well as the Teddy Boy look of the fifties. Mainstream youth fashion also changed dramatically; the 1980 film, ‘Gregory's Girl' illustrates how quickly. One of Gregory's mates, who is a year older, has left school and got a job as a window cleaner. He has saved his money to buy a white jacket with enormous lapels. Gregory's contemporary, Steve, has a white jacket with lapels an inch wide. There was always a particular way to wear a school tie. In 1979 the knot was tied very near the wide end. The 3 inch long tie was tucked into a pullover, to give the impression it was a kipper tie. From 1980, it was folded in half length ways to reduce the width and pressed with an iron so it stayed put. By 1980, school ties were often worn ‘back to front' so that the ‘thin end' was prominent. The fat end was tucked into the school shirt, behind the knot. A bit uncomfortable, but very trendy. Al I was coming into my teens in 1979, but the punk look was still very much for the minority and most kids still had longish hair, shirts with big collars and flared trousers, although the flares were becoming smaller. Locally the mod revival at the end of 1979 killed off this fashion rather than punk. By 1981 seventies fashions and music had become a total joke and almost no one under 50 would be seen dead in flares. Even punk was being classed as old hat and too seventies. Glenn A High fashion was very different at the end of the 70s. Ralph Lauren designed the clothes for the hit Woody Allen film, ‘Annie Hall' in 1977. There was a distinct 80s feel to the outfits worn by Annie (Diane Keaton), who wore crumpled socks, full skirts and layered jackets. Young people dropped flares and wide collars with breath taking speed. Older people were slower to change from the 70s look, but by around 1983, the archetypal 70s style was extinct. 70s fashion reference Fashion of the 70s is another great Taschen 25. It is packed with adverts from the decade. You will find flares, hot pants, platform soles, denim, slacks, microphone hairdos, wide collars and kipper ties. There is also a short introduction to fashion in the 70s. The book is colourful and very entertaining. The adverts are all American ones, but this does not detract much from a great piece of nostalgia.

USS Wyoming (BB-32) - US Navy

USS Wyoming (BB-32) - US Navy USS Wyoming  (BB-32) - Overview: Nation:  United States Type:  Battleship Shipyard:  William Cramp Sons, Philadelphia, PA Laid Down:  February 9, 1910 Launched:  May 25, 1911 Commissioned:  September 25, 1912 Fate:  Sold for Scrap USS Wyoming  (BB-32) - Specifications: Displacement:  26,000  tons Length:  562 ft. Beam:  93.1 ft. Draft:  28.5 ft. Propulsion:  12  Babcock and Wilcox  coal-fired boilers  with oil spray, 4-shaft  Parsons  direct-drive  steam turbines Speed:  20.5  knots Complement:  1,063  men​ Armament: 12 Ãâ€"  12-inch/50 caliber Mark 7  guns21 Ãâ€"  5/51 caliber guns2 Ãâ€" 21  torpedo tubes ​USS Wyoming  (BB-32) - Design: Originating at the 1908 Newport Conference, the Wyoming-class of battleship represented the US Navys fourth type of dreadnought after the earlier  -,  -, and  -classes.   The initial design came about through war games and discussions as the preceding classes had not yet entered service.   Key among the conferences conclusions was the need for increasingly larger calibers of main armament.   Through the latter part of 1908, debate ensued over the layout and armament of the new class with various configurations being considered.   On March 30, 1909, Congress approved construction of two Design 601 battleships.   This design called for a ship approximately 20% larger than the  Florida-class and mounting twelve 12 guns.    Designated USS Wyoming  (BB-32) and USS  Arkansas  (BB-33), the two ships of the new class were powered by twelve Babcock and Wilcox coal-fired boilers with direct drive turbines turning four propellers.   Layout of the main armament saw the twelve 12 guns spread through six twin turrets in  superfiring (one firing over the other) pairs forward, amidships, and aft.   To support the main battery, designers added twenty-one 5 guns with the majority mounted in individual casemates below the main deck. In addition, the battleships carried two 21 torpedo tubes.   For protection, the Wyoming-class possessed a main armor belt eleven inches thick.    Assigned to William Cramp Sons in Philadelphia, work commenced on  Wyoming  on February 9, 1910.   Moving ahead over the next fifteen months, the new battleship slid down the ways May 25, 1911, with Dorothy Knight, daughter of Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justice Jesse Knight, serving as sponsor.   With the completion of construction,  Wyoming  shifted to the Philadelphia Navy Yard where it entered commission on September 25, 1912, with Captain Frederick L. Chapin in command.   Steaming north, the new battleship finished final fitting out at the New York Navy Yard before sailing to join the Atlantic Fleet. USS Wyoming (BB-32) - Early Service: Arriving at Hampton Roads on December 30,  Wyoming became flagship for Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger, commander of the Atlantic Fleet.   Departing the following week, the battleship steamed south to the Panama Canal construction site before conducting exercises off Cuba.   Returning north in March,  Wyoming  underwent minor repairs before returning to the fleet.   The remainder of the year saw the battleship engaged in routine peacetime activities until October when it sailed for the Mediterranean to make goodwill visits to  Malta, Italy, and France.   Returning home in December, Wyoming entered the yard at New York for a brief overhaul before joining the Atlantic Fleet off Cuba for winter maneuvers the following month. In May 1914, Wyoming steamed south with a contingent of troops to support the US occupation of Veracruz which had commenced a few weeks earlier.   Remaining in the area, the battleship assisted operations  relating to the occupation into the fall.   Following repairs at New York, Wyoming spent the next two years following the  US Navys standard cycle of maneuvers in  northern waters during the summer and  in the Caribbean  in the winter.   Having completed exercises off Cuba in late March 1917, the battleship found itself off  Yorktown, VA when word arrived that the United States had declared war on Germany  and entered World War I. USS Wyoming (BB-32) - World War I: For the next seven months, Wyoming operated in the Chesapeake training engineers for the fleet.   That fall, the battleship received orders to join USS New York (BB-34), USS Florida (BB-30), and USS Delaware (BB-28) in Battleship Division 9.   