Babylonian Mathematics and the Base 60 System

Babylonian Mathematics and the Base 60 System Babylonian arithmetic utilized a sexagesimal (base 60) framework that was so useful it stays basically, yet with certain changes, in the 21st century. At whatever point individuals read a clock or make reference to the degrees of a circle, they depend on the base 60 framework. Base 10 or Base 60 The framework surfaced around 3100 BCE, as per The New York Times. â€Å"The number of seconds in a moment - and minutes in 60 minutes - originates from the base-60 numeral arrangement of old Mesopotamia,† the paper noted. In spite of the fact that the framework has stood the trial of time, it isn't the predominant numeral framework utilized today. Rather, the greater part of the world depends on the base 10 arrangement of Hindu-Arabic birthplace. The quantity of variables recognizes the base 60 framework from its base 10 partner, which likely created from individuals depending on two hands. The previous framework utilizes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60 for base 60, while the last uses 1, 2, 5, and 10 for base 10. The Babylonian arithmetic framework may not be as mainstream as it once might have been, yet it has preferences over the base 10 framework on the grounds that the number 60 â€Å"has a bigger number of divisors than any littler positive integer,† the Times brought up. Rather than utilizing times tables, the Babylonians duplicated utilizing a recipe that relied upon knowing only the squares. With just their table of squares (but going up to a colossal 59 squared), they could process the result of two numbers, an and b, utilizing a recipe like: abdominal muscle [(a b)2 - (a - b)2]/4. The Babylonians even knew the recipe that’s today known as the Pythagorean hypothesis. History Babylonian math has establishes in the numeric framework began by the Sumerians, a culture that started around 4000 BCE in Mesopotamia, or southern Iraq, as per ​USA Today. â€Å"The most regularly acknowledged hypothesis holds that two prior people groups combined and framed the Sumerians,† USA Today revealed. â€Å"Supposedly, one gathering put together their number framework with respect to 5 and the other on 12. At the point when the two gatherings exchanged together, they developed a framework dependent on 60 so both could comprehend it.† That’s on the grounds that five increased by 12 equivalents 60. The base 5 framework likely began from old people groups utilizing the digits on one hand to tally. The base 12 framework likely began from different gatherings utilizing their thumb as a pointer and tallying by utilizing the three sections on four fingers, as three increased by four equivalents 12. The fundamental issue of the Babylonian framework was the nonappearance of a zero. In any case, the antiquated Maya’s vigesimal (base 20) framework had a zero, drawn as a shell. Different numerals were lines and specks, like what is utilized today to count. Estimating Time As a result of their arithmetic, the Babylonians and Maya had expand and genuinely precise estimations of time and the schedule. Today, with the most cutting edge innovation ever, social orders despite everything must make transient alterations - just about 25 times each century to the schedule and a couple of moments at regular intervals to the nuclear clock. There’s nothing second rate about current math, yet Babylonian arithmetic may make a valuable option in contrast to kids who experience trouble learning their occasions tables.

Wilfred Owen Essay Example for Free

Wilfred Owen Essay Wilfred Edward Salter Owen was conceived on 18 March 1893 and kicked the bucket on 4 November 1918. He was an English writer and fighter, one of the main artists of the First World War. His stunning, realistic verse about the First World War was vigorously impacted by his companion, Siegfried Sassoon. There was a huge difference between his verse about the war and that of others, for example, Rupert Brooke, as his took on a totally alternate point of view, and demonstrated the perusers an entirely different side of the war. This wasn’t how he generally took a gander at the war however. It was out of his own free decision that he joined the military, yet it was two awful encounters that caused his view point to change so radically. Right off the bat, he was tossed into the air when hit by a channel mortar and arrived in the remaining parts of an individual trooper. At that point, he was caught for a considerable length of time in a German burrow. It was these two unpleasant encounters that caused his emotional difference as a top priority, and made him experience the ill effects of ‘shell shock’, which prompted him being sent to an emergency clinic for treatment. That was the place he met individual artist Siegfried Sassoon, and this gathering transformed him. In March 1918, he was sent to an order terminal in Ripon, and here, various sonnets were composed. After he had recouped, he was sent back to the forefront, and sadly, an insignificant week before the war finished, he was shot in the head and kicked the bucket. Owen began composing sonnets some time before the war, and he expressed that he began at ten years old. His companion, Siegfried Sassoon largy affected his verse, particularly in ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ and ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’. These show direct aftereffects of Sassoon’s impact. A sonnet by Pat Barker was expounded on their relationship. His verse changed fundamentally in 1917, where as a component of his treatment his PCP got him to record his encounters into sonnets. In spite of the fact that a large number of sonnets were distributed during the war, not many were recognized, and significantly less were cherished, however Owen was one of them. Just 5 of Wilfred’s sonnets were distributed before he kicked the bucket. It was a prevalent view that Owen was a gay, and there were a few components of homoeroticism in his sonnets, however he never really said this. Students of history have theorized concerning whether he took part in an extramarital entanglements with Scott-Moncrieff, as Scott had devoted huge numbers of his attempts to ‘Mr. W.O.’, yet Owen never reacted on this issue. It was uniquely because of Sassoon being shot that prompted his choice to come back to the forefront back in France, despite the fact that he could have decided not to. He believed he expected to ‘take Sassoon’s place’. Be that as it may, Sassoon was firmly restricted to the thought, and even threatened to ‘stab him in the leg’ in the event that he attempted it. Mindful of what Sassoon thought, Owen didn’t reveal to him he proceeded with it and came back to the forefront. He was executed while crossing the trench on 4 November 1918.

