English Proficiency Conclusion

Conclusions On the basis of the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. A great majority of the respondents are male, graduates of public high schools, and pursuing the degree program Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE). 2. When the respondents are grouped according to the variable gender, their overall level of proficiency in the four English grammar skills is Poorly Proficient.When they are grouped according to the variable type of high school attended, their overall level of proficiency in the four English grammar skills is Poorly Proficient. When the respondents are grouped according to the variable degree program, their overall level of proficiency in the four English grammar skills is Poorly Proficient. 3. The respondents do not differ significantly in their skills in asking questions and in responding to questions when they are grouped according to the variable gender.In other words, the male respondents’ ability to ask questions and to respond to questions does not differ from that of the female respondents’ ability to perform the same grammar skills. On the other hand, the respondents differ significantly in their skills in combining sentences and in expanding sentences when they are grouped according to the variable gender. That is, the male respondents’ ability to combine sentences and to expand sentences differs from that of the female respondents’ ability to perform said grammar skills.As to the variable type of high school attended, the respondents do not differ significantly in their skills in asking questions, in responding to questions, in combining sentences, and in expanding sentences. That is, the private high school graduates’ ability to ask questions, to respond to questions, to combine sentences, and to expand sentences do not differ from that of the public high school graduates’ ability to perform said grammar skills.When the respondents are grouped according t o their respective degree programs/sections, they differ significantly in their skills in asking questions, in combining sentences, and in expanding sentences but there is no significant difference in their skills in responding to questions. In other words, the respondents from each of the three sections differ from each other in their ability to perform said grammar skills.

Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) Essay

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU), Ahmedabad was established in 1994 by the Gujarat State Legislature. It is the seventh Open University in the country in terms of their establishment. The University offers 72 programs with an enrolment of more than 1, 00,000 learners. The University has established regional centre on the campus of South Gujarat University, Rajkot and has initiated the process of another establishing regional centre on the campus of North Gujarat University, Patan. It has jurisdiction over the whole state of Gujarat. The main objectives of the university are to advance and disseminate learning and knowledge by a diversity of means, including use of any communication technology and to provide opportunities for higher education to a large segment of the population. The university encourages the Open University and distance education system in the educational pattern of the State. The university is open to all persons irrespective of classes, castes, creed or religion. Education is an important situation all over the world, and is maybe one of the most forgotten topics in the underdeveloped countries. This is the main reason why they don’t contribute to the progress of their own countries. Education is a human right, and as a fundamental right it is the responsibility of governments to provide it. The most important thing is that education influences human development, economic growth and the fundamental requirement for democracy. It is important in a country to invest a big part of the profits in education, because in many countries, governments prefer to invest in weapons without thinking that they should give another direction to the resources from the military where war and win are the most important thing. The government is blind, and they want to see first in the outside than in the inside, when there are more important things to fulfill like basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. Another important reason why it is necessary to invest in education is because children are being prepared to be poor laborers, just as the people years ago. Instead of preparing them for the future, they have been sent to the past with obsolete laws. There is a big necessity for programs that can teach the responsible use of resources, because without the right knowledge these people without education could be wasting a lot of resources and at the same time could be contributing to an unsustainable development. When speaking of development, the role of women is important in these processes, because in the countries  with the highest levels of human development it is declared that they offer equal opportunities and gender equity in their societies. It means that women can reach high positions, and they can do many of the things that were restricted to them a few years ago. When people see†¦

Charles Dickens Hard Times English Literature Essay

Charles Dickens Hard Times English Literature Essay The research paper explores the basic ideas related to Psychoanalysis in the context of Charles Dickens Hard Times. Sigmund Freud laid the foundation of ‘Psychoanalysis’. The research paper is based on Freudian Psychoanalysis as it attempts to study the characters in this novel in its light. The psychoanalytic theory refers to the concept of the development of personality and its changing dynamics. It studies the influence of childhood impressions on the personality development of the adults and on their mental functioning. It focusses on the ideas based on personality which include the division of psyche into the id, the ego and the superego, repression, transference and fantasy. The research paper studies and analyses these ideas in relation to the characters in this novel. It also explores the ideas in the mind of the author in the light of this novel. Keywords: Psychoanalysis, personality development, id, ego, superego, repression, transference, parentification, fan tasy Psychoanalysis is a psychological and psychotherapeutic theory because it deals with the scientific study of mental functions and behaviours and it is also used for therapeutic interaction or treatment of a patient by a psychologist or a psychiatrist. It is devised by an Austrian neurologist called Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) in the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century. This field has evolved over a period of time but has also been the target of scathing criticism. Charles Dickens’ (1812-1870) Hard Times (1854) is a study in psychoanalysis because the characters in this novel depict the mental functions and behaviours of individuals in real life. In this novel, Louisa Gradgrind, the daughter of Thomas Gradgrind and wife of Josiah Bounderby, experiences a nervous breakdown as she realizes that she despises her husband Josiah Bounderby but may be romantically inclined towards James Harthouse. She is not sure of her feelings towards James Harthouse as she is unable to experience any emotion whatsoever. She feels miserable and is unable to rectify the situation. She finally makes a candid confession in front of her father. She tells her father: â€Å"And I so young. In this condition, father – for I show you now, without fear or favour, the ordinary deadened state of my mind as I know it – you proposed my husband to me. I took him. I never made a pretence to him or you that I loved him. I knew, and, father, you knew, and he knew, that I never didà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hard Times 212) â€Å"I am coming to it. Father, chance then threw into my way a new acquaintance, a man such as I had no experience of; used to the world; light, polished, easy; making no pretences; avowing the low estimate of everything, that I was half afraid to form in secret; conveying to what degrees, that he understood me, and read my thought. I could not find that he was worse than I. There seemed to be a near affinity between us. I only wondered it shoul d be worth his while, who cared for nothing else, to care so much for me.† (Hard Times 213)

Divorce Causes in Saudi Arabia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Divorce Causes in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example This increase in divorce cases across the country has led the country to reflect on marriage, as well as the priority of marriage in Saudi culture. It is commonly known that the last solution struggling couples seek is divorce; however in Saudi Arabia the percentage of divorced couples is exceedingly accumulating due to arranged marriages, polygamy and gender inequality. Until quite recently, arranged marriages in Saudi Arabia were a cultural norm whose success was very dependent on sheer luck. There is particularly intense pressure on young women, raised to believe that having children and a husband should be a cherished dream (The New York Times, 2009). In such marriages, the wife and husband have minimal opportunities to become acquainted with one another prior to their marriage, which could result in miscommunication and eventual divorce due to irreconcilable differences identified after the marriage. In Saudi Arabia, the number of arranged marriages disintegrating in the first two to three months after the wedding is increasing significantly, particularly due to emotional and sexual adjustment issues (The New York Times, 2009). In addition, the issue of pre-marital non-disclosure has also contributed to the high rate of divorce in arranged marriages in Saudi Arabia. In this case, fears about the effect of the truth on the outcomes of good alliances means that couples hide the truth from one another prior to their marriage. However, this truth does come out some times and, even if the couple has already been married for a long time or have a strong bond, the non-disclosing partner will be under increased pressure and may undergo indescribable humiliation (The New York Times, 2009). This may result in divorce due to a breakdown in trust. â€Å"Husbands are encouraged to polygamy by male friends who see polygamy as

PROCESS ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PROCESS ANALYSIS - Essay Example The student should also research on each of sampled universities’ global rankings. The research allows a student to identify features of different universities’ courses and to compare expected cost and benefits from each university. Once a student has researched and selected few universities of interest, he or she decides on the course for application. This step also requires research for identifying available courses in each university and scope of each course. The student then review minimum requirements for the identified course in each university then select a course in a university for which the student’s qualifications meet. This is because different universities have different minimum qualifications for same courses. The student should then research on the chosen university’s application method, choose his or her preferred college, and apply according to the university’s approved method. Research is therefore the basis of a successful application process to an overseas university. This is because research provides all the necessary information that is important for making decisions in the application process. It also identifies the required mode of

Capstone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Capstone - Essay Example The products offered by the company primarily include micro turbine units, components, subassemblies and different types of machineries associated with it. Other types of accessories offered by the company include rotary gas compressors having digital controls, and various heat recovery equipments for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) applications. The stocks of Capstone are traded in NASDAQ with the ticker symbol "CPST" (Capstone Turbine Corporation, 2012a). This study entails about the detailed analysis of the internal and external environmental factors associated with Capstone Turbine Corporation. Based on the internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats experienced by the company some of the strategic recommendations have been provided in this study which could help it to compete effectively in the market and increase its profitability position. External Environmental Analysis The external environmental factors having an impact on the operational effective ness of Capstone have been analyzed in this section. The mission and vision of the company and its effectiveness on the overall success of the company have been analyzed. Porter’s Five Forces analysis tool has also been used to assess the impact of the various industrial factors affecting the company. Mission and Vision of the Company The mission and vision of the company is to become the leading producer of low emission micro turbine systems in the world (Capstone Turbine Corporation, 2012c). The primary stakeholders of the company include its employees, company management team, the suppliers, the consumers and the investors. The company has managed to utilize its available resources in an effective manner which is indicated through its increase in profitability in the recent years. Capstone management is committed towards the growth and expansion of the company. There has been a significant rise in the revenue generated by the company for the fiscal year 2012 as compared to the year 2011. There has been a consistent increase in revenue generation of the organization for the past 20 quarters. The growth strategies of Capstone are mainly designed to achieve profitability, increase cash flow generation and improve the gross margin of the company. The company is mainly focused on the reduction in costs through various energy efficient means. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Porter’s five forces model helps an organization to assess the competitive forces which exists within the industry (Hill & Jones, 2012, p. 49). The forces which help out in the process are named as a) threat of new entrants, b) threat from the substitute products or services, c) bargaining power of the suppliers, d) bargaining power of the consumers and finally e) competition within the industry (Society for Human Resource Management (U.S.), 2006, p.38-39). The five industrial forces having an impact on the industrial equipment industry in which Capstone operates its busines s activities is described below: a. Buyer Power: The industrial equipment industry can be adjudged to be highly fragmented in nature because it consists of many segments and sub-segments. Significant number of large and medium sized