Led by Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman, this formation departed in November to reinforce Admiral Sir David Beattys British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow.   Arriving in  December, the force was redesignated the 6th Battle Squadron.   Commencing combat operations in February 1918, the American ships aided in protecting convoys bound for Norway. Continuing similar operations through the year, Wyoming became the squadrons flagship in October after New York collided with a German U-boat.   With the conflicts end in November, the battleship sortied with the Grand Fleet on the 21st to escort the German High Seas Fleet into internment at Scapa Flow.   On December  12, Wyoming,  carrying new squadron commander Rear  Admiral William Sims, sailed for  France where it rendezvoused with SS George Washington which was transporting President Woodrow Wilson to the peace conference at Versailles.   Following a brief port call in Britain, the battleship left European waters and arrived  at New York on Christmas Day. USS Wyoming (BB-32) - Postwar Years: Briefly serving as flagship of Battleship Division 7, Wyoming aided in directing a flight Curtiss NC-1 flying  boats on a trans-Atlantic flight in May 1919.   Entering Norfolk Navy Yard in July, the battleship underwent a  modernization program in anticipation of its transfer to the Pacific.   Designated flagship of the Pacific Fleets Battleship Division 6, Wyoming departed for the West Coast later that summer and arrived at San Diego on August 6.   Conducting maneuvers through the following year, the battleship then cruised to  Valparaiso, Chile in early 1921.   Transferred back to the Atlantic  that August, Wyoming  embarked the Atlantic Fleets commander Admiral Hilary P. Jones.   Over the next six years, the  vessel resumed its previous cycle of peacetime training which was only punctuated by a European cruise in 1924 which included  visits to Britain, the  Netherlands, Gibraltar, and the Azores. In 1927, Wyoming arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard  for an extensive  modernization.  Ã‚   This saw the addition of anti-torpedo bulges, the installation of new oil-fired boilers, as well as some alterations to the superstructure.  Ã‚  Completing a shakedown cruise in December, Wyoming became flagship of Vice Admiral Ashley Robertsons Scouting Fleet.   In this role for three years, it also aided in training NROTC detachments from several universities.   After brief service with Battleship Division 2, the aging Wyoming was  pulled  from frontline service and assigned to Rear Admiral Harley H. Christys Training Squadron.   Placed in reduced commission in January 1931,  efforts commenced to demilitarize the battleship in accordance with the London Naval  Treaty.   This saw the anti-torpedo bulges,  half the main battery, and the ships side armor removed. USS Wyoming (BB-32) - Training Ship: Brought back to active service in May, Wyoming embarked a contingent of midshipmen from the US Naval Academy and NROTC cadets for a training cruise to  Europe and the Caribbean.   Redesignated AG-17 in August, the former battleship spent the next five years in a training role.   In 1937, while taking part in amphibious assault exercise off California, a 5 shell accidently exploded killing six and wounding eleven.   Later that year, Wyoming conducted a goodwill call to Kiel, Germany where its crew  visited the pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee.   With the beginning of World War II in Europe in September 1939, the ship assumed a place in the Atlantic  Naval Reserve Force.   Two years later,  Wyoming  commenced conversion into a gunnery training ship. Beginning this duty in November 1941, Wyoming  was operating off Platts Bank when word was received of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.   As the US Navy expanded to meet the demands of a two-ocean  war, the old battleship remained engaged in training gunners for the fleet.   Earning the nickname Chesapeake Raider for its frequent appearances in the bay, Wyoming  continued in this duty until January 1944.   Entering the yard at Norfolk, it commenced a modernization which saw the removal of its remaining 12 guns and the conversion of the turrets into single and  dual mounts for 5  guns.   Resuming its training mission in April, Wyoming remained in this role until June 30, 1945.   Ordered north it joined the Operational Development Force and  aided in devising tactics to combat Japanese kamikazes. With the end of the war, Wyoming continued to operate with this force.   Ordered to  Norfolk in 1947, it arrived on July 11 and was decommissioned on August 1.   Stricken from the Naval Vessel Registry on September 16, Wyoming was sold for scrap the following month.   Transferred to New York, this work began that December. Selected Sources: DANFS: USS  Wyoming  (BB-32)NHHC: USS  Wyoming  (BB-32)MaritimeQuest: USS  Wyoming  (BB-32)

Unique Ways to Celebrate Graduation

Unique Ways to Celebrate Graduation Graduating from an online university or college can be surprisingly depressing. You’ve worked hard, done well in your classes, and have truly earned your degree. But, without the traditional cap-throwing, gown-wearing, sappy music-playing graduation ceremony, finishing coursework can sometimes feel anticlimactic. Don’t let that get you down. Many online graduates find their own way to celebrate. Viewing some unique graduation celebration ideas may inspire you to mark the occasion in a special way. Throw Your Own Ceremony or Party Even if you can’t attend a traditional graduation ceremony, host your own. Choose a theme, send out invitations, and celebrate your accomplishments with your best friends. Display your diploma on the wall to mark this important milestone and show interested guests. Spend the evening with upbeat music, good food, and interesting conversation, letting those closest to you know that you did, indeed, graduate, and you are in the mood to celebrate. Take a Trip Chances are that you’ve put off some of your vacationing desires to finish your educational commitments. Now that youve completed your online studies, youre not bound by a scheduled graduation ceremony. Since you’re finished with school, take some time to do what you’ve always wanted. Whether it’s a cruise of the world, a vacation to Maui, Hawaii, or a weekend at a local bed and breakfast, you deserve it. Theres no better way to celebrate your graduation than lying on a beautiful beach or enjoying breakfast in bed in a cottage nestled