Must-Read January New Releases

Must-Read January New Releases Live your best bookish life with our New Release Index. It’s a fantastically functional way to keep track of your most anticipated new releases. It’s available exclusively to Book Riot Insiders. Subscribe to Book Riot Insiders! Never fear, our contributors are here to topple your January To-Be-Read stacks with their new release recommendations! Whether we’ve read them and can’t wait to see them on the shelves, or we’ve heard tell of their excellence in the book world and have been (not-so) patiently waiting to get our hot little hands on them, these are the new titles we’re watching our libraries and bookstores for this month. What books are you looking forward to in January? Let us know in the comments below! Liberty Hardy The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (January 9, G.P. Putnam’s Sons): A wonderful, affecting book about four siblings who learn the day they will die, and how this supposed prediction shapes their lives. Would you want to know when you’re going to die? It’s New York City in 1969, and the four Gold children have snuck out to meet a traveling psychic who is rumored to know the date of people’s deaths. What they learn will influence each Gold sibling differently for the next five decades, with each of their existences lovingly detailed by Benjamin with humor and sensitivity. Jamie Canaves Heartland by Ana Simo (January 16, Restless Books): I was attracted by the cover of this book and then saw that the author mixes telenovela, pulp noir, and dystopian satire in a novel about a writer seeking revenge in an alternate, pre-apocalyptic United States. My brain is ringing with excitement from all that information so I plan on ending 2017 and starting 2018 with the ARC of this book. Rachel Brittain Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed (January 16, Soho Teen): Everything about this book sounds perfect: it’s an #ownvoices novel about an Indian-American Muslim teen and aspiring film-maker who faces sudden hatred and Islamophobia in the aftermath of an attack by a terrorist who shares her last name. The cover is to die for and the book sounds equally amazing. Claire Handscombe Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan (January 23, Atria/Emily Bestler Books): “An astonishingly incisive and suspenseful novel about a scandal amongst Britain’s privileged elite and the women caught up in its wake.” I love a good Westminster gossip, and this book has been all over my social media feed for months. Also, it’s particularly exciting and interesting to me when a book like this makes it over for publication in the US. Kate Scott Red Clocks by Leni Zumas (January 16, Little, Brown, Co.): With everything that’s been happening in America lately, I’ve been craving great feminist literature. Naomi Alderman’s The Power, heralded as the new Handmaid’s Tale, was a huge letdown for me, so I’m looking to the next promising title. In the patriarchal dystopia of Red Clocks, abortion is illegal once again. The story follows five women in a small Oregon fishing town whose fates are brought together when one of themâ€"a forest-dwelling herbalistâ€"is put on trial in a modern-day witch hunt. By the look of things, this book checks all the boxes for me, so I’m hoping for the best! Erin McCoy Heat by Donna Grant (January 30, St. Martin’s Paperback): We are deep, deep into the Dark Kings series and it seems like we are finally in the home stretch. Grants books are always engaging and action-packed, but it seems like her last few Kings and Reapers releases have started to lead us closer to the answers about Mikkel and Ulrik as opposed to the beginning books that lead us deeper into the murky world of the dragons. Heat is my December must-read because we not only know our King going in, Nikolai, but we also know our heroine, Esther. The pieces are all coming together and I cannot handle it! Lets all keep our fingers crossed that well know Rhis King definitively by the end of the book (FYIIm not holding my breath). Priya Sridhar Markswoman (Asiana #1) by Rati Mehrotra (January 23, Harper Voyager): A fantasy novel written by an Indian woman? A tale of revenge and an ancient violent order that involves losing your identity? Sign me up! Kyra is a Markswoman from the Order of Kali who wants to avenge her dead family, but soon has to go on the run when her Order falls victim to a tyrant. She has to find the proof that her mentor was murdered, and that no one can trust the Order’s new leader. We don’t have many tales of SFF written by Indian women in the mainstream, and I am always eager to see writers like me. Leah Rachel von Essen The Night Masquerade (Binti #3) by Nnedi Okorafor (January 16, Tor.com): I read an ARC of the conclusion for the highly-acclaimed Binti series earlier this fall, and it blew me away. The Binti series challenges what we can explain and what can be done within the confines of science fiction, and its conclusion is no exception. Okorafor smashes all of the rules of science fiction, and by doing so, changes the game entirely. If you are anxiously anticipating the third and final book in this novella series, The Night Masquerade will more than meet your expectations; if you haven’t yet begun the Binti series, it’s about time you do. Katie McLain The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (January 9, Soho Press): I’ve been Muppet-arming about this book ever since I read the ARC back in June. It’s a new historical mystery series set in 1920’s Bombai, based in part on the first female attorney to practice in India. Perveen Mistry, the novel’s protagonist, is an intelligent, savvy woman with a legal education from Oxford, a tragic personal history, and a strong devotion to championing women’s rights. And not only does she have to deal with the complications of being a new lawyer, she also has to navigate (and rail against) the difficult cultural restrictions placed on women at the time. This book was a fascinating, thoughtful, compassionate, intelligent mystery with strong feminist themes and I honestly can’t champion it enough. Margaret Kingsbury The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (January 2, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers): I absolutely love everything Holly Black writes. My favorite of hers so far has been The Darkest Part of the Forest, but I had an opportunity to hear Black read a portion of The Cruel Prince at a conference last year (and I got to chat with her a bit!), and it sounded just as good (maybe better?). Anyone who’s already read Black knows she writes a lot with the Fae, and this one is no exception. I’m looking forward to all of Holly Black’s trademarks: lots of dark magic, a strong female protagonist, and a plot that will have me reading well past my bedtime. Aimee Miles The Defiant by Lesley Livingston (January 23, Razorbill): Last year’s The Valiant took me by surprise with its gladiator women, and Fallon the Celtic who was captured by slavers from the British coast. (I love stories where Britain is the uncivilized hinterlands.) Fallon has used her wits, her strength, and her will to live to become the top gladiatrix. Now she’s an appealing target for all the other gladiatrices and her personal history is bound up in Rome’s present. I’m hoping to get sucked into the story for a girl power ride. Also, that cover. Ashley Holstrom Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (January 16, Katherine Tegen Books): I devoured Maureen Johnson’s Shades of London series (is there another one coming? Who knows!), so I am HERE for another spooky, murdery, mystery series set at a boarding school. This one is in Vermont, at a private school for only the smartest kids who can solve riddles and stuff. Shortly after opening, the founder’s wife and kid are kidnapped, and the kidnapper leaves behind a riddle to help solve the kidnapping/murder. Ouch. Our heroine, Stevie Bell, reports for duty to solve this long-cold case. And, you know, do the whole school thing. MJ rules, this cover is gorgeous, and I am so stoked to get my hands on this book. Karina Glaser A Sky Full of Stars by Linda Williams Jackson (January 2, HMH Books for Young Readers): This is the sequel to Midnight Without a Moon, Linda Williams Jackson’s debut novel. Set in Mississippi in the 1950’s, Rose Lee Carter lives with her sharecropper grandparents. In the first book she grapples with the murder of Emmett Till, a young man who is convicted and then killed for whistling at a white woman. In the sequel, Rose continues to struggle with staying in the south when opportunities arise for her to go north, while also feeling caught between the mounting racial tension and differing ways her friends want to address the injustice. This book is gorgeously written and the author is a much needed voice in children’s literature. Alison Doherty Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano (January 2, Walden Pond Press): Middle grade isn’t always my favorite, but I am so charmed and delighted about the idea for this new series featuring a magic bakery run by a family of Mexican-American bruhas. The story follows the family’s youngest daughter as she discovers the family secret and tries to use her magical abilities so she can one day join the bakery in their special preparations for the annual Dia de los Muertos festival in their small Texas town. I can’t wait for this (figuratively and literally) delicious story. Annika Barranti Klein The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (January 30, Flatiron Books): I’m a fairytale junkie, and I judge books their covers. This book has one of the loveliest covers I’ve seen inactually, there have been a lot of great book covers lately, but this one is really good. And! It screams fairytale. Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a beloved series of dark fairytales, has died. Alice, whose mother has kept her on the road and on the move her entire life, has to go into the Hazel Woods to rescue her mother from an actually evil fairy (maybe?) and will find out just how fictionalâ€"or notâ€"her grandmother’s stories were. I can’t wait! And apparently there will be supplemental volumes of the dark fairytales themselves!! Danielle Bourgon Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu (January 2, Random House Books for Young Readers): One of my absolute favourites from this year was Wonder Woman: Warbringer. This is the next one in the superhero series from Random House and I am so excited for it. Batman is one of my all-time favourite superheroes and I know that Marie Liu is going to do a fantastic job with this new tale about Gotham’s complicated dark saviour. Also, from what I hear the characterisation of Alfred is incredible in this so one. Yay! Susie Dumond The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory (January 30, Berkley): TBH, I’m excited about this book because Roxane Gay gave it a rave review on Goodreads, and I’ll follow her anywhere. The Wedding Date begins when high-powered professionals Alexa and Drew get stuck in an elevator, and Alexa agrees to attend a wedding with Drew as his fake girlfriend. As Roxane Gay says, “What a charming, warm, sexy, gem of a novel One of the best books I’ve read in a while.” We could all start off 2018 with a lighthearted read, right? Natalya Muncuff Broken Clocks by Danielle Allen (January 16, Amazon Digital Services LLC): Danielle Allen is an author I discovered in early 2017 when I stumbled across her novel Nevermore. An author that can perfectly weave Edgar Allen Poe into a modern day love story is a one-click author for me. I am excited about her January release, Broken Clocks which will tell the tale of soul mates whose love may be undeniable but their timing may be wrong. Tasha Brandstatter The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman (January 8, Pan Macmillan): This literary adventure series with intrepid librarian spies Irene and Kai (a dragon) just keeps getting better! I fell in love with the second book, which took place in Venice, and the fourth installment is in another of my favorite settings: the 1920s. I hope Vale (Irene’s Sherlockian love interest) makes an appearance as well. Everything in these books is basically my jam. Rebecca Hussey This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jerkins (January 30, Harper Perennial): I’m always, always on the hunt for good essay collections, and this one looks both excellent and timely. It’s about the experience of being black and female in America today, and particularly after all the talk about how black women “saved” white America in the recent Alabama election, this seems like a book white Americans, myself included, would do well to pick up. Topics include Rachel Dolezal, therapy, traveling as a black person in Russia, body image, and more. Christina Vortia So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo (January 16, 2018, Seal Press): Oluo’s writing is sharp and incisive. Her article on Rachel Dolezal literally broke the internet and her tweets on race, gender, and intersectionality are timeline gold.

