Monday, September 30, 2019

Chemistry IA

Research question: Does the concentration (mol DMS) of sulfur dioxide in wine rise or fall when exposed to alarm for different time periods (O, 75,150,225, 300 minutes)? Purpose: Many adults enjoy the consumption of wine but are not aware of the different preservatives and chemicals that are added to the drink. Sulfur Dioxide, which is added to many food products including wine because it acts as a redundant, is Well known as a poisonous and allergenic substance (Echo-consult, n. D), making it a somewhat harmful ingredient.The purpose of this experiment Is to determine how the amount of sulfur dioxide In white wine Is affected by the exposure to the alarm over different time periods and whether this will negatively or positively affect the human body. The boiling point of sulfur dioxide is -ICC, therefore when it is above this temperature it is expected to evaporate. According to Rutledge Estates, an Australian wine companyÃ'Ÿtriangle Estates, 2011), the concentration of sulfur diox ide In wine reduces when subjected to aeration, this loss of sulfur dioxide increases over time.This reduction in sulfur dioxide can be beneficial for people with allergies but can be harmful for the wine as oxidation causes a loss of the fruity flavor, browning, and the development of allowedly or nutty flavors (Threadlike, 2013). Hypothesis: As the wine Is left out for longer the sulfur dioxide content falls. Variables: Variable Dependent The amount of Sulfur doodle Independent Amount of time Controlled The equipment used The rinsing techniques The measurements of each Sodium hydroxide (ml) White wine (ml) Sulfuric acid (1 Mol) Starch indicator (2 ml) Set Up: mall flask Stopwatch PipetteThese results did not conform to the hypothesis; this difference could be a result of the percentage error in the equipment, and the systematic error. The results for each trial only varied slightly therefore the narrow time limit could have affected the results, there may have been larger differen ce of SIS if the experiment was conducted over a larger period of time. If this was the problem then it can be seen that over short periods of time the concentration of SIS does not change very much.This means that wine will take longer to oxides and will have antibacterial properties for a longer time, making it retain its flavor and quality for a longer time. Percentage errors in instruments: Percentage error for Pipette- Percentage error com of pipettes wine) X 100 x 100 ?0. 2% Percentage error for Burette titration 1- Percentage error =(Uncertainty com of average titration) X 100 =(0. 049. 60) XIII Table of percentage errors in instruments Instrument Titration Uncertainty Percentage error (%) Ð’Â ±o. Ml 0. % Ð’Â ±o. Ml 0. 4% 5 Evaluation: Weakness Reason Improvement The timing of each interval. The laboratory was lock at certain times, this was not accounted for in the planning stage and made the timing very inaccurate. Plan the experiment at the beginning of the day acc ounting for all breaks and laboratory trading hours. The number of trials There was not enough time to do enough trials to get three concordant results for each test Repeat experiment until there are at least three concordant results Seeing the end pointIt was hard to tell what color the endpoint should be as the previous titration would change color after a period of time Have a color chart that is permanent which the color of the titer can be compared to Contamination of wine The beakers holding the wine were exposed to the air and there may have been gases in the air which contaminated the wine. Place the wine in a place which is not exposed to things which could contaminate it. Rinsing technique The equipment was rinsed multiple times but foreign chemicals could still have been present Repeat all of the rising steps twice to ensure they are not contaminatedMeasuring inaccuracies Seeing how much iodine was still in the burette was difficult because the lines were very close toget her. Spend more time with maximum concentration on viewing the measurements on the burette. Bibliography: Threadlike, M 2013 Wine Aeration and Its Adverse Effects, Iowa State University, accessed 25 November 2013, . Shannon, C 2011 Is aerating wine Just hot air? , Rutledge Estates, accessed November 2013, . The use of Sulfur Dioxide in Must and Wine n. D. , Echo-consult, Pdf, accessed Xavier, L n. D. Titration, CICADAS, accessed 25 November 2013, .

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Bollywood and Gender

Research Proposal Aim: To study and compare the role of women in some of the women centric Hindi films released between 1980 to 1990 and 2000 and 2010. Objective: To study the issues of gender, caste, development that were perceived in Indian cinema then and now in women centric films. A comparative study about the representation of women in Indian cinema then and now in women centric films. Scope: There are a numerous women centric films that are created in diverse languages around the world. When we focus even on one specific type, we get to know about the culture and thought process of that specific region. Also, a strong statement emerges out of the analysis which is a reflection of the prevailing ideologies in the society. This paper will be mark a statement on the thought process, beliefs of the people especially for the women. These beliefs systems and ideologies will be compared through women centric Bollywood movies that were released between 1980’s to 1990’s and 2000 to 2010. The scope can be extended to many women centric movies made in various languages other than Hindi. One can also include the earliest of the eras for a detailed comparison and in-depth study. Not only a comparison on the issues like gender and caste but also a comparison on other issues like lifestyle, costumes, movie posters etc can be done. Limitations: This paper is limited only to Bollywood films because of the language constraints. Also, only two decades have been chosen since the comparison and study would be possible with a limited number of films to study. Also, from each decade four women centric films are chosen and then studied thoroughly. Followed by is a detailed analysis of the movie based on the issues of Gender, caste, development, ideologies. Research Question: What is the difference in the representation of women portrayed earlier (1980-1990) and that which is shown now (2000-2010)? †¢ What are the factors that have affected the change in the representation of women in Hindi cinema esp. between the 1980- 1990 and 2000-2010? And how is the transition identified? †¢ Was the image of women shown in the movies of 1980-1990 stronger, bolder than tho se shown now (2000-2010)? Introduction: Confirming Aristotle’s view of art as an imitation of life, gender discrimination in the Hindi film industry does indeed reflect the bias that exists in Indian society. The gender ratio in India is heavily skewed in the favor of males (1. 08 male(s)/female) (from CIA’s publication). Thus, Indian moviegoers are presumed to be mostly men—roughly between the age of 15 to 34 years. These moviegoers, according to an all-India survey by a research organization, enjoy mindless comedies. Such thinking dominates cinematic expression in one of the world’s largest centers of film production. The Indian entertainment industry stands at $10 billion today and is expected to grow at 18 percent per annum compounded annually over the next two years (Economic Times). An average Indian spends approximately 4. 6 percent of disposable income on movie watching in theaters. And because issue-based films are not a favorite with the masses, a producer opts for subjects with more appeal so that he or she can recuperate the huge investments involved in film production. Even female filmmakers do not risk funding for their films by focusing on women-centric subjects. At New York’s iView Film Festival held in 2009, which explored gender and sexuality issues, filmmakers and actors on the panel were asked to comment on the presentation of social issues through Indian films. Zoya Akhtar, the filmmaker of  Luck By Chance (2009), and a panel member commented on the female protagonist in her film saying that, â€Å"The character could have been any; the fact that she is a woman is a coincidence. † But because the film ends up centering on the story of a woman, the director struggled for six years to make the film—apparently because numerous male actors turned down the costarring role. She had a difficult time despite her insider status in the industry as the daughter of renowned Indian scriptwriters, Javed Akhtar and the sister of an accomplished film director, actor, producer and singer, Farhan Akhtar. The absence of female centric scripts in main stream Hindi cinema is partially to be blamed because of its commercial viability. Also, commercially super-hit films like Jab We Met(2007) and Paa(2009) are termed as female centric films, but on observing closely, we realize that both the female characters in the end need their male counterpart to overcome their grief or are heavily relied on them to ensure a happy ending to their story. Hindi cinema is divided into ‘trends’ or ‘eras’. Starting from the silent ra in 1920s, Hindi cinema has evolved tremendously in terms of technique, story telling and the stories that were told. The period from late 1940s till 1960s is considered as the ‘Golden era’ of Indian cinema. Bollywood witnessed a new wave in form of content, where earlier movies focused mainly on mythological stories, after independence, their focus shifted on development issues (Do Bigha Zameen- in 1953), gender (Bandini-in 1963), caste di scrimination (Sujata-in 1959), etc. In the early years of Indian cinema, it was Bimal Roy who made a host of films in which his heroines had the lead part to play. Commercial cinema then had female centric scripts and Nutan, Meenakumari, Madhubala and Waheeda Rehman have portrayed some of the most powerful female characters in Hindi cinema and delivered super-hit films. The role played by Zeenat Amaan in the movie (Qurbani-in 1980) was much ahead of its time. It was bold and headstrong unlike of the characters that we seen in the movies of late 90’s. One of the outstabding commercial hits Seeta aur Geeta concentrated more on the heroines rather than the two heroes. Besides such mirrored plots, some movis have focused exclusively on the heroine and woven the script around a central female character. In such films, the woman has no prototype. Jaya Bhaduri’s Guddi was one of the early hits where the innocent girl next door image of a star struck teenager became representative of each school going girl for years to come. In other films like Aandhi, an educated wife changes course midway from a happily married woman to a leading politician. When we compare those films with the films produced during 1990s and later, we can see stark contrast in the way female leads were being portrayed. Not only in their portrayal of the character, but also in the way the content of the movie that was generated. At times or rather most of the times, they were meant to accomplishments to their male counterparts. Shridevi in Lamhe(1991), Madhuri Dixit in Hum Aapke Hain Koun-(1994), Karishma Kapoor in Dil to Paagal Hain-(1997), Fiza-(2000) ,Kajol in Dushman-(1998) and Aishwarya Rai in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam-(1999), Taal-(1999) and Guzaarish-(2010) were some of the most popular leading ladies during this era. Though they were brilliant performers, they hardly were part of a movie where they were not shown adhered to the wishes of the male lead, society and family. It becomes mandatory to ultimately create an image of an ‘ideal’ girl/woman for the audience (here consumers) because that’s how our society works and secondly it becomes easy for that the idea to sell; hence increase in numbers and popularity. Films like â€Å"Dor† (2006), â€Å"Silsilay† (2005), â€Å"Tehzeeb† (2003), â€Å"Pinjar† (2003), â€Å"Chameli† (2003), â€Å"Satta† (2003), â€Å"Filhaal† (2002), â€Å"Zubeidaa† (2001) â€Å"Lajja† (2001), â€Å"Chandni Bar† (2001) and â€Å"Fiza† (2000) brought the woman into the spotlight – all these films got critical acclaim, but they didn't turn out to be a commercial hit. Surprisingly, in recent times, No One Killed Jessica was the only ‘women centric film’ that sort of worked at the box office. All said and done, it shows that we lack on ideas. We as audience are treading backward as we choose to accept only a specific image of woman being shown. Hence, I would focus on a comparative study of two different bollywood era. This will not only comment on the techniques and style of film making, but it will also comment on the kind of cinema accepted by the masses then and now. It will clearly showcase the image of a girl or a woman being shown by the film makers and its acceptance by the audience. It will talk about how issues of gender, caste, development were perceived in Indian cinema then and now. Hence, it will become a cultural comparative study of two different decades from Indian history and will help us understand that how the term ‘Indian Culture’ has evolved over a period of time. A Tentative Bibliography: †¢ Criticisicm and Truth by Roland Barthes |   | |Television commercials and rural women as audience in India by Ila Patel | | | | | |Ways of Seeing by John Berger | | | | | |About Looking by John Berger | | | | | |Women and Art contested Territory by ChicagoJudy | | | | | |Bollywood in Posters by Ausaja. S. M. M. | | | | | |A Thinking Eye by Paul Klee | | Reference Links: www. indianetzone. com www. indianlink. com www. altlawforum. org www. expressindia. com www. semionaut. com www. sebsteph. com www. slideshare. net Heta Vyas MAJ 0310