in the woods. Splurge on a Career-Related Activity While you were busy studying, you may have passed up going to an amazing business conference, skipped becoming a member of an elite art museum, or forgone subscribing to a career journal because you needed to spend your money and devote your time to your schooling. If so, now is your chance to celebrate by ordering tickets, planning your trip, or signing up. Not only will you enjoy it, but it may provide unexpected opportunities to progress in your field of work. Renovate Your Study Since you’ve finished with the late nights on the computer and removed the â€Å"Stay Out† signs from your door, take the opportunity to redecorate the room (or corner) you’ve used to study. If you have a large space, consider turning it into a parlor for entertaining, home theater, game room, or home spa. Or, if you made your homework habitat in a little corner of the house, redecorate it with artwork, famous quotes, or posters to inspire you in your career. Give Back   You’ve had amazing opportunities, and your new degree promises to bring even more chances for exciting experiences. Find a way to give back to your community. Think about volunteering at a local school, dishing out at a soup kitchen, tutoring students at the library, or reading at a neighborhood senior center. Sponsor an orphan in the U.S. or in a foreign country or become a member of a civil rights group. Whatever you choose, giving back is sure to offer real personal satisfaction to add to your hard-earned degree.

The Louisiana Purchase Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Louisiana Purchase - Research Paper Example Initially, France owned huge land areas dotted along the Mississippi’s western area. The area is called Louisiana. France owned and managed the Louisiana from 1699 until 1762. In 1762, France gave the Louisiana land area to its Friendly neighbor, Spain. However, the French Conqueror, General Napoleon Bonaparte, retrieved the Louisiana property from Spain. Thinking of dominating the large Louisiana expanse filled Bonaparte’s initial penchant. As time went on, Bonaparte realized some troubling reasons that holding to the Louisiana land area were not viable. One bothering reason was a French Commander’s lost in a battle held in Saint Dominque (current Haiti nation). The Haiti war took lots of French soldier deaths. With the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte’s French army in Haiti, under Bonaparte’s brother in law, Bonaparte was thinking of selling lands to pay for Bonaparte’s continuing European war activities (Fleming 2003). Magdalena Alagna (2004) mentions many of the Haiti –based French troops were dying from Yellow fever during the Haiti war campaign. The same Haiti war drained the French coffers significantly. Continuing to pay for the expenses of the Haiti war would eliminate the connection to the ports of North America’s southern shipping lines. Another bothering reason is the increasing American population. Further, France was forced to sell the Louisiana property. With the population growth trend, France felt that it would be impossible to stop the encroaching American population from overflowing into the French territory of Louisiana. Bonaparte decided to transfer the funds allocated to maintaining Louisiana to pay for the cost of invading

Air Passenger Duty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Air Passenger Duty - Research Paper Example It is expected that at the end of the paper, there shall be a definitive decision taken by the Welsh Minister on the way forward, as far as air passenger duty is concerned. 2 Background The air passenger duty could be said to be the brainchild of the Holtham Commission, which in 2010 came out with a recommendation to the Welsh Government on the need to make significant adjustments to its existing tax policies, especially those on minor taxes2. As part of the minor taxes to be considered was the air passenger duty. But since its imposition, the air passenger duty has come under intense public, academic and professional debate as to whether or not everything is being done right with the tax in terms of the allotment of duties and whether or not the air passenger duty should continue to exist at all. Currently, the air passenger duty is charged as a levy on a group of passengers tagged as chargeable passengers, using a group of aircraft tagged as chargeable aircraft from a United Kingdo m airport3. Even though the passenger may be the eventual payer of the levy, the duty is actually charged to the owner of the aircraft and thus the operator of the aircraft becomes payable to the Welsh Government. The Welsh Government does not therefore have any direct interactions with the passenger as far as the levies are concerned and it will be noted that even with the operator of the aircraft, the charge of the air passenger duty takes effect once the passenger aircraft first becomes airborne4. Currently, there are no fixed rates of duties or levies cutting across all chargeable aircrafts and for chargeable passengers. Rather, there are variations in the charges depending on the destination of the chargeable... It is worth mentioning however that the air passenger duty is currently non-devolved, meaning that not all countries within the United Kingdom are forcibly obliged to be implementers of the law. For example, it will be noted that in the Scotland and Wales, for example, the United Kingdom government is still undertaking a feasibility study to ascertain the likely effects that devolution would have on these countries; and thus the current study that is being undertaken. As part of the feasibility study and review that is taking place is the consideration on the constitutional and financial arrangements in Wales that would enhance or otherwise detract the successful implementation of the duty. It is therefore expected that by the close of the roles assigned to the commission in charge, known as the Silk Commission, there will be a clear statement on how financial accountability can be improved when the duty is brought into enforcement in Wales. Even more, the package of powers that give a constitutional right for the implementation of the duty shall adequately be considered to ensure that the provisions of the law do not conflict with any existing State legislation. It will be based on the findings that further action will be taken on the devolution of the air passenger duty. As pending is made of the final outcome of the commission’s work, it is important that discussions begin on how the air passenger duty will affect the larger Welsh economy and particularly the air transport industry.