Elizabeth Keckley, Mary Lincolns Dressmaker and Friend

Elizabeth Keckley was a former slave who became the dressmaker and friend of Mary Todd Lincoln and a frequent visitor to the White House during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Her memoir, which was ghost-written (and spelled her surname as Keckley though she seemed to have written it as Keckly) and published in 1868, provided an eyewitness account to life with the Lincolns. The book appeared under controversial circumstances, and was apparently suppressed at the direction of Lincolns son, Robert Todd Lincoln. But despite the controversy surrounding the book, Keckleys accounts of Abraham Lincolns personal work habits, observations on the everyday circumstances of the Lincoln family, and a moving account of the death of young Willie Lincoln, have been considered reliable. Fast Facts: Elizabeth Keckley Born: About 1818, Virginia.Died: May 1907, Washington, D.C.Known for: Former slave who opened a dressmaking business in Washington, D.C., before the Civil War and became a trusted friend of Mary Todd Lincoln.Publication: Wrote a memoir of life in the White House during the Lincoln administration which provided unique insight into the Lincoln family. Her friendship with Mary Todd Lincoln, though unlikely, was genuine. Keckleys role as a frequent companion of the first lady was depicted in the Steven Spielberg film Lincoln, in which Keckley was portrayed by actress Gloria Rueben. Early Life of Elizabeth Keckley Elizabeth Keckley was born in Virginia in 1818 and spent the first years of her life living on the grounds of Hampden-Sydney College. Her owner, Col. Armistead Burwell, worked for the college. Lizzie was assigned work, which would have been typical for slave children. According to her memoir, she was beaten and whipped when she failed at tasks. She learned to sew growing up, as her mother, also a slave, was a seamstress. But young Lizzie resented not being able to receive an education. When Lizzie was a child, she believed a slave named George Hobbs, who belonged to the owner of a another Virginia farm, was her father. Hobbs was allowed to visit Lizzie and her mother on holidays, but during Lizzies childhood the owner of Hobbs moved to Tennessee, taking his slaves with him. Lizzie had memories of saying goodbye to her father. She never saw George Hobbs again. Lizzie later learned that her father was actually Col. Burwell, the man who had owned her mother. Slave owners fathering children with female slaves was not uncommon in the South, and at the age of 20 Lizzie herself had a child with a plantation owner who lived nearby. She raised the child, whom she named George. When she was in her mid-twenties, a member of the family who owned her moved to St. Louis to begin a law practice, taking Lizzie and her son along. In St. Louis she resolved to eventually buy her freedom, and with the help of white sponsors, she was eventually able to obtain legal papers declaring herself and her son free. She had been married to another slave, and thus acquired the last name Keckley, but the marriage did not last. With some letters of introduction, she traveled to Baltimore, seeking to start a business making dresses. She found little opportunity in Baltimore, and moved to Washington, D.C., where she was able to set herself up in business. Washington Career Keckleys dressmaking business began to flourish in Washington. The wives of politicians and military officers often needed fancy gowns to attend events, and a talented seamstress, as Keckley was, could obtain a number of clients. According to Keckleys memoir, she was contracted by the wife of Senator Jefferson Davis to sew dresses and work in the Davis household in Washington. She thus met Davis a year before he would become president of the Confederate States of America. Keckley also recalled sewing a dress for the wife of Robert E. Lee at the time when he was still an officer in the U.S. Army. Following the election of 1860, which brought Abraham Lincoln to the White House, the slave states began to secede and Washington society changed. Some of Keckleys customers traveled southward, but new clients arrived in town. Keckley's Role In the Lincoln White House In the spring of 1860 Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary, and their sons moved to Washington to take up residence in the White House. Mary Lincoln, who was already gaining a reputation for acquiring fine dresses, was looking for a new dressmaker in Washington. The wife of an Army officer recommended Keckley to Mary Lincoln. And after a meeting at the White House on the morning after Lincolns inauguration in 1861, Keckley was hired by Mary Lincoln to create dresses and dress the first lady for important functions. There is no question that Keckleys placement in the Lincoln White House made her a witness to how the Lincoln family lived. And while Keckleys memoir was obviously ghost-written, and is no doubt embellished, her observations have been considered credible. One of the most moving passages in Keckleys memoir is the account of the illness of young Willie Lincoln in early 1862. The boy, who was 11, became sick, perhaps from polluted water in the White House. He died in the executive mansion on February 20, 1862. Keckley recounted the sorrowful state of the Lincolns when Willie died and described how she helped prepare his body for the funeral. She vividly described how Mary Lincoln had descended into a period of deep mourning. It was Keckley who told the story of how Abraham Lincoln had pointed out the window to an insane asylum, and said to his wife, Try to control your grief or it will drive you mad, and we may have to send you there. Historians have noted that the incident could not have happened as described, as there was no asylum within view of the White House. But her account of Mary Lincolns emotional problems still seem generally credible. Keckley's Memoir Caused Controversy Elizabeth Keckley became more than an employee of Mary Lincoln, and the women seemed to develop a close friendship which spanned the entire time the Lincoln family lived in the White House. On the night Lincoln was assassinated, Mary Lincoln sent for Keckley, though she did not receive the message until the following morning. Arriving at the White House on the day of Lincolns death, Keckley found Mary Lincoln nearly irrational with grief. According to Keckleys memoir, she remained with Mary Lincoln during the weeks when Mary Lincoln would not leave the White House as Abraham Lincolns body was returned to Illinois during a two-week funeral which traveled by train. The women stayed in touch after Mary Lincoln moved to Illinois, and in 1867 Keckley became involved in a scheme in which Mary Lincoln tried to sell some valuable dresses and furs in New York City. The plan was to have Keckley act as an intermediary so buyers would not know the items belonged to Mary Lincoln, but the plan fell through. Mary Lincoln returned to Illinois, and Keckley, left in New York City, found work which coincidentally put her in touch with a family connected to a publishing business. According to a newspaper interview she gave when she was nearly 90 years old, Keckley was essentially duped into writing her memoir with the help of a ghost writer. When her book was published in 1868, it attracted attention as it presented facts about the Lincoln family which no one could have known. At the time it was considered very scandalous, and Mary Lincoln resolved to have nothing more to do with Elizabeth Keckley. The book became hard to obtain, and it was widely rumored that Lincolns oldest son, Robert Todd Lincoln, had been buying up all available copies to prevent it from achieving wide circulation. Despite the peculiar circumstances behind the book, it has survived as a fascinating document of life in the Lincoln White House. And it established that one of the closest confidantes of Mary Lincoln was indeed a dressmaker who had once been a slave. Sources: Keckley, Elizabeth. Behind the Scenes, Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years In the White House. New York City, G.W. Carleton Company, 1868. Russell, Thaddeus. Keckley, Elizabeth.  Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, edited by Colin A. Palmer, 2nd ed., vol. 3, Macmillan Reference USA, 2006, pp. 1229-1230.  Gale Virtual Reference Library. Keckley, Elizabeth Hobbs.  Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 28, Gale, 2008, pp. 196-199.  Gale Virtual Reference Library. Brennan, Carol. Keckley, Elizabeth 1818–1907.  Contemporary Black Biography, edited by Margaret Mazurkiewicz, vol. 90, Gale, 2011, pp. 101-104.  Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Oedipus Rex An Amazing Play Written By Sophocles

Oedipus Rex Oedipus Rex is an amazing play written by Sophocles. Oedipus Rex is about a king who can visually see but in reality he is blind, which then leads to him becoming physically blind in the end of the play, because he no longer wants to see the hurt and pain he’s caused himself. The play says, â€Å"No more shall you look on the misery about me, the horrors of my own doing!† (Sophocles Exodos lines 46-47). Also the play tells us that he kills his father and is married to his mother. In this essay the role of blindness is very ironic to me because Oedipus picked on a blind character named Teiresias when in the end he becomes blind. The play says â€Å"You sightless, witless, senseless, mad old man† (Sophocles Scene One line 154). Oedipus is a king and in the beginning some people would think he has everything going for himself but in reality Oedipus is just a lost man. Oedipus is lost because he really doesn’t know who he is, he doesn’t know his parents he’s just lost in the world. The play says, â€Å"My parents again! Wait; who are my parents† (Sophocles Scene One line 221). Also in Scene One Teiresias says, â€Å"How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be when there’s no help in truth! I know this well, but did not act on it; else I should not have come† (Sophocles Scene One lines 101-103). With that being said he knew all the painful things that were going to happen to Oedipus but he kept quiet. I mean who could blame him if I knew anything aboutShow MoreRelatedSophocles The Golden Age1864 Words   |  8 PagesSophocles was born about 496 BC in Colonus Hippius which is now a part of Athens, Greece, he was to become one of the great playwrights of the golden age. Sophocles was the son of Laius and Jocasta, both wealthy in the city that Sophocles grew up in. Luckily, He was the son of a wealthy merchant, he would enjoy all the perks of a successful Greek empire. Sophocles was provided wi th the best education which would help him in many ways in the future of his life. He studied the arts. By sixteen, heRead MoreThe Influence Of Renaissance Theatres1891 Words   |  8 PagesPalladio got to work designing the theatre in late 1579 and early 1580. The purpose of the theatre was for the Vicenza Academia Olimpia to stage theatrical performances. The first play that was going to be performed at the newly designed theatre was, Oedipus Rex, which was written by the brilliant and well-known Sophocles. The Academia Olimpia was founded by non-other than Palladio himself in 1555. The group that he founded was full of people who were artists, musicians, and scholars. The theatreRead Moretheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 Pagesagainst the background of the Oedipus legend. It illustrates how the curse on the House of Labdacus (who is the grandson of Cadmus, founder of Thebes, and the father of Laius, whose son is Oedipus) brought about the deaths of Oedipus and his wife-mother, Jocasta, as well as the double fratrici de of Eteocles and Polynices. Furthermore, Antigone dies after defying King Creon. The play is set in Thebes, a powerful city-state north of Athens. Although the play itself was written in 441 B.C., the legendRead MoreThe Renaissance and It’s Affect on William Shakespeare’s Works2369 Words   |  10 PagesIt’s very easy to see William Shakespeare as an amazing literary genius who had a perspective on life that, to simply put it, no one else has ever had. However Shakespeare was the product of the English Renaissance. The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement spanning from the later 15th century until the early 17th century, it is associated with the Italian Renaissance which started in the 14th century. Like most of northern Europe, England did not get the full effect of the RenaissanceRead MoreRay Bradbury s Fahrenheit 4514443 Words   |  18 Pagesa person with corrupt values exploiting others for their own selfish needs. They put their desires above everyone else’s and usually exploits the purity or innocence of another, thinking they matter more. In The Most Dangerous Game, a short story written by Richard Connell, General Zaroff is of Russian nobility and fled to an island when the communists took over Russia. He would mislead ships so people could wash up on his island. When a hunter named Rainsford, washes up on his island, he gives theRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesprior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. Many of the designations by manufacturers and seller to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations

