East Asian Art History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

East Asian Art History - Essay Example Modern society has embraced the art of mask. Research has been done on it and a wide range of uses found. China has become a hub of this art. Masks are a cultural event celebrated all over China nowadays (Scott, 2009). To some Chinese communities these masks have become a form of god. They are worshipped because of their uniqueness and awesome appearance. They are seen as a means of communication between people and gods. They have been used as a means to seek for blessings from gods. They are also used to protect people from evil spirits. They are believed to be a form of charm in many Chinese communities. They symbolize holiness and godliness. In modern days, there are many cultural festivals involving masks that are held (Desai, 2007). People wearing masks are seen dancing and celebrating along the streets. The first mask in this art is called ‘Funerary Mask of a Young Woman’. This mask is from Liao Dynasty (907 – 1125), Northern China. Quran community founded Liao Dynasty. This community was the minority in Chinese population around 10th century in North of China (Scott, 2009). The majority of Chinese population was called the Han Chinese. They had a widespread culture. This was of high quality in all areas. Some of the areas it produced quality art work include writing, painting, and ruling among others. This community tended to ignore other communities especially the nomads. Nomads like Quran or Ruzhens always changed their location from time to time. It was difficult to develop and establish a good economic and cultural lifestyle. Despite this, the Liao Dynasty managed to develop a culture to some extent. They came up with the mask. Its surface is covered with gold. Gold is a very expensive and luxurious material to date. During that time, it was even more valua ble. People that were buried in gold were considered to be very rich or belong to a very high status in the society (Scott, 2009). At the bottom of the mask, a neck

The goals of American foreign policy Essay Example for Free

The goals of American foreign policy Essay The 1930s were a difficult time for most Americans. Faced with colossal economic hardships—unprecedented in American history—many Americans turned inward to focus on the worsening situation at home. The United States became increasingly insensitive to the obliteration of fellow democracies at the hands of brutal fascist leaders like Hitler and Mussolini. The U.S. was determined to stay out of war at all costs—even if its allies were in trouble; Americans believed that they were immune from Europe’s problems as long as they refused to get involved. However, as the â€Å"free† countries fell, one by one, to the Nazi war machine, Americans began to realize the folly of their foolish optimism and clamored for increasing involvement in foreign affairs. American foreign policy changed in the years 1930-1941 as Americans realized that fascism would likely conquer all of Europe unless Americans acted quickly. Ultimately, it was fear of the fascist threat to American democracy that triggered the end of American isolationism and inaugurated the era of American interventionism. World War I had left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Americans; many believed that the U.S. had been tricked into joining the war for the wrong reasons, and they were determined to avoid making the same mistake twice. After the Great War, Americans were disappointed to realize that the war was fought for null; World War I was not the â€Å"War to End Wars† as advertised by the government propaganda. The disappointment of being â€Å"suckered† into the Great War helped motivate Americans to adopt a largely isolationist policy during the 1930s. The situation was worsened when Britain and France defaulted on their loans from the U.S. after they were unable to collect reparation payments from Germany satisfactorily. In a political cartoon of 1932, Uncle Sam is seen wisely remarking that the only thing European nations are able to agree upon is that they cannot pay back their U.S. loans (Document B). Isolationism was also encouraged when Hoover approved the Hawley-Smoot Tariff of 1930, raising the tariff to an unbelievable sixty percent. The hiking-up of the tariff shut out foreign trade nearly completely—a fact which did not seem to bother too many Americans who were concerned with their own fortunes at the time. Many foreign nations responded with high tariffs of their own, largely destroying any prospect of international trade. Unfortunately, American isolationism had more dire  consequences than the loss of trade or loan defaults. As the 1930s dragged on, it became clear that fascism was destroying many democracies around the globe, but America still opted for neutrality rather than war. Hopelessly optimistic and naà ¯ve American politicians like Frank B. Kellogg created the Kellogg-Briand Pact, signed by fifteen nations, which would supposedly protect America from the threat of war. Although the nations that signed agreed not to use war as an instrument of national policy, the Pact was utterly useless because it could not be enforced. Similarly, the Nine Power Treaty attempted to keep the Open Door in China open by affirming the territorial integrity of the country; however, the agreement was easily broken by the Empire of Japan in 1931 with the invasion of Manchuria. Although Americans lambasted Japan for disregarding international treaty agreements, there was nothing the U.S. could do—short of war—that would stop Japanese aggression (Document A). In order to avoid any unintentional disasters that might plunge the U.S. into war, Congress passed three consecutive Neutrality Acts from 1935-1937 aimed at keeping Americans impartial and out of harm’s way. If Americans were not able to secretly aid belligerents on either side, as they had in World War I, then, presumably, the U.S. would not be drawn into the conflict (Document C). Although Americans were upset with Japanese aggression, they opted to maintain peaceful relations as long as possible, as evidenced by the Public Opinion Poll results in 1939-1941 which show that a majority of Americans opposed war during this period (Document E). However, the fall of France demonstrated to the American people, more than anything else, the true threat fascism could pose to American democracy. President Roosevelt realized that Britain needed aid or else the U.S. would become a lone â€Å"free† nation in a fascist-dominated world. The American military needed to be mobilized in order to assist the Allies or democracy would be in grave danger. Roosevelt plead his case to the American people in his famous â€Å"Quarantine Speech† in which he called for an end to dangerous isolationism; however, his speech was not well-received and he was criticized for his desire to â€Å"entangle† the U.S in European foreign affairs (Document D). With Britain the only remaining power fighting against  Germany, Roosevelt felt compelled to offer aid in some way. In 1940, Roosevelt boldly transferred fifty World War I destroyers to Britain in exchange for eight valuable defense bases stretching from Newfoundland to South America. As bombs dropped over Britain, Americans began to realize that their interests were intricately tied to Britain’s and that they must offe r aid or else the battle would come to American soil soon. The goals of American foreign policy were reversed when Congress repealed the now defunct Neutrality Acts and officially ended their Neutrality. The U.S. began openly selling weapons to Britain on a â€Å"cash-and-carry† basis so as to avoid attacks on American ships. When this was not enough, Roosevelt devised the â€Å"lend-lease† system that allowed Britain to borrow billions of dollars of American military equipment to be returned at the end of the war. Americans finally realized that the Atlantic Ocean would not protect them from Germany in the age of modern warfare, and that they must actively protect their country. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met at the Atlantic Conference to discuss the idealistic motivations behind the war and create the Atlantic Charter, a document similar to Wilson’s â€Å"Fourteen Points,† explaining the values that Britain and the U.S would seek to uphold at the war’s end. The biggest departure from traditional 1930s American isolationist thinking was in the provision that affirmed the right for people to determine their ruler, and declared a new League of Nations to uphold this â€Å"peace of security† (Document D). By the end of 1941, the U.S. was preparing for war at full speed, egged on by the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. During the last few years of the Roaring ‘20s the Hoover administration had set up policies that isolated America from the rest of the world. The U.S. was prospering and the quality of life in America had never been higher—why meddle in European affairs? However, as the 1940s approached, Americans realized that amid the growing Fascist threat presented by Hitler and Mussolini, the U.S. could no longer hide behind the false illusion of safety offered by isolationism. Americans slowly but surely realized that their nation’s ultimate fate was tied to Britain’s. As American support for international intervention grew, the U.S.’s foreign policy goals changed to accommodate aid to Britain in an effort to avoid risking American lives inall-out war. Unfortunately, the attack on Pearl Harbor angered Americans so much that they called for immediate revenge against Japan—permanently erasing isolationist ideas from American minds forever.