Humanitarian Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Humanitarian Ethics - Essay Example In this meaning, the antonym is "amoral", indicating an inability to distinguish between right and wrong. The second denotes the active practice of those values. In this sense, the antonym is "immoral", referring to actions that violate ethical principles. Personal ethics signifies a moral code applicable to individuals, while social ethics means moral theory applied to groups. Social ethics can be synonymous with social and political philosophy, in as much as it is the foundation of a good society or state. This moral power in man involving the exercise of man’s greatest endowments of freedom, rights and duties, is a most distinctive feature of the human personality. Much as the spirit, the soul giverns and permeates the whole human body in a human person, so this moral prerogative of man prevails over, permeates and pervades the whole totality of human activity. While all other aspects of human life may be confined and categorized into separate compartments, this moral characteristic of man transcends, penetrates and invades all compartments of human living, all phases of human endeavor. For man is principally and primarily a human person whose highest faculty is his moral power, his willpower, his freedom. Hence, there cannot be, for instance, in the practical world of human affairs such a thing as purely economic matter, a purely political problem or question, a pure artistic undertaking, and the like – entirely apart from and independent of all moral connections and considerations. Much of the present day problems rising from conflicting claims of authority and powers, when seen in the light of the explained postulate of the primacy of the spirit and morality disappear or point to their own solutions. Unfortunately, because of the crassly materialistic temper and tenor of our times, the moral angle is often overlooked, moral authority is often bypassed or

Developing Humanoid Robot Animations in Motion Capture

Developing Humanoid Robot Animations in Motion Capture Introduction (Chapter 1) This research describes the framework in which the different human movements have been taken from motion capture and that information is animated which sets the direction to study the digital character models and its locomotion in the virtual environment. It also gives feasible approach in understanding of walking gait patterns in that environment. This framework also leads to the study issues related to safety engineering. Overview Analysis of human locomotion and its research area have changed since it began form the cave drawings of the Paleolithic Era. The motive for human locomotion studies at early stages were driven by the need to carry on by resourcefully moving from place to place, dodging from predators and hunting for food (Alexander, 2000). Modern-day human locomotion studies have added to a wide range of applications ranging from military use, sport, ergonomics, and health care. In locomotion studies, according to (Hall, 1991) the term biomechanicsbecame accepted during the early 1970s as the internationally recognized descriptor of the field of area concerned with the mechanical study of living organism. In sport, human locomotion studies are made to extend the restrictions of an athlete when even the minimum improvement in performance is pursued eagerly (J. A. , 1984). However, the development of human locomotion studies remains reliant on the improvement of new tools for observation. According to (Alexander, 2000) lately, instrumentation and computer technology have grant opportunities for the improvement of the study of human locomotion. (J. A. , 1984). Illustrate frequent techniques for measuring motion and mentioned the co-ordinate analyzer (motion capture device) as a major advance in movement study. According to (Furniss, 2000) Motion capture or mocap was initially created for military use earlier than it was modified into the entertainment industry since the mid 1980.s. (Dyer, 1995) define motion capture as measuring an objects location and direction in physical space, then recording that sequence into a computer usable form. According to(Micheal, 2003) ; (Suddha Basu, 2005) motion capture is the fastest way to produce rich, realistic animation data. (James F OBrien, 2000) illustrate that Mocap can also be useful in several additional fields such as music, fine art dance, sign language, motion recognition, rehabilitation with medicine, biomechanics, special effects for live-action films and computer animation of all types as well as in defense and athletic analysis/training. There are basically three types of motion capture sys tems accessible such as mechanical, electromagnetic and optical based system. All three systems go through the same basic process shown in figure. The first step is the input where the movement of live actors either human or animal is recorded using various method depending on the type of the motion capture system used. Next, the information is processed to identify the corresponding markers of the live actor and then transferred into virtual space using specialized computer software. Finally the output is where the information is translated into a 3D trajectory computer data that contains translation and rotation information known as motion capture file. Motivation Producing realistic character animation remains one of the great challenges in computer graphics. At present, there are three methods by which this animation can be produced. The first one is key framing, in which the animator gives important key poses for the character at specific frames. A second one uses physical simulation to drive the characters motion its results are good, due to lack of control its difficult to use and its costly and with characters its not much successful. The last one is motion capture, has been widely used to animate characters. It uses sensors placed on person and collects the data that describes their motion however they are performing the desired motion. As the technology for motion capture has improved and the cost decreased, the interest in using this approach for character animation has also increased. The main challenge that an animator is confronted with is to generate character animation with a realistic appearance. As humanoid robot renovation is a popular research area since it can be used in various applications to understand the emerging field of robotics and other digital animation fields. Currently most of the methods work for