Technology and environment Free Essays

The advent of technology and industrialization has brought about tremendous changes in the lives of the people around the world. Innovations in science enabled humans to comprehend the various phenomena that occur in their natural environment. It cannot be denied that technology in all its forms has made our lives comfortable and our work easier, efficient and timely. We will write a custom essay sample on Technology and environment or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, the drastic changes in our environment that are now far-reaching and well-studied are very alarming. Take for example global warming, which is one of the major problem that people around the world need to mitigate the soonest possible time, is actually an offshoot of technological advances. With the growing concern for the gradually depletion of natural resources, as well as the fast-paced destruction of the earth, people are now debating over the negative impacts of technology to both human lives and the natural environment. This debate has resulted into the so called technological optimists and technological pessimists divide. According to Chasek, Downie, Brow (2006), technological optimism refers to people’s view that technology can harness our human capacities and also advance our development to a never-ending point. Technological optimism maintain that technology contributes a lot in the swift development of all aspects of human lives – social, economic, political, biological and even environmental aspects. Optimists assumed that technology will never cease to discover new innovations to cater to the needs of the times. Elliott (2004) on the other hand, presented the view of technological pessimists with reference to the negative impacts of science and technology to our natural environment. The advent of climate change has strengthened the point of debate in favor to the pessimists, claiming that climate change has been the greatest threat of technology to human lives. Technological pessimists assume that there has always been a limit to growth and development. Technological pessimists argue that technology has been the major cause of global problems such as pollution and depletion of natural resource because of technology’s ability to harness people’s capacity to go beyond what they need. Both optimists and pessimists have something to say on the issue of technological advancement. Both have made justifications to prove that they are right. Clapp and Dauvergne (2005) provided several point on which to base the assumptions of the two technological perspectives. On the part of the optimists, environmental problems can be solved by inventing the latest technology that could solve the present global environmental crisis. Take for example the enhancement of nuclear power as source of energy. It can provide people with the energy they need for generations and it can help mitigate the increasing pollution in the atmosphere. Another example that could justify the views of the optimists according to Clapp and Dauvergne (2005) is the advent of the World Wide Web or the internet. It made people’s lives easier and sharing of information has become too efficient and easy to access. The pessimists on the other hand justify their views with reference to the negative impacts that technology has caused the environment. The degradation of our natural resources has been greatly blamed on the massive industrialization brought about by technology. Another classic example is the transfer of agricultural technology to other countries, but proved to be futile because those technologies were not applicable to the situation of other countries. Clapp and Dauvergne (2005) added that technological pessimists maintained that development has a limit so as to preserve what has been left on the face of the planet earth. References Chasek, P.S., Downie, D. and Brow, J. W. (2006). Global environmental politics. Boulder:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Westview Press. Clapp, J. and Dauvergne, P.   (2005). Paths to a green world: The political economy of the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   global environment. Cambridge: MIT Press. Elliott, L. (2004). The global politics of the environment. New York: NYU Press. How to cite Technology and environment, Essay examples

Marie Winns 1977 book Essay Example

Marie Winns 1977 book Paper In this excerpt from Marie Winns 1977 book The Plug In Drug, Winn draws several parallels between drug or alcohol addiction and the television habit. Do you find Winns arguments to be persuasive? Why or why not? Television addiction is no laughing matter. According to author Marie Winn in her 1987 book Unplugging the Plug In Drug , television addiction should be viewed no differently than other serious addictions, such as drug addiction. When people become engaged in both activities their motivation is similar: pleasure and escapism. So why should a resultant addiction to both activities be any different?Although Winn makes several convincing arguments, television and drug use are ultimately not comparable due to their distinct effects on human lives. People indulge in drug use and television for similar reasons. Both activities offer an escape from daily life and a different experience of reality. Moreover, immersion in television and drugs can blot out the real world and allow for a pleasurable or indifferent state. Drugs provide a biological reinforcement of the activity and produces a pleasurable chemical response. Thus, people will repeat the activity.Television also provides a degree of reinforcement, or else people would not return to TV viewing again and again. We will write a custom essay sample on Marie Winns 1977 book specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Marie Winns 1977 book specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Marie Winns 1977 book specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Winns argument is compelling because she cites examples of people who become helpless to turn off the television. Even though they are ultimately dissatisfied by hours of viewing, they still fall into the same habit and return to viewing for its passive state. It is not necessarily pleasant, but it is not painful. It is a distraction from the difficulties of daily life. When people repeat escapist activities until they prefer an altered state to reality, they have become addicted. When they prefer one activity to all others it begins to impair their ability to function normally in society.This is true of any addiction, whether it is television or heroin. As a result, the addicts life becomes limited. As Winn puts it, the addict is living in a holding pattern. The addict no longer pursues other activities. However, Winns measuring stick for the impairment of addiction are productive hobbies. These might include reading or sewing. Why productive hobbies or pleasures are superior to nonproductive hobbies such as television or drugs is not clearly defined by Winn. Her point is still a valid one. Whenever a person dedicates themself to one particular purpose they are limiting their interests and experiences.There is no impetus for them to develop or diversify, as long as they find a superior pleasure in one pursuit. Sometimes the experience is not pleasure, but a passive state in which there is no motivation and no progress. The feeling that a person ought to do other things outside the benumbed practice of television viewing, but does not, indicates that peoples lives have been narrowed by their so-called addiction. Winn fails to be convincing when she goes on to further define addiction.She defines addiction not only as the desire to repeat an activity, but as the inability to be satiated by the activity upon repetition. Her argument is problematic because with drugs there is an initial guarantee of satisfaction and with television there is not. When you take a drug, there is a biological pleasure induced. It may require more each time to provide the same effect, but there is still a pleasurable experience. Televisions ability to produce pleasure is negligible. One rarely experiences a definite high from television. Unless you define addiction as a desire to achieve a state in which there is no pain, you cannot draw a comparison between television and drugs across the board.Winn does not define addiction as such. The adverse effects of an activity distinguishes it from a mere pleasure. These negative consequences characterize it as an addiction. This part of Winns definition is the most disputable. The negative effects of drugs do not compare to the negative effects of television. With drug addiction, there are definite physical harms involved. Drugs produce a state from which people cannot be sobered. Moreover, no one has ever died from a television overdose.The harms of drugs have been scientifically proven through health effects. The societal harms of drugs and television are also beyond comparison. Television has been known to cause domestic tension, but its adverse effects do not cause crime and death. The worst effects of television, according to Winn, is that it distorts time and may interfere with social relations. These worst consequences pale in comparison to the consequences of drug use. A significant element of Winns argument about the negative consequences of television addiction is that it blurs reality and that the viewer loses time. Winn overlooks that unlike drugs, a person can rouse themselves from the state of television viewing.Someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol cannot. Their impairment is physical. In addition to this, there are also physical side effects when a person curtails use of drugs. The addict becomes physically ill and unable to function normally. If a person who watches a lot of television ceases to do so, there are no such consequences. This is a crucial point, because Winn describes addiction as the inability to function normally without the activity to which one has become addicted. It would be interesting to learn in greater detail what Winn views as the negative or adverse effects of television addiction.She does not detail the impact the actual content television could have, in her chapter entitled Television Addiction. Certainly, one could see that televisions content could have an adverse impact on impressionable addicts, such as children. The act of viewing itself, not the content, is the focus of her analysis of the influence of television addiction. While some of the conditions of television addiction resemble those of drug addiction, it does not fully meet Winns criteria for addiction. She cannot give any concrete examples of televisions harms; she can only insist that it must be harmful.