Feature extraction using crossing number (cn) and ridge tracking technique

Feature extraction using crossing number (cn) and ridge tracking technique PROPOSED ALGORITHM: FEATURE EXTRACTION USING CROSSING NUMBER (CN) AND RIDGE TRACKING TECHNIQUE The various steps involved in feature extraction are as given below: 3.2.1 ADAPTIVE BINARIZATION The enhanced greyscale image is converted to a binary image using adaptive binarization [1]. Global thresholding is not used for binarization because of possibilities of non-uniform illumination on the surface of scanner. Thus using adaptive binarization with a window size of 91 x 91 (This size was finalised after a number of trial and errors). The algorithm can be outlined as follows: Algorithm: Adaptive binarization Input: Enhanced greyscale image e(x,y). Output: Binarized image bin(x,y). For each pixel (i) of e(x,y) Compute local mean (ml) in the 91 x 91 neighborhood of the pixel. If ml > e(xi,yi) then, bin(xi,yi) = white. Else bin(xi,yi)= black. End For. - 3.2.2. THINNING The binarised image is skeletonised using medial axis transformation (MAT)[1] to obtain a single pixel thin ridge structure. The thinning algorithm can be outlined as follows: Assumptions: Region points are assumed to have value 1(white) and background points to have value 0(black). Notations: 1. The 8 neighbour notation of a centre pixel p1 is as shown. p9 p2 p3 p8 p1 p4 p7 p6 p5 2. n (p1) is the number of non zero neighbours of p1. I.e. n (p1) = p2 + p3 + †¦. + p9. 3. t (p1) is the number of 0-1 transitions in the ordered sequence p2, p3,†¦p9,p2. Algorithm : Thinning Input: Binarized image bin(x,y). Output: One pixel thinned image th(x,y). Steps: 1. W.r.t the neighborhood notation a pixel p1 in bin(x,y). is flagged for deletion if the following conditions are satisfied; 2 ≠¤ n(p1) ≠¤ 6 . t(p1)=1. p2 V p4 V p6 = 0 p4 V p6 V p8 = 0 2. Delete all the flagged pixels from bin(x,y). 3. W.r.t the neighborhood notation a pixel p1 in bin(x,y) is flagged for deletion if the following conditions are satisfied; 2 ≠¤ n(p1) ≠¤ 6 . t(p1)=1. p2 V p4 V p8 = 0 p2 V p6 V p8 = 0 4. Delete all the flagged pixel from bin(x,y). 5. Go to step 1 if bin(x, y) is not same as the previous bin(x, y) (indicating that single pixel thickness is yet not obtained) 6. Assign the image bin(x, y) obtained from step 4. to th(x, y). Thus one iteration of the thinning algorithm consists of applying step 1 to flag border points for deletion deleting the flagged points; applying step 3 to flag the remaining border points for deletion; and deleting the flagged points. The basic procedure is applied iteratively until no further points are deleted, at which time the algorithm terminates, yielding the skeleton of the region. 3.2.3 ESTIMATING SPATIAL CO-ORDINATES DIRECTION OF MINUTIAE POINTS. Minutiae representation is by far, the most widely used method of fingerprint representation. Minutia or small details mark the regions of local discontinuity within a fingerprint image. These are locations where the the ridge comes to an end(type: ridge ending) or branches into two (type: bifurcation). Other forms of the minutiae includes a very short ridge (type: ridge dot), or a closed loop (type: enclosure). The different types of minutiae are illustrated Figure 1. There are more than 18 different types of minutiae [2] among which ridge bifurcations and endings are the most widely used. Other minutiae type may simply be expressed as multiple ridge endings of bifurcations. For instance, a ridge dot may be represented by two opposing ridge endings placed at either extremities. Even this simplification is redundant since many matching algorithms do not even distinguish between ridge ending and bifurcations since their types can get flipped. The template simply consists of a list of minutiae location and their orientations. The feature extractor takes as input a gray scale image I(x,y) and produces a unordered set of tuples- M = {m1,m2,m3mN}. Each tuple mi corresponds to a single minutia and represents its properties. The properties extracted by most algorithms include its position and orientation. Thus, each tuple mi is usually represented as a triplet {xi, yi, ÃŽ ¸i}. The crossing number (CN) method is used to perform extraction of the spatial coordinates of the minutiae points. This method extracts the bifurcations from the skeleton image by examining the local neighborhood of each ridge pixel using a 33 window. The CN of a ridge pixel ‘p is given as follows CN=0.5 { i=18pi-pi+1 } p(9) =p(1) . For a pixel ‘p if CN= 3 it is a bifurcation point. For each extracted minutia along with its x and y coordinates the orientation of the associated ridge segment is also recorded. The minutia direction is found out using a ridge tracking technique. With reference to figure 3.3 once the x and y coordinates of the bifurcation point are known, we can track the three directions from that point. Each direction is tracked upto 10 pixel length. Once tracked we construct a triangle from these three points. The midpoint of the smallest side of the triangle is then connected to the bifurcation point and the angle of the resulting line segment is found which is the minutia direction. Assumptions: Ridges are assumed to have value 0 (black) and background points to have value 1(white). Notations: The 8 neighbor notation of a center pixel p1 is as previously shown. The algorithm for extracting the minutiae using the crossing number technique can be outlined as follows: Algorithm: Crossing number Input: Thinned image th(x,y). Output: Image with (x,y) coordinates and orientation thita of each minutia. Steps: 1. For every pixel p in th(x,y) compute the crossing number (CN) ; CN=0.5 { i=18pi-pi+1 } p(9) =p(1) . 2. If CN= 3, the pixel p is declared as a bifurcation point and its x and y coordinates, i.e. p.x and p.y are recorded. 3. The orientation at the bifurcation points p.ÃŽ ¸ is calculated using tracking algorithm. Fingerprint matching Process:- Each minutiae may be described by a number of attributes such as its position (x,y), its orientation ÃŽ ¸, its quality etc. However, most algorithms consider only its position and orientation information. Given a pair of fingerprints and their corresponding minutiae features to be matched, features may be represented as an unordered set given by I1 = {m1,m2.mM} where mi = (xi, yi, ÃŽ ¸i) I2 = {m1,m2.mN} where mi = (xi, yi , ÃŽ ¸i ) Here the objective is to find a point mj in I2 that exclusively corresponds to each point mi in I1. Usually points in I2 is related to points in I1 through a geometric transformation T( ). Therefore, the technique used by most minutiae matching algorithms is to recover the transformation function T( ) that maps the two point sets . The resulting point set I2 is given by: I2 = T(I1) = {m†1,m† 2,m† 3.m†M} m†1 = T(m1) m† N = T(mN) The minutiae pair mi and m†j are considered to be a match only if (xi-xj)2+(yi-yj)2≠¤r0 min( |ÃŽ ¸i − ÃŽ ¸Ã¢â‚¬  j | , 360 − |ÃŽ ¸i − ÃŽ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ j | ) Here r0 and ÃŽ ¸0 denote the tolerance window. The matcher can make on of the following assumptions on the nature of the transformation T Rigid Transformation: Here it is assumed that one point set is rotated and shifted version of the other. Affine Transformation: Affine transformations are generalization of Euclidean transform. Shape and angle are not preserved during transformation. Non-linear Transformation: Here the transformation may be due to any arbitrary and complex transformation function T(x,y). The problem of matching minutiae can be treated as an instance of generalized point pattern matching problem. In its most general form, point pattern matching consists of matching two unordered set of points of possibly different cardinalities and each point. It is assumed that the two pointsets are related by some geometrical relationship. In most situations, some of the point correspondences are already known (e.g. control points in an image registration problem [5,4,6,7])andthe problem reduces to finding the most optimal geometrical transformation that relates these two sets. However, in fingerprints, the point correspondences themselves are unknown and therefore the points have to be matched with no prior assumption making it a very challenging combinatorial problem. There have been several prior approaches where general point pattern techniques havebeen applied. Some of these have been discussed here. Ranade and Rosenfield [8] proposed an iterative approach for obtaining point correspondences. In this approach, for each point pair mi, mj they assign pij , the likelihood of the point correspondence and c(i, j, h, k), a cost function that captures the correspondence of other pairs(mh,m_k) as a result of matching mi with mj. In each iteration pij is incremented if it increases the compatibility of other points and is decremented if it does not. At the point of convergence, each point mi is assigned to the point argmaxk(pik). While this is a fairly accurate approach and is robust to non-linearities, the iterative nature of the algorithm makes it unsuitable for most applications. The hough transform [9] approach or the transformation clustering approach reduces the problemof point pattern matching to detecting the most probable transformation in a transformation search space. Ratha et al [10] proposed a fingerprint matching algorithm based on this approach. In this technique, the search space consists of all the possible parameter under the assumed distortionmodel. For instance, if we assume a rigid transformation, then the search space consists of all possible combinations of all translations (Δx,Δy) , scales s and rotations and ÃŽ ¸. However, to avoid computation complexity the search space is usually discretized into small cells. Therefore the possible transformations form a finite set with Δx ÃŽ µ {Δ1x,Δ2x . . .ΔIx} Δy ÃŽ µ {Δ1y,Δ2y . . .ΔJy} ÃŽ ¸ ÃŽ µ {ÃŽ ¸1, ÃŽ ¸2 . . . ÃŽ ¸K} s ÃŽ µ {s1, s2 . . . sL} A four dimensional accumulator of size (I Ãâ€"J Ãâ€"K Ãâ€"L) is maintained. Each cell A(i, j, k, l) indicatesthe likelihood of the transformation parameters (Δix,Δjy, ÃŽ ¸k, sl). To determine the optimal transformation, every possible transformation is tried on each pair of points. The algorithm used is summarized below for each point mi in fingerprint T . for each point m_j in fingerprint I for each ÃŽ ¸k ÃŽ µ {ÃŽ ¸1, ÃŽ ¸2 . . . ÃŽ ¸K} for each sl ÃŽ µ {s1, s2 . . . sL} compute the translations Δx,Δy Explicit alignment: An illustration of the relative alignment using ridges associated with minutiae mi and mj ∆x∆y=∆xi∆yi-s1cosÃŽ ¸k -sinÃŽ ¸ksinÃŽ ¸k cosÃŽ ¸kxjyj †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(1) d Let (Δix,Δjy) be the quantized versions of (Δx,Δy) respectively. e If T{mi} matches with m_j increase the evidence for the cell A[Δix,Δjy, ÃŽ ¸k, sl] A[Δix,Δjy, ÃŽ ¸k, sl] = A[Δix,Δjy, ÃŽ ¸k, sl]+1 3.The optimal transformation parameters are obtained using (Δ*x,Δ*y, ÃŽ ¸*, s*) = argmax(i,j,k,l) A[Δix,Δjy, ÃŽ ¸k, sl] References: Gonzalez, Woods, and Eddins. Digital Image Processing using matlab. Prentice Hall, 2004. D. Maltoni, D. Maio, A.K. Jain, S. Prabhakar, Handbook of Fingerprint Recognition, Springer, 2003, ISBN 0-387-95431-7. R.Thai, Fingerprint image enhancement and feature extraction. Australia. Anil Jain, Salil Prabhakar, Lin Hong, and Sharath Pankanti. Filterbank-based fingerprint matching. In Transactions on Image Processing, volume 9, pages 846-859, May 2000. Anil Jain, Arun Ross, and Salil Prabhakar. Fingerprint matching using minutiae texture features.In International Conference on Image Processing, pages 282-285, october 2001. L. Hong, Y. Wang, and A. K. Jain. Fingerprint image enhancement: Algorithm and performanceevaluation. Transactions on PAMI, 21(4):777-789, August 1998. L. Brown. A survey of image registration techniques. ACM Computing Surveys, 1992. A. Ranade and A. Rosenfeld. Point pattern matching by relaxation. Pattern Recognition, 12(2):269-275, 1993. R. O. Duda and P. E. Hart. Use of the hough transformation to detect lines and curves in pictures. Communications of the ACM, 15(1), 1972. N. K. Ratha, K. Karu, S. Chen, and A. K. Jain. A real-time matching system for large fingerprint databases. Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 18(8):799-813, 1996.