controlled environments and human pose reconstruction to recognize humanoid robots is a popular research area since it can be used in various applications. Motion capture and motion synthesis are expensive and time consuming tasks for articulated figures, such as humans. Human pose view based on computer vision principles is inexpensive and widely applicable approach. In computer vision literature the term human motion capture is usually used in connection with large scale body analysis ignoring the fingers, hands and the facial muscles, which is the case in this research. The motion capture is fairly involved to calculate a 3D skeletal representation of the motion of satisfactory value to be functional for animation. The animation generation is an application of motion capture where the required accuracy is not as high as in some other applications, such as medicine (Ferrier, June 2002) Problem Context 1) Even though motion capture is applied into so many fields by creating physically perfect motions, it has a few significant weaknesses. According to (Lee, MCML: Mocap, 2004) firstly, it has low flexibility, secondly the captured data can have different data formats depending on the motion capture system which was employed and thirdly, commercially available motion capture libraries are difficult to use as they often include hundreds of examples. (Shih-Pin Chao, 2003) States that motion capture sessions are not only costly but also a labor intensive process thus, promotes the usability of the motion data. 2) In the field of animation and gaming industry, it is common that motion information are captured to be used for a particular project or stored in a mocapdata. This data can either be used as the whole range of motion sequence or as part of a motion synthesis. In sport science, mocap data is used for analyzing and perfecting the sequencing mechanics of premier athletes, as well as monitoring the recovery progress of physical therapies. This simply means that a vast collection of motion capture data models are limited for different sets. Currently, motion data are often stored in small clips to allow for easy hand sequencing for describing the behavior (Jernej Barbic, 2004) (Tanco L. M., 2000). However, according to (Lee, MCML: Mocap, 2004) (Morales, 2001) (Tanco L. M., 2000) a motion capturedata models lack interoperability. This calls for an immediate need for tools that synchronize these datasets (Feng Liu, 2003). 3) In light of the recent course of interest in virtual environment applications, much research has been devoted to solving the problems of manipulating humans in 3-D simulated worlds, and especially to human locomotion. However, most of the animation approaches based on these studies can only generate limited approach lacking the locomotion capabilities for example walking their application in virtual environments are inevitably limited. Project Objective The objective of this project is to create a framework taken from motion capture data techniques which can set the direction to study 3D articulated figures and the humanoid robot locomotion in the virtual environment by understanding walking gait patterns in human. This framework also leads to the study issues related to safety engineering. The other objective of this project is to capture, process, and examine the locomotion feasibility in virtual environment and analyze different tasks in virtual environment. In system overview diagram all the different steps has been described it starts from mocaop suit that is on the subject and then its data of random movement has been taken into computer and motion analysis is done. After motion analysis its been retargeted and with avatar model the final output scene has been created. Then with software development kit feasible program has been created to deal with different information of that scene. Project Scope To capture the human motion from the motion capture technology and using the captured data to animate the different motions and then refining the animated data. By using the technology called motion builder we can simulate and study the effects of walk and fall in the virtual environment.   After mapping the captured data in the animated character which is called digital humanoid robot an application is build to study the nature of the animated scene which is called an enhanced framework. The other technology is used is called mathematica which is used for studying the factors in mathematical terms because the human motion builder is a simulation technology and mathematica is a dynamic solver engine. So it will lead towards the study of digital humanoid robot of walking and falling in virtual environments on some assumptions. Outline This part outlines the in general structure of the thesis, and a short explanation for each chapter: Chapter 1: deals with Introduction, scope and objective with problem context. Chapter 2: Introduces human motion capture techniques and different work in animation of human walking in virtual environment and gives a summary of the related work in this area. Chapter 3: deals with the system structure which describes the hardware and the software technologies involved in the research and also illustrate the frame work model and this model help exploit the behavior of humanoid which sets up the framework. Chapter 4: describes the framework analysis based on the study of articulated animation models in virtual environment and walking gait patters with Bezier curve algorithm. Chapter 5: mention all the techniques that have been extracted from different softwares and how its used to set up the whole framework and evaluates results which are categorized in three phases the application which represents coordinate system and structure, walking gait patters by using Bezier curve and the falling effect by visual aid. Chapter 6: is the conclusion that summarizes the outcome of the project, and discusses the future works. Conclusion This chapter describes the introduction of motion capture and how it will be utilized to improve the study of human locomotion. The project scope and objectives are elaborated and listed down in this chapter. Literature Review (Chapter 2) Motion capture system   Motion capture is an attractive way of creating the motion parameters for computer animation. It can provide the realistic motion parameters. It permits an actor and a director to work together to create a desired pose, that may be difficult to describe with enough specificity to have an animator recreate manually (Ferrier, June 2002). The application areas of motion capture techniques can be summarized as follows (Perales, 2001): Virtual reality: interactive virtual environments, games, virtual studios, character animation, film, advertising Smart surveillance systems: access control, parking lots, supermarkets, vending machines, traffic. Advanced user interfaces: advanced user interfaces. Motion analysis and synthesis: annotations of videos, personalized training, clinical studies of medicine. Understanding the working of humanoid robot has been always on study of human locomotion.   