Hofstede’s Model Of Organisational Culture The WritePass Journal

Hofstede’s Model Of Organisational Culture ABSTRACT Hofstede’s Model Of Organisational Culture ABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONWHAT IS..â€Å"CULTURE†?ORGANIZAITONAL CULTUREProcess oriented vs goal orientedParochial vs professionalOpen system vs closed systemEmployee oriented vs job orientedTighter control vs loose controlNormative vs pragmaticCRITICISMS OF HOFSTEDE’S MODELARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF HOFSTEDE’S MODELA CASE STUDY OF SONY ERICSSONORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN SONY ERICSSONCONCLUSIONREFERENCERelated ABSTRACT Organizational culture has become the buzzword in popular management with many experts suggesting it as an important determinant for organizational success. Management researchers have been quick to point out the impact that organizational culture may have on the effectiveness of the organization and have called for an increase in the attention paid to organizational culture. With more emphasis being placed on organizational culture, it becomes important to understand the appeal of this concept and examine its impact on management within the organization This paper thus explores on the concept of â€Å"organizational culture† and examines its impact on behaviours and management of the organization. This will involve identifying one associated mode or theory and evaluating or determining the extent to which the chosen model plays a part in defining the style of management. A case study of Sony Ericsson will also be employed to help illustrate the application of hofstede’s model of organizational culture. The study will also identify limitations of this model and the strengths that have enabled it to be used as a basis for most research analyses. INTRODUCTION Organizational culture has become the buzzword in popular management with many experts suggesting it as an important determinant for organizational success (Schein 1999). While the association between organizational culture and organizational success is far from certain, it is obvious that each organization has its own unique social structure which drives much of the individual behavior within that organization. Management researchers have been quick to point out the impact that organizational culture may have on the effectiveness of the organization and have called for an increase in the attention paid to organizational culture (Siehl Martin 1998).   With more emphasis being placed on organizational culture, it is important to understand the appeal of this concept and examine its impact on management within the organization. This study thus explores on the concept of organizational culture and examines its impact on management style. This will involve identifying one associated mode or theory and evaluating or determining the extent to which the chosen model plays a part in defining the style of management. In this regard, Hofstede’s ideas will form the basis of our analysis of organizational culture. WHAT IS..â€Å"CULTURE†? The term culture has been given varied set of definitions by various scholars. Kroeber Kluckholn (1952), for example, defined culture as consisting of patterns of behaviour acquired and transmitted through symbols, and which constitute distinctive achievement of human groups including their embodiment in artifacts. Hofstede (1980), on the other hand, defined culture as the collective programming of the mind which differentiates members of one human group in the society from the rest. While Symington (1983) defined it as a complex whole which include belief, knowledge, morals, art, customs, capabilities and habits acquired in the society.   These definitions suggest culture to consist of a set of value systems that are shared equally by members in the society and which binds people together. With the above conceptualization of culture, we can now define what we mean by organizational culture. ORGANIZAITONAL CULTURE Organizational culture can simply be defined as a set of values, assumptions and beliefs that define the behaviours and style of management in an organization (O’Reilly et.al, 1991).  There are three main sources of influence believed to interact to create organizational culture. These are the beliefs and values held by the leaders of the organization, the characteristics of the industry in which the organization is within, and the broader society in which the organization operates (O’Reilly et.al, 1991). The most influential model used by management researchers and which has formed the basis of most analyses of organizational culture is Hofstedes model. While most noted for his groundbreaking work on dimensions of national culture, Hofstede also identified six dimensions of organizational culture which can be used in defining the style of management in an organization. Process oriented vs goal oriented The process oriented vs result oriented dimension is concerned with the effectiveness of the organization. A key feature of a process oriented culture is the means or rather the way in which work has to be conducted. While in a result oriented culture, emphasis is placed on the goals of the organization. That is, employees are primarily out to achieve specific organizational goals even if the risks involved are substantial (Hofstede 2001). Parochial vs professional This dimension reflects the internal and external frame of the organization (Hofstede 2001). In a local culture the identity of the employees is with the immediate manager. Hence employees within this culture are internally focused and directed and there is also a strong social control. The converse is true in a professional culture where the identity of the employees is largely determined by the profession and content of the job. Open system vs closed system The open system vs closed system dimension reflects the communication climate of the organization (Hofstede 2001). For an open system, new employees are welcomed and there is the belief that everyone fits well in the organization. While for a closed system, it is difficult to join and it is believed that only a certain kind of individuals may fit in the organization. Employee oriented vs job oriented This dimension relates to the management philosophy in the organization. In an employee oriented organizational culture, concern is mainly on employee satisfaction. The staff members feel that their own personal problems and welfare is taken into account by the organization. While for a job oriented organizational culture, work is characterized by heavy pressure to perform the specific task at the expense of the employee (Hofstede 2001). Tighter control vs loose control This dimension relates to structuring, control and discipline in the organization. A tight control culture is characterized by seriousness and punctuality while the features of a loose control culture are casual and improvisation (Hofstede 2001). Examples of organizations that are often found within tighter controls are banks and pharmaceutical companies while those found in loose control are research laboratories and advertising agencies (Hofstede 2001). Normative vs pragmatic This dimension reflects on the methods employed by organizations when dealing with the environment in general and customers in particular. It describes the level of customer oreintation. Pragmatic cultures are flexible and more market driven while normative cultures are rigid and often emphasize on following applicable laws and rules (Hofstede 2001). Hofstede labeled organizations involved in the sale of services as pragmatic while those engaged in application of laws and rules as normative. CRITICISMS OF HOFSTEDE’S MODEL Hofstedes ground breaking work on culture has indeed provided valuable insights into the management styles and dynamics of cross cultural relationships. However, his highly influential findings have not been without criticisms. A number of academics have discredited his work in part or whole. Critics have argued that survey was not an important instrument that could be used in accurately determining and measuring the culture of organizations (Jones 2007). A survey of a set of limited questions certainly cannot adequately and comprehensively provide an in-depth understanding of culture of an organization. In response to this criticism, Hofstede argued that survey was one method and certainly not the only method that was used. Hofstedes model has also been criticized on the basis that the five or six dimensions did not provide sufficient information about cultural differences (Jones 2007). In this regard, Hofstede agreed that his analysis was too narrow to credibly argue for the universal validity and sufficiency of the six dimensions of organizational culture that he identified. And in fact, suggested for additional dimensions to his original work. He also noted that some of the six dimensions that he identified may be less useful when analyzing other types of organizations in other countries (Jones 2007). A third criticism is that Hofstede’s work is seen as outdated, especially with the rapid changes in the global environment (Jones 2007). This critique has further been put forward by Holden (2002) who points out that the data used by Hofstede in his dimensions of organizational culture seem to have been gathered over 30 years ago and is therefore no longer applicable to the modern day world. In response to this criticism, Hofstede (1998) pointed out that a number of recent replications had confirmed his findings. Hofstede’s model is also criticized on grounds of his one company approach. Hofstedes analysis supposed that a single IBM organizational culture could be used to make inferences about the entire world wide organizational cultures (Jones 2007). A study fixated on one company certainly cannot be used to make inferences about the entire world wide organizational cultures. The validity of his dimensions of organizational culture has thus been questioned and his model considered to be non-comprehensive as the study was based on data collected from a single company using questionnaires that lacked academic foundation. Critics have also argued that Hofstede failed to recognize the diversity in his analysis of IBM culture (Jones 2007). He ignored extensive literature which suggested that there were multiple, dissenting and emergent cultures in an organization. If we are to ignore the assumption of a single culture in IBM and acknowledge the diversity in culture at IBM, then his analysis is likely to collapse. After years of publication of his analysis on organizational culture based on the IBM survey data, Hofstede begun to acknowledge the presence of cultural diversity within and between units in the same organization. However, despite recognizing flaws in his work, Hofstede fails to admit error or weakness in his analysis. Accepting that organizations had multiple cultures as opposed to his assumption of a single culture would seem to undermine a crucial part of his analysis. ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF HOFSTEDE’S MODEL Despite these criticisms, Hofstedes work is widely acknowledged and used by many scholars and practictioners due to its mainly appealing attributes. Sondergaard (1994) noted that hofstedes analysis on corporate culture received 1,036 citations in comparison with another highly regarded study by Miles Snow (1978) which only received 200 citations. Moreover, a number of researchers have replicated Hofstedes study including Trompenaars Hampden-Turner (1997). Some of the strengths that have enabled it to be used as the basis of most research analyses include: Relevance: Hofstedes discoveries came at a time when there was very little known about culture and businesses were just globalizing and were in need of advice (Jones 2007). Hofstedes framework exceeded this demand and became widely accepted by many scholars and practitioners. His work offered guidance to managers who were expanding their businesses as cultures were clashing and creating difficulties (Jones 2007). Rigour Hofstede model is based on a rigorous research design with systematic data and is built on a coherent theory (Jones 2007). Simplicity: Knudsen Loloma (2007) argues that hofstedes model has remained influential and successful due to its simplicity of appliance. His analysis of culture offered a simple way of understanding organizational culture. The six dimensions that define organizational culture put forth by Hofstede made it easier for managers and researchers to understand corporate culture without the need of expert knowledge. Relative accuracy: strength of Hofstedes model is also reflected in its level of accuracy. Majority of the replications conducted by other researchers have confirmed Hofstedes findings. Four replications have concurred fully with Hofstede’s findings while fifteen showed partial confirmation (Jones 2007). Moreover, Hofstedes framework has become very influential in management studies and is most widely cited in social sciences. His work remains instrumental in the implementation of various business systems in organizations including entrepreneurial behaviour, workgroup performance and dynamics, leadership styles, participative management and management control systems among many others (Jones 2007). A CASE STUDY OF SONY ERICSSON In order to explore on the extent to which hofstede model plays a part in defining management style, we will conduct a case study of Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Sony and Ericsson. Sony Ericsson has its headquarters and all of its management based in the UK. The firm aims at becoming the most innovative and attractive mobile brand globally (Cooper Ross 2007). ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN SONY ERICSSON Organizational culture has long been acknowledged as an important factor for driving behaviour, decision making and shaping management style at Sony Ericsson. With regard to the rules and procedures, Sony Ericson follows a certain procedure laid down by the firm (Cooper Ross 2007). While it is not a requirement for employees to follow strict dress code and office timings, it is mandatory for employees at Sony Ericsson to abide by the business ethics and code of conduct (Cooper Ross 2007). Since the firm does not follow a strict dress code and office timings, it can be concluded that the organization employs a loose control culture. With regard to employee evaluation and performance, the staffs at Sony Ericsson are not differentiated on their individual performance and are allowed to participate in decision making except at the higher level which requires the executive management team only (Cooper Ross 2007). Sony Ericsson’s corporate culture is also more employee oriented with managers more concerned on the welfare and employee satisfaction. Sony Ericsons organizational culture is also very professional as employees are subjected to scrutiny checks prior to their appointment to ensure that individuals hired are competent and have a certain level of experience deemed necessary for the position (Tayeb 2001). With regard to normative and pragmatic approach, the firm is seen in between, as its organizational culture is both normative and pragmatic oriented. While Sony Ericsson focuses on meeting customer and market needs, the firm also adheres to certain rules and guidelines in meeting these needs (Tayeb 2001). Clearly, Hofstede’s model plays a significant part in defining the management style and organizational behaviour at Sony Ericsson. CONCLUSION There is no doubt that Hofstede’s model is one of the most widely acknowledged and used piece of research. His ground breaking work on culture has indeed provided valuable insights into the management styles and dynamics of cross cultural relationships as evident in Sony Ericsson. A number of academics have however discredited his work in part or whole. Although Hofstedes work on culture has been heavily criticized on grounds of his one company approach, survey methodological approach, and for fewer dimensions and his assumption of a single organizational culture; majority of his findings have had remarkable effect on practitioners and researchers and continue to guide multi-national practitioners into the global future. While there is a high level of controversy in his analysis of culture, there is no doubt that his study is one of the most influential in the analysis of organizational culture. REFERENCE Hofstede, G., 2001. Culture’s consequences. 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage publications Hofstede, G., 1998. Attitudes, Values and Organizational Culture: Disentangling the concepts. Organization Studies 19(3): 477. Hofstede, G., 1980. Cultures Consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. Hofstede, G., Neuijen, B., Ohayv, D. D., and G. Sanders, 1990. â€Å"Measuring Organizational Cultures: A Qualitative and Quantitative Study across Twenty Cases†. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35(2), 286-316. Holden, N., 2002. Cross-Cultural Management – A Knowledge Management Perspective. Harlow: Prentice Hall. Jones, M.L., 2007. Hofstede culturally questionable? Oxford, UK. Kroeber, A. L. and C. Kluckhohn, 1952. Culture: A critical review of concepts and definitions. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University press Knudsen Loloma, 2007. The consequences of cultures consequences. A critical approach to culture as collective programming applied to cross-cultural crews. Journal of Maritime Affairs. Vol . 8 (2), pp.105 -121 Miles, R and C. Snow, 1978. Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. O’Reilly, C., Chatman, J., and D. Caldwell, 1991. â€Å"People and organizational culture: A profile comparison approach to assessing person-organization fit†. Academy of Management Journal, 34:487-516. Rose, R., 2008. Organizational culture as a root of performance improvement: research and recommendations. Contemporary management research. Vol.4, p. 43-46 Schein, E., 1999. The corporate culture survival guide. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Schwartz, S.H., 1994. â€Å"Beyond individualism/collectivism†. In: Kim, U., Triandis, H.C. et al. (eds) Individualism and Collectivism: Theory, Method, and Applications: Vol. 18, Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Siehl, C. J. Martin, 1998. â€Å"Measuring Organizational Culture: Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Methods†. In: Jones, M.O, et al. (eds), Inside Organizations: Understanding the Human Dimension, Newbury Park, CA, Sage Publications, pp.79-103. Sinha, 2000. Patterns of work culture. Sage publications Sà ¸ndergaard, M., 1994. Hofstedes consequences: A study of reviews, citations and replications. Organization Studies 15(3): 447. Symington, J. W., 1983. Learn Latin America’s Culture. New York Times. Tayeb, M. H., 2001. International Business Partnership. New York: Palgrave. Trompenaars, F. and C. Hampden-Turner, 1997. Riding the waves of culture: understanding cultural diversity in business. London, Nicholas Brearley.

