Thursday, October 31, 2019
Philosophy of Nursing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Philosophy of Nursing - Assignment Example Person: As a nurse, I view my patients as people first. Subsequently, I try to engage them in a two way relationship which is based on mutual awareness and dialogue. From my perspective, patients are my partners in the health care process. Although I view patients as being multifaceted and complex beings, I acknowledge that they try to do their best to get better. Also, as a nurse, I tend to engage my patients in the decision making process. As such, authentic connections are established. Further, I prefer the term patient to client while referring to my patients so as to improve the nurse patient relationship. Health: Health as a dynamic process focuses on the patient’s entire physical, aesthetic, moral and social realms. As a nurse, I try to understand the patient’s health status (their social, physical, aesthetic and moral conditions). Thus, I judge or see a patient from his or her own perspective. This perception aids me to comprehend their needs and wants more easily. In addition, viewing patients from their perspective makes them feel that they are being cared for. Most importantly, this perception enables me as a nurse to know how different patients approach stress and how they cope with it. Environment: The environment is often the geography and landscape of a person’s social experience and includes space, quality and time variations. Moreover, the environment is made up of the patient’s societal beliefs, morals, expectations, values and customs. Nightingale (1860) stated that the primary role of a nurse is to place a patient in the right and best conditions for the environment to act upon him. This statement forms a critical and crucial part of my personal philosophy of nursing. Thus, it tends to resonate well with me. In light of Nightingale’s definition of the environment, I comprehend that both the external and internal components make up the environment. The environment element broadens to encompass both the built and
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Analyze Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Analyze - Assignment Example In this case, Greece would have to suffer because of the ideological misconception fostered by the Economic and Monetary Union. This is the belief that possession of hard money can drive smaller economies to grow and march other developed economies. This revelation would influence Greece to opt out of the Economic and Monetary Union. Consequently other smaller European nations not wanting to suffer under similar programs would opt out of the Union too leading to instability (Sēmitēs, Stiakaki, & Munro, 2014). On the other hand, if Greece were to fail to take the austerity measures and firmly hold against repayment, the countries credit rating would further plunge downwards. Sanctions against it by bodies such as the World Bank, The International Monetary Fund and the European Union would have drastically impacted on its economic prospects. Such political sanction intended to pressurize Greece into meeting its obligations of loan repayments would grossly affect its trade relations with other European nations. The country would neither be in a position to trade with its European neighbors nor borrow fund to meet its budget deficits. There would increase tension in Europe as other countries like Italy who are equally burdened by heavy debts would dread the possibility of undergoing similar troubles. Instability in the European economy would be eminent as other countries equally burdened with debts would be anticipated to follow in Greece’s footsteps. The eminent exit of Greece from the euro would be catastrophic. The Greek economy would be returned and stagnated. The countrywould have get back to production of its old currency and set up its own central bank. The European Central Bank would be left holding an enormous Greek debt with limited options. The devaluation of the euro which would result from such a scenario would consequently results
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Strategies to Produce Thermonuclear Plasmas
Strategies to Produce Thermonuclear Plasmas Elrica Degirmen What is the Joint European Torus and how does it work? The Joint European Torus, or JET, is a physics facility located in the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in Oxfordshire. Plasma physicists and engineers there are producing thermonuclear plasmas under magnetic confinement in order to show that fusion energy is a reliable source of energy in the future. It is very difficult to do on earth as in order for nuclear fusion to happen temperatures millions of degrees above the core of the Sun must be achieved as it is impossible to gravitationally confine the plasma (CEA, 2001) which is the way it happens in stars. A plasma is defined as a quasi-neutral ionised gas, and because it is charged, it can be manipulated by electric and magnetic fields (Suplee, 2009). The History of the Joint European Torus JET’s history started in 1970 when the Council of the European Community decided to embark on a fusion research programme and build a European fusion device. After three years in 1973, the designs of JET were being drawn up and in 1977 the Culham site was chosen to build JET and construction work began. It then started operation in 1983 (United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, 2012). The 9th of November 1991 is a particularly important date in the history of nuclear fusion as this was when the Preliminary Tritium Experiment â€Å"achieved the world’s first controlled release of fusion power†(ITER Organization, 2014). What is nuclear fusion? Nuclear fusion is what powers the sun and it involves two nuclei fusing together under extreme temperatures and pressures. When this reaction occurs, energy is released from Einstein’s energy-mass equivalence equation This is because the sum of the masses of the individual nucleons before fusing is greater than the sum of the masses of the nuclei when they have fused. This leads to a mass defect and due to the conservation of energy; a loss in mass is compensated through the release of energy. With regards to nuclear fusion, a lot of energy is released, especially when compared with nuclear fission. We can compare the energy outputs of both nuclear processes through the concept of binding energy. Binding energy is the amount of energy needed to either remove each nucleon from each other within the nucleus or the energy needed to fuse the same number of nucleons to form the nucleus of an atom. Looking at the binding energy per nucleon for the elements, we can see which are the most stable elements (they have the highest binding energy per nucleon) and see which processes (fission or fusion) releases the most energy. It should be noted that the mechanism for nuclear fusion in stars is different compared to achieving nuclear fusion on earth. In stars, the hydrogen atoms are fused together due to the extreme pressures as there is such a large quantity of stellar material. An example of one of the main nuclear cycles that take place in stars is the Proton-Proton Chain which happens in stars with the same mass as our Sun or less (The University of Tennessee). The main reaction is the first step where it converts hydrogen and deuterium into helium and emits a gamma ray as follows: (Case Western Reserve University) These pressures, as well as the high temperatures, and the effects of gravitational confinement means that the hydrogen atoms, which would normally repel one another due to their positive charges at the centres of their nuclei, are able to overcome the Coulomb barrier, and therefore the strong force is able to attract these nuclei together releasing vast amounts of energy and producing helium in the first place. The Coulomb barrier is the energy that is needed for the electrical repulsion to be overcome in order for the strong nuclear force to take place in order for the nuclei to fuse together (HyperPhysics). Here on earth, it is impossible to gravitationally confine large amounts of plasma, therefore physicists have developed two main methods for achieving nuclear fusion (for the purposes of civilian energy): inertial confinement and magnetic confinement (CEA, 2001). Another facility, the National Ignition Facility in Livermore, California uses inertial confinement and this involves the use of lasers. However, JET is concerned with magnetic confinement and, as the name suggests, it involves magnets with a reactor shaped as a torus or as a hollow doughnut. The Russian physicist Andrei Sakharov first came up with the idea of a tokamak as it was considered the most optimal shape to successfully confine a plasma using magnetic fields. In terms of magnetic confinement, for nuclear fusion to occur (this is called ignition); three main properties of the plasma must fulfil certain conditions. This is named the Lawson criterion after it was first proposed by John D. Lawson in 1955. The Lawson criterion states that the â€Å"triple product†of plasma density, confinement time, and the plasma temperature must fulfil this equation for a deuterium-tritium reaction: (Irvine, 2011) Where is the plasma density, is the plasma temperature and is the confinement time. Although a lot of energy is needed to overcome the Coulomb barrier and initiate the fusion process, the large energy yield is the reason why research at JET and at other institutes is still ongoing (HyperPhysics). The most common fusion reaction to be studied nowadays and the one that physicists at JET are looking into particularly is the deuterium-tritium, or D-T, reaction. Deuterium and tritium are isotopes of hydrogen. It is as follows: (HyperPhysics) Plasma heating Within the tokamak, the plasma current is induced by a transformer. The central iron transformer core acts as the primary winding, and this is situated in the hole of the tokamak reactor, and the plasma acts as the secondary winding. The plasma can act as a secondary winding because it is electrically-charged and therefore acts as a conductor. The alternating current that is supplied to the central magnetic coil induces a changing magnetic field and this is used to control the plasma. This produces a heating effect called Ohmic heating. Thus induced current causes heating which also happens in conventional transformers as well. Neutral-beam injection involves the introducing high-energy atoms into the magnetically-confined plasma when it is already ohmically heated. These atoms are ionised as they pass through the plasma and therefore are also controlled by the magnetic field present. They then become high-energy ions and as a result, they transfer some of their energy to the plasma particles in repeated collisions. This increase in the number of collisions increases the average translational kinetic energy associated with these ions and thus increases the temperature of the plasma overall. Furthermore, radio frequency heating is also used to heat the plasma. This is generated through induction high-frequency oscillating currents in the plasma by external coils. There are parts of the plasma where the energy absorption is high and the frequencies are chosen to match the frequencies of these regions. This is called resonance and it allows large amounts of power to be transferred to the plasma. All of these ways of heating the plasma are important as not one single method can produce the necessary temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius (United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, 2012), which is required in magnetic confinement (United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, 2012). Confining the plasma The main purpose of the tokamak in JET is to magnetically confine the plasma with the help of the device called a â€Å"tokamak†which is a Russian acronym for a torus-shaped magnetic chamber (European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy (Fusion for Energy), 2013). In order to successfully confine the plasma, the magnetic field lines must move around the torus in a helical shape generated by toroidal and poloidal fields. The diagram above is useful in explaining two key concepts in plasma physics: the toroidal field and the poloidal field. The toroidal field is represented by the blue line and it is the magnetic field that travels around the torus in circles. The poloidal field is represented by the red arrow and it travels in circles perpendicular to the toroidal field. Both of these fields differ in the way they are produced as well in their direction of travel. The toroidal field is produced by electromagnets which surround the torus, and the poloidal field is generated as a result of the toroidal electric current that follows inside the plasma with the help of a second set of electromagnets (Wikipedia, 2014). Energy production At the moment, JET can only produce around 70% of the power needed to heat the plasma in the first place (Mlynà ¡Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â€ž ¢, 2007). However, a new tokamak called ITER is being built in Cadarache and developed in order to develop the technologies and obtain the knowledge necessary to built fusion power stations capable of producing more energy out than in (European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy (Fusion for Energy), 2013). Energy production from fusion is a promising idea as a fusion reaction, in comparison to the combustion of fossil fuels, is four times more energetic, thus more energy can be produced from very small quantities of deuterium and tritium (ITER Organization, 2014). In practical terms, in order to produce 1000MW of electricity, 2.4 million tonnes of coal would be needed each year for a coal-fired power station, however only 125kg each of deuterium and tritium per year would be needed to produce the same amount of energy (ITER Organization, 2014). The future From the research conducted at JET, it was apparent to physicists that a bigger tokamak must be built in order to break-even and hopefully obtain a greater energy output than input. To reiterate, this tokamak is known as ITER and is currently built in the south of France. Even then, ITER is not being built specifically for energy production and it is only until DEMO will be built that it can be demonstrated to the world that it is possible to harness the power of nuclear fusion on energy. DEMO is expected to be running sometime during the 2030s and an actual fusion power plant to be running by 2050 (EFDA, 2014). However, due to inevitable geopolitical issues and financial constraints, there is every possibility that these dates may be pushed forward into the future. Even so it was in 1905 when Einstein first formulated the mass-energy equivalence relation, it was in 1920 when Eddington first discovered how stars produced energy, it was in 1927 when Langmuir gave â€Å"plasma†its name and thus plasma physics was born (Mlynà ¡Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â€ž ¢, 2007); and there have been many other milestones within plasma physics since then that even if the dates fusion civilian energy is pushed forward by a couple of decades or more it will not mean anything in the long term as man will finally be able to â€Å"learn how to release it and use it for his service†as Eddington said. Irrespective of when the production of fusion energy will occur, JET will have been a cornerstone in the history of fusion energy and plasma physics as experiments at JET have made us closer and closer to ignition. The next step is to build the next series of tokamaks and finally the fusion power plant. Works Cited Case Western Reserve University. (n.d.). The Proton-Proton Chain. Retrieved January 18, 2014, from http://burro.cwru.edu/Academics/Astr221/StarPhys/ppchain.html CEA. (2001). Retrieved January 16, 2014, from http://www-fusion-magnetique.cea.fr/gb/fusion/principes/principes02.htm EFDA. (2014). Fusion. Retrieved January 18, 2014, from http://www.efda.org/fusion/ European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy (Fusion for Energy). (2013). