Research Paper of Eileen Chang

Eileen Chang’s life and the Influence of Chinese Literature Eileen Chang, or Chang Ailing, (1920 – 1995)  is one of the best novelists in Chinese modem literature history. Her work is known for its unique feminine elegance and classic beauty. She became famous and popular by the readers at that time when she published her first novel in 1943. Her amazing grasp of people’s psychology and her particular attitude toward life were seldom seen at the time. Her most famous works include Lust, Caution and Love in a Fallen City.The portrayal of her life in 1940s Shanghai and Japanese-occupied Hong Kong is remarkable in its focus on everyday life and the absence of the political subtext which characterized many other writers of the period. Poet and University of Southern California professor Dominic Cheung commented â€Å"had it not been for the political division between the Nationalist and Communist Chinese, she would have almost certainly won a Nobel Prize†. ( Wikipedia,org) Chang was born in Shanghai to a renowned family. Her parents divorced when Chang was five.In 1939, she was accepted into the University of  Hong Kong  to study literature. After two years, she also got an opportunity to study in the University of London; however, she had to give up while Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese and then she went back to Shanghai. (China culture, â€Å"Eileen Chang's life in brief†) Chang was introduced to a famous editor, Shoujuan Chou in 1943. She gave him a few pieces of her writing and with his help, Chang soon became the most popular new writer in Shanghai.Within the next two years, she wrote Love in a Fallen City and The Golden Cangue. Her literary maturity was said to be beyond her age. The Golden Cangue has been regarded as one of the best novels in Chinese modern literature. In the early days of her career, Chang was famously associated with this comment: To be famous, I must hurry. If it comes too late, it will not bring me so much happiness †¦ Hurry, hurry, or it will be too late, too late! (  Lust, Caution,Penguin Classics.Retrieved April 26, 2011) After 1949, Chang’s literature was different from the mainstream literature; it became the greatest difficulty for her to be accepted, so she migrated to Hong Kong in 1952, where she worked as a translator for the American News Agency for three years. Then she left for the United States in the fall in 1955, never return to the mainland again. (China culture, â€Å"Eileen Chang's life in brief†) The Golden Cangue was popular short novel in America when it was published while Chang was not satisfied about the reputation in America.Her ambition led her to expend The Golden Cangue into a long novel. (Fujian translator association, â€Å" —- The Rouge of the North†) The Golden Cangue was adapted into Yuan Nu in 1967. Yuan Nu has been translated into The Rouge of the North in 1971 by herself. The Rouge of the North tel ls of the melancholy life of a lower-class woman trapped within the confines of an unhappy arranged marriage. Taking the reader through the stages of this woman's gradual descent into madness, it contains some of the most notable novelistic features of Chang's work. University of California, Irvine) She wrote about broken marriages in many of her books and most of her works were pessimistic overtones because of her unhappy childhood in a broken family. With the development of economic revolution in mainland China in the 1980’s, Chang was gradually accepted in China. Her works frequently deal with the tensions in love between men and women. Chang’s literature is a milestone of feminist consciousness and also reflects the Chinese feminism  literature after the May Fourth Movement. Chixui Chu, â€Å"On the Cultural Creativity in Fictions by Zhang-Ailing†) She was the first writer who gathered woman literature on politics and turbulence. In her novels there were d etailed descriptions on authentic thoughts and survival of middle-aged women in that particular generation. (Dongxia Cheng, â€Å"Analysis about Eiling Chang, the Gift Female Writer in Turbulent Days†) (www. studa. net) With the number of her fans increasing; she was accepted by mainland’s literature field and known as the greatest popular novelist with modern character in Chinese literature’s history. Works cited 1) Wikipedia, â€Å"Eileen Chang† 2) China culture, â€Å"Eileen Chang's life in brief† ;http://www. chinaculture. org/gb/en_artqa/2005-09/02/content_72379. htm; 3) —- The Rouge of the North < http://www. fjfyxh. com/article. php? id=23116> 4) Chixui Chu, â€Å"On the Cultural Creativity in Fictions by Zhang-Ailing† 5) Dongxia Cheng, â€Å"Analysis about Eiling Chang, the Gift Female Writer in Turbulent Days† 6) www. studa. net