The Fundamentals of Verbs

The Fundamentals of Verbs The Fundamentals of Verbs The Fundamentals of Verbs By Mark Nichol This post outlines the basic principles of the verb, the workhorse of language. A verb describes an action (talk), an occurrence (become), or a state of being (live). Verbs are complicated by their many variable states, based on inflection depending on functions. For example, an action might, depending on the number of talkers, be described with the word talk or the word talks. (This quality is called agreement.) Based on the tense of the sentence, the verb, accompanied by an auxiliary, or helper, could appear in the phrases â€Å"will talk,† â€Å"has talked,† or â€Å"was talking.† (Tense is one of several similar qualities; the others are aspect, how the action or state occurs through time, and modality, the expression of the speaker’s attitude toward the action or state.) Other qualities of verbs are the voice (such as active voice, as in the form of the verb saw in â€Å"Many saw it as a turning point,† or passive voice, as exemplified by the syntax in â€Å"It was seen by many as a turning point†) and the valency whether the verb is intransitive (accompanied by a subject alone, as in â€Å"It moves†), transitive (accompanied by a subject and a direct object, as in â€Å"We went to the store†), or ditransitive (accompanied by a subject, a direct object, and an indirect object (â€Å"I brought him the report†). The six types of verb follow: An intransitive verb is one that does not precede a noun or an adjective. If any part of speech follows an intransitive verb, it is usually an adverb (â€Å"I walked quickly†) or a preposition (â€Å"I walked in†). A linking verb precedes a noun (â€Å"She remained home†) or an adjective (â€Å"He appeared tired†); an adverb may not follow a linking verb. In these sample sentences, home is an example of a predicate noun, and tired exemplifies predicate adjectives. A transitive verb sometimes, to distinguish it from two other types described below, called a one-place transitive precedes a noun (â€Å"We watched the movie†) or a noun phrase (â€Å"They talked in the dark†). In this case, the noun or noun phrase is called a direct object because it is the thing being acted on in the manner indicated by the verb. Two types of verbs are called two-place transitive verbs. The first, labeled the Vg type (the letters stand for verb and give), precedes two nouns or noun phrases (â€Å"I bought my wife a bouquet of flowers†) or a noun or noun phrase and a prepositional phrase (â€Å"I bought a bouquet of flowers for my wife†) in succession. The first word or phrase after the verb is an indirect object (a recipient) and the second is a direct object. The second type of two-place transitive verb, the Vc type (c is for consider), precedes a noun or noun phrase and another one (â€Å"I consider the chairman an arrogant person†), or an adjective (â€Å"I believe that the chairman is arrogant†) or an infinitive phrase (â€Å"I found the chairman to be arrogant†). The first word or phrase after the verb is a direct object, and the second is a complement, so called because it teams up with the direct object to complete the thought. A to-be verb is one that is a form of the phrase â€Å"to be,† such as is, were, or being. A to-be verb precedes a noun (â€Å"I am a fool†), an adjective (â€Å"I was foolish†), or an adverb of place, a class of adverb that describes where something occurs (â€Å"I am in the doghouse.†) These other parts of speech are sometimes referred to as predicate nouns, predicate adjectives, and predicate adverbs. As is the case with nouns, a sentence need not include a verb (for example, â€Å"Right† spoken or written as an affirmation), but not much can happen in communication without reference to an action, an occurrence, or a state. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a Sentenceâ€Å"As Well As† Does Not Mean â€Å"And†Ulterior and Alterior