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The main function of the Best Recipe Kitchens is to manufacture, supply, sell and install kitchens

The main function of the Best Recipe Kitchens is to manufacture, supply, sell and install kitchens. They do this by making kitchens and providing the customers with the right product sizes. Customers * Individual members of the public come and visit any showroom. * Industrial customers from clubs and restaurants do buy kitchens from them. * The also have companies from developing housing associations. Goods Supplied The company supply's many products which they have manufacturing or besides even manufacturing they order the products from different suppliers and supply them to their customers. * Base units * Wall units * Worktops * Plinths * Bins * Vegetable baskets * Towel rails * Cookers * Washing Machines * Dishwashers * Fridges * Freezers * Waste Pipes * Sockets * Cables All the showrooms have three main sections; – 1. Sales 2. Administration 3. Installations. Sales In this department there is a head who is sales manager the makes sure when a sale is confirmed the member of the staff who handled the sale at the time gets' commission. In their usual salary. * The sales department also hands marketing which has it's own head but still under sales manager. * The marketing Director is responsible for advertising and promoting Best Recipe Kitchens for steady income and to increase sales. * In the sales department the sales staffs that take their time and plan a kitchen on the computer software will make the sales. Administration There is a head of the section is a supervisor. * This department is responsible for all the ICT tasks and administration staff as well. * The department of administration is responsible for sending faxes and ordering goods. * They also send letters to the customers. * Some of the staff check invoices and payments. * They also do a bit of accounts work such as calculations and Humans Resources work. * They put up software's. They also print out the work. But there are varity of printer connected to the network e.g. laser and inkjet. Installation * Installation manger hires people to install kitchens to their customers. * When an order is confirmed the installation manager sends the order so the schedule can be arranged for the contractors as well as the engineer. * At the end of the small process the manager has to produce a whole report at the end of each week. Suppliers There are various suppliers but mainly are related to the warehouse. The warehouse orders goods if they don't manufacture a product in their factories. The suppliers also supply electrical and gas appliance. However The Production manager with warehouse has a very close contact with other suppliers. The warehouse manger is responsible for ordering kitchen fittings, plumbing and electrical goods. But the Production manager only confirms the (missing items) orders by fax. This is a structural diagram for Head office: – Structural diagram for a showroom: – Task 2 Handing The information that is required is who will be buying the kitchen. Where the kitchens are going to come from or to be delivered. What components are needed? How the payment is going to make and how long will it take. So a client will be buying kitchens of their choice. This information is collected and sent to the warehouse where they find the product manually if some merchandise is not manufactured by the company they will purchase them from other companies. The warehouse manager will also be making a contact to the installation manager who signs the contractor and sends the appointment by post, a person will go to take measurement of the kitchen. He will report back to ensure the products have the right measurements. The client pays the payment of 25% to a sales person after the measurements are taken and every thing is cleared a kitchen will be installed. The sales section will collect customer's address and their name also a contact number on a computer in the showroom. And he sends an order form at home. The information is obtained from the order forms, which are given to the customers by post and returned when completed by a completion date. When the information is collected a clerk (from the forms) will input to a computer and this is given to the administration department, which looks at the data and check the order on a hard copy manually. The important details are the order, the addresses and the conformation with the client. The process how an order is placed and how the company keeps in their standards is the order form is returned and the data is inputted in a computer and printed a hard company, which goes to the warehouse where a person manually searches to a product. The warehouse manager faxes the information to the production manager who confirms the order and sends it back to the warehouse manager by fax. The warehouse manager then contacts the suppliers by post. Finally the warehouse manager informs the installation manager who places the order to the clerk who purchases the order for any other appliances required and post them to the appropriate manufacturers. There orders include the customers name and addresses so the goods will be delivered to the customer's house or place. The clerk also sends a conformation letter to the client for installation data also the receipt of the deposit. Also the price of 50% must be paid before all installation is completed. Computers make all the calculations from the purchase receipts and the order forms. All The calculations are made on a computer by the Accounts Department who collects the data on a computer and sends the invoices to the relevant departments or to the relevant people. There are various outputs to the ordering process, which are issued. For example a printed copy is sent by post to the warehouse manager. The warehouse manager sends a fax to the production manager who sends the result back. The warehouse manager sends another letter to the suppliers. Then the warehouse manager sends a letter to the installation manager to confirm the appointment and the whole file is handed to the clerk. This is a Data Flow Diagram of how the customer buys a kitchen from a showroom and companies process to get the order through. This data flow diagram shows when an order is conformed this is how it is processed. Task 3 ICT system used in Head office is linked in a LAN with a single server. Each department has at least one workstation. All workstations are linked with a fast laser printer. The department does have inkjet printer for any one off or confidencail documents. All information is stored in the server and the software's are stored on the same server. The Accounts Department keeps the records of all financial transaction on the servers. The Human Recourses department has to keep the records of its entire staff personal details such as: – * Personal detail (name, address, DOB, emergency contact) * Job (which sector) * Salary or hourly rate * Commission earned * Normal hours * Availability * Hours worked * Medical plans The system in a showroom is not very complex. The system contains various software and is linked with a modem. Three machines with in each showroom are linked with a LAN. The system has word-processing and other general office software's. This system was for a Administration at the back but with out where customers are in the showroom, there are two computers which are stand alone and contain kitchen designed software's. The computers have a TFT screen. The system that is available is fine but needs a lot more work done on it. We can improve the system by allowing the computer that are in the showroom and are designed to make example kitchen design, for those to each linked to a LAN. This will ensure that if a system is down the records are safe. Also a rough plan or designing can be given to the installation department to see now a customer wants his kitchen. If there is any error occurs they can make the adjustments before hand. This will also benefit as the laser colour printers are used only one will be required. With these two computer load up a data base where the customers personal detail can be captured instead of the customer going to the processing clerk. As from the help of LAN the Administration department can capture the data. As the administration has a modem they can send this data to other department such as Accounts of the warehouse. This will save the company a lot of as well as time. as an other disadvantage of a stand alone system is that every thing has to be printed and this will save money for the company. But these computer allocated in the public might have danger of some one unauthorised person using the data and going on to confidential files, so a password will be given and users accounts can be made. EDI From the new technology the Best Recipe Kitchens is far behind to a modern technology such as an EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), which allows the company to do the dealing such as ordering. It is a speedy way of ordering and bookings. The company can make a lot of money by fast systems. No matter what account the invoices can be transferred quickly and instead of passing they can just transfer the data with a click of a button. In a company if the stock goes low it can alert you or even order new stock. It can handle companies' transaction with in there own budgets. This system is really accurate and can eliminate errors. MIS MIS (manager information system) can help managers to do their work more quickly and more efficiently. With this the information comes as a report to the managers. With this if the Best Recipe Kitchens has it the managers can work twice as fast in a way the production manager works like MIS. The production manager requires one or two more people then ha can work much faster. The installation manager can work by himself, as he has to hire contractors. But if we see with MIS he can work much faster with being more accurate. This can also allow the managers to work together as everything is supplied before as reports are made for the mangers so they can decide. This can help accounts manger as well as he can see how much is coming and going. As sales can be analysed in monthly graphs and all the departments can use graphs as well. As warning audio, video can warn if anything goes to a limit. They can even use what if queries to resolve any query to see the out come and if it comes low or to an inappropriate inquest, then they can find an alternative. As all managers can see each other's work and their report and suggest improvement or to even come to a decision. They can create a graph on sale and make a report. This can promote some people in some sectors. This will make the work in the company more efficient.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Using examples, discuss critically in what circumstances is it right Essay