TEXAS ELECTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TEXAS ELECTIONS - Essay Example For example, in the 2000 Election Williamson County voted 67.79% for Republicans compared to 47.87% National, 59.29% Statewide, and 46.88% Travis County. In the 2004 Election Williamson County voted 64.96% for Republicans compared to 50.73% National, 61.08% Statewide, and 41.99% Travis County. In the 2008 Election Williamson County voted 55.75% for Republicans compared to 45.67% National, 55.45% Statewide, and 34.44% Travis County. This last election showed that more Republicans voted for Obama than McCain when compared to when Bush was a candidate. The Governor Elections had the same trend. In the 2002 Election, Williamson County voted 68.34% for Republicans; whereas statewide 57.80% voted Republican and Travis County had 46.76%. In the 2006 Election, Williamson County voted 42.79% for Republicans; whereas statewide 39.02% voted Republican and Travis County had 26.43%. It must be noted in this election both Republican and Democratic votes suffered due to two independent candidates. The trend between Williamson County and Travis County was Williamson County voted less for Freidman 11.37% to Williamson County 13.49% and a state wide percentage of 12.44%.

You may pick a good one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

You may pick a good one - Essay Example The two cultural groups exhibits differences as described in the following paragraphs. African American has traditions, values and customs concerning death. This is drawn from the various ethnic, culture and religious backgrounds they exhibit. Some of the common practices exhibited by African Americans in their values include: African Americans also have distinct patterns of language. Some of the developed languages among the communities here include; Gullah popular with the Sea Islands and Creole common to the Louisiana. The African American culture is also associated with academic legitimate dialect due to its logical structure; however other people consider this as slang because of the poor Standard American English command (Hudgens 57). The African Americans also practice a variety of religions ranging from Protestant Christianity to Muslims. On the other hand, Hispanic Americans possess diverse cultural and custom background. They include people from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Spain, central and South America, and Mexico. Some of the common cultural values and customs they exhibit in relation to death include: Hispanic Americans are often united by language, customs, values and religion. However, an extensive diversity exists among them in their traits. Some of these values include; family commitment, belief on the child behavior reflecting the family honor, a strong system of support to the family, duty to care and hierarchical order in the family siblings (Dunn 239). Hispanic Americans are hence different from the African Americans in language, religion, customs, values and beliefs as mentioned in the

Compare and Contrast diary of Mary Berg and Adam Czerniakow Research Paper

Compare and Contrast diary of Mary Berg and Adam Czerniakow - Research Paper Example The Holocaust was a horrific episode of catastrophes that orchestrated the deaths of millions of people. One of the prevalently targeted groups during the Holocaust was the Jews. The unfortunate turn of events started in1933 amid the rise of the Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. The strategy for the systematic extermination of European Jewry was implemented and almost effectively carried out through strategies such as Ghettoization. Ghettos were highly dense quarters characterized by poor living conditions as exemplified by overcrowding, hunger and deplorable sanitation. Most of the areas designated as ghettos were rundown neighborhoods. The rationale of the ghetto was to gather the Jews and isolate them. The invading Germany wanted to manage the cornered Jewish population by compelling them to live in segregated parts of towns or cities, otherwise referred to as Ghettos. During their occupation of Eastern Europe, Germans created at least 1,000 ghettos within the occupied territories. The Ghettos were characterized by disease, starvation, and death. The largest of the ghettos was Warsaw, where close to half a million Jews lived.

How did the Rolling Stones influence the music Article

How did the Rolling Stones influence the music - Article Example ere on their way to conquer the rock and roll world, at the same time, bands and artists like â€Å"The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bryan Adams, Led Zeppelin† (Rej &Wyman, 2006) were establishing their names in various other genres of the music world. However, none of them contributed to the extent to which rolling stones did to music. No body dared to, and if dared then was not able to surpass rolling stones when they were on their peaks. With the release of their first album, they were on the top. With every song, the message that they gave was clear enough that â€Å"we are here to stay and to rule forever† (Rej &Wyman, 2006). The influence of Rolling Stones was so strong that all the upcoming bands and artists and had no choice but follow their footsteps. This influence was evident in the style and music of â€Å"Aerosmith, Guns & Roses, My Chemical Romance, Foo fighters, Flamin Groovies† (Rej &Wyman, 2006), and various others. Even if you open up a dictionary and search for the word â€Å"rock and roll band,† the dictionary would show you a picture of Rolling stones dancing and hopping on a stage. One can even conclude that it was rolling stones who a new life and a new definition to rock music. Moreover, it was with after various news of drug usage of rolling stones that many rock bands and artists involved themselves into heroin addiction because they thought that this is some formula for success since the rock and roll gurus are doing it. In addition, there world was restricted only to rock and roll music however they also left considerable influences on genres like blues, R&B and hip h op. It is also difficult to deny the influence of rolling stone son other bands because of the fact that since 1960’s they have been the most happening band from the United Kingdom. Moreover, no other band of that time has been able to make so many fans, sell as much albums, or perform worldwide so frequently (Wyman & Havers, 2003). Therefore, quite understandably, their influence

Reading Visual Culture Essay Example for Free

Reading Visual Culture Essay When reading visual culture one can easily be led to interpret from images . Visual representations have many different meanings, the way that some interpreted Visual culture and visual representations can in a way influence, confuse or inform others of their meanings. Visual culture is found almost anywhere in the world, no one really knows when it dates back to as there is so much visual culture in history. There are many examples of visual culture in different times, churches use to use visual culture in their stained glass windows. These windows use to be quite delicate pieces of art and were once considered highly religious, this was because of what was placed inside the windows and where they were most likely to be found was in churches. This was a ‘visual’ as it was able to be seen, but in many ways what was seen may not be real. For instance many of these church windows had angles on them and this made them in a way a fantasy or non-realistic character to some. The ‘culture’ of these windows was the people who viewed these on a religious basis, in other words the ones who shared the same values about the church that the windows were found in. Although there could be some confusion when discussing visible things and visual culture. Visible things are something like a chair, whereas visual culture would be a picture of the chair. The confusion normally lies in the word visible and visual, visualising something can be done when you see a poster and all the different pictures and writing that make up that poster. The format of a visual and how it is represented can impact others in different ways. If you see a sign that is red and says stop, your brain tells you that you need to stop only because this is what it has learnt to do in some cultures. Although in another culture where the word stop is just a heap of wiggly lines and means nothing they may see the red as danger and be cautious about their actions. Another example is when you read hieroglyphics, all most that do not understand them see are images of birds and leaves, whereas the people who know the writing see them as letters and words, it is how things are represented in the mind of others or one’s self. One of the basic units in visual culture can be signs, they can be icons and symbols, and are comprised of different codes. One thing can mean another and then could lead to a serious of different events. Signs that are a well-known icon are something like Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is a worldwide known product, it is iconic to those who see it. There are many different ways people think of Coke, one of which is the writing on the bottle and the red label that coincides with the label on the bottle. Signs are comprised of different codes, in saying this they are all in their own way a code. In the war a code was considers a bunch or mumbled up words that made no sense, it only made sense to those who understood them. This is much like signs, only those who understand the signs can read them. Referring back to the stop sign as they are symbolic codes, whereas posters are iconic codes, the reasoning for this is because one symbolises an action whilst the other is an iconic image that is there to be seen and viewed so it may draw those who view it in. Although symbolic signs and iconic signs may seem very different they can sometimes be the same.