Literary Analysis of Ernest Hemingway Essay

Stewart, Matthew C (2000) quite rightly points out that: If literary quality is a register of how deeply an author has felt the subject matter about which he writes, then Hemingway felt very deeply about his war experiences, for these are some of his finest stories. They are â€Å"In Another Country,† â€Å"Now I Lay Me,† and â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be. † The first story very clearly anticipates A Farewell to Arms in its opening paragraph, its setting and the themes it raises. It depicts the ruined lives of wounded soldiers in a hospital, in particular the physical therapy of the American narrator and an Italian major. It is clear that the physical therapy is useless and that some sort of metaphysical, perhaps spiritual, therapy would be more fundamentally valuable for the psychically battered men. The second story, as stated above, depicts Nick and an Italian soldier lying awake at night near the front, unable to sleep. The American narrator dreads sleeping because he fears that his soul will leave his body. The final story depicts Nick Adams returning to the Italian front as a would-be morale booster, but he has been shot, receiving a head-wound that has rendered him barely able to control himself at the front. Indeed, his principal task is to hold onto his sanity. These three war stories are remarkable for their literary quality, for their high degree of autobiographical resonance, and for the way they illuminate A Farewell to Arms and each other. Most to the immediate purpose, however, is to assert that they constitute additional early evidence that Nick Adams was severely traumatized by the war. Lynn and Crews build a version of Hemingway as a world-renowned, middle-aged author pulling the wool over the eyes of friends and critics during the forties and fifties. Twenty-five years after the fact, they maintain, Hemingway fabricates the idea that the war affected him. Yet â€Å"In Another Country† and â€Å"Now I Lay Me† were composed only two years after â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River,† and â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be† was composed in mid-1932. These are Nick Adams stories; they are set at the war; they show Nick as physically and psychically wounded. The opening pages of â€Å"Now I Lay Me† even echo many particulars of â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River,† including the central action of trout fishing as psychic restoration. Hemingway’s finest explorations of the human consequences of war. Hemingway discussed his war nightmares with his first wife in the 1920s for the same reason? Hemingway as both young and middle-aged man undoubtedly kidded, exaggerated, misled, pulled legs, manipulated, hoaxed, and lied. But the existence of these early war stories argues strongly against the idea that Hemingway decided to lay claim to the importance of the war in his work belatedly and factitiously. The incapacity to find his way through questions he cannot solve, his reticence the admission of his own weakness, those familiar steps on the path of the individualist–bring Hemingway’s contemporary to desertion on principle. The theme of desertion is not new to Hemingway. Long ago Nick Adams fled from his home town, then he fled to the front. But here too the brave arditti decorated with all sorts of medals is a potential deserter at heart. For example, that if all the stories about Nick Adams were collected and entitled â€Å"In Our Time† they would not have the structure which In Our Time does have. â€Å"The Killers† and â€Å"Now I Lay Me† might fit, but â€Å"Fathers and Sons† and â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be† would not. Hemingway’s favorite hero-ever the same under his changing names–and you begin to realize that what had seemed the writer’s face is but a mask, and by degrees you begin to discern a different face, that of Nick Adams, Tenente Henry, Jake Barnes, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Frazer. Hemingway shows us how complicated he is by his very attempts to be simple. A tangle of conflicting strains and inconsistencies, a subtle clumsiness, a feeling of doubt and unrest are to be seen even in Hemingway’s earlier books as early as his presentation of Nick Adams’s cloudless young days, but as he proceeds on the way of artistic development these features show increasingly clear and the split between Hemingway and reality widens. Closely following the evolution of his main hero you can see how at first Nick Adams is but a photo film fixing the whole of life in its simplest tangible details. Then you begin to discern Nick’s ever growing instinct of blind protest, at which the manifestations of his will practically stop. The well trained athletic body is full of strength, it seeks for moments of tension that would justify this sort of life and finds them in boxing and skiing, in bull fighting and lion hunting, in wine and women. He makes a fetish of action for action, he revels in â€Å"all that threatens to destroy. † But the mind shocked by the war, undermined by doubt, exhausted by a squandered life, the poor cheated, hopelessly mixed up mind fails him. The satiated man with neither meaning nor purpose in life is no longer capable of a prolonged consecutive effort. â€Å"You oughtn’t to ever do anything too long† and we see the anecdote of the lantern in the teeth of the frozen corpse grow into a tragedy of satiety when nothing is taken in earnest any longer, when â€Å"there is no fun anymore. † Action turns into its reverse, into the passive pose of a stoic, into the courage of despair, into the capacity of keeping oneself in check at any cost, no longer to conquer, but to give away, and that smilingly. The figure of Jake mutilated in the war grows into a type. It is the type of a man who has lost the faculty of accepting all of life with the spontaneous case of his earlier days. For example the wounded Nick says to Rinaldi†You and me we’ve made a separate peace. We’re not patriots. † Tenente Henry kills the Italian sergeant when the latter, refusing to fulfill his order, renounces his part in the war, but inwardly he is a deserter as well and on the following day we actually see him desert. â€Å"In the fall the war was always there, but we did not go to it any more† ( â€Å"In Another Country†). This theme of sanctioned treason, or desertion in every form, so typical of the â€Å"extreme individualist, recurs throughout Hemingway’s work. But to learn to do it is no easy job, especially for one whose sight is limited by the blinders of sceptical individualism. Life is too complicated and full of deceit. The romance of war had been deceit, it is on deceit that the renown of most writers rests. The felicity of the Eliot couple is but self-deceit; Jake is cruelly deceived by life; for Mr. Frazer everything is deceit or self-deceit, everything is dope–religion, radio, patriotism, even bread. There is despair in the feeling of impending doom, and morbidity in the foretaste of the imminent loss of all that was dear. All stories if continued far enough end in death, and he is no true-story teller who would keep that from you. Especially do all stories of monogamy end in death, and your man who is monogamous while he often lives most happily, dies in the most lonesome fashion. There is no lonelier man in death except the suicide, than that man who has lived many years with a good wife and then outlives her. If two people love each other there can be no happy end to it. † A variety of later stories– ‘The Revolutionist,†In Another Country,†A Simple Enquiry,†Now I Lay Me,†A Way You’ll Never Be’–affirm the various phases of Hemingway’s thesis: the suffering of the war, the resistances and defenses of his people, their ways of ignoring the scene around them which apparently they cannot control. The depression of the nineteen-thirties was thus a sort of shock to our writers, rather like the insulin treatment in modern therapy, which brought them back from the shadows of apathy to American life at best, and active hostility at worst. This much of the expression of the thirties Hemingway anticipates in his own withdrawal and return to our common life, though the pattern will vary with our other literary figures, and with John Dos Passos and William Faulkner we have both an apparent exception to the rule and a real one. But we cannot deny that if the return to social sanity through shock is better than no return, it is in the end a method of desperation rather than a counsel of perfection. Our Americans are also to show its effect in their work of the decade, as Hemingway has already. The crisis of the new age has caught him well along in his career. Can he discover, who has discovered so much and left much unsaid, the genuine method of unifying his work and his times, the fusion of the ‘I’ and the ‘we’ which will further illuminate the tragic impulses he has made his own? We recall the phrase which summarized Hemingway’s solitary position: ‘a way you’ll never be. ‘ With such native capacities, the inheritance of wisdom and eloquence, the sense of bottomless intuitions we often have with Hemingway, the prophetic texture which marks his talent, will Hemingway now find a way to be? For what a marvelous teacher Hemingway is, with all the restrictions of temperament and environment which so far define his work! What could he not show us of living as well as dying, of the positives in our being as well as our destroying forces, of ‘grace under pressure’ and the grace we need with no pressures, of ordinary life-giving actions along with those superb last gestures of doomed exiles! Tenente Henry enjoys the definite, clear-cut relations between people, the good comradeship â€Å"We felt held together by there being something that had happened, that they did not understand,† and the feeling of risk while it lasts. But soon along with the debacle at Caporetto he finds himself faced by the cruelty of the rear, choked by its lies and filth, hurt by the hatred of the working people to gli ufficiali. And as his shellshock had lost him his sleep so does the stronger shock of war make him a different man. By the time the war is over he has learned to discern â€Å"liars that lie to nations† and to value their honeyed talk at what it is worth. Year after year Hemingway steadily elaborated his main lyrical theme, creating the peculiar indirectly personal form of his narrative (Soldier’s Home, Now I Lay Me), sober on the surface, yet so agitated; and as the years went by, the reader began to perceive the tragic side of his books. It became more and more apparent that his health was a sham, that he and his heroes were wasting it away. Hemingway’s pages were now reflecting all that is ugly and ghastly in human nature, it became increasingly clear that his activity was the purposeless activity of a man vainly attempting not to think, that his courage was the aimless courage of despair, that the obsession of death was taking hold of him, that again and again he was writing of the end–the end of love, the end of life, the end of hope, the end of all. The bourgeois patrons and the middle-class readers tamed by prosperity, were gradually losing interest in Hemingway. To follow him through the concentric circles of his individualistic hell was becoming a bit frightening and a bit tedious. He was taking things too seriously. In early days both critics and readers had highly admired the â€Å"romantic† strength, the â€Å"exotic† bull-fights, â€Å"the masculine athletic style;† but now Hemingway’s moments of meditation, his too intent gazing at what is horrible, According Hannum (1992) the trial of courage Nick so often faced had begun at least by the time of the Boulton episode. The doctor’s backing down before Boulton no doubt spurred Nick’s long fascination with boxing (his immediate recognition of Stanley Ketchel, Ad Francis, and Ole Andreson in the road stories) and his own concern with fistfights (the brakeman and Ad) and other challenges to his own courage. In â€Å"The Light of the World† he flinched and put up money when the bartender threatened Tom and him (292); in â€Å"The Battler† he smarted under the brakeman’s trick punch, then found himself briefly overmatched in the near-fight with Ad (101-02), but in â€Å"The Killers† he risked his life to warn Ole Andreson. In â€Å"In Another Country† Nick considered himself a dove in contrast to his â€Å"hunting-hawk† (208) comrades in Milan, though he learned a new courage from the Italian major whose wife died of pneumonia, and in â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be† puked and fell back in his first infantry attack (314), but thereafter found courage in grappa. (Hannum 92) Conclusion If on closing Hemingway’s books you recall and assort the disjoined pieces of the biography of his main hero you will be able to trace the decisive points of his life. Nick–first a tabula rasa, then turning away from too cruel a reality; Henry struggling for his life and trying to assert its joys, Jake and Mr. Johnson–already more than half broken and Mr. Frazer–a martyr to reflection and growing passivity. So we witness both the awakening and the ossification of the hero whose psychology is so intimately known to Hemingway himself, and as opposed to it a file of brave and stoic people–the Negro in â€Å"Battler,† the imposing figures of Belmonte and Manola, the broken giant Ole Andreson; in a word–those people for whom Hemingway’s double has so strong an instinctive liking, first worshipped as heroes and then brought down to earth. Works Cited Hannum, Howard L.†Ã¢â‚¬ Scared Sick Looking at It†: A Reading of Nick Adams in the Published Stories. † Twentieth Century Literature 47. 1 (2001) Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"The Art of the Short Story. † Ernest Hemingway: A Study of the Short Fiction. Ed. Joseph M. Flora. Boston: Twayne, 1989. 129-44. Nolan, Charles J. Jr. â€Å"Hemingway’s Complicated â€Å"Enquiry† in ‘Men without Women. ‘. † Studies in Short Fiction 32. 2 (1995) Nolan, Charles J. Jr. â€Å"Hemingway’s Puzzling Pursuit Race. † Studies in Short Fiction 34. 4 (1997) Paul, Steve. â€Å"†Ã¢â‚¬ËœDrive,’ He Said†: How Ted Brumback Helped Steer Ernest Hemingway into War and Writing. † The Hemingway Review 27. 1 (2007) Paul, Steve. â€Å"Preparing for War and Writing What the Young Hemingway Read in the Kansas City Star, 1917-1918. † The Hemingway Review 23. 2 (2004) Stewart, Matthew C. â€Å"Ernest Hemingway and World War I: Combatting Recent Psychobiographical Reassessments, Restoring the War. † Papers on Language & Literature 36. 2 (2000) Tyler, Lisa. â€Å"Hemingway’s Italy: New Perspectives. † The Hemingway Review 26. 2 (2007)

Simulation paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Simulation paper - Essay Example Thus, our firm intentions are to promote and generate effective marketing. Through, the use of feasibility studies that allow the firm be in a position to launch it services to the large market and to the consumers. In this firm, there are it objective that it foresee to achieve in the period of simulation. Owing to the above elucidation, LINKS Services Management has its own goals that it works upon to achieve them. Here are the goals of Link Simulation: to create the best services in the market by this the firm invests its energy and time to produce better services that fit the consumer through its availability and affordability. Secondly, to be a worldwide leader in manufacturing through this the firm aims at achieving a universal trademark that makes it the best in the sector of production. This means that Link Simulation wants to develop and invest in its services that will be capable of capturing the consumers’ needs. Thirdly, it wants to content to consumer provisions hence making it a preferred firm. This attained through availing the products on time, availability in plenty due to the client demands and at a fair price (Bill Hefley, 2008). Besides they aim at developing a truly relation that relies on the trust in times of the transaction. Fourthly, to provide a consistent, suitability, productivity and value for money services to the consumers and the large market. This enables the firm to have much grip on the market source since they are able to deliver regarding to the customer demands. Finally, the firm objective is to offer a high-value products and services. The production of a high notch product and services enables a company is accepted in the market quickly. Link Simulation hires qualified personnel has to ensure a number one product delivered in the market. With all this achievable goals, Links Simulation work upon attaining them evenly in the worldwide business market. In

The Impact Of Healthcare Reforms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Impact Of Healthcare Reforms - Essay Example However, Avraham, Dafny, and Schanzenbach (2012) found a positive and significant impact of reforms aimed at improving healthcare quality in HMOs, which resulted in an increase in coverage among workers and reduction of tort related lawsuits. Precisely, reforms on the general set of ports between 1998 and 2006 reduced payable premiums of employer-sponsored self-insured health care programs by about 2.1%. While no significant reductions were found in fully insured plans under HMOs, caps on noneconomic damages and collateral source reforms had the greatest impact. Therefore, this suggests that American workers have benefited from the reforms by spending less on aggregate health costs/premiums as a percentage of personal income. Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS, 2010) noted that collaboration among health plans to share client details through regional and statewide information systems significantly helped to reduce time and office practice expenses. Mission Statement for Aetna International Aetna International is global healthcare provider with its head quarter in USA and continental offices in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The company has been providing healthcare services in the last 3 decades with demonstrated excellence and customer satisfaction. Within America, Aetna is one of the many HMO service providers and offers both self-sponsored managed medical care plans as well as travel insurance.  The company offers three categories of healthcare plans including individual, corporate, and blended healthcare plans.