Using examples, discuss critically in what circumstances is it right to whistleblow - Essay Example lowing has been practiced for a very long time, and this is especially common in the corporate world which means it largely involves the employee/employer relationship in working places. In the UK, the whistleblowing practice first came to light and consideration following the enactment of the Public Interest Disclosure Act (1998) that was meant to lay the basis of all disclosure cases including whistle blowing. Since then, there have been an increased liberty in the manner through which people have handled cases of unsatisfying or harsh conditions at public offices and places of work with statistics showing that this has led to an improved state of resources and employee management. According to the Act, whistle blowing is classified as all forms of reports from workers on suspicion of wrongdoing at their respective places of work. These reports are meant to reveal this kind of information to other publics in what is referred to as making a disclosure for the sake of public interest. According to the Act, a worker is required to whistle blow if faced with various circumstances especially those that involve neglect of duties by an organisation or an individual in the place of work. These circumstances include; criminal offences being carried out at the place of work, when the organisation or an individual facilitates another person’s exposure to danger or unsafeness, where environment is facing damage, unlawfulness at the place of work and someone covering up cases of wrongdoing. A worker is supposed to report any form of criminal activity taking place in an organisation. A good example is seen in an organisation or an individual getting involved in activities such as theft, money laundering or drug business. A worker should also raise concerns if a company engages in practices that lead to degradation of the environment such as releasing untreated industrial waste into the environment. A worker can also raise a concern in cases where the safety of workers

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Fatigue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Fatigue - Essay Example Because of this subtlety, it is important to develop methods of predicting and controlling fatigue during the design process. The progress of fatigue is categorised into three stages (Budynas and Nisbett, 2006). Stage I is the presence of microcracks, which are the tiny regions of plastic deformation from which the failure process begins. During stage II, these cracks steadily grow and increase in length. It is during this stage that cracks can be detected and measured, and are apparent in post-failure analysis as visible ridges: How quickly a part reaches failure due to fatigue is an important question for mechanical design. It is a complicated process, influenced by many factors. A cornerstone of fatigue behaviour prediction is extensive materials testing. Whatever the mathematical framework used to predict fatigue behaviour, it invariably relies on empirical measurements of representative material samples. Because crack formation and propagation are stochastic processes, these tes ts must be repeated a large number of times and a statistical average used as a guideline. This is particularly true for low cycle fatigue. Characterization of Cyclical Loads In order to discuss fatigue and the types of loading that cause it, some standard terminology needs to first be established. Any cyclical stress can be characterized by the following parameters: ?a Stress amplitude ?r Stress range ?m Mid-range stress ?max Maximum stress ?min Minimum stress Additionally, there is the stress ratio R, and the amplitude ratio A defined by: In contrast to static failure, which occurs when a single threshold value is exceeded, fatigue failure can result from a near-endless combination of the above components. A number of different criteria have been developed to determine which combinations will lead to failure. The following diagram shows some of these criteria, with points on or above each line indicating failure. Some criteria are clearly more conservative than others, from the So derberg line to the Gerber ellipse. These criteria are somewhat crude approaches that do little to describe the physical phenomenon; they are deterministic, whilst the phenomenon itself is stochastic. They were developed early in the study of fatigue, and are primarily useful for quick estimation. The following three sections define more rigorous approaches. Fatigue-Life Methods Stress-Life Method The stress-life method is very convenient and intuitive, and consists of applying repetitive stresses to a sample, then measuring the number of cycles to failure. A sample of material is loaded into a high-speed rotating-beam machine, which places the sample into a state of pure bending, then rotates it to create fully-reversed cyclical axial stresses within it. These samples are very carefully machined and polished to control surface defects that could initiate a crack. Testing begins at near-yield strength, and then gradually reduced in subsequent tests. The result is known as the  "S-N curve† which shows the expected fatigue strength vs. the number of cycles to expected failure. This method of determining material fatigue properties is straightforward to implement, but lacks accuracy, particularly for determining low-cycle endurance. Fatigue failure is stochastic in nature, and even the most carefully-controlled experiments

Business case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Business case - Essay Example Meanwhile research has shown that 70% of Americans rely on the internet for information (people-press.org, 2008). Having said that, it follows that any business that wishes to succeed and grow must employ and use the internet. Again, market issues can also be noticed in the distribution and source of stock. There is neither provision for stocks to be transported and delivered to buyers; nor expert advice on plant placing, nurturing, watering and manure. Also while the interest of Alice is on environmental issues are commendable, but environmental issues are basically social responsibility, and if a company can’t be responsible to its staff, it can not afford responsibility to the greater environment. Having customers aged 55 and over is not a good thing. This simply means that when this group retires off, no younger generation is available to replace them (Manhaimer, 2010). Alice should develop a good relationship with youths by developing marketing promotions and adverts specially targeted at this market niche. Apart from replacing the aging population, youths also influence the buying decisions of their families. Also the low stock turnover indicates poor management and marketing functions (Chukwudire, 2010). Greater attention should be paid to improve the situation. The human resources issues are highly interconnected with one leading to the other, a chain effect. First workers are not properly selected; the interview process is completely ignored, posing several problems for the organization (Chua, 2010). Employees are hired without being sure they can do the job, want to do it, and can actually fit in. These lapses create motivational problems which would have been avoided if proper interviews were properly carried out. The leadership style is identified as Patriarchal, which comes with domination, authoritarianism, and absolute power (Kanyaro, 2006). In this kind of relationship, the final answer is vested in one person who is

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Employability and PDP Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Employability and PDP - Coursework Example It is a transactional contract where continuous learning is essential to enhance performance. Compensation is based on explicit and discreet exchange for work. One has to be employable and one has to take responsibility for one’s career. One has to be willing to develop the personal and professional skills to enhance employability (Raybould & Sheedy, 2005). Knowledge becomes obsolete in no time and hence life-long learning is emphasized upon. Work is no more merely a source of income but a source of fulfillment (Romaniuk & Snart, 2000). Learning opportunities are available now which help in career development through self-directed planning. It is a transition from dependence to independence. However, this requires identifying the strengths, weaknesses, values and beliefs, preferences and interests. The shift from the traditional career to the modern career forms is challenging. This requires that I engage in self-reflection. It is essential that one is at the right job, which means the skills should match the job role. I would need to understand what exactly motivates me, what I expect from the company and what am I prepared to give. In fact, I think one should focus on what one can give to the company. Once we have the necessary skills and give our best, the results are bound to come. However, we must be ambitious, we must have a wish list, we must know the strengths that we can utilize and we must know how to rise up the career ladder. Salary is necessary only up to a certain point and beyond that contentment and fulfillment is what one seeks. I would strive to keep upgrading my skills through continuous learning. I would however not like to switch jobs for small raises. I do not consider that as a career progression. In fact this could be detrimental in the long run. As a l ong-term strategy, I would like to hone up my skills and focus on what gives me fulfillment. Careers and the labour market have changed

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Burberry's Success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Burberry's Success - Essay Example owth of the company is dependent on the factors of leveraging the franchise, intensifying development of non – apparel items, retailed growth, development of the markets and pursuit of operational excellence. The brand value has been stimulated through these particular aspects, which has led from a profit margin of $2783 million in 2006 to $3732 million in 2010. It is noted that the success is developed partly because of the expanded brand reach that has taken place with the marketing. This has been established because of the ability to use online elements for advertising and promotion as well as different demands and expectations that are related to the environment. This particular approach is one that has provided more options for retail operations within the company (Nomura, 2012). Not only is there an expansion in the marketing and development into other markets. The strategy of Burberry has looked at the competition with culture and innovation in terms of long term growth and meeting needs at a global level. The approach is one which is based on creating a social enterprise. The marketing used is one which has developed the brand name as a part of fashion trends that are also socially acceptable. This is inclusive of offering a variety of trends and social styles, including luxury brand items as well as more casual approaches that can be segmented into different target markets. To do this, there is a combination of online and offline tactics used to meet consumer expectations as well as the ability to evaluate the returns and evaluation with each of the products. Using this to leverage the culture and innovation is able to provide the company with more success and potential for growth, specifically because of the willingness to work with the apparel and the non... This paper stresses that the approach which Burberry is using is defined specifically with market segments that are used. The ability to have a specific market segment is first identified with the products that are available. The products are based on luxury items, changing luxury names and new brand items that can be identified. The innovation sed with the products can be used to open new lines to provide different alternatives for the company. The author of the essay declares that the marketing segmentation is one which can be further divided by the responses from the culture, specifically with the movement into globalization. The combined marketing approach with online and offline efforts can help to develop the identity of different marketing segments and cultural applications while creating and defining various alternatives to those that are interested in the different products. This report makes a conclusion that the initiatives that are created are developed specifically with the need to have a sense of accountability toward the changes. There needs to be a balance between the innovation of the products with the current brand reputation. Currently, Burberry is based on growth and development with innovation into an international market. This is being done without considering the risks and problems which may arise as well as the problems that are linked to working within this specific market.