Sample Written Report Essay Example for Free

Sample Written Report Essay Introduction: The periodic table is a table in which all of the known elements are listed. The table arranges the elements in order of increasing proton number to show the similarities of chemical elements. Therefore elements with structural similarities atomic number are placed together. These elements can be placed into two different categories, metals non-metals. The early years of the 19th century witnessed a rapid development in chemistry. The art of distinguishing similarities and differences among atoms prompted scientists to devise a way of arranging the elements. Relationships were discerned more readily among the compounds than among the elements; thus, the classification of elements lagged many years behind the classification of compounds. Development of the Periodic Table It was in 1817 when Johann Wolfgang Dà ¶bereiner showed that the atomic weight of strontium lies midway between those of calcium and barium. Some years later he showed that other such â€Å"triads† exist (chlorine, bromine, and iodine and lithium, sodium, and potassium). Another way of classifying the elements was later proposed by John Alexander Reina Newlands in 1864. He proposed that elements be classified in the order of increasing atomic weights. As a result of an extensive correlation of the properties and the atomic weights of the elements in 1869, Dmitri Inovich Mendeleev proposed the periodic law, which states that â€Å"the elements arranged according to the magnitude of atomic masses show a periodic change of properties.† Mendeleev’s Version of Periodic Table The rows 1 to 7 are called periods. The columns I A on the left to 0 on the right are known as groups. Elements with similar properties fall into vertical columns (groups) and horizontal rows (periods), which form the table. The columns in the table are called Groups. The elements in a group have the same number of electrons in their outer shell. Arrangement of the Elements According To Groups Group I A The Alkali Metals Group 1 elements are soft silvery metals. They react strongly with water. The further down the group you go, the more violent this reaction is. These alkali metals are usually stored under oil to protect them from moisture and oxygen. They all have one electron in their outer shells. Group II A – The Alkaline Earth Metals This group consists of all metals that occur naturally in compound form. They are obtained from mineral ores and form alkaline solutions. These are less reactive than alkali metals. Group III A – The Aluminum Group The elements in this group are fairly reactive. The group is composed of four metals and one metalloid which is boron. Group IV A – The Carbon Group This group is composed of elements having varied properties because their metallic property increases from top to bottom meaning the top line, which is carbon, is a nonmetal while silicon and germanium are metalloids, and tin and lead are metals. Group V A – The Nitrogen Group Like the elements in group IV A, this group also consists of metals, nonmetal and metalloids. Group VI A – The Oxygen Group This group is called the oxygen group since oxygen is the top line element. It is composed of three nonmetals, namely, oxygen, sulfur and selenium, one metalloid, (tellurium) and one metal (polonium) Group VII A – The Halogens This group is composed of entirely nonmetals. The term â€Å"halogens† comes from the Greek word hals which means salt and genes which means forming. Halogens group are called â€Å"salt formers†. Group VIII A – The Noble Gases This group is composed of stable gases otherwise known as the non-reactive or inert elements. The Transition Elements The elements in the middle of the table are called transition elements. They are all metals and so they are also called transition metals. Summary A. Development of the Periodic Table 1. Johann Wolfgang Dà ¶bereiner classified elements in sets of three. 2. Dmitri Inovich Mendeleev devised the first periodic table, which he used to predict three new elements. He proposed the†periodic law† which states that when elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number, their properties show periodic pattern. B. The Periodic Table and the Elements 1. The periodic table is composed of 7 rows or periods and 18 major groups or columns. 2. The elements are given symbols devised by John Jacob Berzelius. An element is named after its discoverer, place of discovery, first letter of the name of the element, first and the second letter for those having the same first letter and some are after their Latin names. The elements are grouped into Group A and B Group by the INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY (IUPAC). 3. Elements in the periodic table are also grouped according to metals, non-metals and metalloids. Metals are lustrous, malleable and ductile. They are good conductors of heat. Metals are found on the left side of the periodic table. Nonmetals have a diverse set of properties. They are found on the upper right side of the periodic table. Metalloids or semimetals possess the properties of both the metals and the non-metals. Conclusion The Periodic Table of Elements supports Chemistry, as it explains periodic law and the significance of the rows and columns of the periodic table, including how to relate the position of an element in the table to its atomic number and atomic mass. Students comprehension of the significance of the table will be reinforced as they learn how to use it to identify metals, semimetals, nonmetals and halogens, as well as the relative sizes of ions and atoms. The program also outlines the physical and chemical qualities of the members of each group of elements from the alkaline metals to the noble gases.

The Agenda Setting And Spiral Of Silence Media Essay

The Agenda Setting And Spiral Of Silence Media Essay Alan Crosbie, who is the Chairman of Thomas Crosbie Holdings, a large Irish media player said in his speech  commented on new media there is a tsunami of information coming from new media some of which has the capacity to destroy civil society and cause unimaginable suffering. Let us try and understand why Media holds so much power. Significantly Media has had a dominating influence over peoples lives and opinions since time immemorial. A classic example of convincing people of ones beliefs was during the Nazi Regime. The entire nation was convinced of the Nazi ideologies through getting the entire media channels either under the governments control or having censorship rights over the privately owned ones. This resulted in patriotic and nationalistic sentiments being instilled in songs, movies and even the news was censored to suit the ideology of the Nazis. The world as we see and know of around us is through the media and is hence is a second-hand reality portrayed to us by the media owners of the society. This becomes highly ominous in face of the fact that the entire world media is owned by about 9 Conglomerates only. Hence when there is a plethora of news bytes available, the news that reaches us is what the Media channels think newsworthy. And this is just a percentage of the world news that is present around us. This ability to influence which issues, persons and topics are perceived as the most important of the day is called the agenda-setting role of the mass media McCombs, 2004. The origin of the Agenda Setting Theory happened when Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw (1972), professors at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill used the presidential elections of the United States of America in 1968 as a live study to investigate the relationship if existed between the important issues of the public and that between the priority issues of the mass media.   McCombs and Shaw were able to determine the degree to which the media, in Bernard Cohens words, tell us [(the public)] what to think about. Agenda setting theory has two levels to it. The magnitude of media coverage the particular article gets How the article or object in question has been covered First Level Agenda deals with the issues present on the public, political and media domain. This is the most important area of the agenda setting research where media is seen as a highly influencing factor to the public and political issues. Second level agenda setting is more closer to framing. McCombs in his study discussed how second level agenda setting is more specific to the attributes that define the object in question. Balmas and Sheafer (2010) argued that the focus at the first level agenda-setting which emphasizes medias role in telling us what to think about is shifted to medias function of telling us how to think about at the second level agenda-setting. The similarity between second level agenda setting and framing is that they both are related with how a particular issue is portrayed, with mildness or with sensationalization. They are generic and not the issue or object specific. However they differ on the account of intensity, since framing is a higher degree or an ext ension of second level agenda setting. Spiral of Silence Spiral of Silence originates from understanding the Asch experiment (1958) and the Milgram experiment (1963). Asch experiment was a study on conformity. This basically measures how much other people get pressurized into changing their opinion or falling in line when people more powerful or in more volume than them do so. Other reasons for conforming are to not be isolated from the mass and be liked by their peer groups. The Milgram experiment tested the effects of punishment and hence understood the concepts of Obedience and Authority. These experiments prove that mass or volume opinions have a huge impact on individual opinions. The Spiral of Silence theory was created by Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann (1974). Public opinion is the dominant opinion which compels compliance of attitude and behavior in that it threatens the dissenting individual with isolation and the politician with loss of support. In the words of  its  originator  Elisabeth  Noelle-Neumann: observations  made  in one context the  mass  media spread to  another  and  encouraged  people  either  to proclaim  their  views  or to  swallow  them  and  keep  quite  until ,in a  spiraling  process,  the one  view dominated  the  public  scene  and  the  other  disappeared  from  public  awareness as  its  adherents  became mute  ,  this  is the  process  that  can be  called  a  spiral  of  silence. This basically emphasizes on how when an individual feels they are in a minority, out of numerous fears and insecurities, they feel it better to be a part of the popular and mass opinion and hence an issue even if relevant if doesnt have anything to do with the majority will spiral into silence. The silence of a person, who differs from the majority, spirals upwards thus forcing other people to stay silent. theory09a-789436.gif Strengths Explains why the people remain silent when they find themselves to be the minority. Explains the influence created by media over the crucial issues. Explains why people prefer to withhold their true feelings. Rather than take the risk of being isolated Explains how the spirals of silence solve the societal conflicts. Limitations Does not apply completely to the field of media as the aspects of fear of isolation reprisal does not hold true in the virtual world. Questions the transparency in quantifying the majority the minority. Co-relation between Agenda Setting and Spiral of Silence According to Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, the spiral of silence and the agenda setting theory go hand in hand. She believed that media plays a major role in forming public opinions. Therefore the masses shape their opinions in accordance with the media and according to her, media is the strongest bridge between these two theories. We can support the above point with the help of an example. During the Nazi period, Hitler was convinced that German race is far superior than anyone else on this planet. He made an extensive use of the media tools available at that time to convince the people about the same. Some people believed this but there were a lot of them who did not believe in this concept of German superiority. Although they did not believe, none of them raised their voice because of the fear of the Nazi regime and the fear of isolation. They convinced this case. Examples of Agenda Setting Theory The role of media in shaping public opinion about The Iraq War The marketing effort by the Bush administration to gain support for the invasion of Iraq began to get into full swing by the fall of 2002. When Condolezza Rice, then National Security Advisor to the President, was asked a question on the case of preemptive war in a CNN interview, she said- We know that he [Saddam] has the infrastructure, nuclear scientists to make a nuclear weapon. And we know that when the inspectors assessed this after the Gulf War, he was far, far closer to a crude nuclear device than anybody thought, maybe six months from a crude nuclear deviceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦There will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he can acquire nuclear weapons. But we dont want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud. Even the President made similar remarks about Saddams WMD program less than a month later on 7th October, 2002, America must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof-the smoking gun-that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud. These and other such statements marked the beginning of what the Center for Public Integrity called, false statements, in their 2008 report titled, Iraq-The War Card: Orchestrated Deception on the Path to War. The number of false reports increased tremendously towards the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003, so did the general perception about Saddams nuclear program, suggesting a strong case for media agenda-setting. Future of Agenda Setting Theory With the introduction of the horizontal media and the internet, people have the option of following what they want without anyone forcing an opinion on them. The change in the technology and media has led to several changes in the agenda setting theory. This change is called as Agenda Mending which talks about the personal agendas of individuals vis-à  -vis their community and group affiliations  . This means that individuals join groups and blend their agendas with the agendas of the group.   Criticisms Agenda Setting Theory does not take into account the personal interests of an individual. Any issue considered salient by the media does not necessarily has to be important for the people. This theory uses a very scientific approach, therefore its not able to stand the test of scrutiny as humans are very unpredictable.