Current status of network management tools Assignment

Current status of network management tools - Assignment Example Essentially, it is important to have a network that is reliable in any organization in order to ensure continuous communication and connectivity. This can only be achieved by choosing the best and cost effective network management tools. Bandwidth monitor which is a tool that is used to provide a graphical representation of the real time traffic in a router or a switch. It is an exemplary tool for identification of bottlenecks that are related to the bandwidth within the network. It is used to monitor the percentage utilization of all the interfaces in the device and the average bandwidth per Second (Edward, 1994). Switch Port mapper which is a tool that is used by network engineers to identify the switch port to which a device is connected. This eliminates the need to manually trace the network cables. The tool basically discovers the devices that are plugged into each port of any particular switch in the network. It helps the system and network engineers to identify IP and MAC status and determine availability of ports. Since the tool operates on a real time discovery, it is also possible to view the operational status of each port (Sugauchi, Morisada, Hirata, Miyazaki, & Sato, 2002). The essay will technically discuss the IP Address Manager (IPAM) tool. This tool helps the network engineers to identify the availability of a network IP address in an enterprise network. The tool periodically scans a subnet and determines the IP address availability in that particular subnet. One can then determine whether a particular IP address is available or not. The tool is advantageous since it allows scanning of multiple subnets and helps to scan the entire network and get the status of IP addresses (Microsoft, 2014). This feature helps to identify whether the IP address belongs to a computer that is in an Active Directory. The feature is also used to view details of computer objects in an Active directory and subsequently synchronize

Summarize the arguements for and against plea bargaining Essay

Summarize the arguements for and against plea bargaining - Essay Example In this type of bargaining, the defendant pleads guilty to get fewer counts on the offense they are charged with. The bargaining processes are usually voluntary and it does not always result to an outcome that is desired by both parties. The plea bargaining practice is widely supported by the American judicial system due its importance in terms of saving costs incurred during trails alongside its many benefits on the court system. The plea bargaining practice benefits many stakeholders in the courtroom. First, it assists the prosecutor in disposing off a busy and complex caseload. Many prosecutors have limited resources within their access. It is therefore very hard to prosecute all the cases that come before them. Due to this fact, these prosecutors may decide to push forward the cases that have public elements through the rigorous court procedure while going for plea-bargaining on the ones that do not look very promising and do not have much public significance. The defense attorney also benefit from the plea-bargaining. Most of these defense attorneys are public attorneys who offer their services to defendants of criminal cases. They also face resources constraints such as the ones prosecutors face. This implies that plea-bargaining benefits this type of attorneys by facilitating quick disposal of cases. The outcome of this process is more payment by the defense for less work done by the defense attorneys. The plea-bargaining process benefits the defendant more than it does to both the prosecutor and the defense attorney. This is because it results to the defendant getting a lesser charge as compared to the one that they could get. The plea-bargaining processes also benefits the court since it saves its resources. The reviewing of plea bargaining is simpler and easier as compared to the full trial of a case. There are several problems associated with plea bargaining process. First, the prosecutor will always start the bargaining process on

ALCESTIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

ALCESTIS - Essay Example On Alcestis and Admetos’ wedding day, the groom is faced with imminent death for failing to sacrifice Artemis. To atone for this failure and avoid death, Admetos is forced to exchange his life for another person. However, to his disappointment, there is no one from his household who is willing to lay down their life for his. It is during this moment that Alcestis, his wife, offers to die for him. This paper aims to address the notion that Alcestis should have never died for Admetos, considering his character, was a serious mistake. Admetos was well aware of the customs, tradition and rites that were practiced by his people. His failure to perform the rite of sacrificing to Artemis, the god who determined an individual’s destiny, was an act of ignorance on his part. He should have followed the right protocol required of any man in his society when marrying. Admetos showed kindness and generosity towards his wife, but this does not justify that he should accept her sacrifice to die for him. He says, â€Å"Old men’s prayers for death are lying prayers, in which they abuse old age and long extent of life. But when death draws near, not one is willing to die, and age no longer is a burden to then (Euripides et al. 219). This is because his acts of kindness and generosity do not dictate or demand that his wife bear the burden if his mistakes. If Admetos truly loved his wife, he should not have allowed her to sacrifice herself for him, and this clearly illustrated when Apollo battles death to save Alce stis. When Apollo realizes that nobody, in the house of Admetos, gave their life for him apart from his wife, he rectifies the mistake done by rescuing Alcestis from Hades and restoring her back to life with the help of Heracles. It was a grave mistake for Alcestis, to lay down her life for Admetos because, even if she was his wife, he did not love her for his heart belonged to a god. The mistake is highlighted by Apollo’s act of setting out to rescue her from Hades

Performance and Culture - Post Modernism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Performance and Culture - Post Modernism - Essay Example Though postmodernism still has the potential to be an effective liberating space for the subjugated, it is seldom used for this end (McGuigan 98). One key aspect of the visual aesthetic of the black community is that of the body. The notions surrounding black hair and its style provide us a contextual framework for analyzing its relation to modernity and postmodernity. One of the mechanisms of modernism is to find an absolute "essence" of its subject, denying all the other experiences that make up a community in the margin (Hutcheon). Within and outside their community, essentialist arguments have been used to fit the entire community in the margin into easy categories. For instance, the natural texture of African-American hair has been used as one of the key visual elements in a system of ethnic signifiers. The first essentialist construction of black hair meant that it was all of the things white hair was not. Instead of being judged for its own inherent qualities, black hair was portrayed to be not good, not beautiful, unmanageable and even uninteresting. As an ethnic signifier, its metonymic qualities were obvious - it als o became the construction of what whiteness was not. This first essentialist argument was not created by the black community, but it was internalized. It is still in use today by individuals inside and outside of the margin that comprises the black community (Hutcheon). This deficiency was addressed by the black power movement during the nineteen sixties, although the method employed was of the modernist tradition. It tried to redefine what â€Å"ideal† meant for those inside and outside the community. The myth of the superiority attached to straightened and processed hair was dismantled and a new signifiers for good black hair was projected – namely the Afros and Caribbean dreadlocks. This new essentialist construction of ideal black hair countered the former one, and thus is strongly tied to it. What resulted was a

Starting a Business Online Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Starting a Business Online - Essay Example Convenient. Online business is convenient to both the owner and the customer. The owner can run the business 24 hours without the need to open the whole establishment. The customer can also shop in their place without further cost to them at any time of the day. Disadvantages: Legitimacy issues. When running a small online business, there will be difficulties in evaluating legitimate transactions (Lendor, n.d). Online business is also vulnerable to credit cards crimes. Both the owner and the customer will face these legitimacy issues of the online business. Marketing Issues. Unlike big online businesses, small time online business may encounter difficulties in attracting markets. Since the competition for online businesses is very high, there is a need for a good marketing including search engine optimization and paid directory inclusion which the business may not have enough resources for these strategies (Lendor, n.d.). 2. e-Commerce describes a process of buying and selling of goo ds and services via internet (â€Å"An Introduction†, n.d.). This is regarded as a modern process of commerce involving the World Wide Web when transacting the business. This process is makes the business international because it does not have any restrictions when it comes to locations. Anybody using the internet can transact in online business. Because of this, the company faces issues on trust, culture, language, government and infrastructure. Issues on trust can be addressed by making the business legitimate in all aspects. The owner must secure needed clearances and requirements to legalize the business and each transaction. Thus, if the business does not hide any illegal acts, there will be no issues on trust. Cultural issues can be addressed by ensuring that products and services sold do not discriminate or injure any culture and traditions. Since the business is international and cannot be really monitored, restricted or limited by the government, then the companies m ust be responsible enough to follow rules and regulations so as not to harm any person, tradition or race. This is just a matter of responsible business running. Another possible issue is on language. Since this is an international business, there will soon be issues on language. There exists thousands if not millions of different languages in the world. For an online business to be able to cater to all countries there must be an availability of language translator or if none, then at least the business must cater to major languages used in the world. The issue on government is really difficult because of the fact that because online business is international, the accountability, registration, legitimacy, standards issues can be hard to address. A certain online business can run in a different place but registered in another. However, this issue can be deal with by company’s honesty and sense of responsibility. The government in return must also be meticulous in checking if t he said online business is legal and upholds the standards. Issues on infrastructures such as communication is not a very difficult to address since technology is already very powerful and advanced. Online business can partner with other e-commerce business that provides services such as communications and transportation of products online. 3. Online business’ compliance to laws is really important. This requires responsible and honest running of business from the

Death of a Parent Essay Example for Free

Death of a Parent Essay I believe we are defined by events that happen throughout our lives both passivity and negatively. Most of the events that change people’s paths often happen suddenly in their life and sometimes have long term effects. Whether it is a personal, religious, life style, or even a career change the fact still remains the cause for change was caused by the event. The statements above are true for my life; my life was about to change forever. This is the day I found out my mother had only six months to live, I was only 19 years old. I was picking my mother up from a routine follow-up appointment she had at Keesler Air force Base Hospital in Biloxi Mississippi, on the afternoon of 3 March 1997. I was walking up the steps of the hospital when I saw her walking out her face was pale I asked her if she was ok, her response was no. At this point in time everything went silent she asked me to sit down on the steps but I couldn’t I just wanted to know what was wrong. My mother while holding my hands then told me the results of the test and that she had liver cancer and it was untreatable. I was frozen not knowing what to say I just grab her and held her close and begun to cry. She told me to stop crying because she was going to need me to be strong for her and my brothers, that she wanted her last six months to be happy memories not sad ones. Let’s step back for a moment so I can explain the relationship I had with my mother because it was not your normal one. My mother was so much more to me than just a mom, she was my best friend I told her everything and she told me everything. We spent many late nights talking about everything in life from how our day went to what life would hold for us in the future. My mother was one of those people who never wanted or asked for anything for herself but was one who gave everything and would do anything for her children. When I say her children I don’t just mean her biological ones, she took care and provide for so many more, whether it was local neighbor hood, friends, family, co-workers and sometime even complete strangers who just need help. I remember many nights sitting at the kitchen table with people eating dinner with us who I did not know and many of them I would never see again after that night. My mom would always say we don’t have much but what we do have is sometimes way more than what others have. My mother was the strongest person I ever known, who also had the biggest heart. Two years before we found out she only had six months to live my mother kicked breast cancers ass. At least so we thought until the cancer showed back up in her liver and the doctors only gave her six months to live. At first nothing changed for her life or mine after finding out the bad news in fact she made me promise not to tell my brothers or anyone else. She continued working up to about the last two months. That is when things started to fall apart. The first thing to go for my mother was her memory. I can remember coming home from work and my mother talking to me about going camping like I was five years old. Not knowing how to handle it I just played along with the conversation, it seemed to make her happy. This went on and off for about two weeks and then things really started heading down hill pretty quick. I had to get help from hospice care, to have help taking care of her, because she was basically bedridden and unable to care for herself. Hospice came into our home and set up a medical bed and other medical equipment in our formal living area, this was the open area in our house. At this point I quit my job to take care of her because hospice care was only coming to the house like twice a day the rest was up to me. I had made a promise to her not to let her die in a hospital and I was trying to keep that promise. As the days went on the care became more and more demanding not really physical but mentally. I was doing everything thing for her, from bathing, changing her clothes, and bed pan to forcing her to take the meds she still need to take for pain control. At this point she was no longer able to speak, it seemed like her mind was completely gone just a blank stare. My breaking point was met, I was unable to care for my mother at home anymore she had pretty much slipped into a coma. I had to have my mother moved to the hospital, I couldn’t keep that promise I made her and still to this day I beg for forgiveness from her. She was only in the hospital for three nights before she passed. My brothers and I took turns at night staying with her and my night was night three. That night was a special night, it was her birthday. On the night she passed away we got her a birthday cake and song happy birthday to our mother for the last time. After singing happy birthday and blowing out the candles we each gave her a hug. When it became my turn to give her a hug I told her it was ok for her to go, that we will be ok and I love you. It wasn’t long after that she passed away at the age of 40. Not long after my mother died my life begun to fall apart. I could not deal with people always asking me if I was ok or if I needed anything. I started pushing everyone away and shutting out the ones I love. I needed to make a positive change in my life because my mother would not want me to live this way. So I joined to U. S. Army and left home and everybody I loved. I didn’t really have a plan I just knew I needed my space and this was the only way I was going to get it. In fact I wrote a letter to my girlfriend breaking up with her on my flight to Germany, after I had completed all my initial training. I was completely alone for the first time after my mother died. Not a day goes by that I do not think about my mother and how her passing changed my life. Today I live my life the way I believe she would have wanted me to, with an open mind, trying to see the positives in every situation I find myself in. There are things I wish I would have handled differently when it comes to my love ones I left behind when I joined the Army. My mother’s passing away changed my life in so many ways and has dad a major impact on the way I raise my kids, I do not take the time I have with them for granted. You never know when your time is up, so I say make the most of it and never wait until tomorrow to tell someone you love them.