Solar Collector mirror Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Solar Collector mirror - Research Paper Example Conduction with copper heats the water passing through the pipe. Mirror is bent by heating it. Attempting to bend mirror at too low heating would cause it to break whereas too much heating makes mirror melt and disfigure rather than being bent. Before, heating, the mirror is polished and cleaned good enough to make any dust particle invisible to the naked eye. After the mirror is cleaned, it is painted with a mix of detergent, clay, and calcium carbonate to prevent it sticking with the steel bracket when it gets hot. Exciting the silica molecules can take up to three hours before the mirror starts to bend when placed over the bracket and heated (Dinh, 2011). After the mirror has been bent, it is allowed time to cool down in a process called annealing that usually takes up to two hours to complete. If the mirror is allowed to cool down too quickly, the internal stresses built up during heating may cause it to

Starbucks Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Starbucks - Case Study Example It still had to face criticism as people believed that it was not an actual size reduction but just a fad on the part of the company. Due to this they started producing the snickers mini and phased out the giant. The environmental aspects that have positively impacted the company include demography of the area of operation which is within cosmopolitan regions. This also has been amounted to by the technological advancements within these regions especially that their products are furnished brands to the existing products. Lastly, the cultural trends of the regions of operations have been characterized by fashionable products which basically triggered the entry of Snickers into the market space. Moreover, the success of starting the company was amounted to the level of education of the management; this accorded the management technical as well as managerial skills, having studied a bachelor’s degree in business management. By extension, prior experience in a sugar processing far m came in handy as regards the stages of production and general processing. In addition to this there was adequate savings to initiate the company as initial capital. Product Description and Segmentation The Starbuck Company produces products made up of Nougat, caramel and covered with chocolate. They have a range of products, the original snickers, the dark snickers, the almond snickers and the ice cream. The ice cream comes in three forms, a cone, a brownie and a bar. Current Market Target Starbucks Company has enjoyed a whopping 30% market share owing to its quick establishment as regards to the core products which long before never existed to satisfy the consumers’ needs, but if they did then were of poor quality. The main area addressed by Starbuck coming in handy as a cutting edge was their technological inclusion in the venture. This furnished the brand of the product. In addition to their quality products the government was quite impressed and considered funding the e xpansion in the production of this new brand of products. In addition to the aforementioned market share, Starbucks Company’s considerations come along with the knowledge of the customers of probable benefits accruing from the entry of the new product, their willingness and capability to pay higher prices for the new products, their likelihood to adopt the new brand based on their attitude and their criticisms about the product which they would wish to be addressed; especially the health concerns. Proposed Promotion Mix The current advertisement that Starbuck Company has been running is the â€Å"when you are hungry, you are not you†. It is this concept that has received recognition and they have made some really interesting advertisements that have earned them acclaim. This advertisement focuses on the fact that the company products give you energy and makes you young and energetic. Other than this the company has also used various promotion strategies like Push strat egy as well as the pull Strategy which has ensured the maximal exploration of all available channels of distributing the product to the market. In these methods of advertising the company has employed various stratagems like Product comparison advertising; whereby it has enjoyed the benefit of an outstanding product. Other equally competitive marketing

Argumentative Essay: Women Should Not Be Allowed To Go Topless In Publi

Argumentative Essay: Should Women Be Allowed To Go Topless in Public   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the summer of 1996 Gwen Jacobs enjoyed a topless summer stroll during which she was seen by a local O.P.P officer, was apprehended and subsequently charged with indecent exposure. Gwen Jacobs pleaded not guilty in court and won the right to go topless in Ontario. This incident brought up an excellent question: should women be allowed to go topless on public beaches and in other public areas? The answer is strictly no, women should not be allowed to go topless anywhere outside of their own home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the many reasons why I believe that women should not be allowed to go topless is with respect to the safety of women. Men and boys have, in recent years, been using short, tight, skirts and shirts as an excuse for rape or date rape. Men have said that the girl was wearing a tight shirt and short skirt and it was obvious that she was easy and wanted the attention. This statement leads me to my next point. The average human being upon first contact with a stranger bases his initial impression of that person solely on the person's appearance. This is only natural as the only thing that we know about this stranger is what we see of them the first time we meet. We all are aware of the sayings "Preppy","Jockish","Skater","Sluty" etc. This final saying, â€Å"Sluty† is interpreted by 90 percent of North Americans as a tight skirt and tight tank top which happens to be the usual ensembl... Argumentative Essay: Women Should Not Be Allowed To Go Topless In Publi Argumentative Essay: Should Women Be Allowed To Go Topless in Public   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the summer of 1996 Gwen Jacobs enjoyed a topless summer stroll during which she was seen by a local O.P.P officer, was apprehended and subsequently charged with indecent exposure. Gwen Jacobs pleaded not guilty in court and won the right to go topless in Ontario. This incident brought up an excellent question: should women be allowed to go topless on public beaches and in other public areas? The answer is strictly no, women should not be allowed to go topless anywhere outside of their own home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the many reasons why I believe that women should not be allowed to go topless is with respect to the safety of women. Men and boys have, in recent years, been using short, tight, skirts and shirts as an excuse for rape or date rape. Men have said that the girl was wearing a tight shirt and short skirt and it was obvious that she was easy and wanted the attention. This statement leads me to my next point. The average human being upon first contact with a stranger bases his initial impression of that person solely on the person's appearance. This is only natural as the only thing that we know about this stranger is what we see of them the first time we meet. We all are aware of the sayings "Preppy","Jockish","Skater","Sluty" etc. This final saying, â€Å"Sluty† is interpreted by 90 percent of North Americans as a tight skirt and tight tank top which happens to be the usual ensembl...