Tractarian Objects Cannot Be Properties and Relations :: Philosophy Papers

Tractarian Objects Cannot Be Properties and Relations One of the most frequently discussed notions in Wittgenstein’s Tractatus is the notion of simple object. However, among the literature on Tractarian objects, recent or classic, none has treated configurations of objects as a major and non-trivial issue. In this paper, I show that a detailed study of configurations of objects will yield a series of interesting and important results: it leads to a new understanding of the picture theory, helps us calculate the maximum numbers of internal and external properties of objects, and enables us to reinterpret and reach a solution to the notorious debate on whether properties and relations should be included as Tractarian objects. In this paper I reinterpret and offer a solution to one of the most famous debates in Wittgenstein's early philosophy: the debate whether the Tractarian objects include properties and relations (hereinafter 'PRO' for the thesis that properties and relations are Tractarian objects, 'PRO debate' for the debate whether properties and relations are Tractarian objects, and 'PRO issue' for the issue whether properties and relations are Tractarian objects). Since the very beginning, PRO debate has been equated with the debate whether objects include universals in many secondary literatures. However, it seems to me that these two debates are not exactly the same thing, for the following reasons: PRO debate is in fact a debate concerning whether properties and relations are objects or "modes of configurations of objects" (hereinafter 'MCOs'), insofar as object and MCO are two distinct and exhaustive types of components of states of affairs. Since the essential difference between objects and MCOs is that objects can be the subject matter of states of affairs while MCOs cannot, PRO debate is essentially a debate concerning the logical status of properties and relations, i.e., whether properties and relations can be the subject matter of states of affairs. However, the debate whether objects include universals is a debate concerning the metaphysical nature of objects, i.e., whether some objects can have multiple instances at the same time. T he two debates are clearly not logically equivalent, for on the one hand, we can hold that properties and relations cannot be the subject matter of states of affairs, and yet insist that the Tractarian objects be abstract entities, e.g., Platonic forms; on the other, we can hold that properties and relations are also what states of affairs are about, and yet claim that they are nominalized properties and relations, and moreover, all of the Tractarian objects are particulars, e.

Communication Skills :: communication listening

Communication Skills   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Communication skills are all around us, from the day we are born until the rest of our lives. How many times have you seen communication skills required for a job in the classifieds and wonder what it actually means. A communication skill is some type of skill used in communication, From talking, body language to even listening. Many things can effect the way one can convey his or her communication skills to others. All of these skills are very personnel to one another. Everyone has different ways of expressing some kind of communication skill within them. One communication skill is speaking, by far one of the most important skill we posses. To be a good speaker one must be able to convey ideas clearly and briefly. One must also have a clear and pleasant tone to his or her voice. This makes the person you are talking to more attentive, thus, more interested. The speaker must also be aware of his environment and the people he is speaking to. Environment plays a lot with what you say and try to convey to people. If you hear a bird chirping, you might incorporate it to what you where just about to say. This makes the person you're talking to even more comfortable with what you are trying to convey with your thoughts and ideas. This is how different things can effect one's communication skill, speaking.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A second communication skill is body language, a very personal way of expressing yourself without words. One's body language can carry a whole conversation without even saying a word. Sign language is an excellent example of this, one can spend there whole life communicating only with there body. Still one can be able to understand exactly how a person is trying to express themselves. Speaking and body language goes hand to hand, without gestures when talking one cannot truly explain certain things to someone. Also there is no visual effect for the person listening. When there is sound as well as some kind of visual movement one is more interested in what someone is trying to say. Through body language one can tell if a person is sad or happy, glad or mad. Body language conveys a lot of expression to are inner feelings and thoughts. Body language can show many things about you and the way you think. It can also show the way a person reacts to what you try to convey to them. If the listener isn't responding one must try and change the topic without losing the listeners focus. One can only know this threw the listener's body language.

Reality based tv... or not? :: essays research papers

When it comes to reality based television shows, the only thing I want to know is where they get the word â€Å"Reality†. The reason is that we only see what they want us to see, so we are not really seeing the big picture. (Dan Johnson) There is some controversy over reality based television shows. One thing that they are able to do is give you a chance to see how ordinary people in certain situations. The producer is the one who creates the situation, but how they react is the real thing. (Richard Heldenfels 563-569) When you watch reality television you are seeing a group of people get along in a restricted environment. Throughout the serious anything could happen that will make you want to see the next show. Many of these shows share speed and excitement as much as it is interested in the relationships among characters. It is easier for people to know what is going on compared to soaps. That is a reason more people watch it because of this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (Paul Jackson 35-40) When we watch reality television we only care how it looks. Most of the time we don’t care if it is true or not. All that we are seeing is a performance with drama, and thaws what keeps us watching. For some reason they still call it reality based television and we go along with it. All shows are only vague depictions of reality. Most of the people that we see on television are forced to repeat their lines for speed and clarity. When scheduling conflicts, it demands producers film scenes frequently out of sequence. They are based on highly contrived circumstances, and then heavily choreographed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (Eric Cramer 1-25)There has been many of cases where they the people have found out the candles and the television station got cough and suede. In the television show Survivor the the station was sued because producers thought a certain individual was bad for ratings. Therefore, the told the other contestants to vote them off the island and they would do it. In the television show Temptation Island a couple got kicked off the island because they had a child together. This went on to court and the couple won the lawsuit.

Engage in Personal Development in Health, Social Care Essay

Improving lives of all Service User and promote independence. Assisting in task like bathing, toileting, oral hygiene, dressing and etc. personal care. Assisting in shopping, recreation aimed at creating a supportive atmosphere where Service User can achieve maximum independence. Record detail of incident, developments and events occurring a period of duty in the appropriate records to report verbally to the senior manager on duty. Report and record significant matters in Service User lives in accordance with policy on Access to Records. Advice, encouragement, and supervision such as prompting an individual to take a bath. Undertake other duties related to the work of the Home and may be required which are consistent with the nature of the job and its level of responsibility it may include cleaning, laundry, food preparation Attend, participate in meetings, attend annual appraisal of progress with line manager. Maintain personal development to meet the changing demands of the job, participate in appropriate training activities. Undertake Health and Safety duties commensurate with the post, e.g. when provided PPE must be use when performing duties. 2.1 Explain the expectations about own work role as expressed in relevant standards. Expectations about my own work is to have gain or gain competence, to demonstrate the skills and knowledge required in accordance to Standards e.g. National Occupational Standards, Skill For Care UK. 2.2 Demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice. The ability to reflect on my practice is I will be able to identify my  strengths and weaknesses using reflective assessment e.g. questions what went well, what did not go well, what I do, need to be done , seeking alternative methods, reflect on what I do the way I do better and what I need to do better. 2.3 Describe how own values, belief system and experiences may affect working practice. I have to identify and understand my own values and views however the professional relationship I develop with people I support, are another matter, I am required to provide the same quality of care regardless of race, beliefs, sexuality, culture, not just for those who share same values and beliefs I have. 3.1 Evaluate own knowledge, performance and understanding against relevant standards. This is looking at my progress, development and learning to determine what has improved and what areas still need improvement. Using my personal checklist can be use to evaluate my practice: How do I approach my work? Was my approach positive? Are there any areas in which I could improve? Which was the worst aspect of work I did? Are there any areas in which I could improve? 3.2 Demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice. The ability to reflect on practice is to I will be to improve my practice skills and knowledge by thinking about what I am doing. It can also involve thinking about wider issues perhaps realising that there are areas where I need to learn more and new skills that I have not yet developed, using feedback from line manager, mentor, colleagues. 4.1 Identify sources of support for planning and reviewing own development Source of support for planning and reviewing own development include formal support network, supervision, teacher, manager local authority, training providers, awarding organization further and higher education institution. 4.2 Demonstrate how to work with others to review and prioritise own learning needs, professional interests and development oppurtunities. To work with others, to review and to review and priorities own learning needs, professional interest and development opportunity by performance review, or supervision done by supervisor or line manager, it gives me the opportunity to know the feedback of my performance and practice I may need to improve and areas in which I have demonstrated strength, development opportunities like formal  training e.g. Epilepsy training, in house training , e.g. Manual Handling, Shadowing doing shown by more experienced colleagues working, discussing issues as a team or group, following information on the interest, making use of learning resource centres asking question and holding professional discussion with colleagues and manager. 4.3 Demonstrate how to work with others to agree own personal development plan. Agreeing on my personal development plans with others is updated when I take part in training and development, my record of participation, plans that I worked out with my supervisors using time scale. A personal journal development data to meet my own goals.Evaluate how learning activities have affected practice. Feedback from others has developed my knowledge, skills, and understanding. It can be positive and negative, I am able to accept constructive criticism , it helps me to improves and identify which and what duties I didn’t do well. Demonstrate how reflective practice has led to improved ways of working. Reflective practice has led to improve ways of my working in such a way that it make me realize new ideas, and make new sense of practice issues, it makes me think about situations and learning from what I discovered. Show how to record progress in relation to personal development. This is my regular personal development plan :Goals Development needed/achievement Short term Single Training Epilepsy Training Medium term First Aid and Emergency Training Long term Gaining Diploma and NVQ