Cruelty of Society in Frankenstein, Master Harold, and An Enemy of the

Cruelty of Society in Frankenstein, Master Harold, and An Enemy of the People â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and the Boys, St. Joan, and An Enemy of the People show that society shows hate and cruelty to people who are different or who do not share similar ideas as other people do. For example, in â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and the Boys, Hally’s racist attitude toward Sam and Willie is a result of his experiences in society. In Frankenstein, society is cruel and hateful to the monster because he looks different than other people. In An Enemy of the People, society persecutes Dr. Stockman because he attempts to gain support for the repair of the Baths. The stories that are presented here illustrate the cruelty and hatefulness of society. In â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and the Boys, the cruelty of society is depicted in the form of racism. The story takes place in South Africa, a place where racism is prevalent. Hally is a seventeen-year-old white person whose mother owns a restaurant. Their two employees, or â€Å"servants†, are uneducated black men. During the story, Hally acts as though he is superior to Sam...

“In Flanders Fields” A symbolism analysis Essay

â€Å"In Flanders Fields† is about World War I victims in the cemetery. When we read it, we are meant to feel sympathy for the dead victims of the war who rest in that field because we see their wonderful lives before the war and how it was ended fighting for their country. We are supposed to think of them and remember the war and all other wars and live fully the life they made for us. We are supposed carry on what they did. The deceased in this poem are afraid that we won’t remember them and won’t carry on their efforts and patriotism, even though the poppies grow in the graveyard for remembrance. We have to carry on the torch for them and for ourselves. From this poem, we also feel the fear of dying because those in this poem who once lived and fought for their country are now nothing but crosses in a graveyard. This poem uses figurative language to get its very poignant message across. Mainly, it brings the dead back to life to narrate this poem. The first stanza of the poem provides visual imagery of the graveyard. The poppies blowing between the crosses are symbolic of remembrance. The larks, â€Å"still bravely singing,† are personified to express bravery, which is a human emotion. The â€Å"guns below† are the ceremonies held for these men who bravely fought. Basically we are shown the beauty of the graveyard and signs of people remembering the deceased. The second stanza introduces the leader to not only their death, but also their life. Suddenly we feel sympathy for the young people buried here, whose lives were ruined by terrible warfare. In the third stanza we are shown the anguish of their spirits. They are brought to life in this poem to send us their message. Their â€Å"failing hands† can not of course literally throw a torch, which is symbolic of the war effort and patriotism. This is simply meant to represent the legacy that they are leaving behind them. This stanza is a paradox of the first, saying that peace and remembrance does not come from mere ceremony, but from us living out their legacy. The message in this poem is for all to live and understand.

Recommendation Letters in Signed, Sealed Envelopes

Recommendation Letters in Signed, Sealed Envelopes Graduate and undergraduate schools alike often require hopeful students to include recommendation letters with their applications, with many graduate programs requiring the envelope containing the letter be signed and sealed by the recommending writer. Often students will ask the letter-writer to return their recommendations, each in a separate signed and sealed envelope, but many students also wonder if its too much to ask for the mentor to do- is organizing all that paperwork unreasonable? The short answer is no- its almost required in order for the contents of the letter to remain private from the students they are about.   The Standard for Recommendation Letters For most academic institutions accepting applications that require recommendation letters, the standard is that students are not to have contact- be able to read- their letters of recommendation. Traditionally, programs required that faculty submit recommendation letters independently of the student or give them to students in sealed and signed envelopes. The problem with asking faculty to send recommendations directly to the admissions office is the possibility of losing a letter, and if a student does choose this route, it would be best to contact the admissions office to determine that all expected letters have arrived. The second option is for the faculty to return their letters of recommendation to the student, but the letters are confidential, so admissions committees ask that faculty seal the envelope and then sign over the seal, assuming that it will be obvious if a student opened the envelope. Its Okay to Ask for Signed, Sealed Envelopes Admissions offices often prefer that applications arrive complete, with faculty recommendations in the packet, and most faculty  members know this, so dont feel that youre asking faculty to do too much work. Because this is and has been a standard part of most college application processes, the letter writer will likely understand the official preferred process. That said, a student can make it easier by preparing an envelope for each program he or she is applying to, clipping the recommendation form and any relevant material to the envelope. Recently, electronic applications have become very common, possibly even the norm, making this whole process almost obsolete. Instead of the traditional sign, seal, deliver process, a student will complete his or her application online then send the person writing the recommendation letter a link to submit it online. The student will be notified if and when the letter is received and can, therefore, contact the faculty member if any problems arise. Dont Forget to Say Thank You After everything is said and done, the recommendation letter and complete registration packet submitted, its important for students to take the time to thank the person who wrote his or her recommendation letters and helped him or her in the application process.   Although not required, a token of appreciation like flowers or candy goes a long way in returning the faculty members consideration of the student- plus, who doesnt like getting a little thank you gift?

Presidents and Conflict Resolution essays

Presidents and Conflict Resolution essays The term negotiation has been defined as a formal process that occurs when parties are trying to find a mutually acceptable solution to a complex conflict. People and parties, throughout time, have come to negotiate for two basic reasons. First, they negotiate to create something new that neither party could do on his own. Second, parties negotiate to resolve a problem or dispute between the parties. Although history lends itself to be more susceptible to the latter of the two, the former reason should and will be given some consideration. American history has encountered countless arenas for negotiation. From the founding of new constitutions and governments to the ending of world wars, America has had to compromise repeatedly to establish itself as a superpower. At the top of this bargaining hierarchy is the President of the United States. The actions of this office have implemented policy in all times of dispute. Different presidents have pursued this task in different wa ys. Some have elected bodies of peace commissioners in which they could voice their opinions through. On the other hand, a few presidents have acted strictly on their own behalf concerning times of dispute. Consequently, the results have varied. So, it must be asked, what method has proven to be most effective? An analysis of several major American wars and their respective peacetime results supports the view that those who elect negotiating bodies and communicate through them have been more effective in achieving their goals. The first war to be looked at is referred to as Mr. Madison's war, or the War of 1812. Before the war commenced, James Madison wanted to end impressment, gain Canada, and secure the repeal of the Orders-in-Council. In June of 1812, Britain repealed the Orders-in-Council thereby accomplishing half of Madison's war aims with no shots yet fired. But, as shots began firing, America's position was dwindling. By this time, with...

Eng 101 Spring 19 Professor Ramos Blog

Eng 101 Spring 19 UNIT 1 Narrative

Language Teaching Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Language Teaching - Essay Example Normally, people learn their first language through the natural inputs of hearing, seeing and observations in their daily life experiences. It was only after the emergence of psychology as a branch of science that interest on the evolution of methods based on the research findings of how human acquire learning and how they respond to different modes of teaching took a paradigm shift. And as part of a changing world system, the methods have also evolved to become more effective over the years. (Anthony, E.M. 1963). Most of us learn to speak at least two languages. Our first language (L1) is known as our native language, and is acquired from our childhood years. The Second Language (L2), also known as foreign language, is acquired as taught in schools, or by living in a state where another language is spoken. Acquiring the first language in most situations is as effortless as learning normal routines. We learn it because we are exposed to it most of the time. On the other hand, learning another new language calls for greater effort and dedication, and persistent application of the trial and error methodology. The emphasis on this type of language teaching is on how an individual can successfully grasp a second language over a given period of time. It is suitable for the classroom as well as the individual student, because every student who wants to learn a new language has different learning needs, and the instructor has to choose the right method to be used in teaching the classroom which can be easily understood by everyone and does not alienate any student in the class. (JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall, p.3). 3. Approach, Design and Procedure Richards and Rodgers developed a three levels framework to help instructors effectively teach second language. The three levels: Approach, Design, and Procedure, are interrelated to each other as the content of each level directly affects the contents of the other levels. Richards and Rodgers implied that in order to select the best method, we should look at each method as a separate series of theories and applications, and that the methods can be evaluated by comparing and coordinating the three interrelated levels. Now let us define the three levels first. (Richards, J. and T. Rodgers. 2001). 3.1 Approach No methods exist alone unsupported by theoretical views, and that is why methods and theories must be viewed together. The methods that are to be utilized for the purpose of language grasp have their orientation in well tested and defined theories. The system or method used is first split into units of components comprising the whole. These units are then employed as components of the language, viz. grammar, vocabulary,

Using Quality Methods to Ensure Consistency of Care Assignment

Using Quality Methods to Ensure Consistency of Care - Assignment Example Mostly, the health professionals in the emergency department of any health care are not in a position to diagnose the disease the patient is suffering from. In the case study, the paramedics respond fast enough and give prompt treatment after a quality assessment of the patient’s condition. The paramedics in this study demonstrate professionalism in that they treat the patient on site before admitting him to the hospital for further diagnosis. It is also evident that it takes a lot of time before the patient could receive relevant medical care due to lack of facilities at the local community hospital. Once again, the paramedics show commitment by frequently assessing the patient at every level of treatment (Dlugazc, 2006). Most surprisingly, the paramedics use radio to send messages to the tertiary center which demonstrates poor communication. The recruitment of highly trained professionals requiring high remuneration is relevant for attaining quality performance evaluation. Additionally, organizations require relevant equipment and vehicles for ambulance services which require a huge sum of capital. The establishment of a better communication system such as the global positioning system in EMS requires allocation of hefty resources. The establishment of a quality management department is costly and the development of strategies to monitor improvement is important for achieving the defined goals (Dlugazc, 2006). A well trained emergency team is relevant for the realization of improved health care services. As highlighted before, the paramedics in the case are well trained and discharge their duties diligently. Reliable and accurate data for performance evaluation will heavily rely on the skills from these professionals and therefore the need for skilled practitioners. The various systems developed to offer services to the patients should have the capacity to collect relevant data for measuring performance. Training should be offered to the staff on