Hard Times as a Moral Fable Essay

The creative part is the fairy tale which often involves animals rather than humans. It speaks to our hearts as it entertains us; the ending is the logical, moral conclusion that satisfies our logical brains and seems â€Å"right†. The problem with all moral fables is that there are often 2 sides to the same story †¦ things are rarely so black and white in reality †¦ so there could be more than one ending †¦ e. g. here are times when speed is necessary over steadiness – of course, there also has to be good judgement. Although it is not appropriate to describe a work of art, which Hard Times undoubtedly is, as a moral fable or a morality play, yet the fact remains that there is a strong moral intention behind this novel. Hard Times is a satirical attack on some of the evils and vices of Victorian society. Satire has always corrective purpose and is therefore basically moral in its approach to the subjects it deals with. Apart from that, there are passages of direct moralising in this novel. Hard Times is a novel which from the moment of its publication aroused very different sentiments in the reading public. Dickens’s reasons for writing Hard Times were mostly monetary. Sales of his weekly periodical, Household Words, were low, and he hoped the inclusion of this novel in instalments would increase sales. Since publication it has received a mixed response from a diverse range of critics, such as F. R.  Leavis, George Bernard Shaw, and Thomas Macaulay, mainly focusing on Dickens’s treatment of trade unions and his post-Industrial Revolution pessimism regarding the divide between Capitalist mill owners and undervalued workers during the Victorian era The novel was written as a weekly serial story to run through five months of his magazine, Household Words, during 1854. Sales were highly responsive and encouraging for Dickens who remarked that he was â€Å"Three parts mad, and the fourt h delirious, with perpetual rushing at Hard Times†. Dickens had to force his story to fit the exigencies of a Procrustean bed and, in doing so, sacrificed the abundance of life characteristic of his genius. That, at any rate, was the general view of Hard Times until in 1948 F. R. Leavis, in his book The Great Tradition, suggested that it was a ‘moral fable,’ the hallmark of a moral fable being that ‘the intention is peculiarly insistent, so that the representative significance of everything in the fable – character, episode, and so on – is immediately apparent as we read. By seeing it as a moral fable, Dr. Leavis produced a brilliant rereading of Hard Times that has changed almost every critic’s approach to the novel. Yet a difficulty still remains: the nature of the target of Dickens’ satire. Both Gradgrind and Bounderby are emblematic, to the point of caricature, of representative early-nineteenth-century attitudes. Dickens tells us that Gradgrind has ‘an unbending, utilitarian, matter-of-fact face’; and the novel has been taken as an attack on the philosophical doctrine known as utilitarianism, the doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principle of conduct But utilitarianism can also mean the doctrine that utility must be the standard of what is good for man. Perhaps the two meanings come together in the famous Victorian phrase, ‘enlightened self-interest,’ the meaning of which will turn entirely upon the definition of ‘enlightened. Utilitarianism in the philosophical sense, as taught by the noble-minded John Stuart Mill, has had a profound and abiding influence on Western life and thought, and Dickens was certainly not competent to criticise it as a philosophical system. But if he was no philosopher, nor even a trained mind, he was something as valuable: ‘an astonishing diagnostician of life,’ as D. H. Lawrence has been called. ‘His sensitive nose could smell death a mile away. ‘ And it is precisely those elements of nineteenth-century economic thinking that denied life which he is attacking in Hard Times. He is, in other words, continuing his attack on what may be called the statistical conception of man, on human relations evaluated in terms of arithmetic, on what Thomas Carlyle called the ‘cash nexus’ that he had launched at the beginning of his career in Oliver Twist. There he had traced its consequences in official attitudes towards poverty and in the working of the New Poor Law In order to give a concrete shape to his moral purpose, dickens in this novel uses the characters here as symbols. Almost every character in this novel is an embodiment of a certain idea or concept or principle, good or bad. In fact, there are two groups of symbolic characters: one group symbolizing certain objectionable features of Victorian life, and the other group symbolizing certain moral qualities, of which we heartily approve. These two groups of characters, symbolizing opposite principle, are confronted with each other and it is this confrontation that constitutes the focus of interest in the novel. The characters here are therefore like the ‘dramatis personae’ in a morality play; there is an allegorical intention behind the character-portrayal. However, this novel is different from a moral fable or morality play in one striking respect. While the characters in amoral fable or a morality play are purely embodiments of certain qualities, good or bad; in this novel the characters, in addition to their function as symbols of certain good or bad qualities, are also individuals in their own right. Each character here is made to live as a separate individual, sharply distinguished from the other; yet their symbolic roles cannot be questioned. Coketown itself is treated as a symbol in the novel. This industrial town represents the industrial ugliness, industrial callousness, the mechanical and monotonous life which the workmen or the â€Å"hands† are compelled to lead under a system governed by utilitarianism and laissez faire. All the passages which describe this town or its people are written in an ironical vein and have an obvious moral purpose. In the main, however, the best writing in Hard Times is a result of this tour-guide mentality, as his wonder, horror and awe lead to vivid evocations of the landscape. Many critics have made the link between Coketown and a kind of Dantesque Inferno, and his vision of industrial society is â€Å"full of horror, but possessing also a weird beauty†. The key to the weird beauty latent in the horror are the ‘melancholy mad elephants’ of machinery – Dickens was as fascinated by industry as he was repulsed by it. The industrial artefacts of Coketown are endowed with all the life drained from its inhabitants, the dehumanised ‘hands’. Like Marx, Dickens could see an â€Å"inverted world characterised by the personification of things† and as a result the inanimate objects of Coketown abound with vitality, while the people within it are cogs in a machine, â€Å"people equally like one another, who all went in and out at the same hours, with the same sound upon the same pavements, to do the same work, and to whom everyday was the same as yesterday and tomorrow, and every year the counterpart of the last and the next† . Treating the factory as a living thing leads to mental links being forged between the ever coiling â€Å"interminable serpents of smoke† and the smokescreens that people use to hide themselves from the world, or indeed the world from them, most notably Gradgrinds inability to see past his system, and Bounderby’s deliberate hiding of his past. There are also links made between the fire in the â€Å"fairy palaces† and the fire of human passion, and aptly it is the mechanical Louisa who notices this, most likely fascinated at how a non-living thing has more life than she does – â€Å"There seems to be nothing but languid and monotonous smoke. Yet when the night comes, Fire bursts out, father! † [I, xv]. Not only is this reversal of death and life hellish, but these descriptions of zombie workers in a living factory are written in a prophetic style which almost invites one to place an ‘Abandon hope all ye who enter here! sign on the factory gates. All of the images of smoke, ashes, and fire â€Å"suggest that death is ever-present in the hell of Coketown†, as does the reference to the black ladder so often in use in the working class quarters [I, x]. Michael Wheeler points to the significance of Biblical imagery in the text, stating that the New Testament is the â€Å"yardstick by its modern usurpers are measured and found wanting†, and that this is the ultimate condemnation that Dickens can heap upon it. However, I cannot help but feel that passages proclaiming that â€Å"all those subtle essences of humanity which will elude the utmost cunning of algebra until the last trumpet ever to be sounded will blow even algebra to wreck† , while suggesting that Gradgrindery and the interlocking forces of industry are to be judged and condemned, they also make it clear that they will be left well enough alone until the Judgement Day. Coketown is painted as a hell on earth, consuming the lifeblood of its inhabitants, and the fact that it itself will be destroyed in the end is of monumental insignificance for the countless generations who will have to toil there until then. On the other hand The Circus is represented as a symbol of â€Å"Humanity† as Well as Art. The circus is very important as a sybol in the scheme of this moral fable. The circus people symbolize not only art but also humanity: they are embodiments of those simple virtues of sympathy and helpfulness to others for which gradgrind’s philosophy has no use and Bounderby’s hardened heart, no room. There is a remarkable gentleness about these people, a special inaptitude for any kind of sharp practice, and an untiring readiness to help and pity one another. The moral of this novel as a whole is put by dickens in the mouth of Mr. Sleary of the circus. After giving an account of the death of siss’s father to gradgrind, Mr. Sleary comes to the conclusion that there is a kind of love in the world which is not self-interest afterall, but something very different, and that this love has a way of its own of calculating or not calculating. This is the supreme message which the novel has for us. In these few words we find a condemnation of all that Gradgrind, Bounderby, and Mrs. Sparsit symbolize, and an acceptance and approval of what Stephen and Rachel, Sissy, and Mr. Sleary himself, symbolize. There are, thus, strong grounds for calling this novel a Moral fable or a morality play with the characters functioning partly as individuals but chiefly as symbols. Finally, there are passages of direct moralizing which lend to the novel the character of a novel fable or morality play. At one point, for instance, dickens warns the â€Å"commissioners of fact† and the utilitarian economists that if they do not attend to the instincts and emotions of the poor people, reality will take a wolfish turn and make an end of everything. At another point Dickens offers an ironic commentary, with an obvious moral, upon the effects of Gradgrind’s system of education on Bitzer’s outlook. And then, of course, there is a plain and straightforward maoralizing in the final chapter when the author comments upon the ultimate fate of each of the characters.

Analysis Of Walt Disney s Public Limited Company

Walt Disney Public Limited Company 4.5 Detailed explanation of ratios and detail analysis of the company Liquidity ratio is consists of current and acid ratio. It is used to assess firm’s ability to its short-term debts. It does not count about profit but working capital, which is important to ability of paying its short-term debt of the business. Current Ratio analysis Current Ratio is used by business to compare its current liability with current assets. Preferable current ratio is advised to be in between 1.5 to 2. Current ratio over 2 is considered to be dangerous to business as there might be stocks are stored, which can be used in other opportunity such as: selling it. Low current ratio boost business to have better cash flow management , which leads to cancellation of spending plan, avoiding long-term liabilities. In terms of the Walt Disney PLC, it was estimated that there is constant increase in current ratio from 1.16 in 2011 to 1.35 in 2013. This is good sign that Walt Disney PLC has just in the middle of the just below the 1.5, which means Walt Disney is able to pay its short term debt without running out of cash inflows. Quick Ratio or Acid ratio analysis This ratio is used to assess liquidity of the company by stocks that will be sold in the short period time. Result below 1 shows that business is facing problem with paying its short term debt. In case of Walt Disney PLC, the quick ration is also increasing from 1.02 in 2011 to 1.22 in 2013, this tellsShow MoreRelatedWalt Disney s Merger With Capital Cities1620 Words   |  7 Pagesanywhere these days without seeing an advertisment, or something relating to The Walt Disney Company (Disney). Perhaps you are seeing this advertised using a cable network like ABC or ESPN, or possibly on one of the newspaper companies that used to belong to Capital Cities/ ABC Inc. (ABC). In 1995, it was time for Disney to improve on their media outlook. 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