Learning and development strategy

Learning and development strategy Part A Learning and Development Strategy Learning and development is basically directed towards the alignment of training needs and career development of an employee. The basic purpose of the learning and development strategy is that you advance an employee skills and knowledge in such a way that will help in getting his job done and eventually to leads to overall organization performance. Combining both learning and development strategies, you actually create a link between them. That is you actually motivate employee to learn those skills which will help them in performing their job. Essential elements of learning and development strategy are: How a learner will learn the information? Which form of information input will a learner prefer? How a learner will draw meaning from the received information? What will be the preferred learning style of the learner? Differences in formal and informal learning techniques Informal learning Formal learning In informal learning there is no formal instructor involved in it. In formal learning you are directly directed by the instructor to learn a particular thing. In formal learning has no predefined objects and end results. Before the start of the formal learning, you have some objectives that clearly define the reason and result of the learning. Informal learning does not take place within a structured environment. Rather it is more of spontaneous nature. Informal learning usually happens with the frequency of experiences Formal learning takes place within a special arrangement within an organization. In informal learning you dont get any recognition or certificate for learning that knowledge or skill It results in achievement of special degree or certificate that actually certified that the recipient of this has learned a particular skill or knowledge. Informal learning may not be intentionally learned. It may happen unintentionally In formal learning, learner consciously and intentionally learns a specific skill. It usually happens through hit and trial process; through socialization when you interact with people you tend to learn different things from them unconsciously. Examples of formal learning are discussions, role playing, lecturers, simulations etc. Honey and Mumford learning style The learning ability of each individual varies from another individual. Learning styles determine the preferences of individuals in terms of how they focus on different types of information, particular ways of perceiving that information and how each individual understands that information (Sandra Penger and Metka TekavÄ iÄ , 2009). Honey and Mumford come up with different four learning style to examine differences in learning approaches. The four learning styles are: Activists Reflectors Theorists Pragmatists Activists Activist learners have short them orientation. Activist wants new experiences in their lives. Activists are more flexible and welcoming. They are more of adventurous nature and want to try anything new. They are ready to take decisions without thinking that what would be the results of that decision. They dont like to prepare before they take any action. Because of their short term orientation, they get bore easily and quickly and always look for new things as soon as pleasure from one activity decreases. They are risk taker who want to accept challenges but without thinking the possible consequences of those challenges. Reflectors Reflectors are considered as good and active listeners. When learner gain experience as an activist, then there is a stage to process those experience. They seek information from people both primary that with their own efforts and secondary that is from others. That is why reflectors do not engage or participate or provide information rather they are seekers and listeners of information. They dont quickly jump to conclusion. Rather they want to have deep understanding and insight of the information and like to think over and again. There fore reflectors are slow decision maker. They resist from taking decisions immediately before pondering into the collected information. Their purpose is to collect and analyze information as possible before coming to conclusion. That is these learners focus on gathering and thorough processing of information instead of drawing conclusions from it. Theorists Theorists are those learners who are more attracted towards theories, logics and principles. They tend to transform the learned information, being an activist and reflectors, into theories and come up with logical reasoning. Their way of analyzing any information or solving problem is that they go step by step and draw relationships or logics to grasp the big picture. That is why they are said to be vertical thinkers (Frank Coffield, David Moseley, Elaine Hall and Kathryn Ecclestone, 2004). They are more of perfectionist who wants discipline in their lives. That is why they go systematically, logically and rationally. Theorists are more of objective nature. Therefore they do not believe in subjectivity, gut feelings or intuition. They want logics and reasons to grasp the information. Pragmatists As theorist look for theories and logics to understand the information, pragmatists are one step forward. They want the practical implication of theories to grasp the information. As the name implies, pragmatist learners are more of practical and realistic in nature. They cannot assimilate any model theory or principal until and unless it has practical verification. Like activist they look for challenging wok and new ideas but it should be of practical nature. These types of learners want to try out the information they have learned once they get out of the learning institution. Activities that form part of the learning and development Case study Case study is one of the activities that form part of learning and development strategy. In this method learners are provided with situation that could be hypothetical or real. That situation or story includes the background, some supporting information and issue faced by a company or any organization around which the case study revolves. Learner has to solve the case study by providing possible solutions to the problem. Learner must be told that case study may not have one concrete solution. Rather its the property of the case study that a problem in case can be solved by many and different ways. Therefore each learner can have different solution for the case study. The focus on using case study as a learning tool is that how the learner approaches towards the solution, how much he understands the problem and what are the tools and techniques he has used to solve the problem. Harvard case studies are widely used in colleges and universities to improve problem solving and decision making skills of learners. On the job training (OJT) On the job training is especially applicable for small business. Its more appropriate when learner has to learn new technology. OJT can be done formally or informally. In formal OJT, there is a formal trainer, learners observes the teacher that what and how he is doing. Then after the demonstration, instructor will discuss the process of using orally. Then the learner will himself practice the learned skills and will get feedback and instruction at the same time. This process will repeat until the learner become master to it. Whereas in informal on the job training, there is no formal trainer, those who knows the technology can teach the learner whenever he requires. There is no formal practice of the learned skills or proper feedback of the performance of the learner. Mens Wearhouse is practicing formal on the job training in which they have trained trainers and they are responsible for the development of their trainees. Part B Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory Maslow hierarchy of needs theory was proposed in 1943 by Abraham Maslow in a paper A theory of human Motivation (William G. Huitt,2004). Maslow points out five levels of need that are the sources of motivation for every individual. This level of needs is presented in a specific sequence. If one level of need is satisfied, then individual will move towards another level of need. An individual will not move forward to another level of need until and unless the existing level will be satisfied. And this process will continue until a person reaches to most upper level. Different people will be motivated by different level of need at the same time. The five levels of needs are Psychological needs Safety needs Social needs Esteem needs Self actualization needs Psychological needs This is the primary level need of Maslow hierarchy of needs. It includes basic necessities of an individual that are food, shelter, water and other physical requirements. This level of need is the basic requirements of every individual and it must be met to move upward in need pyramid. Safety needs Safety needs includes protection, security both physical and emotional. Safety needs include financial security, health care, justice, personal security etc. If the physiological needs of an individual is satisfied then he will move for safety needs. For an employee safety need would be job security, justice in distribution of rewards by the company. Social needs Social needs include need for friends, relationships and belongingness. Every individual needs love and love by others. Esteem needs Esteem needs includes need for self respect, achievement, recognition, status, reputation. All individuals have tendency to engage themselves in such activities that results in recognition and value to enhance their reputation and gain a status among the group. Self actualization needs Self actualization needs includes need for growth and to satisfy the drive of becoming what one has capacity to become. This is the most upper level of need hierarchy. Any individual will reach to this stage, when the lower levels of needs will be satisfied. If pervious level of needs will be satisfied, then an individual will realize its inner potential and will try to become what he can be. Critical analysis of Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory The crux of Maslow hierarchy of needs theory is that each level in hierarchy must be satisfied before you go to the next level. In business world, managers adopted this theory to motivate their employees. Motivating employees is a big challenge for managers in any organization. Managers not only motivate their employees to get their job done but they motivate their employees to perform their job in such a way that leads to both employee and organizational productivity. So Maslow theory gives basis to how to motivate employees. Managers have to determine that which need level is more important to an employee. Sometimes managers only focus on physiological and safety needs to motivate employees in terms of salary and job security. But manager must keep in mind that if you want outstanding performance from the employees, then you have go upward and focus on upper level of needs like esteem and self actualization need. Merely monetary incentives are not sufficient to motivate employees but recognition in public, raising status, promotions, career advancement also encourage employees and wok as a token of apprecia tion for the employees. It also gives signal to the employees that company value the contribution of employees. Criticism on Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory Maslow hierarchy of needs theory is based on intuition and has no scientific reasoning behind it to support the argument. Maslow hierarchy of needs is not applicable in all culture. For instance, some culture gives importance to esteem needs than social needs. Some culture emphasizes social needs then over self actualization. According to Nevis (1983), Chinas primary need is belonging need and there is no esteem needs in need pyramid. Moreover self actualization need for China in not realizing ones own potential, but being collectivist country, the meaning of self actualization for them is to serve the members of the society. Implication of Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory Apart from criticism, Maslow hierarchy of needs theory has an implication on HR practices. Through this theory, managers can design the framework to determine how to motivate employees for better performance. For instance you can arrange lunch breaks, define rest hours and enough salary and wages so that employee can have their basic necessities of life to fulfill their physiological needs. In safety needs, managers must provided safe and sound working conditions in which workers can work easily and there is low level of hazards. Managers must design pension plans, retirement plans and gratuity to help employees after their retirement age. In social needs, managers must design groups or teams to which employees can associate them. In esteem needs, managers must recognize the contributions of their employees not only by giving them monetary rewards. But employees must be rewarded on basis of total reward management concept which includes intangible rewards as well like recognition program, certificates, gifts etc In self actualization need, managers can give career advancement opportunity to employees by giving them more challenging work, sponsoring them for higher education etc