Monday, September 23, 2019

MGT wk9 ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

MGT wk9 ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example Supervision can be described as the first level of management in the firm and is frequently apprehensive with inspiration of members of a work unit so that they can contribute positively towards triumph of the goals and objectives set by the firm (Rue & Byars, 2006). It means that the supervisor does not only do the operative work but sees that the duties assigned to the members have been accomplished through the efforts of others. This paper evaluates two best practices principles for the six different supervisory responsibilities. I hope that my contribution will help the new supervisors in our company. The drive of a best practice manual for supervisors is to make available reference guideline for new supervisors. As a reference, this handbook could help as a training aid for management and supervisors as a resource for routine assessments of employees. The handbook contains a synopsis of the best practices to use for the following supervisory accountabilities. This includes demonstrating communication skills, determining effective orientation, and training methods, improving productivity for teams, conducting performance appraisals, resolving conflict, and improving employee relations (Rue & Byars, 2006). This is the most important tool that a leader, manager, or a supervisor uses in dispensing duties. The supervisor should always be positive, enthusiastic and demonstrate open communications with the staff members. This will motivate the members and keep them engaged in the dispensing of their work duties. Motivated workers will then be instrumental in helping the organization achieve its objectives. In addition, the supervisor will then build trust through open and honest communication. To become a supervisor, listening, and speaking skills will be vital to effective communication. This is because they are important in team building and providing effective feedback during the performance appraisal evaluations. In addition,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The Things They Carried Essay Example for Free

The Things They Carried Essay Every work of literature has a recurring theme. Whether it is about a love, guilt or a desire for revenge, every character comes across a struggle between their passion and responsibility. The Things They Carried features many characters that overcome conflicts. Jimmy cross struggles with his responsibility to his men as well as his love for a woman that does not love him back. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a young, carefree man who is still searching for his future. Without realizing what he was getting himself into, he applies for the Reserve Officers Training Corps at his college in New Jersey. Many of his friends knew he did not care about the war. Even Cross himself never gave it a second thought. He never thought he would actually go to war by taking the Reserve Officers Training Corps course. Later that year, he is drafted to the war as Lieutenant of several men under his charge, and he is unsure about everything he does. He had no desire to be a team leader, let alone lead a group of men into a blind war. Up until the day he was drafted, Jimmy Cross did not care for the war and what was happening. Being only a sophomore in college, he was still a young man with no experience when it came to war and being Lieutenant. As the war goes on, Cross begins to grasp that he is responsible for the safety of his own men. Although he did not want to be, he understood that someone had to be the leader. While they were all in Vietnam for the war, Jimmy Cross’ men find him day dreaming frequently. His mind was on Martha, a woman he fell in love with while attending college in New Jersey. Even he would find himself day dreaming about old memories of her and what his future would be like with Martha. Lieutenant Cross carried various reminders of his love for her. He would often read letters from her and gaze at her photographs she sent him. He knew she did not love him back like how he loved her. Cross wished things were different between the two of them. He wanted her to love him back but he knew that was too good to be true. When Ted Lavender died, Jimmy blamed himself. He felt guilty for not watching over his men at the time when they needed him the most. He should have saved Lavender but instead, his mind was filled with thoughts of Martha, a woman who gave no indication of ever loving him back. As a result, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross struggles to make the right decision for his men and burns all letters, photographs and memories of Martha. His struggle for Martha’s love kept him from protecting his men and he now holds guilt for Lavender’s death deep within. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross struggled throughout the novel frequently. He had conflicts with what he wanted from Martha, and his responsibility to his soldiers. In the end, Cross steps up and takes control of his situation. He becomes the leader that everyone expects him to be by giving up Martha and focusing on the war and his men. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross did what was right for his men to keep them safe from harm.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Theories of Food Choice Influences

Theories of Food Choice Influences Food is essential for growth and bodily functions (Wahlqvist and Briggs, 2010). Therefore, in this paper, theories that influences food choices will be discussed and applied to my food choices. Lastly, this paper will conclude on my understanding on others food practices and what changes can improve their food choices. Based on the food choice model, the first medium that influences ones food choice is developmental. Food choices are often developed and influenced through exposure over the individuals developmental lifespan. From the child is born, his family would be the primary medium for his exposure and socialization to the food that he consumes. Usually, the food consumed would belong to the culture which the child family stemmed from. Rarely would the child be allowed autonomy over the choice of food. (Fieldhouse, 1998). Applying this to an Asian context which I was born in; since young, I was exposed to Chinese cultural foods where lard, soy sauce, sugar and salt was often used to enhance the flavour and fragrance of meals. I was used to eating these daily and never would have thought I would be exposed to other food choices. This exposure came when I progressed into adolescence where a secondary type of socialisation took place school, media, friends or an older sibling. When a child enters school, and gets exposed to friends and the media, they will observe what their peers consume and get exposed to food advertisements on the media, all which grabs their attention and leads them to change in their food habits (Fieldhouse, 1998; Ogden, 2010). Remembering vividly back to high school, if my peers or elder sister ordered a meal, I would order the same meal as them due to my perception that they know what food tasted better. In addition, when shown food advertisements, it often makes me crave a bite. The second medium is our cognition. Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (Ogden, 2010, p44), it posits that an individuals attitude and his subjective norms drives his intention to perform the behaviour which then leads to the individual performing the behaviour. Again, applying it to Chinese cuisine, it is the subjective norm that one should use all parts of the animal (e.g. chicken)-including the organs- during cooking as they have nutritional values. Therefore, I feel it is normal to cook every part of the chicken (attitude towards behaviour). Given that a whole chicken can be conveniently bought at any supermarket, I would turn the various parts into different dishes for my family (performing of specific behaviour). Despite, knowing that animal organs for example are high in saturated fat and can cause heart diseases (Jesus, 2015). The third medium is psychophysiological. Food choices can be based on the 5 senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch. (Ogden, 2010) Hearing food sizzling, coupled with the smell and sight increases our likelihood of consuming the food. When food touches the tongue, pleasure is obtained from the texture, perceived sweetness or saltiness of food. Food choices can also be influenced by ones mood and stress. (Ogden, 2010) Personally, intense stressors from school would cause me to engage in mindless eating as a mood booster. Convenience is defined as the accessibility to food products. After living in different countries, it got me appreciating how different countries have different accesses to food products. For countries with supermarkets conveniently located near train stations, it is easy for the residents to get a wide array of food choices. This is unlike countries where supermarkets are scarce with limited food choices. Cost can also influence food choices. It is of relevance to the individual socio-economic status; with more access to money, one can made more food choices. But, being a student with no source of income, I must be thrifty and limit my choices. Food choices can also affect how one manages their relationship with others. Given that most of my peers and family love fried food, I would cook them frequently to satisfy their taste buds. By doing so, I am bonding with them even though I know that it is unhealthy. After understanding the influences in my food choices, the basics of the theory of planned behaviour (Ogden, 2010, p45) could be used to explain how my choices changed. During a lecture, I learnt that consuming healthy food would improve ones health (i.e. healthier weight, positive mind set, decrease in blood pressure and cholesterol level) and reduces the likelihood of developing chronic diseases. With so many health benefits, this has motivated and drive me to make the change. Based on the theory, I am showing a change in my attitude towards the behaviour (i.e. a healthy lifestyle). This change towards a healthier food choice was further made easy through the context that I am in. Having peers that were studying the same course who hold similar goals to have a healthy diet -, it thus seems like a subjective norm to have healthier food choices. I am also blessed to have housemates that are supportive to my changes. Making the move here to Adelaide alone had also given me full control over food choices. To start the change of food choices, one needs to have adequate knowledge. Through my research on the healthy eating guidelines, I have learned to consume a wide range of reduced fat dairy products, vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, lean meats, have ample of plain water and reduce consumption of foods high in saturated fat, salt and sugar. (Commonwealth of Australia, 2015) A second change that I made was through how I did my grocery shopping. Prior to purchasing any food, I would read the ratings and food labels. As healthier products are costlier, I would purchase fresh vegetables and healthy products that are on offer to reduce my expenditure whilst eating healthier. A third change that I made was in modifying my food practices arising from the Chinese culture. It dawned on me that Chinese cuisines are usually high in salt due to the salt and soya sauce combination added into the dish. To ensure that I eat healthier while still satisfying my sensory needs, I created variations like omitting salt if soya sauce is used, using olive oil and different spices. I have also substituted white rice for brown rice for its health benefits and replaced junk food (e.g. chips) with baked nuts (e.g. walnuts). By making such changes in my food choices decisions, it has changed how I view food. I have learnt to appreciate food for their natural taste, am more conscious on what I eat. It has also made it harder for my peers or the media to influence my current palate. Having been to the outskirts in Thailand; Chiang Rai, I will be analysing their food practices. In Chiang Rai, there are limited food options for the locals. As supermarkets are usually located in town and there are no public transports available; one would have to drive about an hour to get fresh groceries. Due to these inconveniences, the food options for locals are preserved foods as it is affordable and can be stored longer. In addition to limited food options, the locals are also presented with a reduction in their food choices. As most locals hold manual labour jobs, their food choices were mainly limited to an increased consumption of carbohydrates (e.g. white rice); as it is presumed that higher consumption of carbohydrates will keep one full for prolong hours. It was also hard to incorporate fresh food into their diet as they do not have the appropriate storage place (e.g. fridge) to prevent the food from turning bad. Lastly, the locals at Chiang Rai differs in their cooking practices. The meals prepared are often seasoned either with sugar or salt as they believe that this is the only way to ensure that the meal tasted delicious. After analysing their food practices, it can be deduced that their diet resulted from poor accessibility to food choices, awareness on healthy diet, money and the proper amenities to store their products. The individuals accessibility to the supermarket is of first importance. The government should target such population and make public transport available. This will allow greater accessibility to other food choices. If creating a public transport route is not feasible, another alternative would be for the supermarkets to offer free delivery services. Not only would this be beneficial to busy working adults, but this will also be of great help to elderlies who has decreased strength and mobility and are unable to lug heavy groceries home. Of second importance is educating them. When I started making the change, I enriched myself with healthy eating guidelines. Therefore, I believe that with adequate education on how to prepare healthy meals with affordable ingredients and introducing them other natural alternatives that enhances their meals (e.g. herbs and spices); making healthy food choices (e.g. reading food labels) and changing their perceptions (e.g. educate them to choosing high fibre food which can help them to be full easily too) towards food. Making groceries more affordable would be of third importance, supermarkets can consider selling seasonal vegetables and products that are expiring within two months at a cheaper price. Lastly, there could be community funding projects conducted to raise funds for such population to afford a fridge to keep their fresh groceries.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Leisure And Recreation: Museums