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved January 17, 2014, from http://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/faq/#a7 European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy (Fusion for Energy). (2013). What is Fusion? Retrieved January 16, 2014, from http://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/understandingfusion/ HyperPhysics. (n.d.). Coulomb Barrier for Fusion. Retrieved January 18, 2014, from http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/coubar.html HyperPhysics. (n.d.). Nuclear Fusion. Retrieved January 17, 2014, from http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/fusion.html Irvine, M. (2011). Nuclear Power: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. ITER Organization. (2014). Fueling the Fusion Reaction. Retrieved January 17, 2014, from http://www.iter.org/sci/fusionfuels ITER Organization. (2014). Progress in Fusion. Retrieved January 16, 2014, from http://www.iter.org/sci/beyonditer Mlynà ¡Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â€ž ¢, J. (2007). Focus On: JET. Prague: Association EURATOM-IPP.CR. Suplee, C. (2009). The Plasma Universe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. The University of Tennessee. (n.d.). The Proton-Proton Chain. Retrieved January 18, 2014, from http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/energy/ppchain.html United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. (2012). JET. Retrieved January 16, 2014, from http://www.ccfe.ac.uk/JET.aspx United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. (2012). The Tokamak. Retrieved January 16, 2014, from http://www.ccfe.ac.uk/Tokamak.aspx Wikipedia. (2014). Tokamak. Retrieved January 16, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokamak
Friday, October 25, 2019
Changing The Opening Bell :: essays research papers
Think about what you were doing at 6:30 this morning - maybe eating                                                   breakfast or just waking up, but probably sleeping. Some kids were already standing                                                        out in the cold, half asleep, waiting for the school bus. Many school - aged children                                                        and teenagers are forced to wake up at an early hour after very little sleep, only to                                                   be reprimanded for being unenergetic, tired, and listless during school. These problems                                                        would be solved if school start times were later.      Some people say that since kids will have to wake up early when they get older,                                                        they might as well start when they’re young. This is not a reasonable argument because                                                   children need more sleep than adults, and lack of sleep can cause major health problems.                                                   According to Dr. Mark Mahowald, director of the Minneapolis Regional Sleep Disorders                                                   Center, school beginning at 7:45 am is the equivalent of sending adults to a buisness                                                   meeting at four-thirty in the morning!      Only fifteen percent of middle and high school students get the recommended nine                                                        hours of sleep, and twenty-five percent get less than six, says Dr. Mary Carskadon, a                                                        sleep researcher at Brown University. Scientific studies have proven that teenagers have                                                        difficulty falling asleep before eleven pm because of bodily chemical changes that occur                                                        during adolescence. People may not realize this, and therefore blame sports, jobs, friends,                                                   and technology for keeping teens up late at night.      If nine hours of sleep is recommended for teens, who generally go to sleep around eleven pm, eight o’ clock in the morning would seem a reasonable time to wake up. Assuming it takes about forty-five minutes to get ready in the morning, and that the average bus ride (for students at my school) is about a half an hour, it would make sense for school to start at around nine to nine thirty in the morning.      While nine thirty would be an ideal time for that opening bell to ring, the change needn’t be that major. In Edina, Minnesota, the school start time was shifted from seven
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Describe and illustrate what you consider to be the key features of Homers narrative technique
The importance of Homer's narrative technique in appreciation of the Odyssey cannot be emphasised enough. The role of similes, rhythm, formulaic composition, epithets, rhythm, folktale motifs and direct speech is to create composure in the poem and give rise to a particular form of Homeric narrative. The texture of the poem allows a reader or audience a â€Å"creative share in the artistic experience†1 as the numerous literary devices create a colourful epic narrative comprised of the objective, the subjective and the dramatic. The notion of an oral tradition runs closely alongside Homeric narrative in our appreciation of the Odyssey, and the ideas are closely entwined with one another. Thus to comprehend key features of Homeric narrative, it is important to consider the role of the oral tradition in the formulation of this. To understand key features of Homeric narrative it is first worth considering the critical role of the â€Å"linguistic phonomena of our text of Homer†2 and its profound effect on the poem. The elements of phonetics, morphology, and vocabulary which characterize the narrative is a construction of Aeolic, Ionic, artificial, and possibly Achaean text. Homer exercised obsolete word form, new word forms and even created artificial forms in order to utilize a language adapted to the needs of hexameter versification. 3. Thus formula was clearly of primary importance in Homeric narrative to the extent that language had to cater for formula not formula to language, born frth from the strict adherence to the oral tradition. It clearly allows flexibility in compusure for the bard as the infinitive ‘to be' has following forms in Homeric narrative: emen, emmen, emenai, emmenai, einai, each is particular to a period yet each gives different numbers of syllables at the poets disposal thus can adhere to rhythmic structure. Formula frames the Odyssey from the beginning, every repeated expression down to stock scenes and themes that are rcorrent in the same formulaic composition. Origin of the works of Rothe, of Scott and Shewan set out to demonstrate that formulae are found everywhere in Homer and that there must be a common stock from which every epic poet could draw. There does remain question as to how much to attrbute to the individual poet as Homeric tradition or just as bardic tradition in general thus does it constitute Homeric narrative. M. Meillet wrote that ‘Homeric epic is entirely composed of formulae handed down from poet to poet. An examination of any passage will quickly reveal that it is made up of lines and fragments of lines which are reproduced word for word in one or several other passages'4 Two fold purpose of formulaic composition allowed expression of ideas in a suitable manner, and of attenuating the difficulties of versification. Example of Traditional epithet as repetition (list no. of places) meant when context required it, and when the sense allowed it, bard could make any combination of these expressions creating both a correct line and a complete sentence. Numerous examples of an expression regularly used under the same metrical conditions, to express an essential idea about a charafcter important when considering the authors intehntion of allowing the audience some hint of chracter. A proper noun with the help of some epithetic word creates a formula which exactly fills that portion of the line which extends from the feminine caesura to the end. This is called noun epithet formula as it is of a given metrical value and is made up of particular parts of speech. They indirectly attempt to identify certain characteristics or manners with each hero and distinguish him from others without stone character that is not individual to listeners opinion. Repetition through Stock scenes is also present not metrically identical yet structurally identical for example 1. 102 and 14.? Prime examples of Hospitality stock scene. (GO INTO SPECIFICS). In relation to the oral tradition it allowed the bards to convey the long tale in a consistent way without needing to stretch amzing memory even further, it als highlights or makes more apparent characters who don't adhere to the rules of hospitality characterizing them in a negative way as Homer intended. The solidity of narrative created by repetition of type scenes important adds a acertain kind of skeleton structure to the poem. Direct speech comprises 45 % of the Odyssey and is therefore an important feature of Homeric narrative. It conveys a violence of emotion that is both dramatic and allows the characters themselves to develop the plot or reveal their own personalities. Plato said of Homers use of dialogue that it has a unique life of its own5 . Two kinds of direct speech; either public or private. Private speech (EG) sees characters talk amongst themselves and evoke spontaneous emotion that further characterizes. Similarly public speeches sees leaders put forward opinions in council or agora same role except it normally displays qualities of leadership or arrogance. Personality emerges from â€Å"words endowed with life†for example Odysseus and his man of many wiles persona. Notice the quality and diversity of the speech. The amount of direct speech serves to make silence even more poignant (Book 16 and Odysseus and Penelope 23. 85-96) In example notice gnomes in the last lines of direct speech which sees the wisdom of generations contained in brief statement and phrasing reveals high moral tone. Direct speech also plays an important role in assisting vizualisation of outward appearance, as Homeric narrative rarely describes specific visual characteristics. It generally attempts to build up a mental impression of the people as opposed to detailed visual picture as the ‘beautiful is never described'6 except for Thersites in Illiad when the poet delights in his uglification (II . 216)and that is the beauty of roots in oral tradition. Open ended characters and Odysseus' is different to everyone whether you admire his wit and slyness or feel him distrustful. The Artistic detail revealed through speech as the â€Å"poet endows his heroic characters with the knowledge which he himself possesses†EMBEDDED FOCALIZATIONSimilarly often through direct speech main features are marked in advance by forecast or prophecy (1. 16)(4. 767)central actions like the death of the suitors is forecast more than once, each one emphasising more and more the tragic and sinister character of what is to come, it also increases tension of some main events and glues the long story together with consistency. Thirty nine Similes (metaphor extended and simplified) make the text vivid and the extended epic simile is a peculiar feature of Homeric epic. Favours a full legth simile extending to six or seven lines begins by describing scene or an action suggested by what happens in the narrative, then develops little picture illustrating emotion. Often begins normally describing scene suggested by main action but eventuall loses contact with that it was trying to illustrate (5. 51-3). Nothing extra illuminated by excess yet continuation adds fresh elements to storyThey can be used to suggest the external appearance and psychology of the hero (EG LION ODYSSEUS). They particularly introduce aspects of everyday life in to the the heroic world, roots of epic, making oral appreciation better as listeners ould have been able to relate to simile whilst also seeing the epic in context of heroism in comparison Familiar world of everyday life. These comparisonsnhave a roots in tradition yet clearly reflect â€Å"Homers own passionate interest in the world and desire to use it as a counterweight to heroic tale†heightens tension between the story and the simile (12. 51)(9. 383). Many similes appeal to the senses (Oral tradition) to make them more poignant and vivid, great poetry centered around human factor that characterize individuals and types or the essence of a relationship(! )(16. 216-19). Lricism of Homeric simile astounding relating diverse : seasons, storms, wildlife it also adds significance. Could be used to support a theme in the poem for example Nausikaaa compared to Artemis at 8. 521 and Odysseus to a mountain Lion at 6. 128. It was suggested by Shipp 1953 in a linguistic study that similes were froma later stage of epic tradition due to double similes and irrelevant elaboration that appears unnecessary, but these further accentuete points and add to poignancy. They make an action more vivid and and imaginable whereas a psychological state is hard to convey it is easier using simile. It throws a distinguishing light on that which coud become monotonous. It allows poet to say that which cannot be said in a direct statement. Notice how Homer avoids negative simile and accumulation of short similes round a single point; suggesting use of similes is very deliberate and purposeful. Folk tale motifs first made apparent by Ludwig Radermacher in 1915 in â€Å"Die Erzahlungen der Odysee†. Evident that there are certain stories underlying the Homeric poems, although not possible to separate them all as individual texts. Simple â€Å"genuine fairy tales†shown by J. Tolstoi in Philologus 1934 ten motifs from Russian tales as components of a modern story all occur in the Odyssey. Story of the web unmistakable characteristic of folk tale based upon motif that day is at hand to re marry Term draws near and crisis is about to arise. When Telemachos has a beard†¦.. beginning of fairy tale Homer actually made this peculiarly his own. Orientalization Gilgamesh etc. Make mention. Departure to distant land and instructions left behind in particular coming of age myth. (Deer as Pagan myth). Bow scehem of story easily recognizable as a folktale motif: the old weapon of the missing hero will prove who of the competitors is his equal, but that is nobody except himself. Points to revelation, culmination in suitors sudden realization of King and Queen there. Structure of Homeric narrative is complex, yet orderly. Ring composition is a form of repitition used to signal the end of a section by echoing its beginning. It is frequent in digressions, including similes and also in speeches. Ranges from simple examples 1. 252-69 where begins with â€Å"If only he were to come now†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ the man he was when I first saw him†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ if only Odysseus, the man he was then, could meet these suitors! â€Å". More complex examples include the beginning of the wanderings being signalled by a â€Å"TWO DAY STORM†and ending with a two day storm8 in between enclosing two sequences of five episodes each on either side of the underworld . Probably through oral tradition allows easilt memeorable as a pattern to stick to. Oral tadition Homer must omit â€Å"much that a literate poet might think necessary and that he employs certain devices to make his narrative easy to follow†. Homer has a basic consideration for hearers great influence on narrative technique. The rhapsodes success is judged by the course of recitation thus primarily want to keep hold of readers attention . Homer wants to coax the listener into a state of â€Å"relaxed receptivity†thus developed directness, simplicity and fullness in its narrative and has a dramatic manner of incidents. This characterizes dialogue and whole structures of Odysseus and Illiad. The skill as a story teller comes through Odyyseeys development mid book not the outcome of the story his eluding charm etc. Homer concern with hearer eveident in his tendency to repeat incidents, motifs and themes and in part for stock phrases, this all protects the rhapsode from slowing down and assists a listeners memory without effort of their part. Milmann Parry â€Å"that inattention was the normal compliment paid by an audience to a recurrent epithet†9 . Depite vagueness Homeric narrative â€Å"provides the most elaborate and convincing representations of individual psychology to be found in classical literatureâ€