This literature review discusses human motion control techniques, motion capture techniques in general and advance, non-vision based motion capture techniques, vision-based motion capture techniques with and without markers and other enhanced techniques which are covered in details for which the framework can be understood easily. Properties of Tracking Systems This section lists properties of tracking systems and discusses the relationships between the various properties. Accuracy Accuracy can be defined as the agreement between the measured results from tracking technologies and the actual position of the object, and because the true value is unknown the tracking technologies can only be evaluated with relative accuracy. For one tracking system, the accuracy is limited by the principle and affected by the noise/interferences from the environment. The sources of noises are depending on the tracking technology we use. For different tracking principles, the influencing factors are different. For example, for optical motion tracking, the interference is lighting and AC current; for magnetic, ferrous objects distort the magnetic field and cause errors. If the model or the mechanism of the noise is quantitatively known, it is a systematic error and can be compensated by post-treatment after tracking or eliminated by pre-filtering before tracking. Robustness Robustness defines the systems ability to continue to function in adverse conditions or with missing or incorrect measurements. Some systems make assumptions about the surrounding environment during operation. Also, a system may be unable to take a measurement at a particular time. Related to the robustness is repeatability in the reported data. If the reported values are consistent over time and over operating conditions and environment, then measuring the accuracy (or the lack thereof) is possible, and corrective algorithms can be applied. Tracking range The range is the space in which the system can measure sufficient and accurate data for the application. For some systems, the range can be reduced by noises from the environment or be limited by the hardware of the system itself. For example, magnetic system cannot track accurate data when the tracked object is at the margin of the magnetic field due to the inhomogeneous distribution of the field. Tracking speed Tracking speed is the frequency at which the measurement system can obtain the updated tracking data. There are two significant numbers for the system, one is update rate and the other one is latency. Update rate is the frequency at which the tracking system generates the tracking data; latency describes the delay between tracking data has been generated and the host computer receives the data in real-time mode. Hardware The hardware means the physical realization of the components of the tracking system. It includes the number of components, and the size and weight of those components, especially those that the user is required to carry (or wear). Some systems may have a significant amount of hardware that must be set up in the environment, although it may need no further attention from the user once in position. Ideally, the application would like to give the user complete freedom of movement. Some devices tether the user to a fixed object. Some systems may have a heavy or unwieldy device which the user must manipulate in order to move. Some devices have a tendency to pull the user back to a â€Å"resting position† for the device. The hardware also determines the biggest part of the costs and therefore is very often a decisive factor for the choice of the applied motion tracking system Non-vision Based Motion Capture In non-vision based systems, sensors are attached to the human body to collect movement information. Some of them have a small sensing footprint that they can detect small changes such as finger or toe movement (Hu, A survey human movement tracking and stroke rehabilitation, 1996). Each kind of sensor has advantages and limitations (Hu, A survey human movement tracking and stroke rehabilitation, 1997). Advantages of magnetic trackers: real-time data output can provide immediate feedback no post processing is required they are less expensive than optical systems no occlusion problem is observed multiple performers are possible Disadvantages of magnetic trackers: the trackers are sensitivity to metal objects cables restricts the performers they provide lower sampling rate than some optical systems the marker configurations are difficult to change Advantages of electromechanical body suits: they are less expensive than optical and magnetic systems real-time data is possible no occlusion problem is observed multiple performers are possible Disadvantages of electromechanical body suits: they provide lower sampling rate they are difficult to use due to the amount of hardware configuration of sensors is fixed Vision-Based Motion Capture with Markers In 1973, Johansson explored his famous Moving Light Display (MLD) psychological experiment to perceive biological motion (Johansson). In the experiment, small reflective markers are attached to the joints of the human performers. When the patterns of the movements are observed, the integration of the signals coming from the markers resulted in recognition of actions. Although the method faces the challenges such as errors, non-robustness and expensive computation due to environmental constraints, mutual occlusion and complicated processing, many marker based tracking systems are available in the market. This is a technique that uses optical sensors, e.g. cameras, to track human movements, which are captured by placing markers upon the human body. Human skeleton is a highly articulated structure and moves in three-dimension. For this reason, each body part continuously moves in and out of occlusion from the view of the cameras, resulting in inconsistent and unreliable motion data of t he human body. One major drawback of using optical sensors and markers, they cannot sense joint rotation accurately. This is a major drawback in representing a real 3D model (Hu, A survey human movement