Leisure And Recreation: Museums In this piece of work I have discussed the history of the museum and its establishment in London including its unique characterstics.The possible key challenges faced by the attraction in coming future and the ways to combat these challenges by giving proposed management including range of aspects Leisure is the opportunity available to an individual after completing the immediate necessities of life, when he or she has the freedom to choose and engage in an experience that is expected to be personally satisfying From Edexcel Leisure and Recreation Course Specification The term leisure is an ever changing concept that reflects the current social and economic conditions and aspirations, adapting in response to consumer demand and expectations The idea of leisure being described as a state of mind originated with Aristotle. He believed that leisure was a form of self-indulgence and self-improvement. Leisure is seen as a mans greatest possession because it is essential for self development. It forces us to step back from the constant pressures of daily life in order for us to see what is really important (Aristotle internet website) IMPORTANCE OF LEISURE Each person has their own opinion of what leisure means to them and there is no set definition of the word as it covers a wide range of things. leisure time and how it is spent is an individuals choice and the way in which they spend it whether it be home based, active or passive. As long as the individual gets satisfaction from this leisure time then it has been used to its potential. Leisure is important because everyone needs a little bit of relaxation in their life. Having leisure helps a person relieve stress, have time to themselves, and just to recharge their body and mind. Leisure is very important for ones mental and physical health. It provides an opportunity to spend time as you want away from regular work stress with family and friends. It is very important for an individual to take time out for itself as it bring about a positive flow of energy in an individual. Leisure as a function has changed enormously over the last 100 years. With the arrival of new technology some forms of leisure have increased their range of activities hugely. 100 years ago art was considered to be drama, stage shows, architecture and so on. Now it include many different forms. Broadcasting, Film Production and Video were all aspects of the Art Council that received funding in the last year. These have only been considered arts in the last century. The Government, private companies and investors have also discovered the commercial side of leisure. From this information it can be concluded that over the last 100 years leisure has evolved from something that is the opposite of work to something that is vital in our everyday lives. Madame tussauds is among the popular leisure attraction of the present time, it is standing at its place from last 200 years but getting more popular with time for the kind of unique entertainment it is providing to its visitors. Celebrities wax images draw visitors towards itself. IT is a kind of place which has all kind of attraction in it from past to present both for history lovers and for modern young youth.It helps to make visitors dreams come true when they want to touch or meet the personality they like ,which otherwise my not be possible for them because either it has become history or is very big celebrity of modern time ,whom one cant meet. Is it real or is it wax? Sometimes its hard to tell the difference when youre at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum .This unique museum of its own kind has entertained about 500 million visitors since it first opened. The Target Market for Madame Tussauds is to attract all types of consumers, from all social classes. As well as Domestic and Ove rseas visitors. (Refer to appendix 5) London is a cosmopolitan city having peple all around the world with different cultures.The management of Madame tussauds when targeting marketing has taken advantage of this feature of the city and has kept different types of wax sculptures which visitors want to see for example to attract Asian visitors there are various political, sports ,and entertainment figures in the museum. According to the student pack of Madame Tussauds, it identifies their Current Market as Demographics Segmentation according to social class. (Refer to appendix 6) Kotler (1994) believes marketing a product/service, includes potential customers for using this specific product/service. Therefore, organisations will effectively market their product/service according to the Segment of market. This has been known as Target Market. Additionally to Lancaster Reynololds (1999), indicate that, in order to acquire target segment, the organisations has to break down the amount of the total market into different sub-groups / segments, according to their needs and wants, in-order to make the product/service attract consumers within that market segment. Madame Tussauds uses segmentation and targeting market, because it provides many return to their organisation, such as: à ¼ It allows the exhibition to identify their customer groups with different requirements and wants à ¼ The exhibition objective can be achieved easily. For example; profit maximisation and long term growth à ¼ When there are market gaps in a market, it is assessed and then satisfied, this can be done by using unique product / promotional offerings à ¼ By handling marketing mix, in order for competence recognise the target needs. This will lead to an increase customers satisfaction history The name of Madame Tussaud is a famous one known the world over. Most people have heard of the waxwork exhibitions that have her name attached to them, but there was a real woman after whom subsequent exhibitions were named. Madame Marie Tussaud was born Marie Grosholtz on December 1st 1761, in Strasbourg, France. Maries father, Joseph Grosholtz, had been a soldier during the Seven Year War, but had died two months prior to Maries birth. After Maries birth, her mother, Anne Made, moved both of them to Berne, Switzerland, Maries mother obtaining a job as a housekeeper with Dr. Philippe Curtius. In some sources Curtius is named as Maries uncle, though this is probably due to friendship rather than blood ties. Curtius was a skilled physician, who used wax models he made to demonstrate anatomy. Curtius passed on his knowledge of wax modelling to Marie. In 1765 Curtius moved to Paris in order to set up a waxwork show, one of his first casts was of Louis XVs mistress, Marie-Jeanne du Barry. Two years later Marie and her mother joined Curtius in Paris. It took until 1770 for Curtius to be in a position to host his first exhibition, but it immediately became a success attracting large audiences. By 1776 Curtius exhibition was such a success that it moved to the Palais Royal. During this period Curtius continued his tuition of Marie, and soon she was modelling her own waxworks. She met a number of famous individuals; her first wax figure was of Francois Voltaire in 1777, and was quickly followed by Benjamin Franklin and Jean Jacques Rousseau. In addition to famous individuals, Curtius exhibition was also visited by the French Royal family. Curtius expanded his waxworks into a second location, the Caverne des Grands Voleurs on Boulevard du Temple. Marie though had been picked as tutor for the artistic education of Elizabeth, King Louis XVIs sister. Living at the Royal court at Versailles caused problems when the Revolution came. Arrested for allegedly having royalist sympathies, Marie was imprisoned in La Force prison alongside aristocrats and other sympathisers. It is not clear why Marie was saved from the guillotine, her talent at making death masks may have been one, although her acquaintance with Robespierre and Napoleon may have helped. What ever the reason, Marie never faced the guillotine, although she was forced to make death masks from the victims of it, these included friends like Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. In prison she shared a cell with Josephine de Beauharais, the future Empress Josephine, and together the two friends were eventually released. Upon the death of Curtius in 1794, the whole waxwork collection was left to Marie. In the following year, Marie married an engineer, Francois Tussaud, and before 1800 Marie had given birth to two sons, Joseph and Francois. The thriving business of pre-revolution days though struggled in the relative depravation of the New France. To improve their prospects Marie made the decision to take her waxworks on tour. In 1802, Marie along with Joseph travelled to London, with her collection of death masks and wax figures. Resumption though in Revolutionary/Napoleonic War between Britain and France, meant that Marie was stranded, separated from her husband and second son. Extending her tour, Marie took her waxworks on a tour of Britain and Ireland, a tour which would last 33 years. Francois joined Marie in Britain in 1821, following the deaths of Maries husband and mother. The tour came to end in 1835, when Marie found a permanent base for Madame Tussauds on Baker Street. The permanent site was soon attracting a large audience, drawn to the Chamber of Horrors, where victims of the French Revolution and notable murderers and criminals were exhibited. Marie wrote her memoirs in 1838, as her collection continued to grow, the figures of Nelson and Sir Walter Scott were added. Marie died in her sleep in London on 15th April, 1850. Madame Tussauds though continued to thrive, first through her sons and then grandsons. It was her grandsons who moved the exhibition to Marylebone Road in 1884, and since then other branches have been established in Amsterdam, Las Vegas, New York, Washington DC, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The modern Tussauds continues in the traditions of its founder, creating wax figures of the most notable individuals of every generation. location and characterstics The attraction is on the corner of Allsop Place and Marylebone Road, to the north of Central London. The nearest underground station is Baker Street, which is on the Jubilee, Bakerloo, Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith and City lines. Its distinguishing green dome used to house the London Planetarium. Green dome of Madame Tussauds History of location Following a successful tour of the UK, Madame Tussauds established a permanent base for her exhibition in London as the Baker Street Bazaar in 1835. Visitors paid sixpence for the chance to meet the biggest names of the day. The attraction moved to its present site in Marylebone Road in 1884. As fame grows it is a frequent observation that crowds of people can reduce enjoyment of the exhibit by increasing queuing times and causing crowding that has prompted complaints and many patrons to ask for refund Opening times Off-peak opening times are generally 9:30am to 5:30pm. Off-peak periods are weekdays and non UK school holidays. Peak opening times are 9am to 6pm. Peak opening times are weekends, UK school holidays, bank holidays and the whole of the summer period (July through August). In 2008, the opening times in the summer period were 9am to 7pm. Occasionally the attraction shuts early if there is a corporate event happening. ] Zones within the attraction A-List Party Formally Blush, this is the first room on the tour. Included in this room is the Big Brother experience, plus figures such as Samuel L Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Leo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman David and Victoria Beckham and Robert Pattinson. It is designed to feel like you have stepped into a celebrity party, with wax figures dotted around the room. High School Musical Hannah Montana Launched in 2008, this room has a figure of Zac Efron as the character of Troy Bolton from the High School Musical franchise. The room is set like a basketball court and a locker room. It is interactive in that if you successfully shoot a basket a crowd will cheer. In addition the lockers have belongings of other characters of the movie. This zone also includes Miley Cyruss wax figure. There is also a karaoke facility, in which a person can sing Mileys songs. Premiere Night (Movie Room) This zone houses four Bollywood figures as well as celebrities from Hollywood, including Steven Spielberg, Jim Carrey and Audrey Hepburn. It also has several fictional characters: Shrek (which has a squeezable stomach), Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk (which had to be airlifted into the attraction due to its size) and the smallest wax figure ever made,[1] Tinker Bell. Sports Zone The Sports zone has several interactive elements. Putt a golf ball with Tiger Woods, stand on boxing scales next to Mohammed Ali and see what weight you would qualify for in boxing, take a penalty on a virtual reality screen, and ride a bike next to Lance Armstrong. A Royal Appointment In the Royals there is an opportunity to stand next to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William of Wales and Prince Henry of Wales. Culture A mixture of cultural icons fill this area, including Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Pablo Picasso and Charles Darwin. Music Megastars A mixture of music stars from across the decades appear in an area with a music stage complete with glitter balls. Music icons include Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Britney Spears, Leona Lewis, Kylie Minogue, Amy Winehouse, Tom Jones, Bob Marley, Justin Timberlake and Freddie Mercury. The Beatles in this area appear on the album cover of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. World Leaders The World Leaders area of the attraction contains political and spiritual leaders of the World past and present. The new figure of Barack Obama dominates this area; he is standing in a mock-up of the Oval Office which has a replica of the Resolute desk. Other leaders in this area include Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, Nicolas Sarkozy, Ronald Reagan, Tony Blair, Benazir Bhutto, Martin Luther King, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and Gandhi. The World Leaders area is also noted for its inclusion of controversial figures, including Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein and Robert Mugabe. Mother Teresa is one of the very few icons to ask not to be made, saying her work was more important, not the person[2]. Another notable omission from this area is current British Prime Minister Gordon Brown the company said it has not been made into a wax figure due to his low popularity and not being elected into the position of Prime Minister, having assumed the position after the retirement of Tony Blair.[3] Chamber of Horrors and Scream The Chamber of Horrors is the horror section of Madame Tussauds, which showcases serial killers and murders. Included in this area are Guy Fawkes and Dennis Nilsen. This area also exhibits the original guillotine blade that killed Marie Antoinette. The Scream experience (formally Chamber Live) is a live-action, actor-led scare maze. It is based on the premise that several serial killers have been let loose in the chamber. This attraction is not suitable for pregnant women and children under 12 years of age. Behind the Secenes and History of Madame Tussauds This area shows the history of Marie Tussaud, and how she started creating wax figures. It also has an area on how the scupltors make the figures, using Beyoncà © as an example. Spirit of London ride The Spirit of London is a sit-down ride in which visitors sit in London taxis and are taken on a journey through the history of London. The ride starts in Tudor times and ends in the 1980s, passing through the times of Shakespeare, the Great Fire of London, the Industrial Revolution and the Swinging Sixties. The ride has commentary in a few languages and a photo is taken near the end of the ride which can be purchased when disembarke Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form James Bond The James Bond area contains the figures of Daniel Craig and Judi Dench. It has on display an original motorbike used in the James Bond movie Casino Royale. Warhols Women The Warhols Women zone contains the figure of Andy Warhol as well as the female celebrities he famously portrayed, including Marilyn Monroe in the classic pose where her skirt is blown upward, Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland, Jerry Hall and Jackie O. About Madame Tussauds Madame Tussauds has branches in 8 major cities (Amsterdam, Berlin, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.). A 9th attraction in Hollywood is planned for 2009. Madame Tussauds is part of the Merlin Entertainments group, which also owns the London Eye, the Dungeons, Sea Life Centres and Legoland Discovery Centres, as well as theme parks including Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park in the UK, and Gardaland in Italy. KEY CHALLENGES TO BE FACED BY THE EXHIBITION Swar brooke(2002) states without visitor attractions there would be no need for other tourism services and tourism as such would not exist without them. Different attractions provide their customers with services that are available with in the attraction for example some give their visitors a day out ,others give educational services,some give their customers ancilliary operations but Madme tussauds is one that entertain its visitors with combination of all above mentioned services due to which it is important that this work is put into place to deal with consumers content health and safety and to make sure of their repeat visits. To maintain this standard of excellence the tussauds organisation may possibly face some challenges in future specially in Marketing and competition Customer care Human resource management SWOT ANALYSIS This can be used in order for the organisation to achieve their objectives. This procedure is an effective method of identifying businesses Strengths and Weaknesses, and to examine the Opportunities and Threats they face. Often carrying out an analysis using the SWOT framework that will be enough to reveal changes, which can be usefully made. Swift (2000) According to Hannagan (1992) he defined SWOT analysis as: A SWOT analysis helps to focus attention on the key areas in an organisation that need to be taken into account in producing a marketing planà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. A SWOT analysis is a smmary of the marketing audit. It highlights internal differential strengths and weaknesses form the customers point of view as they relate to external opportunities and threats. Madame Tussaud s is like any attraction/organisation that analysis its internal factors; this is carried out in the marketing process, to analyse the effectiveness of the business operation and their internal factors, which influence to their success. This is achieved by conducting the SWOT analysis. MARKETING AND COMPETITION : In todays world of business and economics makets have become very competitive therefore understanding consumer is no longer enough .Organisations must start giving attention to their competitors , if want to have share in the market. (kotler 2003) As it is stated before, Madame Tussauds it is a large organisation within the travel and tourism industry, therefore it face high standard of challenger not only in London but all around UK,which can become stronger in the future. that is why more effective marketing is required to survive in the competition However, it uses circulation channel for more knowledge of their product national and international. They mainly deliver the awareness of their product/service through the Internet, as it is global. However, other sources of promoting and awareness of their product is mainly done through Media, in the form of posters at tube stations and bus sides which is mainly and to communicate the brand to a wider audience, public relations, portraits, business development and Banqueting Co-operate Entertaining, The prime objective of the organisation is to stay London top paying attraction,therefore a marketing strategy should be in terms of its target,current and potential market study and their process of promotion in order to attract their product to their customer by distribution. However, the aim of promotional planning in the long run is not just to inform, but to promote customers to purchase products/services or, to adopt ideas. Therefore, effective promotion is usually attained by well researched for tracking sales levels and attitude patterns toward consumers needs, this means objective must link to the target aimed. This can be achieved by updating, convincing and highlighting the organisation current and potential target marke CUSTOMER CARE Ensuring that customers are provided with quality services every time is a key in organisational success. Like other tourist attractions Madame tussauds may also face the challenge of delivering quality customer care. The organisation should note that words of mouths from satisfied customers is a free advertising and improved reputation and above all an increased revenue. Tussauds organisation should maintain a high standard of customer care training with in the exhibition to achieve goals like Increase sales Gain a competitive advantage Maintain consumer loyalty Attract new consumers Gain customer satisfaction Enhance the visitor attraction image For achieving high standard of customer care the organisation must improve  ¨ Their queuing process in term of not making consumer to wait for a long period to enter the exhibition  ¨ Signs around the exhibition for direction (such as direction for facilities for disabilities segment) Having more staff speaking different languages Having effective management that can handle crowd HUMAN RESOURCES Human resource management can also be a challenge as selection and recruitment costs will be much more due to the high presence of staff at visitor attractions. Competition in the service sector offering prmanent employment can detract suitable applicants from applying for positions within visitor attractions. With the high staff turnover consistency will be difficult to maintain within visitor attractions, which inevitably will have a negative effect on the quality of service delivered to customers. This is due to the fact that to be able to deliver quality services to consumers requires skilled and well-trained employees. As many employees of visitor attractions are employed on short-term contracts, operators may be less willing to invest in training and development for seasonal staff. In Scotland the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions encourages its members to invest in training and development for all staff, whether full or part time, seasonal or permanent. Many operator s of attractions dislike spending money on training and development for seasonal employees as there is the possibility of the employees not returning the following year. Operators are being encouraged to invest in training and development as this has proven to lead to a stronger more motivated workforce. If employees are enable and empowered to deliver a quality service, employee turnover should reduce, and employees affected by seasonality would be easier retained for the next season to come. They mainly deliver the awareness of their product/service through the Internet, as it is global. However, other sources of promoting and awareness of their product is mainly done through Media, in the form of posters at tube stations and bus sides which is mainly and to communicate the brand to a wider audience, public relations, portraits, business development and Banqueting Co-operate Entertaining, The prime objective of the organisation is to stay London top paying attraction,therefore a marketing strategy should be in terms of its target,current and potential market study and their process of promotion in order to attract their product to their customer by distribution. However, the aim of promotional planning in the long run is not just to inform, but to promote customers to purchase products/services or, to adopt ideas. Therefore, effective promotion is usually attained by well researched for tracking sales levels and attitude patterns toward consumers needs, this means objective must link to the target aimed. This can be achieved by updating, convincing and highlighting the organisation current and potential target market. At the same time one of their target is to carry out a promotional action plan to tsarget market, attract all types of consumers both domestic and overseas CONCLUSION Operators in todays business environment face many challenges as we have seen in bring quality services to visitors of their attractions. By putting in place suitable measures and processes, and ensuring their employees are capable of knowledge about efficient customer care training, confidence and incentive in which to perform at their best, operators can gain an competitive edge in their market, and deliver customer satisfaction s every time.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Davidsons The Folly of Trying to Define Truth :: Philosophy Argumentative Papers