ICS Extra Credit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ICS Extra Credit - Assignment Example This pattern may continue or new words are introduced and the pattern is repeated for a whole song. Depending on artists, songs may have different patterns because their beauty and melody are brought out differently. Irrespective of which pattern is adopted by a performer, the crowd is always left yearning for more performance. One of the renowned Ranchera music performers is Vicente Fernandez who electrifies crowd with his unmatched performance and stage presence. Despite of his Latino affiliation, his performances in US are usually filled to capacity owing to his great stature in ranchera music. His stage presence is often enhanced by supersized sombreros and backed by an orchestra of guitar or string players that belch out sweet melodies. Most of ranchera performers have operatic voices that delve into the emotional spectrum of the crowd for better artistry connection. The rhythms being let out are quite scintillating and relaxing which work out the crowds to fever pitch. Much of this has been attributed to the fact that the songs talk about love which is a common phenomenon that unites people. No wonder ranchera music performances are flocked by people of all cultures in US and around the world. Akoma Arts Culture Drum Performance This is a cultural performance that is inspired by African culture specifically from West Africa. The word Akoma is borrowed from Ghana language known as Akan and is used is associated with such attributes as patience and consistency. People have to be very patient and keen during performances so that they grasp the proceedings of beats and enjoy it. As the name of the performance suggests, the main instrument here is the drum. However, these drums come in different shapes, types and sizes which are performed together by different players to enhance the tone of the melodies. Once in while there are singers who sing or recite poems or words to accompany their drum rhythms. To make the performance more colorful, artists are usually clothed in different attires and ornaments which reflect the culture where the performance has originated from. This cultural performance is not limited and segregated to shows from Africa but other cultures are also incorporated during performance. Such incorporation is undertaken under the spirit of tolerance where Caribbean and Latino artists are also included. It would be quite monotonous to have only cultural performance from Africa origins whereas the US has people of diverse cultural backgrounds. The most interesting and captivating element of this performance is the variation in vocal expertise and exhibition of interesting traditional dances. Singers and dancers usually respond to the rhythmic proceedings of the drummers who dictate the tempo and tone of performance. The displays are simply amazing especially dancers perform to high pitched rhythms and fast routines which are done by different groups. Some routines are short while others are a bit long because they combine singing and dancing in traditional regalia. Movable Feast Culture Events As the name suggests, movable feast culture events are held annually in different states to celebrate the cultural diversity of foods that are consumed in US. The foods present are usually both highly nutritive and others are junk which are offered to the crowds that flock these events. It is always organized in such a way that food is brought in trucks which may either be prepared on the ground or

Menu Planning and Product Development Assignment

Menu Planning and Product Development - Assignment Example A recipe can be stated as a tested and standardized procedure in order to produce food and it contains the mixing order, ingredients, temperature, proportions and time all of which is required so as to develop tasty food. There are majorly seven most important components that are included in the process of development of recipe such as dish name, time that would be required so as to prepare the dish, ingredients required along with its proportion, environment as wells equipments that would be needed so as to prepare the dish, preparation steps, and total number of servings that can be made through preparing the recipe. The major principles that guide the process of recipe development comprise of objectives as well as priorities development, task inclusion, action steps in clear sequence, physical environmental elements analysis, allocation of time and reorganization of task, motivation, and accomplishment, communication, evaluation and future reference. These are some of the principl es that guide the operations related to the development of recipes in the hospitality industry. A recipe that is well developed following the principles should be able to meet the various needs such as an increase in terms of product usage, an increase of product visibility and reduction in the safety issues related to the product (Fuller, 2011). The major principle that guides the development of recipe to be successful are it should be reproducible which states it should be written in a format that could be ‘repeated’ along with constant results, ‘easily prepared’ that is comprising of minimal steps in a logical order so as to deliver the end results without much of complexity, ‘concise’ so as to provide the required information, ‘interesting’ in terms of adding varieties to the dish being prepared, ‘pleasing to senses’ such that it possess satisfying as well as stimulating flavour along with pleasant  aroma, Ã¢â‚¬Ë œeconomical’ so that the recipe should not only be within the budget but also encompass the economy of material as well as human resources.

Menu Planning and Product Development Assignment

Menu Planning and Product Development - Assignment Example A recipe can be stated as a tested and standardized procedure in order to produce food and it contains the mixing order, ingredients, temperature, proportions and time all of which is required so as to develop tasty food. There are majorly seven most important components that are included in the process of development of recipe such as dish name, time that would be required so as to prepare the dish, ingredients required along with its proportion, environment as wells equipments that would be needed so as to prepare the dish, preparation steps, and total number of servings that can be made through preparing the recipe. The major principles that guide the process of recipe development comprise of objectives as well as priorities development, task inclusion, action steps in clear sequence, physical environmental elements analysis, allocation of time and reorganization of task, motivation, and accomplishment, communication, evaluation and future reference. These are some of the principl es that guide the operations related to the development of recipes in the hospitality industry. A recipe that is well developed following the principles should be able to meet the various needs such as an increase in terms of product usage, an increase of product visibility and reduction in the safety issues related to the product (Fuller, 2011). The major principle that guides the development of recipe to be successful are it should be reproducible which states it should be written in a format that could be ‘repeated’ along with constant results, ‘easily prepared’ that is comprising of minimal steps in a logical order so as to deliver the end results without much of complexity, ‘concise’ so as to provide the required information, ‘interesting’ in terms of adding varieties to the dish being prepared, ‘pleasing to senses’ such that it possess satisfying as well as stimulating flavour along with pleasant  aroma, Ã¢â‚¬Ë œeconomical’ so that the recipe should not only be within the budget but also encompass the economy of material as well as human resources.

2 Questions in attachment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

2 Questions in attachment - Essay Example It is thus difficult to define ‘doing right things’ (Keown, Martin and Petty, 2008, p. 21). Simpson and Brown, president and secretary of two different companies marketing asbestos, acted presumably and they did right things especially when it is perceived from a business view point. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that can be used for electrical insulation and many other purposes, but it has a danger side that if one has exposed to it for long years, it is more likely that he may get chronic lung inflammation or chest cancer etc. though this is the fact, Simpson refused a newspaper from publishing an article regarding this product and its side effects. Brown’s words were that â€Å"the less said about asbestos, the better off we are†. Though these are legal as they wanted to maintain their business and profitability and it cannot be criticized on the grounds of good business practices, these can never be justified on the ground of ethical behavior. Their attempts not only caused blocking right information to the public, but also hiding the facts and thus makin g public less aware of the danger of asbestos and its side effects. As far as social responsibility and social values are concerned, Simpson and Brown were not ‘doing the right things’. Every society adopts a set of rules or laws that prescribe what it believes a doing right things. A business has social responsibility beyond the maximization of shareholder wealth (Keown, Martin and Petty, 2008, p. 21-22). Social responsibility of a firm or a person representing a business directs attention to invoke norms that can express legitimate and stable expectations respecting the conduct of persons in position of social trust (Wueste, 1994, p. 2). Sims (2003) argued that organizational management and business people that truly care about business and corporate social responsibility is proactive rather than becoming reactive in linking strategic actions, business practices and

5 TD OBM Resistance to Change Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

5 TD OBM Resistance to Change - Coursework Example The challenge was based on the difference in the cultural patterns. The country where the site and office was installed, English was not the First Language and the locals there had difficulties comprehending English for communication and professional purposes. Other obstacles that were faced included the new environment, new trends, new culture and new people surrounded. The overall environment was such that the entire project had to be started from scratch. It was a new challenge with new goals, obstacles and objectives. We as the organization had to win the hearts of the people, and satisfy the government in terms of the local labor relationship and other basic elements. The initial resistance was due to the fear and lack of experience in the different countries. If I were the C.E.O I would take upon the technological change in an incremental manner. I would introduce trainings and other official programs. A step wise transition and transfer from currently established setup to new technology would be phased out which would allow for preventing any imbalance in the

Menu Planning and Product Development Assignment

Menu Planning and Product Development - Assignment Example A recipe can be stated as a tested and standardized procedure in order to produce food and it contains the mixing order, ingredients, temperature, proportions and time all of which is required so as to develop tasty food. There are majorly seven most important components that are included in the process of development of recipe such as dish name, time that would be required so as to prepare the dish, ingredients required along with its proportion, environment as wells equipments that would be needed so as to prepare the dish, preparation steps, and total number of servings that can be made through preparing the recipe. The major principles that guide the process of recipe development comprise of objectives as well as priorities development, task inclusion, action steps in clear sequence, physical environmental elements analysis, allocation of time and reorganization of task, motivation, and accomplishment, communication, evaluation and future reference. These are some of the principl es that guide the operations related to the development of recipes in the hospitality industry. A recipe that is well developed following the principles should be able to meet the various needs such as an increase in terms of product usage, an increase of product visibility and reduction in the safety issues related to the product (Fuller, 2011). The major principle that guides the development of recipe to be successful are it should be reproducible which states it should be written in a format that could be ‘repeated’ along with constant results, ‘easily prepared’ that is comprising of minimal steps in a logical order so as to deliver the end results without much of complexity, ‘concise’ so as to provide the required information, ‘interesting’ in terms of adding varieties to the dish being prepared, ‘pleasing to senses’ such that it possess satisfying as well as stimulating flavour along with pleasant  aroma, Ã¢â‚¬Ë œeconomical’ so that the recipe should not only be within the budget but also encompass the economy of material as well as human resources.