Dr. N. Alagumurthi Essay

Dr.N.Alagumurthi, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry is an erudite and renowned academic scholar, a high profile scientist researcher, an able administrator, a great visionary and a socially conscious innovator.  He was born in the year 1965 at Villupuram. His father late Shri.M.Natarajan and mother Thirumathi Pattu Natarajan are very simple and uneducated. He had his school education in Municipal Schools at Villupuram. He did his Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering at Government College of Engineering, Salem, Master degree in Energy Technology at the Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry. He won the Pondicherry University Medal in recognition of the Outstanding Performance in the M.Tech (Energy Technology). He obtained the Best Project award for his M.Tech Project work titled, â€Å"Energy Conservation Study at Chengalvarayan Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd, Periyasevalai, Tamilnadu†. He received his Ph.D from Pondicherry University in recognizing his significant contribution in the area of Thermal aspects in Manufacturing. Dr.N.Alagumurthi has made remarkable achievement in the areas of teaching,  research, invention and extension activities. Starting from a modest career as a Lecturer in a Self-financing College, he rose to the present position of Professor at Pondicherry Engineering College, a premier technical institution. He had guiding many dissertations and research projects in Mechanical Engineering and Energy Technology and has 225 Papers to his credit in reputed journals and various conference proceedings. He had teaching and research experience of 26 years and visited Singapore, Malaysia, UAE and Bangladesh. Dr.N.Alagumurthi is a celebrated member of Professional bodies such as Fellow of Institution of Engineers (India), Honorable Member in Aeronautical Institution of Bangladesh, Society of Power Engineers (India), The Combustion Institute of India, Aeronautical Society of India, Solar Energy Society of India, Association of Waste management and Remediation of environment, Indian Association of Air Pollution Control, etc. Dr.N.Alagumurthi was instrumental to start the Renewable Energy Club in Pondicherry Engineering College with the sponsorship of MNRE, New Delhi and REAP, Pondicherry. Under the auspicious of Renewable Energy Club actively arranged many seminars, lectures, field visits, bioplantation programme and Renewable Energy Day essay / models/ projects competition to students. Dr.N.Alagumurthi has been nominated as a Member of Board of Studies (both UG and PG) of K.S.R. College of Technology, Thiruchengode, an autonomous institution affiliated to Anna University and Pondicherry University. He is associated with various NGO’s and voluntary organizations working in the field of Rural Energy Programme. His areas of interest include: Energy, Environment, Economical Manufacturing etc. He is an advisor to Union Public Service Commission, Tamilnadu Public Service Commission, Jharkhand Public Service Commission, Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission and Member of Board of Examination of various Universities. Member of Advisory/organizing committee of International Conference on I.C.Engines and Combustion , International Conference on Industrial Engineering ,International Conference on Energy Engineering , International Conference on Emerging Research and Advances in Mechanical Engineering, All India Manufacturing Technology, Design and Research Conference (AIMTDR 2010). He coauthored a book on Energy conservation and management. He is an approved Research supervisor of various universities and doctoral committee member in many universities. He is an Expert committee member in the following academic and scientific bodies. University Grants Commission (UGC) All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) National Board of Accreditation (NBA) Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Department of Science and Technology (DST) Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Ministry of Environments and Forests ( MoE&F) Dr.N.Alagumurthi is a recipient of BHARAT JYOTI award in lieu of the yeomen services rendered with excellence in the field of Science and Technology – awarded by India International Friendship Society. His Biographical information has been included in the 10th Anniversary edition of MARQUIS who’s who in science and engineering (2007 and 2008) as an acclaimed biography on account of the outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of Mechanical Engineering and Technical Education. The Energy Society of India has honored Dr.N.Alagumurthi with Outstanding Achievement Award (2007) in recognition of his sterling merit, excellent performance and outstanding contribution in diverse fields of energy and engineering related activities that contributed significantly to the betterment of contemporary society. His biography has been included in the 2000 Outstanding Scientists 2008/2009,IBC Foremost Educators and Scientists of the World-2008,International Scientists of the year 2008,Leading Scientists of the world 2008 by the International Biographical Centre, Great Britain on account of remarkable record of accomplishment and outstanding contributions and achievements in the field of Engineering and Technology. The Ministry of Rural Development, New Delhi, has appointed Dr.N.Alagumurthi as a technical expert committee member cum Government of India Representative of Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission. BIO-DATA OF Prof. N. ALAGUMURTHI

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: From Book to Film Essay

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was the first of seven book series by J. K. Rowling first published on July 1997. It is about the adventure of an eleven-year-old boy who grew up with his aunt and uncle and later discovers that he comes from a family of witches and wizards. The film adaptation of the book was released in 2001 by Warner Bros. , and, like any film adaptation, has had its share of praises and criticisms. Some held that the film had been â€Å"faithful† to the book, but of course, just like in any other film adaptation, there will always be some alterations from the book from which film adaptations were based. Some of the criticisms of the film adaptation of the first Harry Potter series include the director, Chris Columbus, being â€Å"too slavish a devotion to the book and too little of his own creative input† (Silvain). Corliss criticized that â€Å"Columbus is content to make a student’s copy of the original master portrait. † He held that â€Å"the Harry Potter film has loads of technical expertise but lacks the enthralling life of Rowling’s original. † Indeed, the film adaptation had barely altered the story from the book. Nevertheless, there were alterations and the film still falls short from the magical experience enjoyed by the readers. There are some minor differences in the film’s depiction of characters. As an example, Hagrid, who was described in the book as being â€Å"almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide† (Rowling, 14), although depicted in the film as much taller to be â€Å"almost twice as tall† than any man, was not â€Å"five times as wide. † These differences, however, are almost negligible because of the other characters brilliant depiction in the film. Read more:  Number of words in the harry potter series. The depictions of Hogwarts professors were perfect: Dumbledore’s long silvery hair and beard marked him unmistakably the wisest, if not the strongest, wizard in the story; Professor McGonnagal’s commanding presence and Professor Snape’s intimidating presence were brilliantly played by the actors. The other characters’ depictions were superb, most especially the Dursleys, the Weasleys, Hermione and Malfoy. Harry’s Scotch-tape bound eyeglasses could also not be missed out. When it comes to the storyline, the film has altered a lot from the book without losing the overall content. For starters, the film did not begin with the Dursleys, not with their indifference to witches and wizards, and most especially not with Uncle Vernon’s experiences, unwittingly of magic, on his way to office and back home, as was first presented in the book. Hagrid did not mention in the film that he borrowed the motorcycle from Sirius Black, who Rowling foreshadowed in the book as we learn from a later series that Sirius is Harry’s godfather. Also in the book, when Dumbledore left baby Potter in the Dursley’s doorstep, he left the letter with Harry clutching it, not beside Harry as presented in the film. As Harry is growing up, the film lacks presentation on how the Dursleys, most especially Dudley, mistreat Harry. There was no mention of Mrs. Figgs; neither Piers nor Stonewall high from where Harry would be studying if he had not received the letter from Hogwarts was mentioned in the film. In the film, when Harry received his first letter from Hogwarts, it was Dudley who snatched it away from him, while in the book it was Uncle Vernon, and while the film showed that succeeding letters from Hogwarts to Harry was being burned or shredded into pieces, there was no presentation of Harry moving from under the stairs to a room next to Dudley’s. When Hagrid finally brought Harry the Hogwarts letter in the little shack atop a rock in the middle of the sea on Harrry’s birthday, the confrontation between Hagrid and Uncle Vernon lacked the intensity that was presented in the book. Explanations of Hagrid to Harry about Hogwarts and his parents is also lacking in details in the film. Moreover, Hagrid and Harry did not left in the middle of the night during a storm in the book’s version of the story. Events in Diagon Alley presented in the film also lack faithfulness from the book. The twisting trail to the vaults in Gringotts was omitted as well as Hagrid’s reaction to this. The scene in Madam Malkin’s shop where Harry met a boy, who we later learn to be Draco Malfoy, for the first time was also omitted. This is also where Harry was supposed to hear about Quidditch based on the book, as well as the different Hogwart houses and differences of witch and wizard lineages, which Hagrid later on explained to Harry. Hagrid did not leave Harry alone when he purchased his first wand; it was in Madam Malkin’s shop that Hagrid had left Harry to recompose himself from their trip through the Gringotts vaults. At Ollivander’s, Harry tried many wands, more than three unlike what was depicted in the film, before the man attending him had finally found the right wand for Harry. Furthermore, Harry did not make the least indication of a spell in trying the wands prior to finding the right one as the man attending him had stopped Harry before he can wave the wands. The film also did not include Uncle Vernon being asked by Harry and actually dropping Harry off to the train station. It was in Hogwarts express that Harry and Malfoy had their first confrontation; where Malfoy advised Harry not â€Å"to go making friends with the wrong sort† and Harry replying that he â€Å"can tell who the wrong sort are† by himself, in contrast with the film where this scene was presented after the first years entered Hogwarts through an underground passage by the lake. There was no song from the sorting hat, nor were there any Hogwarts song in the film. The events following Holloween night was presented in the film not exactly as it was described in the book. Norbert, the Norwegian Ridgeback baby dragon that Hagrid raised, was not sent to Romania by the Ministry of Magic, but was sent there through Charlie’s friends. Harry and Hermione’s adventure of smuggling Norbert out of Hogwarts was never mentioned in the film. Harry, Hermione, Malfoy, and Neville’s detention in the forbidden forest also differed from how it was described in the book. The film skipped Harry being grouped with Hagrid and Hermione first before Hagrid decided that he should come with Malfoy and Fang as Harry is much braver than Neville and could stand up to Malfoy’s bullying. Harry has also met three centaurs, even riding on the back of one. Perhaps the most noticeable difference between the film’s presentation and the book’s story could be found during Harry, Ron and Hermione’s adventure going after the sorcerer’s stone. In chapter 16 of the book, Harry played the flute given to him by Hagrid as a Christmas present to make Fluffy fall asleep and had no trouble getting past him. After going through the trapdoor, both Harry and Ron were having trouble with the Devil’s Snare and Hermione had to use the spell she had with Snape on Harry’s first Quidditch match to free them. Then, all three went to catch the right key, each taking a broomstick, at the end of the passageway. The flying keys did not attack but were moving so fast that it was difficult to catch them. On the giant chess board, Harry, Ron and Hermione had to replace chess pieces to play the game, not Ron riding the knight’s horse. Furthermore, there was no indication in the book that the giant chess pieces were smashed into destruction. There were also no sing of any troll in a chamber after getting past the giant chess game. Finally, Harry and Hermione had to solve a puzzle set up by Professor Snape as the last obstacle to enter the chamber where the Mirror of Erised had been moved to. This scene is totally missing from the film. The climax of the story, Harry’s confrontation with Professor Quirrel and Voldemort, had been faithful to the book, although in the book, Harry had not destroyed Professor Quirrel in the end of their confrontation. The film’s depiction of Voldemort’s face at the back of Professor Quirrel’s head was also slightly differed from the book’s description. The book described it as â€Å"chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake† (Rowling, 293). Voldemort’s nose as depicted in the film was not very snakelike. There are a few more difference between the film and the book’s story: the film had not depicted Harry not being afraid of mentioning Voldemort’s name; Harry had played in two Quidditch matches in the book; Peeves antics were missing in the film; and Dumbledore did not explain Professor Snape and James Potter’s, Harry’s father, history. Simply put, the film does not have the detailed events presented in the book. It has jumbled the events as it happened in the book while still able to present roughly the same story. However, for the Harry Potter fanatic, the most frustrating difference between the film and the book was the film’s lack of magical experience. For a film based on a magical fantasy book series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone film, ironically, had not been magical, missing out on some important details and suspense. On the other hand, the film tried to be as faithful to Rowling’s story. Even with omissions and alterations, the film basically presented the same story as Rowling’s. It, however, lacked the details that Rowling had included in the book. Given the limitations of technology in computer graphics and animation, the film has brought Hogwarts to life, but could never match up to the experience that reading the book had. As a final note, while the film had a total gross of approximately $970 billion, it has surprisingly not met the expectation of fanatics and readers worldwide with its lack of magic and omissions of some scenes that were somehow important to the overall presentation of the story.