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Advantages and Disadvantages in the Lake District National Park
This is an essay about the advantages and disadvantages that arise in and about National Parks, focusing on the Lake District National Park. The Lake District is shown on the map below. As you can see the Lake District is situated in Cumbria in the North West of England. The Lake District National Park is the largest National Park in Britain. It was established in 1951 and covers an area of 2,292 sq. km. It is home to the largest lake in Britain -lake Windermere which is an amazing 16.9km long, 2km wide and has an area of 16sq km-quite a lot of water! It is also home to Scaffel Pike which is the largest mountain in England rising to a very tall 966m. Both of these features, along with many more, encourage people to visit the park. The Lake District is one of the National Parks in Wales and England, the others being Exmoor Dartmoor The Pembrokeshire Coast The Brecon Beacons The Yorkshire Dales Northumberland Snowdonia And The North York Moor 7% of all the land in England is National Park Land and 20% of the land in Wales in National Parks. A National Park is defined as an area of scenic beauty. National Parks have two main aims A) To preserve and care for the beautiful environment may it be coast or mountains and all the wildlife/plants in them B) To provide a place for recreation, relaxation and enjoyment open to everyone. You would think it would be easy to provide a pretty, safe place for people to visit/live/work. You must think again! National Parks are at the centre of much controversy and arguments-as you are about to find out yet still manage to have many, many advantages. One of the advantages of a National Park are that they are a great place for people to come and relax. Anyone can enjoy a visit to a National Park-families, individuals, the elderly and so on. Some parks (although not the Lake District) are also used by the army as part of their training process. Obviously, there are farmers on the land too who depend on it to make a living. The Lake District is a place where you can do a number of activities- * Walking * Outdoor Pursuits (e.g. Canoeing, climbing etc) * Going on a leisurely boat ride on the lakes (especially Windermere) * Having a nice picnic or day out in some of the specially developed areas or on the mountains themselves. * Camping * Water skiing * Angling * Bird watching /general nature looking * Power boating * And generally relaxing and having a great time! Here is a map of the Lake District itself. Note all of the high land (brown bits) and lakes (blue bits) DISADVANTAGES As with every national Park there are some disadvantages. These are usually roughly the same in any National Park and there is not positive way of getting rid of all the problem without banning people to go to the National Parks which kind of defeats the object. Traffic Congestion is a major problem. The small, narrow steep, winding country roads just can't cope with the volume of traffic which is passing to get to the park. As most of the visitors to the National Park travel by car it is indeed a serious problem. In the Lake District the main problems are at Great Langdale, Borrowdale and Kentmere. There is also another big problem-car parking facilities. These are restricted causing some people to leave their cars parked at the side of the road causing further traffic problems affecting the local people who just want to get on with their day to day business. As there are more vehicles about this leads to more air pollution, which makes the area less pleasant to visit. As said before there are few solutions to this problem. You could build big two-lane roads to replace the small ones but this would cause a number of problems A) it would be very expensive B) it is probable that there will not be room to expand the roads C) It would spoil the scenic beauty and quaintness of the place and the villagers won't be happy. These are just some of the many hundreds of possible problems so this option is not really an options(it you get me). The NPA (National Park Association) along with the Cumbria County council and Countryside Commission came up with a plan in 1995 to try to reduce traffic congestion. It involved restricting access along the very popular routes, closing some roads all together and encouraging the use of public transport. Walking and cycling rather than cars once inside the national Park. For this to be successful the public transport facilities would have to be greatly improved. All of this would mean, perhaps, fewer visitors thus bringing less money into the area. The locals who make a living out of this trade would lose out. Footpath erosion is a major problem in the Lake District like the Brecon Beacons in South Wales and indeed many other National Parks. The amount of walkers using the paths cause them to gradually erode becoming unsafe and unpleasant. As the designed paths are no longer suitable to walk on people are resorting to wandering off the paths and uncovering tree roots, trampling on plants and things like that. This problem can be sorted by completely banning the use of offending footpaths and replacing them with others. There are many disadvantages to this including lack of money, people wanting to ‘wander' as the please and directing people to use the new footpaths. A problem that is related to this is soil compaction. This is when the footpaths are damaged either by being compacted or in other ways so that greenery cannot grow and cannot soak up excess moisture etc. Along with damaging the National Park footpaths, tourists often go onto farmer's land, leaving gates open, creating noise, letting their dogs foul the area and unintentionally distressing farm animals. All of the above things are usually done without intent but never the less it is still aggravating and expensive for the farmer. The local people who often enjoy the trade of the tourists also may feel very annoyed by them. I myself have a personal comment to add here. Fifteen to twenty years ago my Mum and Dad use to visit Lake Windermere and the Lake district every summer to do walking. My Mum said it was very beautiful, unspoiled land which was very quiet, quaint and friendly. When we visited last summer my Mum said she could hardly recognise the place. Apart from the ever-beautiful mountains and lakes it was tourist haven with every other shop being either a tearoom or a gift shop. It was jam-packed, noisy and very different ( well, according to my Mum it was!) The Brecon Beacons seemed very unspoiled and quiet compared to Lake Windermere. Yes, the facilities such as shops, car parks, hotels, leisure facilities and toilets were much better and I am sure the locals earned a small fortune by it in the Summer Months but I am afraid to say it resembled more like Disneyland in Paris that a beautiful National Park in the North of England. But this is only my view (although I am certain some of the locals feel the same way). If it wasn't for all the interest in National Parks the Lake district would be barely visited and a kind of waste of space. Another disadvantage everywhere where tourists go, whether it be a National Park or not is that all work is seasonal. While the shops and services thrive in the warm summer month's trade begins to reduce to the local people when the weather turns cold. This means that some shops can't survive and have to shut. In the summer some services can be so full the local people can't use them but in the winter the services are not needed and shut down. Crime and Vandalism, noise pollution, litter, poaching and other things like that are a major problem in all National Parks and the Lake District is no exeption. Car crime is very high in Car parks and there are some very inconsiderate people about. The Park Ranger is partly in charge of this area but he can't be everywhere at once and this DOES take place-maybe even putting people off visiting the park altogether. Having Second Home owners in the area can put many noses out of joint. Second Home owners are like tourists, they only come when the weather is fine leaving services/shops to suffer when they are having a nice time back at home. They can ‘revamp' their second homes to make them not in keeping with the area. They can also bring their own town influences into the countryside and raise house prices. In other words-Second homeowners are big problems in the Lake District. As with any area-people can take things too far. On Lake Windermere the planners have decided to set a 16-km/h speed limit on the lake. This is because the noisy speedboats and water skiers are spoiling the quietness of the lake and spoiling the enjoyment of others. They also make more air pollution. Other lakes on the park such as Ullswater, Coniston Water and Derwent Water(see map on page2) have had this ban imposed and it seems to be working well. But this is bound to ruffle a few feathers and arguments are taking place about whether the ban should take place or not. Some arguments are that tourists already have miles and miles of quiet land to enjoy, why not let this little bit of water be noisy? They also brought up the point that some lines of trade will suffer when people go elsewhere to use their water ski's/power boats. Now, I have gone on for ages about how awful National Parks are. You must be thinking ‘ Why one earth do we have National Parks if they cause all of this trouble?' As you are now going to find out, National Parks have many advantages too. ADVANTAGES One of the main advantages of a National Park, any national Park, is the money that tourists bring with them. In 1995 the UK had an amazing 23.5 million foreign visitors who spent and astounding à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12 billion! That is an awful lot of money! Tourist also employs 1.5 million people in places such as hotels, cafes, pubs, travel agencies etc. Okay, so lots of these visitors didn't visit National Parks and didn't spend money in them but tourism in National Parks is big business. In Windermere and Keswick-big places for tourists to visit in the Lake District (see page two map)- half of the workforce are employed in the tourist industry! That is an awful lot if you can compare that to the 6% nationally. In 1995 tourists spent a great à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 446 million in Cumbria alone-most of it being spent in the Lake District. Some ways tourists spend money are: * Accommodation- hotels, campsites, holiday cottages etc * Food and Drink-restaurants, cafes, pubs, food shops etc * Leisure- this is HUGE business from outdoor pursuits to boat trips to museums and so on * And so much more little things such as gifts and general shopping The services in the Lake District National Parks have increased due to the extra visitors. This is good news for the locals. If the area hadn't been changed to a National Park it would just be plain, rural land with very few services. Public transport had improved dramatically with more connections leading out of the Lake District so that tourists can easily get there but also letting the locals get out and about easier. The amount of shops are the same as services, there are more than there would have been had it not been for the National Park. As the national Parks welcome everyone people have a lovely, beautiful place to visit. If the land weren't a national park it would be at risk to developments being built on the site which would spoil the scenic beauty. If people visit the Lake District and see how beautiful it all is they may be extra careful and be inspired to take better care of the environment. They may also realise that they need to protect the land for generations to come. Litter and Pollution may also be reduced as they realise that there is no need to spoil the natural world. The Park Ranger and the people who care for the Lake District do a great job of protecting the environment in the Lake District. It is a nice, usually safe place for animals, birds and plants/flowers. People from the large town and cities have an opportunity to see the beautiful British wildlife that they wouldn't find in the towns and cities. The park Rangers in the Lake District also encourage tree planting. We all know that we depend on trees to give us oxygen so that we can breath so this is a great thing especially as so many trees are now being cut down to provide space for houses. Park Rangers and workers in the National Parks all over Britain does a number of great things including * Refuse permission for unsuitable buildings/developments that would spoil the park * Arrange talks and guided walks to educate the people about the park * Monitor and clean up pollution * Encourage suitable developments and so much more. * Some National Parks are home to some rare plants/flowers and the Lake District is no exeption. Now I have looked at all the information I now have to see whether or not the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. If you see what I have written you will discover I have written more about the disadvantages than the advantages. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. In my view I think anything that preserves the natural beauty of our world if a good thing. With all the overcrowding, noise and pollution of this world we need a place where we can just go to relax without too much noise, big buildings or offices. Yes, there are disadvantages but I think that people can put up with a bit of inconvenience if it means that we make this world a nicer place to be-don't you?