Davidson's "The Folly of Trying to Define Truth" Davidson’s argument against the possibility of defining truth draws upon the work of Tarski. However, Tarski’s assumption that the semantic conception of truth holds only for formal languages which are not semantically closed is not as plausible as it seems to be since it can be shown that this would result in the impossibility of formulating a theory of truth, because the epistemological presuppositions of formal semantics undermine any theory of representation of reality in which our cognitions can be true or false representations. Yet Davidson concludes that "there cannot be a definition of ‘For all languages L, and all sentences s in L, s is true in L if and only if . . . s . . . L’." I am challenging Davidson by introducing into his above scheme my own definition of truth — "For all languages L, and all sentences s in L, s is true in L if and only if we prove s in L" — and then showing how to prove this definition philosophically. I. Introduction: Can we define truth? Davidson argues for "the folly of trying to define truth" and claims that Tarski's "accomplishment was accompanied by a proof that truth cannot (given various plausible assumptions) be defined in general" (Davidson, 1996:269). Tarski's plausible assumptions are that his "semantic conception of truth" can be formulated only for formal languages which are not semantically closed. But these assumptions are not so plausible as they seem since it can be shown that if we accept them it is impossible to formulate a theory of truth because the epistemological presuppositions of formal semantics undermine any theory of representation of reality in which our cognitions can be true or false representations (Nesher, 1996). Yet Davidson concludes from Tarski's theory of truth that "there cannot be definition of `For all languages L, and all sentences s in L, s is true in L if and only if ... s ... L'." I would like to start by challenging Davidson about his claim for the impossibility of defining truth and to introduce into his above scheme my own definition of truth; then I will show how to prove this definition philosophically: [1] `For all languages L, and all sentences s in L, s is true in L if and only if we prove s in L'. We can see immediately that the plausible assumptions of Tarski's "semantic conception of truth" for semantically formal languages do not hold in my definition of truth since I define truth in the same language in which it is used.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Work of Leonardo da Vinci Essays -- essays research papers