Analysis of Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Essay

Analysis of Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening The poem, â€Å"Stopping by Woods†¦Ã¢â‚¬  speaks of a time that the author paused during a trip to simply enjoy the quiet and beauty of nature. During this short stop, he contemplates mortality and his life so far. Frost also cleverly uses the poems form and sounds to enhance the poem, to entice the readers senses, and immerse them in the scene. With repetitive â€Å"s† and â€Å"h† sounds throughout the poem one can imagine the sound of the sled sliding through the snow, or perhaps the â€Å"easy wind and downy flake† through the trees. The poem was written in iambic tetrameter, which also lends a steady rhythm that mimics the motion of the sled. Or perhaps the â€Å"s† sound could signify that the main character is shivering, for it is the â€Å"darkest evening of the year†, and presumably the coldest. The last two lines of the poem, â€Å"And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep† seem to echo each other. Why did Frost repeat this phrase when one occurrence would be sufficient? The first â€Å"And miles† qu...

The Genocide of the Chiricahua Indian Tribe Essay -- Apache Indians Na

The Genocide of the Chiricahua Indian Tribe United States history is taught in public schools from the time we are able to understand its importance. Teachings of honorable plights by our forefathers to establish this great nation are common. However, specific details of this establishment seem to slip through the cracks of our educational curriculum. Genocide by definition is the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political or cultural group. The Chiricahua Indian Tribe of the American southwest and northern Mexico suffered almost complete annihilation at the hands of the American policy makers of the late nineteenth century, policy makers that chose to justify their means by ignoring their own tyrannical ways. It has been discovered that Apaches in the late 1800s were reported to exist in four separate bands, or clusters of rancherias, although how far back in time the division occurs is unknown (Griffen 5). The native name for the easternmost band was the Chihene, or "red painted people"; they were also known as Victorio, Mangas Coloradas, and Loco Apaches after the Spanish names of important leaders. To the south and west were the Chokonen or "Rising Sun People". These people were often called Central Chiricahua, True Chiricahua, and Cochise Apaches. North and west of the Chokonen were the Bedonkohe, "In Front at the End People" sometimes called the Geronimo Apaches. The southernmost Chiricahua band was the Ndeinda, "enemy people". They were also called the Nedni and Nednai, Southern Chiricahua, Pinery, and Bronco Apaches (Cole 10). These names differ among some scholars, but the majority of them can agree consistently on at least four bands, even if the names are different. Apache history is rich in custom, tradition, and worship of an all powerful supernatural force known as "The Power". Although accounts are different, after the creation of the world, "White Painted Woman" was created by Ussen. This supernatural female was the most important figure in Chiricahua religious belief. She was at once the progenitor of the Chiricahua people, the symbol of female activity and life, and the sponsor of all that was peaceful and gentle in human relationships. According to Chiricahuas, it was White Painted Woman who befriended the G’an, thus winning the sponsorship of the Apaches in a world filled with dangerous forces. ... ...ught more widely in American public schools to better understand how the southwest was and how it became to be. Tyranny in American history would be too controversial for the majority of the population; easier dealt with by not addressing it. It is also true that accounts of what actually happened differ among many scholars. Since the Apaches do not like to speak of the dead, their side of the story is difficult to obtain, and many American officers of the Army are too quick to gain recognition for things they did concerning the Chiricahuas. Finally, it is important to point out that it was the white man that invaded the Indian territory. The pride of the Chiricahuas would not allow this to happen, even though they knew their defeat was inevitable; it was Apache way. Works Cited Cole, D.C. The Chiricahua Apache 1846-1876: From War to Reservation. New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press,1988. Griffen, William B. Apaches at War and Peace: The Janos Presidio 1750-1858. New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, 1988. Sweeney, Edwin R. Cochise: Chiricahua Apache Chief. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, Publishing Division of the University, 1991.

Homosexuality Essay -- Sexual Orientation Homosexuals Essays

Homosexuality Homosexuality is the sexual orientation toward people of the same sex. This contrasts with heterosexuality, which is being attracted with individuals of the opposite sex. Female homosexuals are referred to as Lesbians. In recent years, the term gay has been applied to both homosexual women and men. Homosexuality appears in virtually all-social contexts – "within different community settings, socioeconomic levels, and ethnic and religious groups" (Web Page #2). Although the number of homosexuals in the population is difficult to determine, a safe estimate is that approximately 2 to 4 percent of men may apply themselves to the term homosexual. Through the years the general acceptance of the previously labeled unorthodox, sexual preference has varied. The extremes include brutality towards gays too as far as a homosexual holding a public office while declaring his sexual preference. Attitudes toward homosexual behavior have varied in the time and place of history. In Greece, homosexual relations were acceptable and in certain cases, expected activity in certain segments of society. The term lesbian is derived from an erotic poet named Sappho. Sappho was quite frank about her affairs with men and women. Much of her poetry dealt with her homosexual liaisons. Because of this the term lesbian was adopted after Sappho’s home island of Lesbos. Later attitudes in the Western world were determined largely by prevailing Judeo-Christian moral codes, which treat homosexuality as immoral and sinful. But like many other sins, homosexual relations were seen as expressions of the weakness inherent in all human beings, and not as a ment... ...o legitimize discrimination against homosexuals. In the 1990’s some U.S. states tried to restrict laws that protect homosexuals from discrimination. With homosexuals increasing by the acceptance by the general population, one may ponder on how this effects humans versus nature. The human race is far perplexed by their doing to fathom what characteristics cause us to defy or obey nature. The real question is: How well does the human race understand nature and it’s genius. If the world slows it’s progression for a slight variety of sexuality, then who says we’re advanced? In order to thoroughly comprehend how the human race is able to exist in the most efficient, and environmentally supportive manner, one is forced to focus on our similarities rather than our differences. Sources Cited http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761562012/Homosexuality.html

Stat 250 Review

Final Exam Review Part VI Definitions and Terms: Know the major definitions and terms for example 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Population Sample Descriptive Statistic Inferential Statistics Parameter vs Statistics Variable a. Categorical Statistic estimates Parameter b. Quantitative estimates , sample mean , population i. Discrete mean s, sample standard estimates , population ii. Continuous deviation standard deviation Random Variable estimates P, population ? p , sample Sampling Distributions proportion proportionParameter (Defines a population) Statistic (calculated from sample to estimate a parameter) Central Limit Theorem Law of Large Numbers Confidence Level (1- )*100 Type I error (rejecting the null hypothesis when in fact it is true) Type II error (not rejecting the null hypothesis when in fact the null is not true) What is true What you did Do not Reject H0 Reject H0 H0 true No Error Type I error Ha True Type II Error No Error 15. Level of Significance (The probability of making a Type I error) 16. Interpretation of a confidence interval 17. P-value a.The probability of making a type I error based on your sample b. The probability, computed supposing the H0 to be true, that the test statistic will take a value at least as extreme as that actually observed. 18. Interpretation of a test of significance (hypothesis test) Types of Problems 1. Reading and interpreting graphs (make sure you read the labels so you know units and whether the graph is frequency (counts) or relative frequency (percents, ratios, probabilities). 2. Calculating Measures of Center a. Mean b. Median 3. Calculating Measures of Spread a. Range b.You will not have to calculate the standard deviation, but you must understand what the standard deviation is – the average distance each data value is from the mean. c. Interquartile Range (Q3 – Q1) i. 1st quartile ii. 2nd quartile (median) iii. 3rd quartile 4. Shape of distributions 5. Shape of distributions an d effects on Mean and Median 6. Effects of outlier and skewed distribution a. Non-resistant measures of Center and Spread: mean and standard deviation b. Resistant measures of Center and Spread: median and interquartile range 7. Boxplot and 5 number summary: Min, Q1, Q2, Q3, Max 8.Binomial Distribution a. Calculating the mean , =np np(1 p) b. Calculating the standard deviation, c. Finding probabilities using the CDF output from MINITAB 9. Calculating Probabilities for a Normal distribution (Knowing how to use Table A, the standard normal distribution) a. Standardizing any normal random variable i. z x b. Unstandardizing any normal random variable i. x z 10. Sampling distributions a. Sampling distribution of the sample mean – samples of size n i. Mean, x= (can be calculated even if we do not know the shape of the distribution) ii. Standard deviation, x n the shape of the distribution) can be calculated even if we do not know iii. Shape of sampling distribution 1. If population the sample came from is normal, all sampling distributions of any size are normal 2. If the shape of the population is unknown or is NOT normal, then the sampling distribution of the sample mean is normal only if the sample size is 30 or more by the Central Limit Theorem (The shape of the sampling distribution becomes approximately Normal if the sample size is large enough. In our class a sample of size 30 or more is â€Å"large enough† to assume the sampling distribution is approximately Normally distributed. iv.Knowing how to compute probabilities based on the sampling distribution of the sample mean when applicable. v. Inferential Techniques based on sampling distribution when conditions are met (SRS and Normality) 1. Estimation – Confidence Intervals : statistic margin of error (margin of error = critical value * standard error) a. known: i. X z /2 * n ii. Sample size: We can determine the sample size needed so that a specific margin of error is observed at a spec ified confidence level: n b. z unknown: X * m 2 /2 t / 2,df * s n 2. Significance Tests (Hypothesis Tests) a. nown: test statistic, z0 X 0 n b. unknown: test statistic, t0 X s 0 n b. Sampling distribution of the sample proportions – samples of size n i. Mean, p (can be calculated even if we do not know the shape of the ? p distribution) ii. Standard deviation, p(1 P) (can be calculated even if we do not n ? p know the shape of the distribution iii. Shape of sampling distribution of the sample proportions becomes approximately normal if (our book states: np? 10 and n(1-p)? 10, that is the sample successes and failures must be 10 or more. ) np(1-p)? 10 , which is conservative. iv.Inferential Techniques based on sampling distribution when conditions are met (SRS and Normality) 1. Estimation – Confidence Intervals : statistic margin of error (margin of error = critical value * standard error) a. ? pz /2 * ? ? p (1 p ) n i. Sample size: We can determine the sample size need ed so that a specific margin of error is observed at a specified confidence level: n p(1 p) z /2 m 2 If a prior estimate for p is known, use it. If a prior estimate is not know, use p = 0. 5 2. Significance Tests (Hypothesis Tests) a. known: test statistic, z0 ? p p0 p0 (1 p0 ) n 11.Inferential techniques for 2 sample problems (means and proportions – on PowerPoint that is coming next) which are also based on Sampling distribution when conditions are met. a. You will be given the value of the standard error for two sample problems (two sample means dependent, you will be given the standard deviation of the differences, but you will have to calculate the standard error s .) n b. You will have to calculate the pooled proportion for the two sample proportions ? problems: p x1 x2 n1 n2 c. You will have to calculate confidence intervals and do tests of significance (hypothesis tests) 2. Goodness of fit test Best Way to Study 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Go over Test 1 and Test 2 Go over all qui zzes since Test 2 Go over all your quizzes Go over Post-Tests Go over Homework What you need for the final 1. 2. 3. 4. Pencil and eraser Calculator Table A and Table C Formula Sheet: you have two choices. You must choose either A or B a. HAND WRITTEN formula sheet – no copies. Must be the original. On an 8X11 sheet of paper, front and back, you can write whatever you wish. Hand written!!! b. Pristine, no writing on it, copy of the formula sheet on Blackboard. Scantron will be provided.