tracking and stroke rehabilitation, 1997). Optical systems have advantages and limitations (Perales, 2001). Advantages of optical systems are as follows: they are more accurate larger number of markers are possible no cables restricts the performers they produces more samples per second Disadvantages of optical systems: they require post-processing they are expensive (between 100, 000 and 250, 000) occlusion is a problem in these systems environment of the capturing must be away from yellow light and reflective noise Vision-Based Motion Capture without Markers As a less restrictive motion capture technique, markerless-based systems are capable of overcoming the mutual occlusion problem as they are only concerned about boundaries or features on human bodies. This is an active and promising but also challenging research area in the last decade. The research with respect to this area is still ongoing (Hu, A survey human movement tracking and stroke rehabilitation, 1996). The markerless-based motion capture technique exploits external sensors like cameras to track the movement of the human body. A camera can be of a resolution of a million pixels. This is one of the main reasons that optical sensors attracted peoples attention. However, such vision-based techniques require intensive computational power (Bryson, 1993). As a commonly used framework, 2D motion tracking only concerns the human movement in an image plane, although sometimes people intend to project a 3D structure into its image plane for processing purposes. This approach can be c atalogued with and without explicit shape models (Hu, A survey human movement tracking and stroke rehabilitation, 1996). The creation of motion capture data from a single video stream seems like a plausible idea. People are able to watch a video and understand the motion, but clearly, the computing the human motion parameters from a video stream are a challenging task (Ferrier, June 2002). Vision-based motion capture techniques usually include initialization and tracking steps. Initialization A system starts its operation with correct interpretation of the current scene. The initialization requires camera calibration, adaptation to scene characteristics and model initialization. Camera calibration is defined as parameters that are required for translating a point in a 3D scene to its position in the image. Some systems find initial pose and increment it from frame to frame whereas in other systems the user specifies the pose in every single frame. Some systems have special initialization phase where the start pose is found automatically whereas in others the same algorithm is used both for initialization and pose estimation (Granum, 2001). Tracking Tracking phase extracts specific information, either low level, such as edges, or high level, such as head and hands. Tracking consists of three parts (Granum, 2001): Figure-ground segmentation: the human figure is extracted from the rest of the image. Representation: segmented images are converted to another presentation to reduce the amount of information. Tracking over time: how the subject should be tracked from frame to frame. Mechanical Mechanical measurement is the oldest form of location; rulers and tape measures provide a simple method of locating one item with reference to another. More sophisticated mechanical techniques have been developed. Nowadays measurements of the angles of the body joints with potentiometers or shaft encoders combined with knowledge of the dimensions of the rigid components allow accurate calculations of the position of different body parts.(Beresford, 2005) Today mechanical position tracking devices can be separated into body-based and ground-based systems. Body based systems are those which are mounted on, or carried on, the body of the user and are used to sense either the relative positions of various parts of the users body or the position of an instrument relative to a fixed point on the users body. Body-based systems are typically used to determine either the users joint angles for reproduction of their body in the synthetic environment, or to determine the position of the users hand or foot, relative to some point on the users body. Since the body based systems are used to determine the relative position between two of the users body parts, the devices must somehow be attached to the users body. This particular issue has raised many questions: How is the device attached to the body in a way which will minimize relative motion between the attachment and the soft body part? How are the joints of the device aligned with the users joints to minimize the difference in the centers of rotation? Some other problems associated with body-b ased tracking systems are specifically caused by the device being attached to the users body. These systems are typically very obtrusive and encumbering and therefore do not allow the user complete freedom of movement. Body-based systems are, however, quite accurate and do not experience problems like measurement drift (the tendency of the devices output to change over time with no change in the sensed quantity), interference from external electromagnetic signals or metallic devices in the vicinity, or shadowing (loss of sight of the tracked object due to physical interference of another object)(Frey, 1996). Ground based systems are not carried by the user but are mounted on some fixed surface (i.e. the users desk or the floor) and are used to sense the position of an implement relative to that fixed surface. Ground-based systems are typically used to determine the position and orientation of an implement manipulated by the user relative to some fixed point which is not on the users body. Like body-based mechanical systems, they are very accurate and are not plagued by measurement drift errors, interference or shadowing. Ground-based systems do suffer from one thing which the body-based systems do not: They confine the user to work within the space allowed by the device. Usually this means that the user is confined to work in a space the size of a large desk. If the application does not require the user to move around much throughout the task (i.e. the user remains seated), this is not considered as a problem. Mechanical tracking systems are the best choice for force-feedback (haptic) devices since they are rigidly mounted to either the user or a fixed object. Haptic devices are used to allow the user a sense of touch. The user can feel surfaces in the synthetic environment or feel the weight of an object. The device can apply forces to the users body so that the user can