Grasping the full understanding of science and perfection in creative art are the two ultimate goals that mankind had been striving for ever since these two aspects became an important part of society. Many had aimed for it but none succeeded. Most of those who attempted to obtain this Holy Grail failed but some were able to conquer many fields. Leonardo da Vinci is a perfect example of those â€Å"Universal Geniuses.† Leonardo was one of the few who achieved major success in both art and sciences including portrait painting, conceptual engineering, anatomy, and many more. Leonardo was born in 1452 in the village of Vinci near Florence, Italy. With him being born into a family of highly respected lawyers, it is said that Leonardo inherited his intelligence from his father, Ser Pierro da Vinci. Despite the family traditions, Leonardo grew up to be an apprentice of an artist named Andrea del Verrocchio. It was here that the young man developed his talent and soon surpassed his own mentor. He created new styles of painting that were so revolutionary that there was a rumor whic...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

How many Ski’s do they stock?

Seaport is n very few stores; therefore they are an exclusive distributor. 3. In return for providing an exclusive, what marketing demands do exclusive brands require of Seaport? They will run an ad or put items in the windows for a limited time. 4. What is the responsibility of the merchandising team? What do they do? The merchandising team is responsible for the relationships with the vendors. They are the ones who get the vendors to join the Seaport family. They also help with what stores they will go to, marketing programs and how he brand will grow. . What is the responsibility of an inventory strategist? What do they do? The inventory strategists are responsible for the quantity of the product. 6. What is the responsibility of the distributor? The distributor places the items in every sellers doors, and keeping up with all stock levels. 7. How many brands does Seaport sell? 150_ How many Ski's do they stock? Over 1 0,000 8. What are some challenges Seaport faces in keeping all brands in stock without cookouts?Can brands keep up with the growth rate; they may not be able to produce enough products as they need. 9. What are some metrics they keep track of daily? Every time a product is sold it goes through the POS system and is automatically taken out of inventory. They can pull up: the average dollar sale, how much they are selling to a client, and the units per transaction they are selling to a client. They can pull up, at any time of the day, how much volume that is currently in the store.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Evaluate the accuracy of “The Clouds” in portraying the political, social, economic and religious life of people in the fifth century BC Athens

Greek theatre has always been a significant constituent in the past and present Athenian society. Fifth Century BC Athenian society proposed numerous playwrights in their festivities honouring the god, Dionysus. Amongst the many crowd favourites was a legend to describe him in the least, Aristophanes. His works of satirical comedy are still celebrated and enjoyed today. One such example of his famous satirical works is â€Å"The Clouds†, written in 423BC. â€Å"The Clouds† is about a father, Strepsiades, who is in debt because of his son's expensive horse hobby. Strepsiades tries to convince his son, Pheidippides, to attend the â€Å"Thinkery† (a school for sophistry), to learn the art of double talk in the hope of outwitting his creditors in court. However, Pheidippides denies his father's request, so instead Strepsiades decides to enrol himself. Strepsiades' attempts to learn sophistry but fails miserably when his old age gets the best of him. Another attempt to encourage his son to enrol becomes successful and Pheidippides learns to double-talk from the teacher Socrates. This is later regretted when, at the climax of the story, Pheidippides uses double-talk to justify him beating his father. Strepsiades, out of anger and rage, then sets fire to the Thinkery. The main theme dealt with in the â€Å"The Clouds† is that of new versus old. Aristophanes challenges the radical thinkers like sophists and the imaginative thinkers like Socrates for oppressing the traditional values held and demoralising the youth. Another theme pertaining to â€Å"the clouds† is the confliction of religion and science. In fifth century BC, around the time when Aristophanes wrote the clouds, the commotion of â€Å"scientific theory† had just begun. With religion prevailing at the time, such atheistic thinking brought about by people like Socrates was firstly unlawful and secondly prone to ridicule by conservative figures such as Aristophanes. â€Å"The Clouds† is rather accurate in depicting Athenian life. However the perception of Socrates evident in the text is not parallel to that of Socrates in real life. Aristophanes, like many, linked Socrates with the rest of the Sophists for the reason that he was a philosophical thinker, that is, he came up with reasoning without relying on faith. However, Socrates, like Aristophanes rejected the ideas of the Sophists. The sophists argued that guiding principles of a society, such as justice and truth, varied according to the needs of men in a particular time and place. In teaching their students, the sophists emphasised the art of argumentative discussion and came to be associated with deceptive and hollow reasoning. This is depicted in the clouds where better argument represents traditional thinking and the worse argument depicts that of the sophists. Despite Aristophanes' rather critical portrayal of Socrates, the description of him as expressed through Pheidippides as † pale-faced charlatans, who haven't any shoes† is actually relatively true. Since Socrates wore simple apparel, and walked barefoot through the streets, his ideas and peculiarity made him an easy subject of derision and he was often thought of as a fraudulent figure. Socrates was also ridiculed for the fact he believed in one intelligent being as the creator of the universe. This went against the religious life of the Athenians. In â€Å"The Clouds†, Poseidon, god of horses is sworn on by Pheidippides and later again by Pasias (one of Strepsiades creditors) who also swears by Hermes and Zeus. These accounts are an accurate reflection the religious beliefs upheld by Athenian society. However, since â€Å"the clouds† is a satirical play, Aristophanes pokes fun at Socrates who is depicted to believe in the â€Å"vortex† as the ruler, not Zeus. This part of the play is not accurate, as it does not hold a factual purpose but rather that of entertainment and humour. Rather than just analysing â€Å"The Clouds† on its plot, a more comprehensive read of the text reveals further details on 5th century Athenian life, all of which are precise in information. For instance, it is apparent in the text that concepts such as creditors, debtors and interest, were already in use at the time. This shows that Athenian society had in place forms of financing that still exist today. Also, there is a clear depiction of the judicial system present at the time. It is evident in the text that when taking a person to court a deposit must be made and if the case was lost the deposit was forfeited. Other instances in which â€Å"The Clouds† has effectively portrayed Athenian life is through their currency, such as drachmas and obols and also in their legal system, when the Better Argument makes reference to the punishment of adultery, this being having a radish shoved up his anus and his pubic hair singed with hot ash. The people of the 5th century BC Athenian society were rather wealthy and could afford slaves. The polarisation of the two classes of people within society is portrayed rather well. This is evident with Strepsiades' servant Xanthias who lives an unpleasant life when compared to Pheidippides who indulges in the costly hobby of buying racehorses. This is further exemplified when Pheidippides mother insists to add -hippos (meaning horse) to Pheidippides name at birth so he could have the marks of the aristocratic classes. In conclusion, â€Å"The Clouds† is a satirical play and should not be taken for face value. However, his portrayal of issues and figures within the society give an accurate insight into some of the beliefs held by the general public and if treated carefully could be considered as reliable historical source. A serious theme underlies this comedy, namely: Ideas espoused by radical thinkers like the sophists and by highly imaginative thinkers like Socrates are undermining traditional values and corrupting the morals of youths. The sophists maintained that the guiding principles of a society, such as justice and truth, were relative concepts-that is, these principles changed according to the needs of men in a particular time and place. What was right and just in Athens was not necessarily right and just in another society. One man's virtue could be another man's vice. In teaching their students, the sophists emphasized the art of argumentative discourse and came to be associated with deceptive and specious reasoning, lampooned effectively in The Clouds. Another target of Aristophanes was Socrates, along with his associate, Chaerephon. Ironically, Socrates, like Aristophanes, renounced the methods and ideas of the sophists. Nevertheless, Socrates angered the establishment (1) by declaring that the validity of many long-standing precepts could not be proved by logical reasoning, (2) by rejecting the Olympian gods and sometimes speaking of a single intelligent being as the creator of the universe, and (3) by spreading â€Å"dangerous† ideas among young people. In addition, he alienated many Athenians because he was ugly and untidy (sometimes neglecting to bathe for a long while), wore simple apparel, and walked barefoot through the streets. Thus, his ideas and eccentricities made him a ripe subject for ridicule.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Review Question: Outline the Psychosocial Issues Associated with Dementia Essay