Patriot Act Pro

Pro Patriot Act There are many advantages for expanding governmental surveillance and investigative powers. For instance, there’s the possibility of gaining invaluable information for future attacks, and also the potential for targeting terrorists who may be responsible for such attacks. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), â€Å"The FBI does not have to demonstrate probable cause, only declare it has â€Å"reasonable grounds† to suspect that library records may be relevant to an investigation. Supporters of such extreme measures believe in national security over privacy. They would much rather see a terrorist behind bars than protect their personalphone calls or bank accounts. Another claim is that the government wouldn’t investigate ordinary citizens, meaning that the law is exclusive to suspected criminals. Question: Do these claims qualify as being morally right? From the supporter’s perspective the answer is yes. The governmentâ₠¬â„¢s involvement is warranted in order to establish justice and ensure domestic tranquility (Department of Justice).The Act also provides increased funding for victims of terrorist attacks and their families, as well as for the rebuilding of business and infrastructure that are damaged by terrorism. The Patriot Act is divided into 10 separate sections known as â€Å"titles. † Each title contains numerous Sections that further clarify the provisions of the title. The emphasis was on being sure that should another attack be planned, the government would have the power to prevent it from being completed.Section 213 Sneak and Peek Warrants: this provision allows â€Å"sneak and peek† search warrants, which grants authorities authorization to search a home or business without immediately notifying the target of a probe. Investigators still have to explain why they want to delay the search notification and must eventually notify the target about the search (Abramson and God oy 2006). Under this provision the FBI is permitted to enter a home or an office in the absence of the occupant.During this secret investigation, FBI agents are authorized to take photographs, examine computer hard drives, and install a device known as the Magic Lantern. Once installed, the Magic Lantern, records all computer activity not just those transmitted over the internet. > This means FBI is not just searching anyone without a search warrant, the act states that they can search suspects of terror if and only if they have a reasonable reason and it is a terror, different from a crime.

Pros and Cons of Self-Study Essay

It has recently come up as a controversial issue whether students should study alone or not. Some people stand for the idea that self-study helps them become more independent. Others point out that this way of learning put them in certain difficulties. This essay will give us a chance to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the issue in more details. On the bright side, the supporters of self-study have a thought that studying alone benefits students in terms of becoming more concentrative as well as more independent. To begin with, it has been proven to be true that self-study helps students find essential silence to get high concentration. As the master of fact, when students study independently, there is no one can disturb them so that they usually focus on their lessons. For example, anyone who study alone at home doesn’t meet friends to talk about irrelevant matters such as an upcoming performance of a rock star that might make students tend to lose their attention. In addition, it is also evident that learners who are self-study, are more independent than others. As far as I am concerned, when nobody can help, it has better to do it myself. For instance, in the face of not understanding their lesson, students learning alone manage to achieve knowledge by themselves through finding source of books in the library or looking up information on the internet. This proves that they are more active in their studying. On the dark side, the opponents of this issue come up with an argument that students are more likely to encounter certain disadvantages when they study independently. These students are not only short of ideas to cope with a big assignment but also find it a bit hard to master their presentation skills without group support. First of all, one’s mind could not think many ideas because of their limited imagination. This causes they always find it difficult to getting on their assignment. To illustrate, if one student could find out three ideas, a group with ten students would increase this figure to thirty. Another point is that learners studying by themselves will probably be lack of presentation skill. Hardly can anybody deny the fact that when learning alone, students cannot practice to present effectively. For example, they do not have anyone who comment or give them advice for their performance. They will not figure out where the problem is to fix it and they have to do everything on their own. In brief, I absolutely agree with the saying: â€Å"every coin has both sides†. Self-study also has its pros and cons. Students should use their way of learning alone as a foundation to launch their group study.

Developmentally Appropriate Practices Essay

Feedback is a very important aspect in teaching any subject but it is most important in an algebra class. This is because there are many instances when particular students tend to repeat implicit errors hidden in their solutions. In a large class, it is unmanageable to study each of the student’s solutions in order to find just what the student is doing wrong. Therefore, it is more practical to provide feedback in collaboration with members of the class. This is done by letting students present their solutions to homework or quizzes on the board. Afterwards, the solutions are not only checked but critiqued by their classmates for errors which the teacher providing guided questions. This way, students will be able to see how errors are committed and avoid them in the future. They would also be able to interact which addresses a social need at their stage of development. In any classroom, it is important that students are free to think about all the possibilities of the knowledge presented to them. One way of addressing this is through giving very practical problems which groups of students can solve independently through methodologies that they themselves would think of based on the current lesson. This strategy allows the students to interact and think autonomously about how best to address the problem. Of course, not all students are the same and the teacher should have a way of figuring out their individual needs and learning styles. This can be solved by administering questionnaires at the beginning of the course that can determine the learning styles of the different members of the class. Based on the results, the teacher can now better plan how instruction would be delivered to obtain maximum effectiveness. Lastly, the teacher should inspire the class to love the subject and see its value in the real world. This can be done through ample input of real world applications. In presenting word problems, their applications to real life should not be superficial. I explore the use of models, multimedia, and hands-on experiments in order to be able to let students completely visualize the real-life value of the problem. TPE 7 Teaching English Learners (1 Page) Students who are learning English as a second language are often at a disadvantage in a typical math class because they end up having a hard time understanding the discussions due to the language barrier. In occasions when there are members of the class that are not native English speakers, the first intervention that I employ is to always remember to use more basic English when delivering subject content. For example, when discussing about solutions of quadratic equations, I have to make it clear that the terms solutions, zeroes, and roots all just mean the answers as to what is â€Å"x† or whatever variable I am using. Another way to facilitate more effective instruction in a class of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners is to incorporate culturally relevant examples in lessons. Using objects, places, and people that are familiar to ESL learners in word problems help them associate the content of the problem with its solution better and motivate them to try and answer the problem because it has develops a better meaning for them. Of course, there must be appropriate balance of culturally relevant examples used and there should be ample input of popular culture examples as well. Finally, when there are students who are really having a hard time understanding English in class, I make it a point to use as few words as I can and describe lessons in terms of symbols and numbers instead of words. When explaining how to get the solution of an equation such as 2x – 4 = 7, I will not go on explaining about transposing one number from the rest and changing the sign. Instead, I will show the students that by adding a +4 on both sides, I would not really be violating the equality and the same is true when I divide both sides of the equation by 2 afterwards. By showing the solution in this manner, I give less verbal explanations and more visual ones which would be better appreciated and absorbed by learners who do not understand the common language of instruction so well.

Is There Still a Role for the Monarchy in Modern British Society Research Paper

Is There Still a Role for the Monarchy in Modern British Society - Research Paper Example Based on the evidence which is provided in this essay, it would seem that the general public view is that the monarchy is an outdated system of pageantry and ceremony which no longer has relevance in modern British society. In today’s closely-linked global community, nature by which certain ruling parties conduct political and foreign affairs seems to always be in the media spotlight. With the growth of international trade and with social access to multiple, global media mediums, the method by which international relationships are formed is always at the forefront of the social consciousness. One representative of BBC News cites how Australia views the British monarchy, citing the opinion of Senator Natasha Stott Despoja who states, â€Å"The monarchy is simply not relevant to modern Australia† (Grossman, 1999, p.2). This statement comes from a reputable political leader in Australia, a developed country with considerable influence in global trade and foreign relationships. This Senator’s opinion is based on the difficult history between Britain and Australia and the author believes that most Australian citizens are â€Å"unimpressed by the pageantry and tradition of the crown and resentful that it is a British face that stares out at them from their notes and coins† (Grossman, p.2). What is being suggested here is that the modern British monarchy still attempts to use their traditional links with Australia to justify routine criticism of how the country is managed and politically-operated. Clearly, in the view of Australians, the British monarchy is so obsessed with showiness and spectacle that it is unable to recognise the attempts of the Australian people to create their own international identity without any links to the crown.