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
buy custom Strategic Business Partner essay
buy custom Strategic Business Partner essay Case study for Reinventing IT as a Strategic Business Partner This paper will assess a case study for reinventing Information Technology (IT), as a strategic business partner. In particular, the paper will focus on three case study questions including: the political and business challenges, which are possible to take place due to the transformation of IT from a support activity to a partner role; implications of this shift for traditional IT staffs and educational institutions; and the extent to which IT is embedded in all activities of a firm. Certainly, information technology is meant to offer innovative solutions for solving business challenges. This implies that businesses should creatively make use of technology to generate products more effectively at low costs, increase sales, and profit margins. Besides, it implies making use of Information Technology to produce novel services and products, and novel business models. According to McNulty Kathleen, CIO at the Schwan Food Company, business should innovate and improve technology, transforming it from a support activity to a partner role (King, 2007). However, there are various political and business challenges, which are probable to take place due to this transformation. Various companies like Trans World Entertainment Corporation, E! Entertainment Television Inc, and Procter and Gamble Co. ae entirely modifying their Information Technology organizations, and all activities are up for drastic transformation, including IT job title and where and how IT is housed in their firms (King, 2007). Apparently, this may face resistance from the workers. This is referred to as change resistance. As stated in the case study, any considerable amount of change in a company calls for dramatic structural change or entirely modifying what the staffs do. For instance, when Hinkle became the CIO of Trans World, he abolished the analyst title and individuals in that role were shifted into the project management office (King, 2007). Obviously, the personnel cannot embrace this as most of them are used to their working culture, and thus may resist suc h a change. This as a result may affect the company negatively in terms of production, sales and profitability. Political challenges may encompass modification of traditional pattern of work, and matters regarding taxes and costs. This shift in the strategic outlook of IT has various implications for traditional IT workers and for the educational institutions that train them. Certainly, most organizations are highly adopting the new technology meaning that they are not making use of traditional technology. This means that such companies will only employ personnel with new technologies required to change the ways in which the organization works. Traditional IT workers will have to develop capability of learning all aspectts of the company including where IT subsists. The organization institutions which train them may suffer negatively as most people will prefer joining educational institutions training new technologies. However, they may make training practical and elaborate and center on amplifying managerial and technological skill of a person to ensure training becomes efficient in real work environments. Besides, such institutions should teach skills and organizational knowledge to be used in analyzing info rmation technology. Future IT individuals should have the capability of finding out creative strategies and ideas with an aim of growing and operating by making the effective employment of information technology. As stated in the case study, technology is employed in almost all activities performed by companies King, 2007). For instance, IT is employed in the production and sale of goods and in the creation of novel services and products. According to studies, most organizations have adopted IT in their activities as the same is linked to various benefits one of them being ensuring sustained competition and success of the companies. Therefore, it is true that is employed in almost everything performed by companies. One of the recent products generated through IT is Mobile cash by Kumari bank. The availability and idea of this service offered by the bank is entirely founded on Information Technology and clients may only make use of the service through mobile phones. Buy custom Strategic Business Partner essay
Monday, October 21, 2019
Without a Paddle Amazon and Hachette and Us
Without a Paddle Amazon and Hachette and Us Without a Paddle: Amazon and Hachette and Us Hi. At Reedsy we live, sleep, and all but photosynthesise self-publishing news and discussion. Even if you were living under a rock, a massive rock, like a boulder, you wouldn’t have been able to avoid the suddenly very loudly proclaimed views of authors both traditionally published and self-published over the whole Amazon-Hachette blood war that’s been happening for over a month now. So we had to say something. In fact, we said two things. Below you can find Dave’s take, and you can find Ricardo’s perspective over here.–Well, that was a hell of a week.The Amazon/Hachette cold war is now into its second month. Hachette’s books continue to suffer difficulties on Amazon’s store, including availability issues and price increases.On Wednesday Douglas Preston released an open letter to readers. Previously it had been quietly circulating amongst authors, collecting signatures including Robert A. Caro and Stephen King. Preston et al asked Amazon to â€Å"resolve its dispute with Hachette without hurting authors and without blocking or otherwise delaying the sale of books to its customers.†Self-published author Hugh Howey responded almost immediately on change.org petitioning Hachette to â€Å"stop fighting low prices and fair wages It’s almost absurdly comic, by the way, that this whole conversation has continued without a real, firm context of what exactly Amazon are asking for. The issue driving this could be anything from Amazon demanding discounts and charging for pre-order buttons to Jeff Bezos personally demanding Hachette deliver a plump firstborn male infant every Summer Solstice in unholy tribute. If I were a betting man†¦
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Polymer Definition and Examples
Polymer Definition and Examples A polymer is a large molecule made up of chains or rings of linked repeating subunits, which are called monomers. Polymers usually have high melting and boiling points. Because the molecules consist of many monomers, polymers tend to have high molecular masses. The word polymer comes from the Greek prefix poly-, which means many, and the suffix -mer, which means parts. The word was coined by Swedish chemist Jons Jacob Berzelius (1779–1848) in 1833, although with a slightly different meaning from the modern definition. The modern understanding of polymers as macromolecules was proposed by German organic chemist Hermann Staudinger (1881–1965) in 1920. Examples of Polymers Polymers may be divided into two categories. Natural polymers (also called biopolymers) include silk, rubber, cellulose, wool, amber, keratin, collagen, starch, DNA, and shellac. Biopolymers serve key functions in organisms, acting as structural proteins, functional proteins, nucleic acids, structural polysaccharides, and energy storage molecules. Synthetic polymers are prepared by a chemical reaction, often in a lab. Examples of synthetic polymers include PVC (polyvinyl chloride), polystyrene, synthetic rubber, silicone, polyethylene, neoprene, and nylon. Synthetic polymers are used to make plastics, adhesives, paints, mechanical parts, and many common objects. Synthetic polymers may be grouped into two categories. Thermoset plastics are made from a liquid or soft solid substance that can be irreversibly changed into an insoluble polymer by curing using heat or radiation. Thermoset plastics tend to be rigid and have high molecular weights. The plastic stays out of shape when deformed and typically decompose before they melt. Examples of thermoset plastics include epoxy, polyester, acrylic resins, polyurethanes, and vinyl esters. Bakelite, Kevlar, and vulcanized rubber are also thermoset plastics. Thermoplastic polymers or thermosoftening plastics are the other type of synthetic polymers. While thermoset plastics are rigid, thermoplastic polymers are solid when cool, but are pliable and can be molded above a certain temperature. While thermoset plastics form irreversible chemical bonds when cured, the bonding in thermoplastics weakens with temperature. Unlike thermosets, which decompose rather than melt, thermoplastics melt into a liquid upon heating. Examples of thermoplastics include acrylic, nylon, Teflon, polypropylene, polycarbonate, ABS, and polyethylene. Brief History of Polymer Development Natural polymers have been used since ancient times, but mankinds ability to intentionally synthesize polymers is a fairly recent development. The first man-made plastic was nitrocellulose. The process to make it was devised in 1862 by British chemist Alexander Parkes (1812–1890). He treated the natural polymer cellulose with nitric acid and a solvent. When nitrocellulose was treated with camphor, it produced celluloid, a polymer widely used in the film industry and as a moldable replacement for ivory. When nitrocellulose was dissolved in ether and alcohol, it became collodion. This polymer was used as a surgical dressing, starting with the U.S. Civil War and afterward. The vulcanization of rubber was another big achievement in polymer chemistry. GErman chemist Friedrich Ludersdorf (1801–1886) and American inventor Nathaniel Hayward (1808–1865) independently found adding sulfur to natural rubber helped keep it from becoming sticky. The process of vulcanizing rubber by adding sulfur and applying heat was described by British engineer Thomas Hancock (1786–1865) in 1843 (UK patent) and American chemist Charles Goodyear (1800–1860) in 1844 (US patent). While scientists and engineers could make polymers, it wasnt until 1922 that an explanation was proposed for how they formed. Hermann Staudinger suggested covalent bonds held together long chains of atoms. In addition to explaining how polymers work, Staudinger also proposed the name macromolecules to describe polymers.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Managing Food and Beverage Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Managing Food and Beverage Operations - Essay Example One of the key aspects that have led to the success of the Chinese restaurant is the introduction of two managerial posts that includes the kitchen manager and the food service manager. The major role of the food service manager is to handle all the cases that relate to the human resource as well as administrative duties. In order to create strong positive relationship with his or her employees either in the kitchen or in the services section, the manager is supposed to empower employees leading to a higher level of motivation. As depicted by John and Jennifer 2008, kitchen manager have various duties that includes controlling other staff in the kitchen as well as ensuring maximum safety in the kitchen as depicted by the law. One of the major aspects that make the Chinese restaurant to attain a competitive edge in the market is the introduction of a menu that covers all the items as needed by the customers. In addition, the restaurant takes into consideration the cultural diversity o f its customers. This is depicted by the introduction of an English and Chinese menu. To create strong customer awareness the restaurant indicates the various ingredients that are used to prepare the various foods prepared in the kitchen. The restaurant delivers it services in an excellent way thus leading to customer satisfaction. For example, through standard recipe the restaurant has a control of the quantity as well as quality of the food prepared in the kitchen. Key aspects as indicated by John and Jennifer (2008) that are covered by the standard recipe include portion size, ingredient lists, cooking time and temperatures, menu item name among others. Likewise, the restaurant image is enhanced by the attractive decoration, appropriate layout as well as efficient sitting plan. According to Graham (2006) the history and the style of the food is a major consideration during decorating of a restaurant. Similarly, Graham and Oxley (2003) argue that servicescapes also referred to as built environment plays a vital role of enhancing personal traits, customer satisfaction in a restaurant. As a guest to the restaurant I am not only attracted by the wide range of information that guides me in the purchasing process but also by the effective flow of services both in the kitchen and in the service section. As argued by Graham (2001), work flow in the kitchen is an aspect that ensured continuity in the production and offering high class services to the customers. Use of the right equipment is one of the primary aspects that have resulted to efficient work flow in the kitchen. The adoption of food safety is another aspect that has made the restaurant to attain a competitive edge in the market. It is worth to note that safety of the employees and food cannot be overlooked in any restaurant. In its effort to ensure that all its food is safe, the restaurant emulates the Hazard Analyses Critical Control Point (HACCP). According to Almanza et al, (2000) HACCP is an approach that is employed by firms dealing with food and beverages to identify evaluate and control food safety hazards.
Friday, October 18, 2019
The Battle of Bunker Hill and Breed Hill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
The Battle of Bunker Hill and Breed Hill - Essay Example The British were aware how important Boston was to the colonists. The city was on a peninsula in Boston Harbor which was a vital trade link. Across the Charles River, just across from Boston, on another peninsula were two hills, Breed Hill and Bunker Hill. Although most of the fighting took place on Breed Hill, the battle took the name of Bunker Hill which had a higher eminence. Due to the threat the surrounding hills might pose on their hold on Boston, the British decided to taken possession of them. The American Rebels led by General Prescott, Putnam and Warren attempted to fence in and stall the British in Boston by taking command of the hills. To this end they sent forces to fortify both hills with trenches and bales of cotton and hay. Warren assumed that the construction of works on Bunker Hill would lure the British into battle (Ketchum 1999). When the British observed the Americans taking possession of the hills, they began to bombard American positions from their ships stationed outside the harbor, while waiting for reinforcements to arrive. Eventually with around 3000 troops the British stormed up Breed Hill. The daring of the British was apparent, as they could have marched to Charlestown and blocked supplies and reinforcements from reaching Prescott. Instead they soldiered up the hill.