Nike and Child Labour

Nike and child labour Nike is a household name when it comes to sports apparel and equipment. It has worked hard to burnish its image, especially by garnering endorsements from big names in the sports world,such as Michael Jordan. But in 1996 its silver image began to tarnish. It knew it was in trouble when an article on child labour in Pakistan appeared in Life magazine with a picture of a 12-year-old boy sewing a Nike soccer ball in a factory, and activists started showing up in front of Nike outlets holding posters with the boy's picture on it.Although child labour is illegal in Pakistan, the law is not enforced and child labour is widespread. The factory in question was not run by Nike, but by a subcontractor or supplier. Nonetheless,Nike was held responsible by many,especially in the US and Canada. One immediate result was a ,,Boycott Nike† movement, which has continued to monitor and report on Nike's actions. Nor was the report from Pakistan an isolated incident for Nike. Also in 1996, CBS's 48 Hours reported on working conditions in Vietnam, featuring Nike and the abuses of workers who made some of Nike's prosucts.Since 1996, Nike has been charged by critics with engaging in a variety of unethical employment practices in countries that exercise little or no control over the conditions of labour or whose governments are corrupt and can be bought off. For Nike had and continues to have a reputation for producing its products in less developed countries, known for the cheapest labour and the laxest law enforcement, including China, Viet Nam, Bangladesh and Indonesia.At Nike's invitation, the Viet Nam Labour Watch conducted a six-month investigation and its report details discrepancies between what Nike told American customers and what the group itself uncovered. One significant item in the report is the statement that non-Nike shoe factories the group visited in Vietnam had better working conditions and paid haigher wages. In 1998 , Nike pledged to ma ke sure its factories adhered to acceptable labour practices and agreed to let labour and human rights groups inspect its facilities.Yet its critics continued to track the company. In 2000, Victoria International Development Education Association (VIDEA) in Canada published a book of facts about Nike, which noted among other things that Nike, which paid its 80,000 Indonesian factory workers ten cents an hour,could double their wages at a cost of less than 20,000,000-the amount that Nike paid Michael Jordan for promoting its products. It paid $200 million to sponsor the Brazilian soccer team. VIDEA also claimed that the cost of making one pair of Nike running shoes was approximately $5. 0, although they retail for more than $100 and for as much as $189. The figures by themselves, of course, do not present the whole picture. However, at least on the surface they suggest exploitation of labour and a terrible disparity between manufacturing and advertising expenditures. In 2001, Nike's CEO, Philip Knight ,claimed that the company's policy with respect to the employment of child labour was ,,the highest in the world: 18 for footwear manufacturing, 16 for apparel and equipment. ‘ Nonetheless, he acknowledged that there were instances in which the company used contract factories abroad, where the policies had been violated. With respect to the company's violations in Cambodia, violations reported by the BBC, Mr. Knight cited the fact that evidence of age could buy there for as little as $5 and that, following the charge, the company re-examined all employee records there. The reply did not satisfy critics. The athletic shoe company has been the centre of a controversy over its responsibility for the mistreatment of the workers who make its shoes.Nike does not actually manufacture any of the athletic shoes it sells. Instead,Nike designs its shoes in Seattle,and then pays companies in developing countries (China, Indonesia, India, etc. ) to make the shoes accordi ng to these designs. These foreign supplier companies have directly mistreated and exploited their workers. Nike has claimed that it is not morraly responsible for this mistreatment, because the supplier companies caused the injuries of their employees. Thus, Nike itself did not cause the injuries.Critics have responded that although it is true that Nike did not directly cause the injuries, Nike could have prevented those injuries by forcing its suppliers to treat their workers humanely. If it is true that Nike had the power to prevent the injuries, and should have done so, then Nike met the first condition for moral responsibility. However, if Nike was truly powerless to prevent the injuries-if Nike had no control over the actions of its suppliers-then it did not meet the first condition.People are morally responsible for an injury when they failed to prevent it, only if they ,,should have† prevented it. People cannot hold morally responsible for all the injuries they know ab out and fail to prevent. Each of us is not morally responsible for failing to save all the members of all the starving groups in the world that we learn about by reading the newspapers, even if we could have saved some of them. If we were morally responsible for all these deaths,then we would all be murderers many times over and this seems wrong.A person is responsible for failing to prevent an injury only when, for some reason, the person had an obligation to prevent that particular injury. Such an obligation generally requires some sort of special relationship to the injury or the injured party. For example, if I know I am the only person near enough to save a drowning child, and I can do so easily, then m special physical relationship to the child creates in me an obligation to save the child and so I am morally responsible for the child's death if I fail to prevent it.Or if I am a police officer on duty and see a crime thet I can easily prevent, then, because it is my job to pre vent such crimes, I have a specific obligation to prevent this crime and I am morally responsible if I fail to do so. Employers likewise have a special oblgation to prevent work injuries on their employees and so are morally responsible for any foreseen work injuries they could hav prevented. The second requirement for moral responsibility is concerned with the agent's knowledge of the relevant aspects in a situation. The person must know what she is doing.If a person is ignorant of the fact that her actions will injure someone else, then she cannot be morally responsible for that injury. A person may be ignorant of either the relevant facts the relevant moral standards. I may be sure that bribery is wrong (a moral standard), but may not realize that in tipping a customs official I was actually bribing him into cancelling certain import fees(a fact). In contrast, I may be genuinely ignorant that bribing government officials is wrong (a moral standard), altough I know taht in tipping the customs official I am bribing him into reducing the fees I owe (a fact).Ignorance, however, does not always excuse a person. One exception occurs when a person deliberately stays ignorant of a certain matter to escape responsibility. If Nike managers told their suppliers that they did not want to know what was going on in their factories, they would still be morally responsible for whatever mistreatment went on that they could have prevented. A second exception occurs a person negligently fails to take adequate steps to get information about a matter that has its own importance.A manager is an asbestos company, who has reason to suspect that asbestos may be dangerous, but who, out of laziness, fails to gather information on the matter, cannot plead ignorance as an excuse. The third requirement for moral responsibility: The person must act of his own free will. Someone acts of his own free will when the person acts deliberately or purposefully and his actions are not the result of some uncontrollable mental impulse or external force.A person is not morally responsible if he causes injury because he lacked the power, skill, opportunity. Nor is a person morally responsible when physically forced to inflict an injury on someone else. The same when the agent is physically restraint from doing something to prevent the injury, nor when a person’s mind is psychologically impaired in a way that prevents her from controlling her actions. An employee may injure a fellow worker when a machine he thought he knew how to operate suddenly veers out of his control.A manager working under extremely stressful circumstances may be so tense that one day he is overcome by rage at a subordinate and genuinely is unable to control his actions toward the subordinate. An engineer who is part of a larger operating committee may be unable to prevent the other committee members from making a decision that the engineer feels will result in injury to other parties. An assembly-li ne worker with an un diagnosed malady may suffer muscle spasms that cause the assembly line to malfunction in a way that inflicts physical injuries on other workers.In all of these cases, the person is not morally responsible for the wrong or the injury, because the person did not choose the action deliberately or purposefully, but was forced to inflict the injury by a mental impairment or some uncontrollable external forces. We can distinguish three types of factors that can lessen a person’s moral responsibility:first, we should consider circumstances that minimize,but don’t completely remove a person’s involevement in an act that caused or brought about an injury.This kind of circumstances affects the degree to which the person actually caused or helped to cause the injury. An engineer may be aware of the unsafe features in somebody else’s design,but passively stand by without doing anything about it because ,,that’s no my job’’. I n general,the less one is morally responsible for that outcome. Certain circumstances leave a person uncertain, but not altogether unsure about a variety of matters (facts, moral standards, seriousness of the wrongdoing etc. ). This king of circumstances affects the person’s knowledge.An office worker who is asked to carry proprietary information to a competitor might fell fairly sure that doing so is wrong, yet may also have some genuine uncertainty about how serious the matter is. Finally, there are circumstances that make it difficult but not impossible for the person to avoid doing it. This kind of circumstance affects the person’s free will. Sometimes, middle managers meet intense pressure or threts or to keep certain health information secret from workers or the public, although it is clearly unethical to do so.If the pressures on managers are great enough, then their responsibility correspondingly diminishes. The extent to which these three mitigating circumstan ces can diminish a person’s responsibility for a wrongful injury depends on the seriousness of the wrong. Supposing that I have a firm and my employer threatens to fire me unless I sell a used product that I know will kill someone,it would be wrong for me to obey him,even though loss of a job will impose heavy costs on me.