The Destruction of Sennarcherib Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Destruction of Sennarcherib - Essay Example However Byron does not tell us the full story of the destruction of the king but focuses on the battle scene. He writes about the Assyrian army being destroyed by the Angel of Death thereby making us realize that the power of God is much more than that of the human beings. The theme of the poem is the battle between good and evil and comparison of the power of God with the power of the mortals. Sennacherib here represents evil. God in this poem is very powerful and punishes those who set out to do wrong. He on hearing the cries of his people sends the Angel of Death to destroy Sennacherib. â€Å"And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword / Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord,† (Byron, 1815) aptly describes how God protected his people from evil forces. Even though in the poem the Assyrians are described as noble characters wearing the royal colors of purple and gold they are shown as predators attacking the weak. The words â€Å"like a wolf on the fold,† points out to this. A breath of the Angel of Death was enough to destroy the great army and this shows how hollow the power of mortals is when compared to the power of God. The enemy was strong and the number of soldiers was as numerous as the number of leaves on the trees. Yet all that the angel of death did was "spread his wings" to destroy. This represents the central theme that God is more powerful than mortals. The Destruction of Sennacherib is clearly a poem on death. The first line of the third stanza itself conveys to us that the Assyrian king has been killed and the rest of the poem is about the effects of his death. The images of death are beautifully conveyed by the description of the king’s horse. Here Byron writes about foam spewing from the mouth of the horse and uses one whole stanza to describe the death of a horse. The death of a powerful animal like the horse is used as symbol to show that

What role do historic sites play in a country ( Any country - general Essay

What role do historic sites play in a country ( Any country - general ) - Essay Example Some of the roles these buildings play in the UK include; In Britain, historic buildings catalyze structural economic development, create jobs for the residents and attract a higher value investment in the region (The House of Commons, 2004). Furthermore, these buildings offer high-quality design in a new development. The good urban design and historic environment are the main elements in the process of achieving urban Renaissance (Corbishley, 2014). Evidence in the UK (The House of Commons, 2004), shows that commercial schemes that use historic buildings achieve a higher value than those that use new buildings. This forms the basis for regenerating and developing a local economy (The House of Commons, 2004). These buildings and heritage define the identity of towns and cities in the UK. Research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors done by Dr. Rob Pickard shows that offices situated in historic building tend to be charged higher rents. Members of the public use public places and historic buildings as rallying points. Most of the people in the UK spend most of their free time in these historic buildings, with some holding their social meetings at these sites (Bandarin, 2012). Some of the renovated historic buildings like the St John’s Hoxton, a 19th century church building have been utilized as a children’s nursery and a gym for the disabled people (European Union Agency For Fundamental Rights, 2009) and others converted into theatres that serve as educational and leisure centers for residents (The House of Commons, 2004). Theatres are vital places of assembly and a focus of the local pride. They provide fond memories for all sectors of the community where they are situated (Dedek, 2014). Reusing historic buildings is more sustainable in terms of utilization of natural resources. Therefore, it is better to recycle old historic buildings than destroying them to construct new ones. As per the

CV personal statement with 2 page to answer Assignment

CV personal statement with 2 page to answer - Assignment Example 3-phosphoglycerate 3-phosphoglycerate ? 2-phosphoglycerate 2-phosphoglycerate ? phosphoenolpyruvate Phosphoenolpyruvate ? pyruvate pyruvate ? acetaldehyde acetaldehyde ? ethanol B) The result that would be obtained if muscle tissue were used instead of yeast 2 marks Since in muscles NAD is exhausted, pyruvate is converted to lactic acid to be able to produce NADH. PRACTICAL 4 1. Based on the approximate free energy changes for their hydrolysis, ADP, ATP and creatinine phosphate are expected to be better phosphate donors than glucose 6-phosphate and AMP, because the former three undergo hydrolysis that have more negative free energy changes than that of the latter two. This means that their hydrolysis is more spontaneous. 6. The solutions containing ATP, ADP, AMP, and glucose 6-phosphate ranked first, second, third, and fourth, respectively, in the amount of 680 nm absorbed, and subsequently the amount of inorganic phosphates produced. This ranking also indicates the willingness of th ese compounds to donate phosphate. PERSONAL STATEMENT I have the passion to teach different subjects, biochemistry in particular, due to a variety of reasons. First, biochemistry is an interesting and exciting subject to be involved in, because of the number of experiments that could be conducted and the potential to formulate new experiments. There is always something new to spark the interest of students. In addition, these experiments can have tangible and measurable products, usually with visible changes, usually colorimetric in character. This can encourage and motivate the students to do the experiments, despite probably experiencing setbacks and not seeing results. Moreover, the topics of biochemistry are easily applicable to their lives, and so they will find the sense and reason behind studying these lessons and conducting the experiments. For example, knowing how our food, through its production of ATP, powers our daily activities can be easily applicable and understandabl e since eating is a common human process that, when not undertaken, results in weakness. However, I know that teaching is a difficult job to do. Although biochemistry is an enjoyable topic to discuss, I know that I should be hardworking, patient, passionate and creative in teaching my students. It is my belief that the potential of biochemistry being enjoyed by the students can only be realized if the teacher is able to tap its strengths and blunt its weaknesses. I should be able to formulate enjoyable and exciting experiments by using reactions that produce color changes. If the students do not perform the experiments well the first time, I should be patient in guiding my students to the eventual achievement of desired result. If my students see these characteristics in my personality, I hope they can imbibe these good qualities so that they can bring it as they grow older. Hopefully, I will be given the chance of not only giving my students knowledge, but teaching them qualities t hat can help them in the future. SUMMARY Chemical processes are vital in providing energy for all the functions of living things. Their extensive characterization entails the conduct of experiments that looked into the reactions’ different aspects. In part 1, intermediates of metabolic pathways such as glycolysis can be studied despite their low steady state concentrations by inhibiting the processing enzymes, in this case by exposing pyruvate decarboxylase to alkaline conditions. Aside from looking at the intermediates, other compounds, such as enzymes and

Natural hazard and disasters - floods Assignment

Natural hazard and disasters - floods - Assignment Example Floods are very devastating natural phenomenon. It is a temporary condition wherein dry lands are swamped with waters coming from the outflow of rivers, tidal waters, or from the unusual rapid accumulation of water from any source. Types of floods are riverine floods, flash flooding, storm surge, and dam failure. Riverine floods are caused by heavy rainfall when catch basins are no longer able to hold excess water. Storm surge in coastal areas due to a tidal wave, high tide, tsunami or hurricane. Dam failures are explosion of dams due to earthquake that cause great floods in down streams. Another kind of flood and most common is the â€Å"flash floods† that can occur almost anywhere when there is a sudden burst of intense rainfall wherein drainage is either clogged or it has not enough capacity to absorb. Usually, flash floods stay only for short hours. It is unlike river flooding that occurs in low-lying areas adjacent to river and streams that stays flooded for several days. (Geoscience Australia, August 2013.) 2. Explain the system used to classify floods. Several systems of floods classifications have been suggested by engineers and scientists, but I have not found a universal application that is appropriate for a region. For instance, Luke Howard Classification System (n.d.), depends on clouds classification. Accordingly, his system has been used for many years. For Luke, the appearance of clouds formation dictates the amount of rainfall. But to me, this is not the systematic way of classifying floods. Experts today have arrived at a more methodological manner of classifying floods. The National Geographic (2013) said hydrologists used past flood patterns to predict when and where floods could happen, but since these are only estimates, climate , weather, and land can change. Soil scientists study how much water the soil can absorb. The type of soil and the amount of groundwater tells the hydrologist how much more water the earth can absorb. They als o determine the amount of water a runoff can absorb. Runoff water comes from natural processes such as excess irrigation, industrial wastes and sewage. Hydrologists also evaluate snowfall and snowpack. Snowfalls are also said to be contributory to flooding, and when snow melts, the grounds may not be able to absorb too much water (National Geographic 2013). Today, our weather stations use modern technology such as Doppler radar. This system helps meteorologist predict floods, it also shows them how severe a storm would be. Doppler system allows scientists to detect weather pattern and to create computerized images of rainfall. There are also automated gauges placed in rivers that measure the height and speed of river currents, and the amount of rainfall received. Scientists also designed a geographic information system that helps them to warn people if the river will overrun its banks and floods are expected. 2. Discuss the 1913 flood which occurred in Dayton, Ohio with regards to: a. The nature of the event. The Great flood in Miami in 1913 has been described as the worst flood ever experienced in the region. A large amount of rainfall that fell continuously in three days, coupled by snow melting winter produced a run-off of streams in the Miami River and other rivers to overflow. These run-offs caused every city along the river to be inundated with floodwaters . b. Issues directly related to the impact of the event . According to the report of Miami Conservancy District, â€Å"more than 360 people lost their lives and property damage exceeded $100 million (that’s more than $2 billion in today’s economy).  The amount of water that passed through the river channel in Dayton equaled the amount of water that flows over Niagara Falls in a four-day period† (MCD, 2009)   . c. Lessons learned and actions taken as a result of the event. People were really unprepared for this tragedy so that the citizens of Miami, came together to make plans t o prevent