Analysis of The Quote by Ellie Wiesel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Analysis of The Quote by Ellie Wiesel - Essay Example It is not only about violence, murder, and terror. All these negative causes are not so numerous in our lives. On the other side, people are more inclined to be lazy, greedy and, finally, indifferent to each other, in particular, and to the environment, on the whole. Needless to say, indifferent people are helpless in loving somebody. It is impossible for them, as they feel free to neglect the virtues of the moral and right attitude toward each other. Hence, indifference gives birth to a host of negative feelings where hatred and cruelty are at the core. Among the rest of the quotes by Ellie Wiesel, the aforementioned highlights the roots of the human tragedy today as it was in the past. In other words, seeing indifference in one’s actions and attitudes toward a person or the mankind, there is no way other than the redemption. Redemption from everything one dreamed about and thought of in a sweet memory. Day by day, this feeling would likely grow up until one loses the temper and does harm to the environment where he/she lives. The consequences may simply overgrow into a collapse of living in mutual understanding of peace. What is more, Wiesel is right when she strikes out the concept of â€Å"hate†as lower in the meaning compared to the concept of â€Å"indifference.†It is natural to anyone to get rid of any haunting prejudices about the negative meaning of indifference just because it is an ability to make a change. No one is likely to pinpoint the threat of indifference able to ruin lives of people in need. An abrupt halt of passion and desire to help and to keep up with those in need is like a heart failure for a serious patient, so to speak. Thus, indifference is a hidden trick of the devil on his way toward total destruction of morale and humane as the pivotal virtues of the societal life. Â
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Zoo Activity. Monkey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Zoo Activity. Monkey - Essay Example However, this does not necessarily mean that human beings and apes such as monkeys belong to one single species. The truth, as has been revealed by several researchers, is that these organisms are related. They must be having something common in their DNA which proves that they were initially belonging into the same species. However, as time went by, several changes occurred in the environment which necessitated the development of more species from the already existing ones. For instance, as a result of the plate tectonics, several regions of the world were separated a part. As a result, the continents separated by large masses of water emerged. This lead to the separation of organisms which were initially living together. It explains why there is a morphological difference between the Homo sapiens and monkeys. Had there been no such separations, the human beings would not have developed more advanced features which were later relied on to distinguish them from apes. When organisms which were once enjoying similar lifestyle were separated, the connection between them was permanently cut off. Therefore, going into new environments meant that they had to look for ways through which they would survive.
VBD report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
VBD report - Essay Example In the light of the events which have occurred in the Brisbane branch of the firm in a span of six weeks, the scenario behind the resignation of four line managers as a result of inadequate opportunities to participate in the decision making of the business is being considered critically by the company to assess the state of participative management techniques and leadership models in the company’s Brisbane branch. Hence, the purpose of this report is to explore the circumstances surrounding the resignation of the four line managers to better understand the application of the leading and organizing function of management in the firm and present appropriate recommendations for addressing the present issue successfully thereby, reducing turnover rates in the future. The prevalent issue in the organization is associated with the concept of employee turnover which is demonstrated by the resignation of four line manager’s at the company’s Brisbane branch in the time period of six weeks. According to Jang (2008), the concept of employee turnover can be defined as â€Å"the gross movement of workers in and out of employment with respect to a given company†. Moreover, the concept of turnover can be assessed in terms of voluntary and involuntary turnover, which in this case is associated with the former as the employees have willingly resigned from their respective positions (Cascio and Boudreau, 2010). While, the explanation of central causes of employee turnover have often been described by researchers as being unique to the organization or even individual cases, it has already been established that the fundamental reason behind the four resignations which have been received by the company is a consequence of inadequate HR pract ices. As noted by Jackson, Schuler and Werner (2011), poor levels of job satisfaction and absence of fair opportunities in the workplace can promote a sense of
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Colombias dispossessed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Colombias dispossessed - Essay Example This social problem plagued almost all of the population everywhere in Latin America, and so as in Colombia. Stories of hardships of families and ethnicity of some native groups and communities of Colombia were best described and stated on books of Latin American authors such as Alfredo Molano. In his The Dispossessed it is clearly stated how the many families and ethnic groups were impoverished and are unlawfully forced out of their homes to work to coca fields and production of drugs though the violent acts of the military and the paramilitary forces. Molano stated the example of the inequality and violence of the military, paramilitary or sometimes local policemen which forces innocent families, communities or sometimes regions to flee for their own safety, not knowing if the next place they settle will mean salvation. For the desterrados, dispossessed families and ethnic groups of Clombia, there is a constant feeling of struggle between whether their original home where they stayed and lived for a long time or the home they make when they are forced to leave is the safer option. It is obvious and frightening that the dispossessed people cannot feel safe due to the ongoing violence of the paramilitaries as well as the guerillas. Either side of the violence could attack any innocent barrio at any time. The violent acts of the military and paramilitary forces some people into hiding in the wilderness where there is no chance of stability. Toà ±ito from Molano’s book: â€Å"I ran until I couldn’t hear the screams anymore†(105), but later he realizes the jungle will not save him either, â€Å"†¦I thought to myself, no, it’s better to go back and look for death than wait for it to find me†(107). Another example of the oppression of the paramilitary and military forces is the forcing of the families to abandon their homes. Imagine how you could live to see that you are being forced to abandon and leave the home you built and stayed for a very long time,
VBD report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
VBD report - Essay Example In the light of the events which have occurred in the Brisbane branch of the firm in a span of six weeks, the scenario behind the resignation of four line managers as a result of inadequate opportunities to participate in the decision making of the business is being considered critically by the company to assess the state of participative management techniques and leadership models in the company’s Brisbane branch. Hence, the purpose of this report is to explore the circumstances surrounding the resignation of the four line managers to better understand the application of the leading and organizing function of management in the firm and present appropriate recommendations for addressing the present issue successfully thereby, reducing turnover rates in the future. The prevalent issue in the organization is associated with the concept of employee turnover which is demonstrated by the resignation of four line manager’s at the company’s Brisbane branch in the time period of six weeks. According to Jang (2008), the concept of employee turnover can be defined as â€Å"the gross movement of workers in and out of employment with respect to a given company†. Moreover, the concept of turnover can be assessed in terms of voluntary and involuntary turnover, which in this case is associated with the former as the employees have willingly resigned from their respective positions (Cascio and Boudreau, 2010). While, the explanation of central causes of employee turnover have often been described by researchers as being unique to the organization or even individual cases, it has already been established that the fundamental reason behind the four resignations which have been received by the company is a consequence of inadequate HR pract ices. As noted by Jackson, Schuler and Werner (2011), poor levels of job satisfaction and absence of fair opportunities in the workplace can promote a sense of
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Gramsci and Hegemony Essay Example for Free
Gramsci and Hegemony Essay Antonio Gramsci is an important figure in the history of Marxist theory. While Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels provided a rigorous analysis of capital at the social and economic levels – particularly showing how capital antagonises the working class and gives rise to crisis – Gramsci supplemented this with a sophisticated theory of the political realm and how it is organically/dialectically related to social and economic conditions. He provides us with a theory of how the proletariat must organise politically if it is to effectively respond to capital’s crises and failures, and bring about revolutionary change. Incidentally, this innovation has proven to be of interest not only to Marxists, but also to those involved in other forms of progressive politics, from the civil rights movement, to gender politics, to contemporary ecological struggles. The reason why his approach has proven so popular and generally adaptable is because Gramsci was himself a man of action and his fundamental concern was with progressive strategy. Thus while in this article I plan to give a give a general outline of Gramsci’s theory of hegemony and the reasons behind its formulation, it’s important that we build on this by thinking about how we can use these concepts strategically in our own struggles. What is hegemony? It would seem appropriate to begin this discussion by asking What is hegemony?’’ It turns out to be a difficult question to answer when we are talking about Gramsci, because, at least within The Prison Notebooks, he never gives a precise definition of the term. This is probably the main reason why there is so much inconsistency in the literature on hegemony – people tend to form their own definition, based on their own reading of Gramsci and other sources. The problem with this is that if people’s reading of Gramsci is partial then so too is their definition. For example, Martin Clark (1977, p. 2) has defined hegemony as how the ruling classes control the media and education’’. While this definition is probably more narrow than usual, it does reflect a common misreading of the concept, namely that hegemony is the way the ruling class controls the institutions that control or influence our thought. Most of the academic and activist literature on hegemony, however, takes a slightly broader view than this, acknowledging more institutions than these being involved in the exercise of hegemony – at least including also the military and the political system. The problem is that even when these institutions are taken into account, the focus tends to be exclusively on the ruling class, and methods of control. Hegemony is frequently used to describe the way the capitalist classes infiltrate people’s minds and exert their domination. What this definition misses is the fact that Gramsci not only used the term hegemony’’ to describe the activities of the ruling class, he also used it to describe the influence exerted by progressive forces. Keeping this in mind, we can see that hegemony should be defined not only as something the ruling class does, it is in fact the process by which social groups – be they progressive, regressive, reformist, etc. – come to gain the power to lead, how they expand their power and maintain it. To understand what Gramsci was trying to achieve through developing his theory of hegemony, it is useful to look at the historical context that he was responding to as well as the debates in the movement at the time. The term hegemony’’ had been in general use in socialist circles since the early 20th century. Its use suggests that if a group was described as hegemonic’’ then it occupied a leadership position within a particular political sphere (Boothman, 2008). Lenin’s use of the term gegemoniya (the Russian equivalent of hegemony, often translated as vanguard’’), however, seemed to imply a process more akin to what Gramsci would describe. During his attempts to catalyse the Russian Revolution Lenin (1902/1963) made the observation that when left to their own devices, workers tended to reach only a trade union consciousness, fighting for better conditions within the existing system. To bring about revolutionary change, he argued that the Bolsheviks needed to come to occupy a hegemonic position within the struggle against the tsarist regime. This meant not only empowering the various unions by bringing them together, but also involving all of society’s opposition strata’’ in the movement, drawing out the connections between all forms of political oppression and autocratic arbitrariness’’ (Lenin, 1963, pp. 86-87). In the post-revolutionary period, however, the implication changed. Lenin argued that it was crucial to the establishment of the hegemony of the proletariat’’ that (a) the urban proletariat retain an ongoing alliance with the rural peasants (who made up the majority of Russia’s population) in order to retain national leadership and (b) that the expertise of the former capitalists be utilised, by forcing them to effectively manage state industries. These dual processes of leadership via consent and the command of force in the development of hegemony would play a crucial role in Gramsci’s theory. Gramsci had been in Russia from 1922-23 while these debates were raging and it was after this time that we see hegemony begin to take a central role in his writings. Italy As much as he was influenced by what was going on in Russia, Gramsci was also influenced by his own political experiences. Gramsci had been heavily involved in the struggle against capitalism and fascism in Italy and for a while served as the leader of the Communist Party of Italy. In the period following the World War I, there had been a lot of optimism in Europe, and Italy in particular, that now that people had seen the atrocities that the ruling classes could unleash and the alternative that was developing in Russia, some kind of workers’ revolution in Europe was imminent. Gramsci certainly shared this optimism. Events that took place in the early 1920s seemed to confirm this. Tensions at all strata of society were high, there were mass agitations and people were forming factory councils and workers co-operatives. But despite the intensity of the mobilisations, it fizzled out remarkably quickly. Unions were co-opted, workers’ co-ops became marginal and uncompetitive. Common people were