5 TD OBM Resistance to Change Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

5 TD OBM Resistance to Change - Coursework Example The challenge was based on the difference in the cultural patterns. The country where the site and office was installed, English was not the First Language and the locals there had difficulties comprehending English for communication and professional purposes. Other obstacles that were faced included the new environment, new trends, new culture and new people surrounded. The overall environment was such that the entire project had to be started from scratch. It was a new challenge with new goals, obstacles and objectives. We as the organization had to win the hearts of the people, and satisfy the government in terms of the local labor relationship and other basic elements. The initial resistance was due to the fear and lack of experience in the different countries. If I were the C.E.O I would take upon the technological change in an incremental manner. I would introduce trainings and other official programs. A step wise transition and transfer from currently established setup to new technology would be phased out which would allow for preventing any imbalance in the

Michael Faraday Essay Example for Free

Michael Faraday Essay Born September 22, 1791, he grew up in Newington Butts after his family had moved there from Yorkshire in order to try and make a living. His father, a blacksmith, fell ill and could not earn much money. This meant Michael left school at 13 and knew very little about maths, and almost nothing about science. When he went to work as a bookbinder he got his big chance. While binding books at the shop he would read the contents. Since scientists wrote their findings in books and discussed them, this was a great way to learn about science, and how the world works. Later, due to good luck he was working for a man by the name of Humphry Davy. Davy worked at the royal institution, doing demonstrations and lectures. Faraday belonged to a religious group called the sandemanians, which believed in a literal understanding of the bible. This meant he could not hoard or save money. When he married his wife he received financial help from the royal institution. Faraday offered many contributions to the world of science including electrolysis; generators, magnetic fields and electromagnetism, but his greatest contribution to the world would definitely be the electric motor. Faradays greatest discovery, the electric motor has affected greatly the world we live in and how we live in it. Faraday found that if you took a magnet it would rotate around a wire so long as the wire had current going through it. Through this experiment, Faraday had successfully performed the first conversion of electrical energy (in the wire) into mechanical energy (the moving magnet). He also found that if you fixed the magnet in place and let the wire move, the wire would rotate around the magnet. By studying these experiments, Faraday believed that when current is passed through a wire, a circular magnetic current circles the wire. This was the predecessor of the electric motor. Due to Faradays experiments we can use electric blenders, CD players and much much more. By discovering the circular fields around a wire induced with current, Faraday has greatly contributed to the world of physics. With further research of these circular currents around a wire, Faraday took an iron ring and wrapped a length of insulated wire around one side of it, and then wrapped a second length of insulated wire around the other side of the ring. He anticipated that if he passed a current through the first wire, it would establish a magnetic field in the ring, which would then induce current in the second insulated wire. When he first performed the experiment he believed it was a failure, as it appeared no current was induced in the second wire. But then he made an observation critical to the experiment. He observed that as he turned the current in the first wire on and off, current would be induced in the second wire. Instead of current in the first wire inducing current in the second, he realised that change in current of the first wire induced current in the second. To test his new theory, Faraday took a magnet and moved it in and out of a coil of wire. When the magnet was moving into the wire, the needle on the galvanometer would move one way. And when the magnet was moving out of the coil, the needle would move the opposite way. Next he set up a copper disc between two poles of a magnet. This time when the disc was spun a constant current would be induced. Faraday had created the first dynamo or electric generator. A device, which produces electrical energy from mechanical energy. Commonly used as bike-light generators. Faraday also enjoyed the science of chemistry. He did demonstrations at the royal institute where he would show demonstrations of pyrotechnics, big flashes, physical reactions, and chemical reactions, among other things. By combining his enjoyment of chemistry with his knowledge of physics, Faraday made some very important discoveries in electrolysis, which are still relevant today. Faraday revolutionised knowledge of electrolysis by introducing new words. He replaced the previously used pole with electrode to describe the object dangled into a solution. He described anode as the electrode where negatively charged gases attract, cathode as the electrode, which attracts positively charged chemicals, electrolyte as anything released at either electrode, anions as electrolytes that collect at the anode, and cations as electrolytes that are drawn to the cathode. All these terms are commonly used in electrolysis today, a real test of how good a word is, is the test of time. Probably one of Faradays most famous inventions is the miners safety lamp. During the early 1800s there was a large demand for coal, mine shafts were being used more. This posed a threat as methane collected in the mins. And because the mines were underground the miners had to have lamps. The threat came when the lamps lit the methane, which would light up the whole shaft. Humphry Davy and Michael Faraday, who was working for him at the time, solved this problem with the safety lamps. The safety lamps comprised of a long metal mesh cylinder with a solid, hollow base and a hook at the top, some had lenses to focus the dim light. They were different to normal mining lamps because they did not light the methane the mines produced. This was a safer option for the minors and within a short while they were being used in many mine shafts. Michael Faraday probably wouldnt have been able to imaging how greatly his inventions and discoveries have affected the world. Without Faradays research on magnetic fields we would not have use of the electric motor. Without his simple generator we would not have the use of dynamos or generators. And without his induction ring we would not be able to use transformers. The first person to properly harness the power of magnetic fields. From humble beginnings, with no proper maths or science tutoring, Michael Faraday, by perseverance, made his way up in the world to become one of the most influential people of all time. Without doubt, Michael Faraday was a great man. Died august 25, 1867; Michael Faraday had left the world leaving a great contribution behind him. Note: Michael Faraday was an interesting individual as well as a great scientist. To learn more about his life and particularly his scientific work the reader is encouraged to investigate in depth any of the books listed below. Each while similar, gives a different view of the person, Michael Faraday. ? Agassi, Joseph, Faraday as a Natural Philosopher, Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1970.?Crookes, (Editor) A Course of Six Lectures on the Chemical History of a Candle: To which is Added a Lecture on Platinum by Michael Faraday, Chicago News Review 1988. ? Gooding, James (editors), Faraday Rediscovered, Stockton Press, London ,1985. ? Jones, Bence, The Life and Letters of Faraday(2 Volumes) Longmans, Green, London, 1870. ? Randell, Wilfrid L. ,Michael Faraday, Parsons, London, 1924. ? Tyndall, J. , Faraday as a Discoverer(4th Edition), Longmans, Green, London 1868. ? Williams, Pearce L. , The Origins of Field Theory, Random House, New York, 1966. ? Williams,Pearce L. , Michael Faraday, Basic Books, New York, 1967.

Playing Mind Games In Video Games Media Essay

Playing Mind Games In Video Games Media Essay and Video games and : a bright title in nowadays world of pop culture, yet a very controversial area of it. Simply known as electronic games that interact with the user using video feedback technique, video games are growing ever popular. Ranging from core, casual, serious, to adventurous genres, video games succeed in captivating their users in a total different world of theirs. Are games that good for the coming generations? Is another virtual world necessary besides that they are living in? Well, obviously, as fun as video games are as tricky they actually are. According to researches, video games are growing to be more confusing, addictive, and time demanding. These later problem must and can be solved by many ways such as monitoring, filtering, and timing video games. One of the most common criticisms of video games is that they expose users to immoral themes and provoke violence. The contemporary video game involves a fully realized imaginary world Malcom Gladwell * points out, but is this world safe? New console games are so developed that they are able to simulate the real world we live in, and most players-which are youngsters- can easily fall into the trick. Never forget that as Postman and Powers declares:moving pictures are a kind of language themselves*, we should stand then at what kind of language is this! Many popular games handle serious themes like: war, wrestling, killingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and with the complex graphics they provide the game becomes captivating and even influencing. I once saw my cousin making up a street fight after few rounds playing the famous:counter strike, grand theft auto, call of dutyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Actually, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City came under similar criticism, also for implying allegedly racist hate crimes : The game, taking place in and Vice Cityand , involves a gang war between Haitians and Cuban refugees, and the player often plays for either to fight against one another. Haitian and Cuban anti-defamation groups strongly criticized the game for these actions, including using insulting language such as and kill the Haitian [emailprotected] . Does anyone like his children growing ignorantly into such race-based decisive beings? And thats not far away from taking place when games are overused (which happens frequently in the real world). And thats not it, gamers spend hours detecting related ideas like new weapon releases, or learning some dangerous moves that can really be harmful! They tend to be more aggressive and irritated as many studies revealed, when they should be more interested in peace and a more civilized world. Another is that spending time playing video games causes addiction accompanied with serious attention problems. Gladwell states:players have to explore and sort through hypothesis in order to make sense of the games environment, which is why a modern video game takes at least forty hours to complete *. Logically, so much attention and time to waste for fun (whatever sort of games it was)! So we can define video game addiction as the excessive use of console games that interrupt daily life. Cases have been reported in which users play continuously, isolating themselves from social contact and concentrating almost entirely on winning some rounds rather than more important life events. The pleasure and fun that such games provide loosens the users control on the playing time interval and attracts him more and more, so he/she may end up playing, for example, 20 rounds straight without even noticing. During gaming the special sensational treats in the game provide satisfaction that is mor e demanded by the users unawareness, like the sense of being amused or even the rush provided by a race or a battle! Moreover, all the effects contained in these video graphical products are mesmerizing. Malcom Gladwell continues *:players are required to manage a dizzying array of information and options, which keeps all their senses busy and expires their attention span. The more teen sits around playing video games, the more at risk they will be for learning problems and attention problems. Or else how do we expect that a gamer caught with supreme dazzling dimensions to be interested in simple everyday tasks!? How many times do parents have to call their children when playing console games until they first say an empty yes? It usually requires more than calling their name to catch their attention and receive a real meaningful response for their demands! And if observed more carefully, gamers of all ages tend to get bored easily. Children get bored at school when nothing is enough to derive their energy back for class activities and suffer learning problems. Adult players get grumpy frequently at work too; they just do their job with no minimal enthusiasm. Why? Well, who cares for the real world when he has his own virtual but exciting, superb, and wonderful world! In addition, video games include advergaming that victimizes players and urges them to fulfill certain objectives. To make this more clear consider Pepsi man a video game released by PepsiCo. , this game is recorded to make people thrive for Pepsi whenever playing it (at least thats what happened to me)! Advergaming is the practice of using video games to advertise a product, organization or idea. Games for advertising are mostly categorized as a type of serious game, these games are found to have a strong promotional or implied purpose other than pure entertainment. Smart programmers hired by companies put the producers interests in selling their products into video games under the title of entertainment. The product placement in online multiplayer games is done by including the wanted products, services and brands into the game. This entire trick and treat pattern leaves the person exposed to such conspiracy hypnotized. Hypnotized to play more, to consume more, and to be taken adva ntage of more! Dont forget the amount of subliminal messages included in such console games that overcome the right of free choice a human being should enjoy. A hidden message is information that is not immediately recognized, and that must be discovered and analyzed before it can be known, not the case in vigorously played console games. In the computer game Doom II, a message can be played in reverse to hear and you must killand . Does it make sense when children supposedly gaming for innocent entertainment hear stuff not suitable for their age and perform implied tasks not favorable to be handled? Are video games safe then? Such methods silently make products and ideas appealing to our deceived minds. That is definitely improper. Such controversial problems must be solved for the sake of the coming generations and this can be done in different ways. After all theres nothing to stop companies from producing such games (a video game isnt illegal), neither there is a way to take one way to bring joy to the children from them. Yet human beings are still able to control their daily intake of perceived matter, they can supervise the quantity and quality of it as a mean of protective technique. A way to minimize such negative sides of console games is a proper monitoring of the quality of the games introduced to a certain country, area, and house. At the country level, the official departments for social and educational affairs should be assigned the task of trying, analyzing, and authenticating the games and its contents. Thus, the government will limit the entrance of harmful video games according to objective measures. After all, selection then serves as a kind of sieve or screen through which our knowledge passes before it becomes our knowledge* says Newman and Genevieve, and in this case we are selecting video games so that their harmful content willnt become a part of our knowledge. The violent games will therefore stay away of the childrens reach and the virtual fighting madness will decrease from the innocent-hood. Also, the players will be protected, so that no greedy business men will get advantage of ignorant citizens. And no more hidden messages will control the minds of fun-seeking users. But this isnt enough to solve the whole issue. Even if the harmful content is removed, the visual and audible effects are still there in the game, the attractive elements are still present, and those are at the essence of games and cant be removed. So another aid is needed, and this is the parental supervision, or any superior authority attention. The playing time is to be monitored so that the child/gamer is having enough fun, but not enough to know his attention off. Another task is a second inspection of the games content to decide its convenience to the age, mental and growth stage, and tolerance of the player. Moreover, campaigns can be held across the country to educate parents and older players about the disadvantages of video gaming. And explain for they why exactly are they to deal carefully with such entertainment method, urges them to inform other players if not present, suggest more useful games to try. Or even talk about more fruitful entertaining methods like hanging over with friends and family or reading books What proceeded reveals the problems caused by video games. So its about time to understand that video games are not always human beings friends. People were not put on the wide planet Earth to waste 40 hours weekly inside their rooms, mesmerized infront of the pc or TV, playing video games. We were made to move around, to go outside and play, to work, to exchange thoughts, talks, and feelings with others, to think. It is time to re-evaluate how every individual, parents, and children live their lives. Dont let more people waste their lives in virtual worlds full of illusions. Resources/reference: * Malcom, Gladwell, Brain Candy: Is Pop Culture Dumbing Us Down Or Smarting Us Up?, paragraph 6, line 9 / paragraph 7, line 8 / paragraph 8, line 1 * Neil, Postman and Steve, powers, Television News: The Language of Pictures paragraph 2 line 8 *Newman, P.Birk and Gneviene, B.Birk, Selection, Slanting, and Charged Language, paragraph 4 line 1