Team Leadership & Self Managed Teams Term Paper

Team Leadership & Self Managed Teams - Term Paper Example These groups are also responsible for performing other supportive roles that include performance appraisal, quality assurance and production scheduling among others (Cork 1-100). THESIS STATEMENT The paper intends to discuss about the aspects of team leadership and self-managed teams along with highlighting the background of the key issues surrounding these aspects. Moreover, the procedure of handling these aspects by certain specific companies would also be discussed in the paper. HISTORY/BACKGROUND The history of team leadership dates back to the period of 1980s when certain skills representing leadership aspects came into public display and have been addressed for the first time. In relation to the aspects associated with the notion of team leadership, it can be apparently observed that this particular idea demonstrated the influence made by individual hereditary facets on leadership. It is worth mentioning that the changing business environment has eventually raised the significa nce of performing effective teal leadership qualities along with skills and building self-managed teams. All these significant aspects ultimately highlight the importance of the aforesaid aspects by a certain degree (McCarthy, â€Å"Global Leadership: An Analysis of three Leadership Competency Models in Multinational Corporations†). In order to highlight the history or the background of the key issues surrounding the above discussed aspects, it can be affirmed that the word ‘team’ can be well related with the Anglo-Saxon word i.e. ‘family’, which is basically referred to as harnessed animals that are responsible for pulling a load towards the accomplishment of certain common objectives. With the passage of time, the notion of teamwork has been able to gain all round importance within organizations to a very large extent. This notion primarily considers specific measures that are needed to be adopted along with executed effectively, so that a team is fully empowered and equipped enough to perform various significant functions (Cork 1-100; McCarthy, â€Å"Global Leadership: An Analysis of three Leadership Competency Models in Multinational Corporations†). EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC COMPANIES Development of both of these aspects i.e. self-managed teams along with team leadership can be duly considered as an issue, which is on the rise. This factor can be provided with the maximum amount of weightage owing to the fact that development of such team and skills are highly demanded in the present day context. This issue can be well addressed in the future by way of analyzing and highlighting its importance in the overall management context. It is quite evident that both of these aspects i.e. self-managed teams along with team leadership is of primary importance in the modern day management context, as these represents high end sense of performing various job responsibilities. In relation to this context, issues pertaining to both of t hese management aspects are needed to be delivered high amount of weightage owing to the fact that it will help organizations to build greater leadership skills that are required for the purpose of creating organizational efficiency. Moreover, team leadership can help individuals to be highly competent in meeting the

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 10

Report - Essay Example empts to analyse the challenges facing an organisation like the United Nations (UN) and the manufacturing / service businesses represented by the General Motors (GM), Norwich Union (Aviva) and Imperial Tobacco. For the UN, the political conflict challenges, for GM, the energy and economic challenges, for Aviva, the climate change challenges and for Imperial Tobacco, the socio-political challenges will be analysed and appropriate recommendations will be presented in this report. The UN took its birth in the aftermath of the 2nd World War and is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining peace and order among nations. However, it is faced with diminishing status even as political conflicts and wars rage around the globe. This is a leadership issue in conflict resolution for the UN. For example, while there was global consensus for war on Afghanistan in the light of the overwhelming evidence, the same was missing in respect of the US war against Iraq. Iraq ignored UN resolutions and Global challenges for business management 2 US ignored mainstream European opinion against the Iraq war. The situation is not different even in the case of the on-going conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza region, who ignore UN pleas for ceasefire – even the UN relief camp in Gaza is on fire! These are only two examples of the many such events. The issues involved in these conflicts generally revolve round geo-political interests, cultural and religious differences, dominance of few over many, etc. Conflicts and wars impact businesses adversely and to that extent will make the task of achieving Millennium Development Goals set by the UN, more difficult. Important elements of this plan that are to be achieved by 2015 are poverty elimination, universal education, women empowerment, healthcare, disease control, environment sustainability and global partnership for development (UN, Millennium development goals report, 2007). Political conflicts can be also

Video game console and Pg Essay Example for Free

Video game console and Pg Essay The Attractiveness of the Console Video Game Industry (Porter 5 Forces) Suppliers (Medium to Low) Suppliers include Foxconn Precision Components, IBM etc. for chip manufacturing, product assembly, video game creators, and content providers. Each supplier would provide a small piece of the complete product and as such bargaining power would be low (pg. 282). Buyers (Low) Buyers consisted of various retailers that carry the product and would vary in bargaining strength depending on their size. From the sheer number of retailers that carry the product along with the global presence of the major competitors in the industry there is no single retailer in a position to exert any significant level of power. Substitute Products (Medium) Direct substitutes for the console video game industry are personal computers, arcade machines, and handheld game devices which vie for consumer spending (pg. 279). These substitutes are near in cost and provide no switching costs aside from their price. Combined with the presence of a large number of near substitutes vying for entertainment expenditures there is a threat from substitute products. Threat of New Entrants (Low) Large capital investments, distribution channels, technological complexities and other critical factors within the game console industry would be barriers for new entrants. Also the creation of an assortment of games and accessories would bring down the threat of new entrants even further as this would be a huge obstacle to overcome. Rivalry among Competing Sellers (High) Rivalry within the video game console industry would be high. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo would â€Å"battle for market supremacy† (pg. 275). This battle would weaken differentiation by competitors developing products that were technologically superior and more powerful than the offering of rivals (pg. 283). This benchmarking lead to price wars by competitors squeezing profit margins and limiting market share gains (pg. 281). Conclusion With the recession making 2009 sales decline to $382. 6 million from $617. 3 million in 2008 (pg.283) and with the overall assessment of the five forces the video game console industry would not be attractive. This accompanied by the high risk technological complexities and the increased intensity of competition the industry would be considerably unappealing. Success in the Game Console Manufacturing Industry The 3 – 4 critical success factors are: 1. 2. 3. 4. Advancement in Technology Price and Strategy Research and Development Quality and Innovation of Gaming Accessories (ex. Games, remotes, etc. ) a) Distinctive Resources/Capabilities Leverage by Nintendo: 1. Differentiating the User Interface and Remote Value There is a high value in Nintendo’s ability to differentiate its product offering in comparison to Microsoft and Sony as it allows Nintendo to appeal to a new market segment which included people who did not generally play video games (pg. 281). This value is best shown with Nintendo’s dominance in unit sales for 2009 (exhibit 4, 5, and 6). Rarity The user interface and remote was rare as Nintendo was the first to bring together a Bluetoothactivated wireless controller which provided gamers with a wide range of motion capabilities (pg. 280). This new ability harnessed by Nintendo allowed users, â€Å"to physically interact with the virtual world, significantly changing the experience of video gaming (pg. Pg. 280). † Imitability Patent protection would protect this technology from being duplicated, but the remote capability and interface could be substituted by competitors. In fact, Microsoft and Sony had announced intentions to create a variety of ways for their consumers to interact with games on their systems (pg. 287). (Temporary Competitive Advantage) 2. Marketing Strategy Innovation Value (Temporary Competitive Advantage) This is of high value as it would allow Nintendo to appeal to a larger market and create an infinite possibility for profitable growth (pg. 281). Also, since this new segment did not require technological complexities and hyper realistic graphics (pg. 281) Nintendo was able to cut down drastically on costs and have a profit margin of an estimated $50US per unit where Sony took a loss of around $250US per unit sold (pg. 284). Rarity This was rare as Nintendo was attempting to target new customers rather than fighting with competitors for old ones (pg. 283). Its overall rarity would be explained by Brian O’Rourke as he states, â€Å"Microsoft and Sony spend a lot of time developing cutting edge technology. Nintendo is not a technology company it is a toy company. It is not interested in bleeding edge electronics and graphics (pg. 284). † Imitability This marketing strategy could be duplicated by Sony or Microsoft. This is possible by the competing firms leveraging into new ways for its consumers to interact with its consoles as both companies have shown intentions to pursue the casual gamer market (pg. 287). Organization for both Resources Nintendo was able to leverage these capabilities by bringing together the company’s research, innovation, technology and functionality (pg. 280). The organization was also able to leverage its success within the DS, and interactive games like Duck Hunt and Track and Field (pg. 281) while focusing on differentiating. b) Resources and Capabilities Leveraged by the Competition: Sony Technology and Innovation Value There is great value in developing faster and more advanced consoles. As this allows Sony to secure consumer interest and market share by being able to provide a more realistic gaming experience (pg.275). Rarity A focus in technological development is fairly unique although it is a capability pursued by two of the three main competitors in the industry: Sony and Microsoft, and so is not very rare. (pg. 275) Imitability The development of technology would be made easier by the experience that Sony had in the research and development of earlier models. This would create time compression diseconomies as competitors attempt to develop similar advancements. (Temporary Competitive Advantage) Microsoft Building a Successful Community with Xbox Live (Temporary Competitive Advantage) Value This was valuable as Xbox utilized various PC features. These features included a broadband connection and memory storage which connected Xbox players all over the world (pg. 283). The value to the consumer was the online voice chat, opportunity to download new video game content, and the ability to play multiplayer games over broadband (pg. 286). Rarity Neither Sony nor Nintendo had an established online gaming community. In fact, this was one of Microsoft’s biggest differentiating factors to its competitor’s (pg. 285). Although it had been tried before this would still be considered rare as currently within the marketplace no other competitor had the capability. Imitability The idea was imitable as it could be substituted. Xbox themselves substituted Dream casts online initiatives with Xbox Live. The advantage Xbox had was the ability to leverage advances in both technology and social trends (pg. 283). However it would not be able to be duplicated do to patent and copy right laws. Is This a Blue Ocean Strategy Yes this is a blue ocean strategy as Nintendo was able to give players the ability to physically interact with a virtual world, thus changing Nintendo’s direction to an undetected marketplace. This change was more compelling to consumers who had never considered buying video game consoles before (pg. 280). In fact, Nintendo was able to simplify its consoles design and focus less on hyper realistic graphics saving money and also attracting individuals who didn’t ordinarily play video games (pg. 281). Even the name Wii was created to emphasize that this console â€Å"was for everyone,† which went into a completely different direction then current industry rivals (pg. 281). This strategy moved Nintendo into a larger and more diverse market while giving them a large increase in sales and in profit margins. Marking Scheme 5 FORCES: 28/30 Overall this section is extremely well done. The analysis is clear, succinct and supported. VRIO: 30/35 For the most part the analysis is well done, organized, clear and supported. For Nintendo’s inimitability consider issues like time compression, path dependence and first mover advantages. I’m not sure if it is a clarity issue or requires further explanation as the features you have mentioned for the Xbox are for the most part offered by the Playstation 3.There is a possible rarity argument though. Well Done. BLUE OCEAN: 10/10 This section was extremely well explained. MECHANICS: 23/25 There is minimal writing issues present. For example, â€Å"The user interface and remote was rare as Nintendo was the first to bring together a Bluetooth-activated wireless controller which provided gamers with a wide range of motion capabilities (pg. 280). † Change to â€Å"were† as the plural version should be used after the compound subject. Overall an outstanding job! TOTAL: 91/100.