Naturally, ageing is associated with ‘slowing down’, including changes in memory and cognitive functioning caused by physical changes in the central nervous system and brain structure. It has been established that good health behaviours, mental exercises and targeted treatment of some organic brain syndromes can help older adults maintain their good cognitive health (Hoffnung et al. , 2010). However, some degenerative brain diseases can cause dementia, particularly in older people, and with international shift towards an older population (Botsford, Clarke & Gibb, 2011), it is predicted that by 2040 there will be over 80 million people having some form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease being the most common cause (â€Å"Predicting Alzheimer’s†, 2008; Hoffnung et al. , 2010). Although dementia mostly diagnosed in those over 65 years of age, younger people also get diagnosed with this degenerative condition, commonly described as ‘younger onset dementia’ (â€Å"Exploring the Needs of Younger People with Dementia in Australia†, 2007). Symptoms of dementia include impaired orientation, intellect, memory and judgement, and as sufferers experience confusion, delusions, changes in behaviour and personality, they lose independence and require more and more care and controlled environments to keep them safe (Hoffnung et al. , 2010). While the loss of independence and gradual cognitive loss is obviously causing anguish to the patient, dementia also leads to profound changes for those around them (Botsford et al. , 2011). Burden of providing care for an aged person, for example, would often be carried by the spouse or by adult children (Hoffnung et al. , 2010). Providing care involves physical and emotional effort, and sometimes significant financial commitment, as the paid employment may have to be forgone by the caregiver. Perhaps spouses experience the most significant impact of dementia diagnosis, best described by a spouse saying how heartbreaking it is to know that you are â€Å"gradually losing your best friend† (â€Å"Predicting Alzheimer’s†, 2008). It is logical to suggest that the combination of caregivers’ experiences of grief, isolation, life stressors, restricted freedom and other issues (Hoffnung et al. , 2010) may lead to caregiver depression with nearly half of the caregivers being at risk for clinical depression, and with spouses, compared with nonspouses, being significantly more depressed (Schulz et al. , 2004). Institutionalised care facilities for dementia sufferers, subsidized by the Government, may provide some relief for the families, but they do not remove emotional issues that relatives face. Schulz et al. (2004) found that after institutionalising their loved one, relatives did not get relief from depressive symptoms and anxiety and that spouses had higher levels of depression and more anxiety after than their nonspouse counterparts. On the positive side, the benefits of caregiving, particularly by adult children, may include experiencing personal growth (Hoffnung et al. , 2010), and providing help to the relative can make one feel more useful, needed, appreciated, and important (Schulz et al. , 2004) Botsford et al. 2011) have researched the effects of dementia on partners in the context of ethnic minorities and their cultural diversity and such approach has identified that ethnic background appears to influence how people engage with diagnostic and support services and the way they organize care. For example, research identified that black Caribbean people, being conscious about maintaining autonomy and not wanting to be regarded as ‘crazy’, may present to dementia services too late or not at all, thus prompting the authors to highlight the importance of promotion of dementia awareness in specific ethnic communities (Botsford et al. 2011). Report â€Å"Exploring the Needs of Younger People with Dementia in Australia† (2007) outlines a number of additional issues specific for younger people with dementia and their families, including difficulty in diagnosis, effects on family responsibilities while still raising children, working and significant financial commitments, life plans, social and sexual implications and difficulty in accessing appropriate services, as such services are not normally designed for access by younger people.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Christopher Columbus: Hero or Zero

Christopher Columbus: Hero or Zero? In October we celebrate the man who found America. People are taught at a young age that Christopher Columbus was a hero when in fact he was a murderer. Yes, he found a land that was unknown to his people, but in his findings, he murdered, raped and enslaved the true natives of this country. Columbus and his men destroyed the civilizations, cultures, and land of the Native Americans. These actions should not be portrayed as heroic. When you read about his thoughts and actions during his voyages, you can see that Columbus was not civil towards the natives he encountered.When he first sighted what he called â€Å"Indians† he saw a group of unclothed people, their nakedness, to him, represented lack of culture and religion. To Columbus, this was an opportunity to spread the word of God and exploit the Native Americans. He thought they would be easy to defeat because of their apparent defenseless and a source of profit because the Native America ns could easily be enslaved. It clearly did not occur to Columbus to consider these people anything but slaves. His thoughts were only a fraction as to what was to come.In Columbus’s letters you can sense his arrogant attitude in claiming the lands he found. He wrote a letter telling of his discovery to his friend Luis de Santangel, in this letter he wrote, â€Å"And there I found very many islands filled with people innumerable and of them all I have taken possession for their Highnesses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Columbus never considered the fact that these islands, and their inhabitants, were not his to take and change as he pleased. Columbus informed Spain of his new discovery when returned.He brought with him many new things, as well as kidnapped Indians to pay tribute to Spain and lionize himself. Any Indians that were not taken to Spain were made slaves on the islands. The settlers that came to the islands with Columbus were allowed to select any Indian they wanted for a slave. E nslavement was inevitable and no one seemed bothered by the mistreatment of the Native Americans. Columbus and his people deemed themselves as superior to them. Enslavement was not the only thing the Native Americans had to endure; Columbus also threatened and intimidated them and even tortured and killed them.Columbus felt Christians did no wrong so they never got punished for their inhumane actions towards Indians and he was in charge so he felt he could do as he pleased without consequence. Many people terrorized the Indians and instead of Columbus punishing the culprit he punished the Indian victims. Instances like that led to a war between Columbus and the settlers, and the Indians. Indians did not have the weapons necessary to defeat the settlers and were wiped out; those that were not killed were captured. Accounts of rape that Columbus and his men committed were reported by people who he traveled with.Columbus would pass captured native women out to his men so therefore they believed they did not need the women’s consent and as horrible as this seems, those were the less violent acts towards the Indians. Columbus and the settlers were very cruel. They would make examples out of Indians by doing things like cutting their hands off and telling them to share the message and they would slaughter entire villages including children. These are the acts that Columbus and his men partook in. Christopher Columbus should never have been nor should be considered a hero.He destroyed what he discovered, wiped out an entire population and never finished his goal of finding a route to Asia. How is that heroic?Works Cited â€Å"Marvelous possessions: the wonder of the New World† By Stephen Greenblatt ^quote on page 2 found on page 52^ â€Å"A short account of the destruction of the Indies† By Bartolome de las Casas Columbus: Letter to Louis De Santangel, 1493 http://www. wwnorton. com/college/history/ralph/workbook/ralprs19. htm â€Å"The mysterio us history of Columbus: an exploration of the man, the myth, the legacy† By John Noble Wilford

Friday, September 13, 2019

Fantasy or Reality the Illusion of the On-line Realm Essay

Fantasy or Reality the Illusion of the On-line Realm - Essay Example Whether it is the 75 year old grandmother, who plays online bridge, or the 7 year old child, that plays Scooby Doo, the internet is here and here to stay. I will be explaining why online should have more security and the risk of an online gaming obsession. In the article â€Å"Does Virtual Reality Need a Sheriff† by Alan Sipress.† He starts by explaining how a character in the game Second Life â€Å"allegedly raped another character†. Although this is a game meant for entertainment this incident could have possible long-term effects on the actual person in charge of controlling the character. Actions performed online such as â€Å"rape† can prove to be devastating, particularly to someone as emotionally vulnerable as a child. Unfortunately, there have been lots of sexual assault cases. One of the first known cases that had acutely been reported was back in 1993 by Julian Dibbell whom is a â€Å"prominent commentator on digital culture†(445). The natu re of Second Life as a highly complex virtual environment presents a great number of opportunities, yet it similarly poses a number of problems for Internet gamers. In addition to reported instances of sexual assault, there are also areas of the game where â€Å"avatars act out drug use, child abuse, rape and various forms of sadomasochism† (446). While individuals were outraged at such occurrences, other users indicated that simple role playing is not a serious violation, pointing out that no children were harmed during the game. While Internet gaming has generally not been considered a serious threat it is definitely a growing concern when one considers the ever increasing among of online gamers. For instance, the popular role playing game World of Warcraft has an estimated eight million participants. Within the structure of this game it’s been noted that there are regions of the game that have become highly problematic in that â€Å"Gang of animated characters have repeatedly preyed upon lone travelers, killing them and making off with their virtual belongings† (445). In these regards, gamers face the increasing threat of virtual assault. Japanese authorities even arrested an individual or such acts of virtual mugging. Indeed, the very nature of what constitutes a crime is a debated subject, with virtual depictions of child abuse not being illegal in the United States, yet being prohibited in Europe. With such a variety of legal understandings the problems for law enforcement in halting such violations is made increasingly difficult. Still, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has made strides in attempting to combat such abuses on Second Life. The F.B.I. has also launched investigations against gambling that has occurred within the online gaming environment. While the online gaming world largely remains a sort of contemporary Wild West, progress by such investigators as well as individuals desiring to institute a legal code on Sec ond Life, have started to make significant strides in combating such aspects of virtual crime. While crimes through online gaming poses significant risks to users, the nature of Internet gaming addictions poses just as large a challenge. Numerous reports have demonstrated that the effects of online gaming addiction have had similar deleterious effects on individuals as drug use. Indeed, psychological research has conducted tests wherein similar brain functions were shared by both drugs users and individuals addicted to online gaming (‘Virtual Addiction’). One such startling examined occurred in South Korea where online gaming has become so prominent that is has assumed the position similar to a national sport. Recently it was reported that in South