intimidated by elites or otherwise captivated by the allure of fascist rhetoric. Gramsci and others formed the Italian Communist Party to try to reinvigorate the movement, but it was evident that people were too disillusioned by the failures of the previous years to really become involved. Votes for the Communist Party were disappointingly low. When Gramsci was arrested in 1926 as a part of Mussolini’s emergency measures, he found himself in prison with a lot of time to reflect on what had happened and where things went wrong. How was it that the ruling class had been able to so effectively stifle the potential of the movement, and what would be required for the progressive forces to mobilise the masses in a way that would enable them to bring about a fundamental change in society? These questions would of course be central to Gramsci’s theory of hegemony. Stages As suggested above, in The Prison Notebooks Gramsci refers to hegemony to describe activities of both currently dominant groups as well as the progressive forces. For Gramsci, whatever the social group is, we can see that there are certain common stages of development that they must go through before they can become hegemonic. Drawing on Marx, the first requirement is economic: that the material forces be sufficiently developed that people are capableof solving the most pressing social problems. Gramsci then goes on to state that there are three levels of political development that a social group must pass through in order to develop the movement that will allow change to be initiated. The first of these stages is referred to as economic-corporate’’. The corporatist is what we might understand as the self-interested individual. People become affiliated at the economic-corporate stage as a function of this self-interest, recognising that they need the support of others to retain their own security. Trade unionism is probably the clearest example of this, at least in the case of people joining a union for fear of pay cuts, retrenchment etc. One can also speak of short-term co-operation between otherwise competing capitalists in these terms. The point to emphasise is that at this stage of a group’s historical development there is no real sense of solidarity between members. In the second stage, group members become aware that there is a wider field of interests and that there are others who share certain interests with them and will continue to share those interests into the foreseeable future. It is at this stage that a sense of solidarity develops, but this solidarity is still only on the basis of shared economic interests. There is no common worldview or anything of that nature. This kind of solidarity can lead to attempts to promote legal reform to improve the group’s position within the current system, but consciousness of how they, and others, might benefit through the creation of a new system is lacking. It is only by passing through the third stage that hegemony really becomes possible. In this stage, the social group members becomes aware that their interests need to be extended beyond what they can do within the context of their own particular class. What is required is that their interests are taken up by other subordinate groups as their own. This was what Lenin and the Bolsheviks were thinking in forming an alliance with the peasants – that it was only through making the Bolshevik revolution also a peasants’ revolution, which peasants could see as being their own, that the urban proletariat could maintain its leading position. Gramsci reckoned that in the historical context that he was working in, the passage of a social group from self-interested reformism to national hegemony could occur most effectively via the political party. In this complex formulation, the different ideologies of allied groups come together. There will inevitably be conflict between these ideologies, and through a process of debate and struggle, one ideology, or a unified combination thereof, will emerge representing the allied classes. This ideology can be said to be hegemonic, the group that it represents has acquired a hegemonic position over the subordinate groups. At this stage, the party has reached maturity, having a unity of both economic and political goals as well as a moral and intellectual unity – one might say a shared worldview. With this unity behind it, the party sets about transforming society in order to lay the conditions for the expansion of the hegemonic group. The state becomes the mechanism by which this is done: policies are enacted and enforced that allow the hegemonic group to more effectively achieve its goals and to create symmetry between its goals and those of other groups. Although these goals are formulated with the interests of a single group in mind, they need to be experienced by the populace as being in the interests of everybody. In order for this to be effective, the hegemonic group must have some form of engagement with the interests of the subordinate classes. The dominant interests cannot be simplistically imposed upon them. Progressive hegemony While Gramsci considers these pragmatic moves as being requirements for any group to come to power, he also has a very deep ethical concern for the way in which the process occurs. In this sense, we can detect in Gramsci’s work a qualitative difference between the operations of hegemony by regressive, authoritarian groups on the one hand, and progressive social groups on the other. At an ethical level, Gramsci was above all else an anti-dogmatist believing that truth could not be imposed from the top down, but only made real through concrete and sympathetic dialogue with people. Where a regressive hegemony involves imposing a set of non-negotiable values upon the people, chiefly through use of coercion and deceit, a progressive hegemony will develop by way of democratically acquired consent in society. To give some flesh to these differences, the remainder of this article will elaborate on the different ways in which Gramsci talks about hegemonies of currently and previously ruling classes and how these contrast with the progressive hegemony that he hoped to see in the future. It is evident that if we look through history, the capitalist class has retained its hegemony primarily through various forms of coercion, ranging from the direct deployment of the military through to more subtle forms, for example, using economic power to marginalise political opponents. It would, however, be a great mistake to think that capitalism does not also rely heavily upon building consent. Indeed, it could be argued that it is capitalism’s consent-building that we, from a strategic point of view, need to pay more attention to, as it is on this level that we compete with them. The nature and strength of this consent varies. There are ways in which capitalism succeeds in actively selling its vision to subordinate classes. This means not only selling the distorted vision of a society of liberty, freedom, innovation, etc., but also deploying the ideas of bourgeois economics to convince working people, for example, that although capitalist policy is in the ultimate interests of the capitalist class, they too gain some of the benefits via trickle-down effects. Capitalism can also win consent among those who perhaps don’t buy the idea that the system is in their interests, but who have been convinced that there is no alternative or that the alternatives would be worse – in other words, through the promotion of the belief that the system is a necessary evil. The 20th century saw capitalism massively expand this form of consensus, largely through the corporate control of the media and advertising. In the United States in particular, the promotion of the American dream’’, and all of the useless commodities required to attain it, served not only to massively boost consumption and thereby the economic interests of the capitalists, it also sold a way of life which only capitalism could deliver. This was of course aided throughout the Cold War with simultaneous attempts to smear any alternative to capitalism as slavery. The capitalist class, in opposing any policy attempts to close in on corporately owned media, used its hegemonic political power to create the conditions for the building of further consent, in turn expanding their interests. The hegemonic group will continually struggle in this fashion to reach greater levels of consent – in this case by locking people into rigid mindsets and overcoming any optimism. We can look at former Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s attempts to expand privately owned schools, and to change high school history syllabi to make them more favourable to bourgeois perspectives as a part of this ongoing hegemonic process. The ruling class will constantly try to expand its field of interests and win further consent in response to changes in context and challenges to legitimacy. `Syndicalism’ Certain forms of trade unionism can also be seen as examples of capitalist hegemony. What Gramsci calls syndicalism’’ the view that the conditions of the workers can be maximally uplifted via the increasing power of the trade unions reflects a social group (the workers) left in the economic-corporate stage of development due to the hegemonic influence of capitalists, specifically free trade advocates, in the realm of ideology. The free trade advocates argue that the state and civil society should be kept separate, that the state should keep out of the economic sphere, which functions autonomously – leave it to the invisible hand of the market’’ and so on. The syndicalists had adopted this assumption of an arbitrary separation of the social and economic realms on the one hand and the political realm on the other, and assume that they could bring about radical change without political representation. The concrete result of this is that they are left to negotiate for narrowly defined improvements in the economic sphere, with no policy changes that would allow these wins to take on a more permanent basis. Meanwhile, the free trade advocates are themselves actively involved in policy, despite their claims, setting up conditions that will be favourable to the capitalist class! When the interests of the capitalist class are directly threatened, however, the hegemonic forces will inevitably resort to coercion. There is no room to negotiate on this, within the current hegemonic order. On a simple level this can mean legislating to allow police to crack down on workers taking industrial action, who threaten profits in an immediate sense. But a far bigger threat to the capitalists is the development of a hegemonic alternative within civil society. The threat is that people will move from the economic-corporate phase, and recognise that their interests overlap with all of those whom capitalism marginalises and holds back, that they will come to recognise their power and demand radical change. This being the greatest threat to capital, the most effective way for it to use coercion is to break apart emerging progressive alliances between subordinate groups. When confronted with force and economic bullying, the people are less able to relate to the group. Concerns for survival mean that people have to defend their own interests as individuals. The movement of the progressive hegemony is slowed, as people are forced to behave in a corporatist manner. The ruling class can also try to violently break apart movements by stirring up ideological differences, appealing to religion, for example. Democracy and consensus Gramsci saw the development of a progressive hegemony involving a far greater degree of openness, democracy and consensus, rather than coercion. In so far as there is coercion, it should only exist to hold back those reactionary forces that would thwart society’s development. This would allow the masses the space in which to reach their potential. A large part of The Prison Notebooks is devoted to figuring out what would be required for this kind of hegemony to develop, and a lot of Gramscian thinkers since have devoted themselves to this puzzle. As a starting point, we can say that while the existing hegemony tries to keep all the disaffected and subordinate social groups divided, the emergent progressive hegemony must bring them together. Gramsci certainly recognised the challenge involved in this. In his own historical situation (and as is undoubtedly still the case in ours), there were considerable barriers between the marginalised groups in terms of experiences, language and worldview. What all of these groups had in common, however, was that none of them had adequate political representation within the current system. Gramsci calls these groups that lack political representation subaltern’’. The challenge of the hegemonic group is to provide a critique of the system such that subaltern groups are made aware of their commonality and then raised up’’ into the political life of the party. In order to facilitate this incorporation of others, Gramsci stressed the need for the hegemonic group to move beyond its economic-corporatist understanding of its own interests, sacrificing some of its immediate economic goals in the interest of deeper moral and intellectual unity. It would need to overcome its traditional prejudices and dogmas and take on a broader view if was to lead while maintaining trust and consensus (both necessary to overcome existing power). If these aligned forces are to have any historical significance, they need to be enduring and organically related to conditions on the ground, not merely a temporary convergence. To develop mass momentum they would need to demonstrate, both in people’s imagination and in action, that they were capable of coming to power and achieving the tasks they had set for themselves. These tasks must effectively be everyone’s tasks – they must come to represent every aspiration, and be the fulfilment of the failed movements of the previous generations. Such a demonstration of power and historical significance could not be achieved through a passive action, of which Gramsci provides the example of the general strike. If the movement simply represents the rejection of the existing system or non-participation in it, then it would quickly fragment into everyone’s unique ideas of what should replace the system precisely at the moment when unity is most called for. It must be an active embodiment of the collective will, crystallised in a constructive and concrete agenda for change. Clearly this is no small ask, and Gramsci is certainly not of the view that one can just implement these strategies as though reading from a manual. What is called for is for rigorous work on the ground laying the moral and intellectual terrain upon which these historical developments can occur. One develops the unity, self-awareness and maturity of the movement, making it a powerful and cohesive force, and then patiently, with careful attention to the contextual conditions, waits for the opportune moment for this force to be exerted. Moment of crisis This moment is the moment of crisis within the existing, dominant hegemony: the moment at which it becomes clear to the populace that the ruling class can no longer solve the most pressing issues of humanity. Provided that the progressive forces adequately assert the alternative at this moment and the ruling group is unable to rapidly rebuild consent, it becomes visible that the conditions under which the ruling group became hegemonic are now passing away and society can collectively say We don’t need you anymore.’’. Gramsci calls this process of historical purging catharsis’’ in which structure ceases to be an external force which crushes man, assimilates him to itself and makes him passive; and is transformed into a means of freedom, an instrument to create a new ethico-political form and a source of new initiatives.’’ (Gramsci, 1971, p. 367.) For Gramsci the need for this transition from the world as it is to the freedom to create the world anew should be the starting point for all Marxist strategy. So, what does Gramsci have to offer us? His insistence that the socialist political form should be one of openness, democracy and the building of consensus certainly provides us with greater vision and focus and really ought to inform the activities of all progressive political groups – if not for ethical reasons, then at least because in the present environment, without a willingness to genuinely work on building consensus with others, one’s chances of success are very much diminished. (We’re not the ruling class – we don’t have the means to coerce). More than this, however, Gramsci provides us with a way of thinking; he gives us the conceptual tools to dissect the political situation we find ourselves in, to view it in historical context and to understand where we can find the conditions for the further development of our power. †¢ [Trent Brown is a doctoral student at the University of Wollongong and a member of Friends of the Earth Illawarra.] Bibliography Boothman, D. (2008). Hegemony: Political and Linguistic Sources for Gramsci’s Concept of Hegemony’’. In R. Howson and K. Smith (Eds.), Hegemony: Studies in Consensus and Coercion. London: Routledge. Clark, M. (1977). Antonio Gramsci and the Revolution that Failed. New Haven: Yale University Press. Gramsci, A. (1926). Some aspects of the southern question’’ (V. Cox, Trans.). In R. Bellamby (Ed.), Pre-Prison Writings (pp. 313-337). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Gramsci, A. (1971). Selections from the Prison Notebooks of Antonio Gramsci, Q. Hoare G. N. Smith, eds. trans. London: Lawrence and Wishart. Howson, R. (2006). Challenging Hegemonic Masculinity. London: Routledge. Howson, R. Smith, K. (2008). Hegemony: Studies in Consensus and Coercion. London: Routledge. Lenin, V. I. (1963). What is to be Done? S.V. Utechin P. Utechin, trans. Oxford: Oxford University Press. From: http://links.org.au/node/1260