The Effect of Racism in Schools on Education Essays -- Papers

The Effect of Racism in Schools on Education I recent years there have been considerable interest in the educational performance of ethnic minorities. A number of studies have been carried on this issue, a common example is the government - sponsored Swann Committee report Education for all. This report carries out research on different aspect on educational performance, and one aspect that stands out form all is, racism in school. Although the precise findings of studies have varied, most have found that, overall, ethnic minorities (blacks, Asians and other nationalities) tend to do less well than other members in the population. The Swann report found important differences between ethnic minorities' children and white children. From a survey of five LEAs it was found that Asian children did almost as well as whites or 'others'. Asians were slightly less likely than 'others' to get five or more graded results in GCSE exam or any other sort of important examination qualifications. Although the Swann report did stress the importance of the Asian community doing quite well, a certain type of Asian community known as the Bangladeshi did particularly bad, was this, the result of racism or the result of ignorance. The Swann report found out that the average performance of West Indians was considerably worse than that of whites. A shocking five percent of West Indians passed an A Level and only one percent went off to university. All though not is all shocking a large percent of ethnic minorities between the age of 16 and 19 were in full time education. This can be backed up by Jones (sociologist) suggestion. Jones suggested that th... ...wn in subservient social roles such as servants. Coard claims that the people whose lives are studied and acclaimed are white. Black culture, music and art are all conspicuous by their absence from the curriculum, (IV) The attitudes to race conveyed in the classroom are reinforced by the pupils outside it. In playground arguments white children may retaliate by describing West Indians as 'black bastards'. Research has shown that teachers expect black children to fail and this produces a self fulfilling prophecy in which they live up to the expectation they have been labeled with. Not only are black children played in lower sets, they themselves believe that they are certain to fail. Research shows that a majority of West Indian children are portrayed by their teachers as underachievers with disciplinary problems.

An Interpretation of the ratios for Marks and Spencers and the House of

An Interpretation of the ratios for Marks and Spencers and the House of Fraser Findings ======== This section of the report will be composed of an interpretation of the ratios for both companies. All ratios that form the ratio analysis will be explained, and any trends from within ratios will be highlighted. OVERALL PERFORMANCE Return on Capital Employed: Net profit before tax and interest x100 = % Capital employed The Return on Capital Employed ratio (R.O.C.E) is a hugely significant ratio, and a great deal can be taken from this ratio. The ratio relates to the profit earned in relation to the long-term capital invested in the business. The term 'capital employed' in this equation means the owners' capital plus any long term liabilities (for example long-term loans). This ratio shows the % return on capital invested in the company. A business will aim to have this ratio as high percentage as possible. If the percentage return on capital invested is less than that offered elsewhere, then it may be wise to close the business and invest elsewhere. The ratio analysis shows that Marks and Spencer saw a slight drop on their R.O.C.E from 1999 to 2000, however, they managed to increase the R.O.C.E the following year. The next year, 2002 shows the most significant changes. The R.O.C.E increased from 9.61% in 2001, to 20.89% in 2002. This is almost a 120% increase on R.O.C.E. The House of Fraser had a slightly better R.O.C.E than Marks and Spencer in 2000, however, the following year they experienced a drop of around 1.5%. The result for 2002 shows that The House of Fraser managed to almost double their R.O.C.E from 8.6% in 2001 to 15.91% in 2002. Although this was a healthy increase, The House of Fraser currently have a R.O.C.E th... ...tly. The company needs to be more flexible with the volume and style of clothing they stock. People are much more fashion conscious than they used to be, it is essential for the credibility of a company that they are consistently at the height of fashion. The results for the debtor's collection period for Marks and Spencer are very worrying, especially when compared to The House of Fraser. Marks and Spencer need to dramatically reduce the collection period in order to avoid any problems in the future. Marks and Spencer currently offer their customers the option of having a store card. Although in theory, this is a good idea, especially form a marketing perspective; it can cause many problems in the long run. Customers can leave payment for long periods of time. This leads to Marks and Spencer not being paid for stock they no longer own, and should have been paid for.

Psychological study: “Geenie the Wild Child!” Essay

The development of language comes naturally for most people; as they grow from an infant to a child. Noam Chomsky believes that languages are genetically pre-programmed by a language acquisition device in the brain. The deep structure of language and words is not learned. Yet the surface structures, such as phonetic sounds are learned. A few children do not master the basic foundation of language like in Genie’s case. Genie (and her mom) was victims of abuse and neglect inflicted upon them by Genie’s father. In November, 1970, Genie’s [a.k.a. â€Å"The Wild Child†] horrible plight was documented and this is my personal assessment of it†¦ I would think that Genie can one day master English (or another language) because of one specific reason: Genie’s brain, as slow and below average for a 13 year old as it was, did show some progression. Genie did have a 20-word vocabulary. She could correctly identify colors, she knew her mom and could say things like, â€Å"walk, door and No more.† However, this was not the case. After over 6 years of being observed, poked and researched by scientist, Genie never did master the English language. Also, Genie had a most bizarre and unfortunate life starting at the very moment she was born. In the beginning she was constrained and not given any attention. When she was discovered by the world, she was bombarded with attention from many researchers. From the multitude of research done on her, one bit of information that held true to Lenneberg’s theory is the inability to produce speech after puberty even when exposed to it. However, in the end the researchers became insensitive and overlooked Genie’s own well-being for scientific research.

A Hero Inside and Out the Court

What does it takes to become a hero? As most people would answer, a hero should possess certain qualities including courage, loyalty, honesty, generosity, kindness and some other remarkable traits. In addition, a person could be regarded as a hero if he has done a significant contribution throughout his life. Needless to say, a hero is being noted for his significant achievements in any field of endeavor that he pursues. Earvin â€Å"Magic† Johnson is a hero inside and out the court. His notable achievement and contributions made him as the recipient of the third Annual USA Today Hollywood Hero Award. Earvin â€Å"Magic† Johnson became popular primarily because of his basketball skills. His basketball career started when he was still in high school at the Michigan State where he led the team to championship in the year 1979. His skills as a player in the Michigan State continued to boost and qualified him to play at the National Basketball Association (NBA). Basketball became an important part of Magic Johnson’s life. His leadership quality in this field is just one of the traits which reflect his heroic deeds. In the year 1991, Johnson was diagnosed with the deadly AIDS virus (Pollock 426). This turning point in his life causes him to retire from playing basketball. But despite the fact that he was infected with the said virus, Johnson was never discouraged to continue with his life. As a matter of fact, he showed a lot of courage when he revealed to the world that he is an HIV-positive person. He was never ashamed of his condition but instead he used this as a way to help other people to become more aware of the virus. According to a research conducted by Pollock (426), the revelation of Magic Johnson had changed the attitude of people about AIDS and it also altered their behavior in order to avoid the virus. Johnson’s announcement had influence and informed most of the public about the fatalities of the virus. To some people, having the said virus would cause them to entertain negativities and stop them in believing with their purpose in life. But to Johnson, it was the reversed that happened. Upon knowing that he has the virus, he develops a foundation which aims to educate the youth as well as other men and women regarding AIDS (Tucker 1). He also pursues his dream of becoming a businessman despite of his condition. Johnson’s kindness and generosity was reflected through his several projects which aim to help and develop the potential of the black natives in business and leadership. He raised funds and lends his services to areas which are underserved. He had been generous and kind to those people in which the state seems to undermine. Johnson never gets tired of helping and sharing his blessings with other people especially those who are in need. Another act of kindness that Johnson showed was when the Hurricane Katrina hit the country. His Foundation, partnered with different grocery stores and drugstores, provided prescriptions and groceries to the victims of the said hurricane. The renowned basketball player and businessman also stated that he would find ways to generate jobs to those who have been displaced (Tucker 1). The works, attitude, traits and contribution of Magic Johnson justified his achievement as the recipient of the USA Today’s National Hero Award. He is indeed a man with good and heroic deeds. His activities and attitude sets a good example to the youth and an inspiration to those who seems to surrender in continuing the battle of life. Inside the court, he possess the leadership, positive attitude and loyalty to his teammates while outside the court, he showed his kindness, generosity, outmost concern and willingness in helping other people. An ordinary person with extraordinary qualities, that spells the name of Earvin â€Å"Magic† Johnson. Work Cited Pollock III, Philip H. â€Å"Issues, values, and critical moments: Did `Magic' Johnson transform public opinion on AIDS?† American Journal of Political Science 38 (1994): 426. Tucker, Laura. â€Å"Business Hero: Magic Johnson.† 5 May 2008 ;http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=Magic_05;. ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Cross-cultural Management in Multinational Project Groups Essay