Six Sigma and CQI discussion questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Six Sigma and CQI discussion questions - Essay Example Various instruments in six sigma are critical to improving efficiency in hospitals as they involve collecting feedback from health care users and staff on the quality of services offered in the organisation, collecting and analysing the data to identify the causes and effects of the challenges that are encountered in provision or receiving of health care. The information or the trends that are derived after data analysis are then used to improve the situation to the optimal levels, and then measures and controls are put in place to ensure any deviations in future are rectified before they can cause damages or defects to the customer (Arthur, 2011). With efficiency improved, wastages such as idle staff or some hospital facilities that are underused will be put in to optimal use, thus ensuring that the hospital is operating at minimal costs level. The hospital will increase the volume of patients that can be served per day therefore increasing profitability since efficiency has also been maximised. Continuous quality improvement is a never ending programme that is aimed at improving products and services that an organisation offers to its clients and is driven by data and feedbacks from clients. The programme is nor driven by complaint or events, rather it is self initiating and aims to improve on the current quality levels. In a health care organisation, this means the management should keep on improving on the quality of health care offered to users continually based of the responses and suggestions from all the relevant stakeholders and not wait upon when complaints or bad incidents happen. Based on the information gathered from the continuous quality improvement and knowledge present within the organisation, new methods of practising can be built. This can be done through staff motivation or evaluation forums with the personnel in the

WConference Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

WConference Question - Essay Example As such, there is a close relationship between human being and the art and hence the art always has a personal appealing to human. The art mostly reveals, through creativity, the side of the world that is interesting but we cannot see or experience in any other way except through art. Plato agrees with me by stating that it is ill advised for people to indulge in both mimetic and narrative representations in the place of art. As such, he demonstrated that arts are the best way that communicates a message from its originality. I am of the opinion that the art is an inseparable characteristic of the society. It is through art that the voiceless in the society can get a voice. Creativities that is demonstrated by the art explain the type of society the people are living. Every person in th society requires to study humanity and the art. This is because the only way to understand the norms and traditions of a given community is by embracing their arts and culture. A good example of how important the art is is the Nkisi sculpture that unites people in DRC. These arts are integral part of the society and hence humanities should be taught in school ion order to safeguard our

The Market for Lemons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Market for Lemons - Essay Example In this paper, Akerlof presented a research on the relationship between quality and uncertainty by using the example of wide market for used cars to draw relevance (Akerlof 488). As per the paper, Akerlof gives the description of a used car, which he gives as the exchange of ownership from a car buyer to a seller after the first owner has used it to a state that may attract wear and tear (489). Asker of intimates that ‘cherries’ and ‘lemons’ are two categories of used cars where by a car attracts these categories depending on the quality of the car and the previous owner’s driving technique. Frequencies of maintenance and vehicle accident history are the other factors that contribute towards a car becoming a ‘cherry’ or a ‘lemon’. With this, this essay will review the article by Akerlof George by giving the summary of the article then discussing the points that he intended to put across. As per this article, a buyer may end u p buying a used product without having adequate information concerning the cars history or if it has any hidden defects. During car purchase, a buyer may not have the time to go through all the elements of the vehicle hence making a seller to take advantage of the situation. The implication of this is that the car buyer may not be certain on whether they are buying a ‘cherry’ or a ‘lemon’ as the buyer relies on the general quality of the vehicle and not quality in details. In the end, the average quality assessment that a buyer does influences them to buy it at their chosen value irrespective of whether the car has a good maintenance history or not. Therefore, a buyer or seller may be at a loss as the seller sells the car at a high price as the car deserves or the buyer buys the car at a low price. For this reason, car owners that are sure of the quality of their cars do not sell their cars in the used market for cars as this reduces the average car quality for the vehicles that they intend to sell. On the other hand, the reluctance by good quality used car owners reduces the value of other vehicles in the market hence translating to a reduction of product prices. 2. Asymmetrical information As indicated, quality used cars, tend to receive low value during their sale because of lemons and vice versa. This relatively the bad pushing out the good in a sequence whose dependency is two variables (490). p, is the first variable that denotes the price of the vehicle and the used cars quality presented for trade, or Qd = D (p, p), the supply of lemons and cherries together with their quality on average p will depend on the price (p = p) or (p) and S = S (p).  

UK Brewing Industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

UK Brewing Industry - Assignment Example It is irrefutable that the brewing industry and its market in UK have significantly changed over the years. It should be noted that most of the common assumptions and preconceptions of manufacturers about their distribution channels and consumer preferences are now obsolete. Thus, Coors Brewers Ltd. (Coors) needs to institute a change of strategic directions in order to account for these important developments and trends. This report generally aims to identify the various future strategic options for Coors. The first section will conduct an environmental scanning which will examine the different changes in the market of the business organisation. Secondly, this report will briefly outline its recommendations on how Coors can further enhance its performance by using its strengths and core competence to take advantage of the opportunities in the UK market. These will be conducted through the use of strategic management tools specifically the Ansoff Matrix. The market for alcoholic drinks is a very important sector in the UK market. It should be noted that the brewery sector generates more revenue than the other large industries like clothing, motor vehicles, tobacco, and confectionary. However, there has been a decreasing trend in alcohol consumption within UK households. It also noted that the traditional beer consumption in public houses is now overshadowed by the increasing consumer preference to consume brewed products at home as this is perceived to be more socially acceptable. The major trends in the UK brewing industry are identified as follows: "there is a growing female and mixed group influence; going to a public house is a leisure activity; consumption is often driven by occasion and events in both on-and off-trade; premium beers are becoming an important sector; there is wide choice of outlets; and there is a wide choice of brands." In addition, it should also be added that breweries which compete with Coors are now dismantling their previously owned public house estates. The younger generation also has the inclination to lagers which is a high profit segment for brewers. These diversions from the traditional market conditions posts many strategic options for Coors and other players in the UK alcoholic drinks market. The Ansoff Matrix The Ansoff's Matrixis a tool in strategic management which is utilised in order to aid in deciding the product and market growth strategy of a company. After its publication in the Harvard Business Review in 1957 in an article entitled, 'Strategies for Diversification,' this strategic management tool has gained wide popularity and recognition in the marketing world. Ansoff Matrix is specifically useful for business organizations which have growth objectives. Ansoff's product/market growth matrix suggests that a business' attempts to grow depend on whether it markets new or existing products in new or existing markets. Four strategies are generally prescribed-market penetration, market development, product development and diversification. Market penetration is a company's strategy which aims to serve current market with its existing products. With this growth strategy, the company aims to increase

Macroeconomics written paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Macroeconomics written paper - Assignment Example Hence, indifference analysis takes into consideration the concept of indifference curves and budget line constraints (Dwivedi, 2010). In the situation above, Commuters consider that Bus journeys are an inferior good while Car journeys are a normal good. The two modes of transport employ economic aspects of transportation to differentiate the two aspects of travelling, which is car travel and Bus travel. Both modes of transportation have their own advantages and disadvantages. Bus travelling is cheaper and perhaps safer compared to car journeys whereas, car journeys are considered much faster, comfortable and convenient when compared top bus travels. Income is a budgetary constraint and a rise in income will affect consumer behavior according to consumer theory. The income effect as proposed by the consumer theory indicates that a rise in income makes a consumer to have more purchasing power of a product. Increasing income leads to a shift of the budget constraint line out parallel. The relative pricing of the two goods or services, which are, car and bus travel do not change meaning that the gradient of the budget line remains the same. The income has increased and this means that there is more resources to purchase the same products in more quantities. The new combinations of products that maximize utility can be identified; from this, the impact of income changes on the demand for a product can be analyzed (Friedman, 2007). In summary, economists decompose this effect of change in price on the quantity of the demand into an income and a substitution effect. The income effect theory proposes that due to increase in real income, which is closely related to a fall in prices or the real income associated with a rise in prices. On the other hand, the substitution effect proposes that due to change in the relative price of the product, cheaper products are substituted for more expensive goods. Two major economists have proposed the effect of price