Monday, October 14, 2019
How Do Smartphones Affect Our Lives English Language Essay
How Do Smartphones Affect Our Lives English Language Essay Smartphones are sophisticated devices used for communication while offering many other different functions at the same time. These functions may include video and audio recording, navigation assistance, music and video player and web browsing through wireless networks and apps ranging from games to highly specialized dictionaries. Smartphones come in different designs candy-bar models, clamshell models, slide models and wearable watch models. Common uses of smartphones besides phone calls and messaging may include video-conferencing, web browsing, listening to music, viewing videos, playing games, tool for different educational purposes, navigation assistant. Technically, an operating system platform open to developers is really the only minimum requirement to classify a Smartphone. Smartphones are generally also expected to be smart. For example if a phone that asks you for the sever address, port, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to set up for email access, its not a Smartphone even if the advertising brochure says so. A Smartphone is cleverer than that because it will figure out the server from your email id by itself. While the majority of people may think that smartphones are for geeks it is actually the opposite because they are generally much more refined and intuitive than the non-smart phones. Smartphones can be used by the not so technically inclined as well, to do powerful things with their phones. A smartphone can be easily recognized by its excellent email, calendar, organizer integration and powerful apps presented in a simple and intuitive way. Symbian, Android, Windows Mobile, iOS are the current operating systems that drive a smartphone. It is the same thing as Windows and Mac OS on our PC. These operating systems help us to interact with both the hardware and the applications on the phone. Unlike Java applications that can be installed on any ordinary mobile phone, applications that have been developed on these operating system platforms are normally much better in terms of their functionality. Through the appropriate OS such applications can interact more easily with the phones hardware. At last count, Apple had over 200,000 apps in its store, while Android had over 50,000 apps in its Android Marketplace. Application categories range from Productivity, Entertainment, Communication, Finance, Health, Lifestyle, Multimedia, News, Social to Travel and everything in between. These app stores are accessible from the phone itself for instant downloads of both free and paid applications. There is no end to how much functionality you can add to your phone. When, why and by who was the first Smartphone invented? (300) the very first smartphone to have been created was named Simon. It was designed and created by IBM in the 1992s. It was in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the COMDEX show that this idea of smartphone was first presented to the world. The Simon smartphone included features like world clock where it could show the time in all the countries in the, a note pad used to take notes, email, calculator, a calendar where it was possible to markup events in certain days and to set an alarm for that event, receive and send faxes and it was also possible to install and play different games. One unique feature that Simon smartphone had was its keyboard. It was the first phone to be using a touch screen keyboard. The On-screen keyboard was a built-in keyboard showed on the screen. For using the phones keyboard, people had to touch the screen with their fingers just like as if it were traditional keyboard with physical buttons. With time the technology evolved and the touch screen was no longer used just for the dialing, it was used for writing too. Smartphones with both touch screen keypad and also the standard keypad were invented because some people were unsatisfied due to the fact that it was hard to write text messages from a completely touch screen phone because of its sensitivity. Such phones were named QWERTY phones. The QWERTY Smartphones helped people to write more easily, and because it looks like a minicomputer, they can easily use it to surf the web, use instant messengers and many other features. The smartphones are great for business persons or anyone who wants features that a computer has, but it has the disadvantage of having a much higher price compared to normal phones. The price is expected to drop as time passes by and technology advances. Is the invention of the telephone a curse or a blessing? (400) A recent survey done by of one million users in 34 countries showed that 62% believed that their work productivity was much better due to new technology.  75% considers the opportunity provided by devices such as smartphones and laptops to remain in constant contact with work as a positive development. Converting down time to work time, and being able to stay in touch with whats happening at work at all times. This kind of commitment used to be associated with Type A executives, but nowadays anyone with a smartphone can do so too. Many people like to find new ways to be effective, and like to feel as if they are getting better at managing time. However, what is actually happening with many professionals is not amusing at all. Companies have taken the opportunity given to them by technology to convince employees to spend more down time doing work.  Nowadays, most people with a smartphone have gotten into the habit of continuously trying to convert down time into useful, work time. Ways in which professionals may be converting their down time to get something done: An employee sending a text message to his co-workers while travelling at 120 Km/h in a train and spilling hot coffee into his lap. A teacher in a PTA meeting thats going very slow, logs in her e-mail and replies, missing two tasks given to her among the various others. An accountant at the swimming pool to watch his child swim the 25m freestyle event, closes a deal during the mens 25m freestyle via cellphone and lies to his son about seeing him break the record for that event. A supervisor attending 3 days of fitness training is unable to do her training without touching her smartphone every 15 minutes and later after getting them written results of her training complains that the training program was not effective enough. A teacher talking to the school manager to obtain a place in the school gets a message from her tuition student asking for help on a revision exercise, just before the exams start. She quietly sends her a reply while the manager is still talking. The manager notices the sudden lapse in attention and interprets it as a lack of interest in the proposals he is offering. A lawyer one more time takes his smartphone to the toilet where he can multi-task and by misfortune his boss husband who borrowed his smartphone, like five minutes before, happened to be there and notices him. More importantly the phone falls in the urinal and the owner quickly picks it up and tries his best to continue his conversation with his customer These habits were developed by professionals who were trying to boost their productivity by converting down time into something of value. Human beings are known to easily develop habits that are hard to stop and these habits can also be annoying to others. There are where cases employees are provided with a smartphone for free by their company executives and managers. It is even seen as a form of reward and indicator of status in some companies. What many of them know, however, is that when an employee accepts the device, they are likely to join the group of the always-reachable, and engage in many of the behaviors that their higher-ups are practicing,  such as: sending and receiving messages at 2:30 am using weekends, vacations and holidays to conduct company business implicitly agreeing to respond to all messages within a short time-frame interrupting ANY activity to find out what my boss wants (If the stories told on YouTube and on blogs are true, then  _anything_ can be interrupted nowadays by smartphone use!) To put it in more Machiavellian terms, companies have found a way to take time and attention that employee used to spend on their own, with their families and with their friends, and convert it to company time.  It starts with the gift of a smartphone. While I truly doubt that there is some master plan, dont doubt for a minute that a manager doesnt know the difference between her employees who are always-reachable from those who arent. Companies can make big gains in productivity by simply giving away smartphones to their employees, while ignoring the added stress that gets created. There are some companies that are noticing what is happening, however. Enlightened companies take a page out of the medical profession, which has long realized that its important to maintain some kind of boundaries in their professionals lives.  Companies can put in place policies that clearly delineate time spent at work, on call and away from work.   They recognize that these are three distinct modes that must be enforced if employees are expected to function at their best. Most employees, however, find themselves in un-enlightened companies and must make their own way, starting with 3 steps they must take. Their first step is to identify the unproductive habits in their time management system.  They can do the kind of analysis I describe on my website (www.2time-sys.com) to find the strong and weak spots. The second step is to create an improvement plan that outlines the habits to be changed, along with some target dates. This gives them some realistic goals to hear towards. The third step requires them to create an environment to make the habit changes easier to effect.  Unfortunately, most habits do not change easily or quickly, and the right blend of supports can make all the difference. Employees who have begun this personal journey need to make a plan to enlighten the executive team.  Most smartphone use started with the CEO and her direct reports, and they are the ones who, in all likelihood, introduced, for example, a culture of 24 hour availability to the organization. In an effort like this, employees need allies at all levels to help demonstrate that bad habits developed in the executive suite can wreak havoc when rolled out to an entire company.  (There is a growing body of data available that can be used in this effort.)  In an intervention, executives can be asked to imagine an all-company meeting in which half the attendees spend most of the meeting on their smartphones, lost in cyber-space.  (Some would  simply argue that they are following the fine example of their CEO!) If the executive team can be convinced that these behaviors are destructive, then the company can move to specify some specific changes. For example, the US Federal Government has banned the use of cell-phones by its employees while they are driving and conducting government business.  In part, thats because of obvious safety reasons. From a productivity stand-point, however, it makes perfect sense. Other policies can be introduced to limit the use of smartphones and laptops during off hours, for starters.  (In some companies, turning off all messaging devices between 12:00 am and 6:00 am would be a major step.) Each company needs to look at its culture, as well as its strategy, and phase in these changes in a way that makes sense. They need to allow for the fact that habit change takes time, and that a new culture could not be born in an instant. The single employee who decides to change their company has a very difficult task on her hands, however, as she realizes that smartphones have done more to change company culture in the past few years than any vision statement or 2 day retreat.  She needs to appreciate that some executives may decide that they like the way things are going, and dont want to change a thing.   Those companies who take this route probably wont see any immediate fallout as employees cling to their jobs for fear of losing them, but theyll pay later.  