Cross-cultural Management in Multinational Project Groups - Essay Example Nonetheless, the business culture of France still reserves some surprises for Americans and other western nations. This report seeks to provide a cross-cultural analysis of France as a potential location for investment. The report seeks to provide a profile for the cultural environment of France, exploring issues that may have significant impact on management, including business protocols, language, housing, clothing, social institutions, education, and others. Introduction According to the 1958 constitution, France is a parliamentary republic. A president, who is the head of state, leads the country. The latter monitors the functioning of democratic institutions as far as the constitution is concerned. The country also has a Prime Minister in charge of day-to-day policy. A bicameral parliament governs the country. It comprises of a Senate with directly elected representatives from the departments and region, and a House of Representatives elected by the universal suffrage every five years. The metropolitan France has twenty-two regions with ninety-six departments. The communities, departments, and regions share the centrally collected tax revenues (Smircich, 2005). France is the largest West European country with a population of approximately 65 million people, about four-fifths of the size of Texas. Due to the large area coverage, the country has different environmental orientation. The country has mountains in the south and east, volcanoes in the middle and beaches in other parts. The beaches are also very different, comprising of cliffs, sand, and stones. Consequently, the country has different climate conditions: dry and hot in the east and south, and rainy in the north and west. The country does not have an official religion, but most of the citizens are Roman Catholic. The country hosts over 4.5 million foreigners, majority of whom are from communist countries and other European countries (UHY, 2011). As far as French citizens are concerned, education is very important. This is evident from the fact that the French educational system is almost free from primary school through to a doctorate degree for French citizens. Population According to a survey carried out in 2010, about three-quarters of the French population live in the cities, with a population density of 97 inhabitants per square metropolitan kilometer. The major currency in use is the Euro. The country majorly speaks French. According to economic statistics, the service sector accounts for over 74% of the overall employment, compared with 5% in agriculture. The industrial sector of the country continues to suffer significant deficits in foreign trade due to the fierce competition from the Far East. In 2009, the country made a Gross Domestic Product of 1950 billion Euros, an increase of 2.5% from 2007. The average growth rate was 0.6%, slightly below the Eurozone average of 0.7% and 0.8% of the US figure. The GDP purchasing power parity in 2010 was $2.097 trillion, with a GDP per Capita purchasing power parity of $32,700. The global economy has been slow in all areas because of the recent financial crisis. The global effect was initially high, but France gained from its little exposure and encouraged a strong public spending policy to maintain a high demand level (Fatehi, 2003). Economy Since 2008, the rate of unemployment has increased to stand at 10% of the overall active population, slightly higher than the average European rate of 9.6%. The country reduced the

Managing Contract Risks Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Contract Risks - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that contract is a legal agreement which binds parties with the intention of performing obligations in exchange for substantial consideration which is generally done formally in writing or by verbal agreements. It is either bilateral or unilateral. The mutual assent of parties, however, gives rise to obligations between parties involved and breaches thereof are remedied by law either by payment of damages, otherwise known as monetary compensation. As an economic activity, contracts also consider the sociological, anthropological and environmental terms of the agreement. Contract moreover is described as an offer accepted by another party based on the meeting of minds and some evidence showing their mutual assents to discourage ambiguities of terms. The consideration inherent in this agreement is of value in exchange for goods and services that will be rendered or delivered. Such consideration must be sufficient on its own. A contract can be i llustrated in purchase agreements where one party delivers a thing or good in exchange for payment. Other examples can be mirrored in specific performance of services in exchange for just compensation or payment. This is evident in a contract of employment or in case of constructing facilities as in the case of hiring engineers to perform the actual construction. Generally, contracts are made if parties have the legal capacity to make a contract; the purpose is legally warranted and forms are legal; parties have the intention to create legal relations, and mutual consent is adduced. Under the law, the contract can be vitiated when one of the parties of the contract made an irreparable mistake; is legally incapacitated; if contact is exacted out of duress and undue influence; if the contract is done in unconscionability and of misrepresentation; and, contract frustrate the purpose.

Sustainable Talent Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sustainable Talent Management - Research Paper Example hanges within the employees sector. In this paper we are going to evaluate different talent management processes to sustain the talents and the organization’s work force in the lon run. Context of Performance management Process Performance management seeks to ensure efficiency and reliability in achieving the pre-defined goals in line with the laid out procedures. In modern organizations there are different departments which are run/ assigned to different professionals who have not only specialized with the field but have other side skills and talents which can be modelled to fit with the department/ organization’s culture. Performance and potential of a given employees forms the basis of employing optimum measure and prediction of his/ reliability in future (Cokins, 2009). Long Cycle performance measure: This is whereby I evaluate the employee’s productivity annually, semi-annually or on quarterly basis. This process gives an insight of long term fairing of the employee’s reaction to the business environment, application of his extra skills and how they converge/interact with his immediate tasks over the given period of time and the changes from the external business forces. Short-Cycle Performance measure: On this evaluation, I would consider gauging the employee’s performance on either weekly, by-weekly or on monthly basis. Depending on the nature of the project, some areas require urgency and to ascertain the individual to be assigned to these areas require critical analysis of their speed in responding to critical issues within a selected department. For instance, a qualified Accountant with extra skills in software management and can work with strict deadlines, will be a resource towards the end of a project where much needs to be done with a fixed deadline. Micro Performance measure: Measurement based on shortest time spans of minute, hours or a day. The diversity of talents within an organization will enable me to asce rtain who can work better on some issues during different hours of the day and how much he can achieve with respect to his/her colleagues. The above performance measure processes can be pegged on Program specific output which generally defines the expected departmental results; Program specific performance measure due to diversity of program/department needs and the corporate culture/ laid out policies/procedures within that department; Respective employee’s specialization and performance within an assigned task, and all governed by the organization’s strategic goal and objective. This will ensure a sustainable talent management because reliable data will be available on the employee’s competencies, their time response and consolidation with the organization’s goals with time. In management of talent pools managers are required to develop both short term and long term talent review process to maintain smooth running of the organization’s personnel. With major objectives of recruiting, developing, rewarding and maintaining a sustainable work

A Primer in the Politics of the War on Terror Essay

A Primer in the Politics of the War on Terror - Essay Example The U.S. led 'War on Terrorism' is directed to its inevitable end, rather 'endlessness', given the shifting paradigms of the war and the impact of war actions and consequences on global terrorist networks. The war, which began on a hysterical note at the 9/11 U.S. attacks by the al Qaeda was fought relentlessly by the U.S - initially on Afghanistan, alleged to be the homeland of al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden, the master brain behind the terrorist attacks, and then on Iraq, for their 'suspected' links with the al Qaeda, and the potential threats from Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). No sooner did the 'War on Terrorism' became 'War on Iraq,' aimed at ousting Saddam Hussein and the establishment of democracy in Iraq, strategically naming the war 'Operation Iraqi Freedom,' as America advanced its strategic and political interests in the Arab world. According to a 2004 report released by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, the U.S. actions in Iraq since 2003 M arch has weakened the global counter-terrorism coalition, which seemed formidable in 2001; however, "war on terrorism" was effective in revitalizing and motivating the al Qaeda network, [Strategic Survey 2003/04, 2004] As the war continues to be waged extending geographical territories, the 'enemy' seems all the more remote and ever-more prevailing, as new cohorts of terrorists emerge to be potential threat to the U.S. and its allies in the Western world. The human, economic, social costs and consequences of America's 'War on Terrorism' have been appalling and still continue to mount. The dismal and absolutely avoidable war consequences aggravates the need for a critical review of the politics behind Bush Administration's so-called 'War on Terrorism' - the legality, the real intentions, the propaganda, the schemes, and the roles and responsibilities of all those involved and concerned - resulting in one of the most demoralizing episode in the history of humanity, no less than Hitler's 'Holocaust.' Role of President and the Congress In the wake of the shocking September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001, President Bush dubbed the terrorist attack as acts of war, and proclaimed a 'global war on terrorism' (GWOT). The President's hastiness in declaring war on an 'enemy' not so well defined, and his declaration that al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters were unlawful "enemy combatants," rather than criminals, has been subject to critical analysis. [Feldman, 2002] However his decision to commit troops to combat without seeking a congressional declaration of war, [Ramsay, 2002] and expansion of his Presidential authority facilitating non-constitutional actions including the holding of prisoners without judicial review and approving torturous interrogation techniques [Seelye, 2001, Fisher, 2001] have been unilateral and critically grave violations of the U.S Constitution. The Congress also played a crucial role- despite protests, objections and voices of dissent from all quarters including the United Nations, the Congress categorically supported President's non-constitutiona