experience a sense of exertion. Mechanical tracking systems also typically have low latencies (the time required to receive useful information about a sensed quantity) and high update rates (the rate at which the system can provide useful information). Therefore these systems have found good commercial niche as measurement devices and hand tracking systems. Advantages high update rate low latency accurate No blocking problem, no interference from environment  · best choice for force feedback Disadvantages Restricted movement from mounted device Acoustic Acoustic tracking systems utilize high frequency sound waves to track objects by either the triangulation of several receivers (time-of-flight method) or by measuring the signals phase difference between transmitter and receiver (phase-coherence method). Generally the user carries the transmitter, and a series of sensors around the room determine the linear distance to the transmitter. Some systems have the user carry a receiver and listen to a series of transmitters positioned around the volume. The time-of-flight method of acoustic tracking uses the speed of sound through air to calculate the distance between the transmitter of an acoustic pulse and the receiver of that pulse. The use of one transmitter on a tracked object and a minimum of three receivers at stationary positions in the vicinity allow an acoustic system to determine the relative position of the object via triangulation. This method limits the number of objects tracked by the system to one. An alternative method has been devised in which several transmitters are mounted at stationary positions in the room and each object being tracked is fitted with a receiver. Using this method, the positions of numerous objects may be determined simultaneously. Note that the use of one transmitter (or one receiver) attached to an object can resolve only position. The use of two transmitter (receiver) sets with the same object can be used to determine the position and orientation (6 DOF) of the object. The desire to track mo re than just the position of an object suggests that the second method (multiple stationary transmitters with body mounted receivers) may be preferable. The other method of acoustic tracking is the phase-coherent tracking. It may be used to achieve better accuracies than the time-of-flight method. The system does this by sensing the signal phase difference between the signal sent by the transmitter and that detected by the receiver. If the object being tracked moves farther than one-half of the signal wavelength in any direction during the period of one update, errors will result in the position determination. Since phase coherent tracking is an incremental form of position determination, small errors in position determination will result in larger errors over time (drift errors), which may be the reason why only few phase-coherent systems have been implemented successfully. Some problems associated with both acoustic tracking methods result from the line-of-sight required between transmitter and receiver. This line of sight requirement obviously plagues the devices with shadowing problems. It also limits their effective tracking range, although they have better tracking ranges than electromagnetic systems. Unlike electromagnetic systems, they do not suffer from metallic interference, but they are susceptible to interference caused by ambient noise sources, by reflections of the acoustic signals from hard surfaces, and environmental interference (e.g. temperature variations). Advantages Very high freedom of movement Cheap Disadvantages Line-of-sight problems Either high range or high accuracy (not both!) Environmental interference (e.g. temperature variations, other noise sources) Drift errors (phase-coherent) High latency, low update rates Magnetic Electromagnetic tracking systems are currently the most widely used systems for human body tracking applications. They employ the use of artificially-generated electromagnetic fields to induce voltages in detectors attached to the tracked object. A fixed transmitter and the sensors consist of three coils mounted in mutually orthogonal directions. The sensors range in size, but tend to be around a few cubic centimeters. The transmitters range in size with the power of the field they are expected to generate, and range from several cubic inches to a cubic foot. There are four magnetic fields that have to be measured: the environmental field (including the Earths magnetic field), and three orthogonal fields in the transmitters coordinate directions in figure. Each of these fields is measured in the sensors three coordinate dimensions for a total of twelve measurements of each sensor. From this information, the position and orientation of the sensor with respect to the transmitter can be computed. These tracking systems are robust, fast, and fairly inexpensive and can be used to track numerous objects (body parts) with acceptable position and orientation accuracies (on the order of 0.1 inches and 0.5 degrees). Unlike electric fields, magnetic fields are unaffected by the presence or absence of human bodies and other non-metallic objects in the environment. This offers a tremendous opportunity, because it enables magnetic trackers to overcome the line-of-sight requirement that plagues acoustic, optical, and externally connected mechanical tracking systems. On the other hand, the magnetic systems suffer from sensitivity to background magnetic fields and interference caused by ferrous metal devices in the vicinity, and therefore is inaccurate in practical environments. Due to this and the limited range of the generated magnetic field, the magnetic tracking systems are restricted to a small special area. Advantages High update rates Very low latency High robustness No shadowing Rather cheap Acceptable accuracy in artificial environment Disadvantages High sensitivity to background magnetic fields Inaccurate in practical environments due to interference caused by ferrous metal devices Low range of the magnetic field and Tracking scope is low due to cable Inertial An internal sensor contains three gyroscopes, to determine the angular rate, and three accelerometers, to determine linear acceleration. Originally, they were mounted to orthogonal axes on a gimbaled platform, as it can be seen in figure. After removing the effect of gravity from the vertical accelerometer, the data has to be double-integrated to provide a measure of the offset between initialization and the current position. In fact, this combination of sensors has been used successfully for inertial navigatio