At some point in the future, productivity will be impacted on a large scale, as employees burn themselves out and the bottom line suffers. Its much better to make the small, enlightened changes now, than to wait until the cost is higher and the effort required seems to be impossible to garner. All it takes to get started is one or two employees who are willing to redefine what productivity means for themselves and their companies, in favor of long-term results that are sustainable. How and for what we make use smart phone nowadays? (400) .. What are the negative impacts it has on us? (400) .. What are the negative impacts it has on our health? (400) .. There has been plenty of debate as to whether or not cell phones have holistically upgraded our lives. True, they have played a pivotal role in many fields. But are they really that helpful to society? Despite the numerous criticisms against these devices, people dont seem to waver their support for mobile phones. In fact, as of 2008, there were about 304.7 million mobile phone units sold in the whole world. And that doesnt even quantify the number of users, which are abundant in all countries. In the United States, 203 million people own and use cell phones. In Australia, the number of mobile phones being utilized even surpasses the entire countrys population. The influence of these inventions is extreme. As proof of this, they have already broken boundaries and transcended culture. Can you imagine what the world would be like if mobile phones were banned for their harmful effects? Alzheimers and Parkinsons are just some of the diseases being attributed to prolonged cell phone use. But above these, the possibility of getting brain cancer is what most health-conscious individuals worry about their fascination with these gadgets. Mobile phone electromagnetic radiation is said to destroy the protein barrier of the brain and make it susceptible to viruses and toxins. Aside from that, it is also said to destroy red blood cells and cause hemoglobin leaking, which consequently harms the heart and kidney. These harms eventually manifest as an elevated blood pressure and a decrease in the bodys immunity. In addition, cell phone radiation is also suspected of causing another form of physical threat, in the form of car accidents. According to a study conducted by the Harvard University, cell phones are predisposing factors to 200 vehicular deaths and millions of deaths per year. Furthermore, it is also insinuated that electromagnetic waves prove detrimental to the environments health and may cause freak fires in gas stations, as it can unwillingly ignite gas fumes. But with all things considered, cell phones are not solely to be blamed for these ill consequences. As such, the human factor cannot be excluded in the equation. Our excesses and lack of control usually bring about negative effects to our cell phone use. So, it might be best that we learn, while still physically fit, about what we can do to prevent bad things from happening. By using the internet, we can gather enough intelligence to help us live a better, healthier mobile phone using life. How can Smartphone be misused and what can be done to prevent it? (400) .. To what extent mobile phones have made us both poorer and better communicators? (400) .. To what extend are we dependent/addicted to smartphones? (300) TOKYO, May 14 (AP) (Kyodo)-Elementary school students are becoming more psychologically dependent on their cellphones, with about a quarter of surveyed students saying they feel very anxious if they do not receive replies to their emails on their cellphones, a report released Wednesday by a Japanese parent-teacher association said. The report was based on a nationwide survey conducted on 2,400 fifth graders and 2,400 students in the second year of junior high schools as well as their parents in November last year, the National Congress of Parents and Teachers Associations of Japan said. Nineteen percent of the elementary school students and 22 percent of the junior high school students answered that they tend to make long calls despite themselves, while 25 percent of the elementary school students and 26 percent of the junior high school students said they feel very anxious when they do not get email replies, according to the report. The figures for the elementary school students were both up 7 points from the previous survey conducted in November 2007. Emails can be the start of cellphone dependence, said Kunihiko Soga, who heads the association, and added, Parents and children should discuss rules on when and how to use cellphones. Sixteen percent of the junior high school students, the largest single group, said they send and receive more than 50 emails through cellphones per day, the report said. More than half of the junior high school students polled send and receive more than 10 emails per day. It was one to five emails for 34 percent of the elementary school students, followed by six to 10 for 14 percent, and 11 to 20 for 6 percent. The survey results also revealed that 20 percent of the fifth graders and 42 percent of the students in their second year in junior high schools owned a cellphone. Among the junior high school students surveyed, 38 percent said they have email friends their parents do not know about, up 3 points from the previous survey. Meanwhile, 57 percent of the parents surveyed said they have introduced filtering services that limit their childrens access to harmful contents online. To what extent do we expect Smartphone to improve and in what ways in the coming years? (400) Thought it was hard enough to pick the right smartphone as is? Courtesy of the new HTC EVO 4G from Sprint, the decision just got that much tougher. The first Android phone thats compatible with both 3G and 4G (even higher-speed) wireless broadband networks, the handset promises to offer an impressive feature setand, more important, killer download speeds. Shipping this summer, as high-end mobile communications devices go, the hardware itself is nothing to scoff at. Consider the gadgets 4.3-inch touchscreen, which lets you pinch to zoom and ranks among the largest displays available on an Android phone. Well-suited to music, photos and streaming video, multimedia looks to be an upcoming strong suita bonus for entrepreneurs looking to tap into popular news destinations, social networks and online portals. Speaking of socializing, the gizmo also layers in a specialized user interface known as HTC Sense. Using it, you can access features like a Friend Stream that aggregates updates from popular social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Flickr and streamlines them into one easily digestible feed. Theres also a special function known as Leap that lets you pinch to view open programs, making multitasking that much easier. Bonuses further extend to not just one, but a pair of integrated digital cameras. Theres an 8-megapixel model with auto-focus and high-definition video recording capabilities on the back, plus a 1.3-megapixel unit on the front. The former should prove useful for multimedia creation and content sharing, while the latter could come in handy when videoconferencing or snapping your own facial expressions. Either way, theres massive potential there to connect with clients and colleagues, generate content for promotional use on your blog or website and create custom video for distribution through online channels. Live streaming of shareholder meetings and tradeshows seems an immediate possibility via the Qik application. Ditto for the opportunity to upload HD video to online aggregators such as YouTube and Metacafe instead of the pixilated standard-def footage thats currently commonplace. Connect an HDMI cable, and theres also the option to output your clips, e.g., client testimonials, han ds-on product demos, etc., straight to HDTV, while a kickstand enables easier on-device viewing. Intriguingly, the EVO 4G can also function as a mobile wireless hotspot. A maximum of eight Wi-Fi-ready devices from laptops to MP3 players and digital cameras can connect and tap into its internet connection. Albeit only available in 27 cities from Atlanta to Chicago, Las Vegas and Seattle (service launches in New York, Boston, San Francisco and other metropolitan areas are planned for later in 2010), Sprint claims its 4G network delivers 10 times faster speeds than what youd get from 3G networks. Bearing this in mind, large files such as high-def videos and sizable software packages should be retrievable in a fraction of the waiting time users have typically come to expect from 3G devices. Heavy Web browsers may benefit as much as multimedia fans as well, given that support for Adobe Flash is also built in, which powers high-quality animated and video content. Tack on support for a range of thousands of downloadable third-party apps via the Android Market (although, granted, nowhere near as many as youd find on the iPhone), and the possibilities multiply. Coupled with the devices greater speeds, new programs could allow working professionals to connect, communicate and collaborate in a range of unexpected and far-reaching ways. Given enough bandwidth, you could video chat with a coworker live in real-time while watching a corporate webcast and sharing supporting links on the topics being discussed. While its too early to tell whether the EVO will ultimately fly, at first glimpse it appears to offer a wealth of compelling features for entrepreneurs and everyday users alike. Admittedly, chances are even if you do buy one, you may find yourself stuck operating at standard 3G speeds on occasion. Then again, in the immediate, it may be a small price to pay for the chance to piggyback on a wider 4G rollout, and get a look at what the future of smartphones could very well hold. Jim McGregor would like future smartphones to zap the person on the other end when they say something stupid. The chief technology strategist for In-Stat Research is onto something. For now, the closest we probably have to that is the mute button. But a chief technologist strategists job incorporates vision, and thats one vision that many might share. We are really just at the beginning of making these devices interface with the real world through advanced sensors and intelligent applications, says McGregor. Future devices will be able to sense temperature, speed, direction, location, action and be able to communicate with you with information you may want, rather than just the information you request. As CTIA, the wireless trade industry association, prepares to meet in Las Vegas March 23-25, smartphones with even more smarts are in the pipeline, aided by improved processing power, screen technology and internal, as well as external, software. Smartphones are starting to overtake the PC in terms of the primacy of getting information and entertainment from the Internet, says Mike Woodward, vice president of the mobile phone portfolio for ATT. Theres a whole generation of people, who, if they wanted to go find out something, they went and sat down at the computer and got it. Theres a generation coming up behind that, if they need to grab some quick information, a movie ticket, a dinner reservation they immediately reach for their smartphone, whether theyre out on the go or not. App store development Future phones may or may not look much different than the black-slab models so widely available today, iterations of the iPhone. Even though from the users point of view its the hardware that drives decision-making, much more of the differentiation and uniqueness in devices is in software, says Charles Golvin, Forrester Research principal analyst. Look at the influence of the app (applications) market. People arent making their decisions about phones based on what apps to buy. But it is becoming something of a consideration. The fact that there are so few apps for the Palm devices is in small part dampening enthusiasm for them. 0HTC HD mini smartphone uses the Windows operating system, and has a single contact view that displays snapshots of your conversations with a person, be it call, text, status update or e-mail. The mini will first be sold in Europe and Asia in April. Apples App Store, with more than 150,000 apps, or programs, that can be downloaded directly to the iPhone, leads the way. Palm now has more than 2,000 apps now available for phones using its webOS operating system. Googles Android Market has 30,000 apps and Research in Motions BlackBerry App World, 4,700. Smartphones, which run on specialized operating systems, continue to increase in popularity, particularly in the United States, where 25 percent more smartphones were shipped in the fourth quarter last year than the third, according to ABI Research. While fourth-quarter results generally are the strongest because of the holidays, the results were remarkable compared to the rather lackluster preceding nine months, said ABI Research analyst Michael Morgan in a statement. The good performance was driven in part by falling smartphone prices and the introduction of entry-level smartphones generating greater appeal for new buyers. Processing power oomph Samsung, the leading mobile phone provider in the United States with 26 percent of the market, according to Strategy Analytics, recently said it is creating its own operating system, bada, for its smartphones. The first bada phone is the Samsung Wave, which will be sold in Europe and Asia starting in April. The Wave will have a 1 gigahertz processor, which in the years ahead will become more standard fare for smartphones, experts say. Many higher-end smartphones now use processors of 650 megahertz. The relatively new Google Nexus One uses Qualcomms 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. With PCs, you always used to talk about how many megahertz your processor was, then it became how many gigahertz your processor was, how much memory did you have in it its not so different in phones these days, says Justin Denison, vice president of strategy for Samsung Mobile in the United States. Smartphones now and in the future are delivering similar performance to what PCs delivered just a few years ago, he said. Gigahertz-processing technology will become kind of the new benchmark here very shortly. And certainly you can just draw the line, following Moores Law, or whatever analogy you want to use, and predict how quickly well move to 2 GHz processors in phones, much like we have in PCs. Faster video, graphics performance faster video and graphics performance, so that smartphones can more easily become portable video players, are also part of the equation, Denison says. From a 3-D gaming and graphics perspective, if you enable faster 3-D processing, then you get into more realistic games, games that you only would have seen on your Xbox in the past, so now you can now see them on your phone and they perform in a similar manner. You almost never see personal DVD players on airplanes anymore, notes Woodward of ATT. Instead, youre starting to see people sitting there and watching their smartphones. Phone displays screens, too, will continue to improve in resolution and technology. Last year, for example, Samsung introduced some feature phones that use AMOLED active matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode energy-efficient display technology which makes the screen brighter. The company plans a Super AMOLED display for the new Wave, which has a 3.3-inch display. In really simple terms, with super AMOLED, weve integrated that touch-screen layer onto the display itself, so weve kind of combined those two, says Denison. That makes the device thinner, as well as less error-prone (to touch) and more responsive, as opposed to having two (display) layers that have to communicate to each other. Multitasking As part of seeing smartphones continue to behave in a richer fashion, so as to imitate the PC, Woodward says, multitasking is something we would expect to see happening. Multitasking the ability to run more than one program at once, and switch back and forth seamlessly is handled fluidly on some smartphones like the Palm, where, for example, you can be reading your e-mail and listening to music at the same time. Many iPhone users hope that the next-generation, iPhone OS 4.0, will incorporate multitasking, although Apple has not commented on that. Multitasking has been part of Windows Mobiles operating system, although it will not be part of Microsofts newest OS update, Windows Mobile 7. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.) Among the reasons multitasking is discouraged in phones is because of security issues, and because its the kind of activity that can more quickly drain a phones battery. And that may be where the smartphone-as-PC notion loses ground for some. Still, others are excited about the potential use of sensors that can communicate with the phone for a variety of tasks. One company, Synaptics, has a new development platform called Fuse. It is still rather simple, but it at least starts using sensors for gesture and motion control, says McGregor of In-Stat Research. This isnt much, but it allows you to finally have a handset that you can use with one hand, which is a novel concept. Whether its sensors or watches or heart monitors, thats a coming capability, says Golvin. And many of those sensors will use a low-power version of Bluetooth, the short-range wireless technology, which will have very little battery drain. That version should be available by the end of this year. Conclusion Abstract
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