Data Collection in the Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Data Collection in the Literature - Essay Example In this paper, I explore qualitative two research articles and discuss their data collection approaches relative to quantitative research approaches, and the articles’ possible contribution to my proposed research. I also report on an observation exercise and my experience choosing qualitative research methodologies. One of the considered research articles in unit 2 is the article on research to investigate domestic violence and substance abuse as overlapping issues from different scopes by Humphreys, Thiara and Regan. The researchers applied a mixed methodological approach that analyzed qualitative and quantitative data. Data collection was further undertaken in different phases. The first stage in data collection applied semi structured interviews to retrieve data from participants. Data was collected from a diversified sample that included former victims of domestic violence, individuals from a group of perpetrators of the violence who were then under rehabilitation programs, and people from groups that offered substance abuse services. Other participants included a commercial sex worker, policy makers, and researchers. The participants were then asked of their â€Å"knowledge of substance use and domestic violence† (Humphreys, Thiara and Regan, 2005, p. 14). Participants were further asked to identify possible association between the two issues, and relevant measures and demographic factors to the issues. The research’s subsequent phases also used questionnaires that were administered through different approaches. Some participants were directly approached, informed of the data capture method and allowed to fill questionnaires while other questionnaires were just left at strategic places with notices about the research, and willing individuals participated (Humphreys, Thiara and Regan, 2005). Another considered article in unit 2 was Collins and Spencer’s report on

Changes in American Family During world war 2 Research Paper

Changes in American Family During world war 2 - Research Paper Example The role of Women in wars had previously started being defined during the First World War, but it became even more pronounced during World War II, when their previous roles in the Army and the war itself definitely changed (Bryant 20). During the First World War, the women role in the war was pretty much reserved to non-combative roles in the army, such as operating switchboards, driving, offering mechanical services to the war tanks and vehicles (Bryant 21). However, after the bombing of the Pearl Harbor, and with eminent shortage of sufficient manpower in the army, the need for women power was once again revived, and it became apparent that the turnabout to the social and family system had knocked the door of the American society, and there was no turning back. The changes introduced in the American social system during the World War II still define the modern family and social structure. Therefore, the period of World War II, was a period when the family experienced the most trans forming structural changes in the history of America. First, the occurrence of the World War II served to uplift the status of women in the American society, such that they gained respect and recognition as an important part of the societal structure (Lamana and Riedmann 13). During the World War II, most able men were recruited and deployed to the military to take part in active combat military roles, as well as other non-combative roles that were still essential for achieving victory by America and its allies. Consequently, women were left to bear all the family responsibilities, which entailed looking after the family and feeding them, and thus â€Å"†¦World War II was a signal event in the history of American consumer culture† (Witkowski 9), considering that many women had not taken active jobs before then. Women were forced to take active roles in seeking and performing jobs, mostly in the industries that were involved in manufacturing the artillery and the ammuniti ons required in the war (Harper 12). Since women had been called upon to join the working force to avert the looming labor force shortages in the manufacturing industries after men were required to join the army, they were required to hand over the same jobs to men after the end of the war, but most women resisted, since there had already arisen the need for working (Bryant 21). It is at this point that women in America were recognized in terms of their contribution economically, through working and supporting their families. This trend is still alive to present day, where many women have taken up active employment roles, instead of staying at home to perform the household chores. The contribution of the American woman to the economy is still high currently; virtually matching that of men. The other aspect through which women gained recognition and respect during the World War II, is through their active engagement in the military roles that were reserved for men in the previous dec ades (Herwing 107). During the World War II, more than a hundred thousand women served in the American Military, forming what according to Bryant came to be †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the Women Army Corps† (7). While previously women were engaged in exclusively non-combative roles in the military, the scenario changed during the World War II, and they became involved in further active war duties such as flying aircrafts. Throughout the World War II period, over 16

Hamlet is a thinker not a man of action Essay Example for Free

Hamlet is a thinker not a man of action Essay Hamlets one mission in the play is to revenge the death of his father by killing Claudius, however his procrastination leads to his untimely death, the deaths of many others in the Danish court and the relinquishment of Denmark to Fortinbras. Hamlets first words show a desire of revenge towards Claudius A little more than kin and less than kind. But later in his soliloquy we see that he is actually closer to killing himself, than killing Claudius or the perpetrator: O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw and resolve itself into a dew, He doesnt even contemplate killing Claudius; he hopes that the situation will resolve itself, which it never will, showing his unwillingness to act. This soliloquy also shows that he is not the bravest of people, as he cannot tell his mother how he really feels, another restrictive character trait when trying to revenge someone: But break, my heart for I must hold my tongue. In his soliloquy straight after Hamlets conversation with the Ghost he seems determine to kill his uncle, thy commandment alone shall live / Within the book and volume of my brain. The use of the word commandment shows that he will follow the Ghosts word religiously. This shows that he is resolute, as a man of action would be. However, this is countered almost immediately at the end of the scene O cursed spite, / That ever I was born to set it right. This shows that Hamlet is scared to carry out what he has to do, he would much rather someone else revenge his father than he. The first device that Hamlet uses to carry out his revenge is to pretend to be mad. By this pretence he hopes to draw the attention away of the court away from him so that he can watch and follow Claudius to see if he is showing any signs of guilt. He tells Guildenstern of his madness. I am mad but north-north-west. When the wind is / southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw. His stated intention is to gain irrefutable evidence of Claudiuss villainy. He initiates this by visiting Ophelia in a state of undress and handing her a love letter, making Polonius believe that his madness is due to Ophelias rejection of him. Hamlet uses his feigned madness to show his true emotions and insult people he doesnt like: You are a fishmonger. A fishmonger in Elizabethan times could have meant pimp, showing that Hamlet thinks that Polonius is using his daughter to gain favour within the court. Hamlets feigned madness does affect Claudius: in the first act he delivers long speeches, but by Act 2 he is reduced to short sentences like We will try it. This is an action, but it is one that allows him to procrastinate. When Hamlet is left alone he laments his weakness and inactivity. An actor could weep at the imagined grief of Hecuba, whereas Hamlet fails to respond to the murder of his father: Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect, / A broken voice, and his whole function suiting / forms to his conceit? And all for nothing! / For Hecuba! Hamlets principles cause him a great deal of self-criticism: Why what an ass am I! This is most brave, / That I the son of a dear father murderd, / Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, / Must like a whore unpack my heart with words/ And fall a-cursing like a very drab, He curses his inactivity, showing that, although he is a thinker, he would prefer to be a man of action. At the end of the soliloquy he seems resolved to revenge Claudius, the Mouse-Trap play is a form of revenge against Claudius, but again it is not direct revenge, as he is still procrastinating. The fact that he has not confronted Claudius four months after confirmation from the ghost that Claudius is the guilty party shows that he is definitely a thinker. Hamlets soliloquy at the start of Act 3 still shows his overwhelming desire to think, particularly about suicide To be or not to be. The fact that he is still has time for soliloquies, and that he is not trying to hunt Claudius down and kill him, shows that he is definitely a thinker. Hamlet shows a lack of self knowledge as he cannot, as he intended in Act 1 sc 5 with wings as swift / As meditation or the thoughts of love / May sweep to my revenge. Instead he broods on his fathers death and even when he gets proof from Claudiuss reaction to the Mouse Trap play, Ill take the ghosts word for a thousand pound. He hesitates and needs further spurring by the ghost in Act 3 to whet thy almost blunted purpose. Hamlet has the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius in Act 3 sc 3, but again he procrastinates, letting himself think about what will happen to Claudius soul A villain kills my father, and for that I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven. He doesnt act, because he thinks that Claudius is praying, cleansing his soul. This would send him to heaven, not hell where he belongs. The irony is that Claudius himself has too much on his conscience and cannot pray, My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. / Words without thoughts never to heaven go. Hamlet curses himself in a later soliloquy for his lack of action. Hamlets first action of physical revenge is to stab Polonius behind the arras. This action shows that he can only do something on the spur of the moment. If hed had time to think about it, he would have found a way around stabbing the person behind the arras, electing instead to procrastinate. Hamlet meets Fortinbras army in Act 4 sc 4, which makes him feel depressed when he compares himself to Fortinbras: the Norwegian Prince is prepared to fight over something of very little value, while he hasnt yet taken revenge for the murder of his father and the seduction of his mother: How all occasions do inform against me, / And spur my dull revenge. Hamlet does what he always does when confronted with a problem; he has a soliloquy. However, this is his last soliloquy, which could suggest that he is done with thinking now, and will finally carry out his revenge. Hamlet shows another decisive action, in dealing with the betrayal of his one-time friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and with Claudius attempt to have him killed on his way to England. He replaces his own name with that of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in the letter, ensuring that they will be killed in his place. He also Boards a pirate ship so that he can return to Denmark, these are all very decisive actions focused to towards revenging his fathers death. Hamlets entrance into Ophelias funeral certainly is more action-focussed than his previous actions: This is I, / Hamlet the Dane. His fight with Laertes, declaration of his love of Ophelia and his switch from prose to verse show that he is longer talking his self into lying and misleading others. Therefore he is not thinking as much as he is acting. Hamlets next action is to duel with Laertes, not knowing that it has been fixed so that Hamlet will die, but as with most strategies in the play, it does go according to plan: Both Laertes and Hamlet are wounded by the poisoned sword, Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine, and one of Hamlets dying acts is to force Claudius to drink the poisoned wine, which he does with relish, enjoying the power he has, and the fact that he is killing the person who killed his father, seduced his mother, taken his thrown and plotted to kill him twice Here thou incestuous, murdrous, damned Dane, / Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? / Follow my mother. His action here was done purely, without any thought. As he dies Hamlet names Fortinbras as his successor to the throne of Denmark. He admires Fortinbras as a man of action, seeing that that is what his country needs to return stability to it, I do prophesy thelection lights / On Fortinbras. He has my dying voice. The time frame of the play helps to reinforce the impression of time passing. Individuals in the play travel from Denmark to Norway, Poland and England, from the court to the countryside. Contrasting the activity of Laertes and Fortinbras with the prolonged inactivity of Hamlet. As the hero in this tragedy Hamlet doesnt have one, sole, character flaw that leads to his untimely death. He is a thinker involved in a dilemma that can only be solved successfully by a man of action. His inability to act swiftly and decisively without high motivation in connection with his fathers murder brings havoc to the Danish court, his own death and the death of many others in the court. If he had been a man of action Claudius would have been killed months before.