Edit Submission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Edit Submission - Essay Example e common in the interaction with the political figures has been addressed by the numerous political forums that are available on the social media and networks. The grievances and complaints of the citizens of any country can be expressed to the officials in a far more reliable and fast manner than before. The emergence of any news on the web is analogous to fire in a dry forest in the modern times. Any act of misconduct by the government cannot be hidden since people have acquired greater power to voice their opinions with the advent of the internet. The recent uprising in the Arab countries, such as Egypt, Libya, could not have been arranged with such unity and effectiveness if the social media and networks had not been available. The risings were led by no apparent leaders but at the spur of collective thinking and ideas. The dictatorial nature of the leadership in those countries always forbade any expression of negativity towards the rulers; however the accumulation of agitation among the masses on the web transformed into a historical revolution that freed the people from years of dictatorship. The citizens are more aware about the prevailing political activities which make them capable of possessing a strong opinion about everything in their societies. These opinions are known to gain voice on the political forums which can prove to influence the core objectives of the political parties. Democratic parties tend to rely on such internet communication even more than dictatorial rule. Specifically, the communication and campaigning is noticed to escalate in the times of the elections. An apparent benefit of political communication over the internet is that the political parties can evaluate the responses and comments of their voters and strategize their actions accordingly. This proves to become an on-going survey for the political parties since the success or failure of any event or procedure can be retrieved on an immediate basis via social

War on Drug Crimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

War on Drug Crimes - Essay Example They are mostly the cause of many social problems we are facing these days in our society such as; rape, assault, reckless driving est. These drugs are mostly illegal drugs and when used often can lead to very server addiction, which is very difficult to overcome. Example of such drugs include cocaine, heroine est. The problem of wiping out these drugs from the system has become a global concern since trades in these drugs are now done even across. Many governments therefore are trying so hard to structure out very effective ways of preventing their countries from being used as trading grounds or safe passes by people trading in these illegal drugs since it poses a great to their country. These drugs have very negative effects both on individuals and the society and the society at large. These effects include addiction on the part of the individual. As mentioned earlier on, these drugs have very addictive potentials. Therefore when one takes these drugs two or three times, it is possible for that person to become addicted to them. Addictions to these drugs cause a lot of harm to the human body. Once people get addicted to these drugs, they will risk anything; either their education, job est. in other to get these drugs to take.

SWOT Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SWOT - Case Study Example The Dim lighting company is faced with several problems that include macro and micro challenges, the macro challenges are those that are outside the reach of the company to solve them using internal mechanisms, in other words, they are the opportunities and threats that the company faces. One of the greatest threat that the company faces is the lack of adequate funds to support its research and development kitty which Mr Spinks, the director of research and development at the company puts at 1.2 million dollars per year for two years then an additional 500, 000 dollars to initiate production the micro miniaturization project (Brown, 2011, p81). Another threat that is facing the company is the decline in the profit margin for the last one year, which has an implication on the image of the business to the outsiders. The company however, is not without some opportunities, the major opportunity that the company has is that it acts as a profit centre therefore it is able to manage its resources with minimal interference from the corporate head office, in addition, this enables it to make its own decisions and implement them in order to remain competitive in the market. In addition, the fact that the company can be able to look for funds from the head office to invest in research and development is an opportunity that may not be available to all such firms. Internally, the strength of the company is that it has Mr Spinks as the director of research and development; Mr Spinks is a respected person in research as he is considered as one of the best brains in research, this can be seen in the numerous awards that he has received from different science societies . With Mr Spinks as a director, Dim lighting company is likely to be always ahead of other companies in terms of technology and renovation; this is evident from the multimillion-research project that he wants to undertake on micro miniaturization

Morality Play Essay Example for Free

Morality Play Essay Cudgels- short thick stick used as weapon (n. ) mea maxima culpa -my mistake, my fault humani nil a me alienum- I am a human being, I consider nothing that is human alien to me. tonsure- the act of cutting the hair or shaving the head. artem illam ignominiosam- the art of her disgrace malodorous- an unpleasant odor; foul-smelling retinue- a group of advisers, assistants, or others accompanying an important person leman- a lover, sweetheart or paramour pretium- price ignorantia Juris non excusit- ignorance of the law does not excuse ubi stabilitas ibireligio-where ever stability is, there will be religion. Jongleurs- medieval wandering entertainers who played instruments, sang and danced, juggled, and performed plays. brawlers- a noisy quarrel, squabble, or fight. passe- old fashioned; out-of-style esse- being; existence. sorties- attacks redolent- (adj. ) fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an aura timorous- (adj) fearful; timid; demonstrating fear prating- to talk excessively and pointlessly; babble japer- to joke, gib petulance- (n. ) rudeness, irritability vagabond- A person who wanders from place to place preening- devoting effort to make one attractive lewdness- indecent. abscene. Offensive in a sexual way conjuring- the performance of magical tricks cavil- (v. ) to find fault in a petty way, carp; a trivial objection or criticism cupidity- (n. ) an eager desire for something; greed scruple- a feeling of doubt or hesitation with regard to the morality or propriety of a course of action folly- lack of good sense; foolish action or undertaking patron- (politics) granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support animosity- (n. ) strong dislike; bitter hostility emulate- to copy; to try to equal or excel lulling- cause to get calm, sleep or rest.

Of mice and men - A comparison of the opening scenes of the film and the beginning of the book Essay Example for Free

Of mice and men A comparison of the opening scenes of the film and the beginning of the book Essay A comparison of the opening scenes of the film and the beginning of the book Of mice and men is set in southern California at the time of the great depression (late 1920 and early 30s), the basis of the story is about 2 men George and Lenny, who are two workers who travel from place to place finding work on ranches, so they can earn there 50 bucks a month. George is the leader out of the two he looks after Lenny, sorts out where they go and what they do and eat. Lenny is a very big and strong man, but he is very dumb and could not look after himself, he his at heart a nice, harmless man but likes colourful, nice feeling things, so he is just like a small child. Lenny gets them into trouble a lot, he likes to touch nice things and when he does people get the wrong idea and like at the start of the book and film gets accused of rape, and at the end causes a death of a woman. Like most writers or directors, John Steinbeck and Gary Sinise try to grab the readers or viewers attention. Even though the novel and film are based on the same story, they use different techniques and ways to try and get the audiences attention. In the novel John Steinbeck uses a lot of description of his settings and this is how he tries to keep the audiences imagination going. For example in the first two pages of the novel, he uses a strong descriptive and a strong style of language to try and give an effect of a natural, calm and peaceful atmosphere, also when describing the willow pool he tries and puts as much detail in as possible, as this area of land is one of the most important places in the story as this is where Steinbeck starts the story and ends it in a similar place. Its quite amazing how Steinbeck manages to turn a violent and threatening scene into a calm, relaxing place and an almost peaceful time. I think that the first set of settings is set in a spring/summer theme as they are talking about there dream which is seen as the American dream of this time, so this also relates to life in the late boom and depression of the 1920s. The beginning is used to try and introduce the two main characters portraying Lenny as the leader and it seems that he is like a father to Lenny who is portrayed as a small child who cannot control what he is doing. George also knows he has to take the role as the father or older brother and has to keep rules and tells him what to do, e.g. when they are drinking from the lake Lenny keeps his head in the water and is just guzzling the water down, then George says; For god sake dont drink so much, and also he checks if the water is safe by making sure that its is running although George is of little intelligence him self he knows how to stay alive and live well. Gary Sinise tries to grab the audiences attention quite differently at the beginning of the film as he uses a dramatic sequence of George and Lenny sitting in the luggage holder of a train, and you see him thinking back to what happened at Weed. When this is happening the light fades over Georges face from the cracks in the compartments wooden walls, this effect of the light streaming across his face gives an imaginary sense of prison bars. During Georges flashbacks you see them running fast and out of breath down a field full of long grass, and it keeps flashing back on Georges face in the train giving you a sense of distress instead of the calming effect of the novel. It then flashes to a pretty woman in a red dress that has a rip going down the bottom of it, the air flows through her dress and hair as she is running down a field. This scene really is exciting and full of tension to the viewer, which contrasts totally to the calm and peaceful opening of the book. Next you she a bunch of workers in a field, and they hear the girls screams. The workers on horse follow carrying shotguns. This contrasts to the life of today against nearly a century ago, as nowadays Lenny would have been arrested and put to a fair trial but back then they would have just killed Lenny on the spot. This scene puts people on the edges of their seats giving a sense of suspense; this is how a good director is able to keep the audiences attention to the film. The scene of the willow pool is quite like the scene in the book it gives a more relaxed effect from the previous suspense scenes, as they hide neck deep under the overflowing bush weed, and luckily the workers lose them. When we see George and Lenny getting there work cards it proves the fact that this is in the 1930s as there were a lot of job shortages and you had to go to a job office and see if any jobs were available, most people would take any job there was, because of the depression. This then gives us a slight historical background of the time they are in. George in the book is firstly described as small and quick, dark of face with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. George being described as having restless eyes gives an impression that he is quite alert and a quick thinker of what to do in troubled times. Lenny on the other hand is described quite differently: Huge man, shapeless face with large, pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. the way a bear drags his paws Lenny is being described as an animal which shows that he is a slow and clumsy both physical and mentally. The characters in the film are unlike the ones in the book as they are not physically opposite. Lenny is only slightly taller than George, but the behaviours of these two characters do mirror that it is similar to the book as Lenny acts like a child and George is the smart, dominant one. This is often shown in the close ups of their faces and in their speech and movement. The clothes they wear are described in the book as workers clothes so rugged and tattered, so the movie is also based on this part as the clothes in the movie are like this. In my opinion I think casting John Malkovich was perfect to be Lenny as he was able to portray the child like brain of Lenny. He seemed to fit the right description of Lenny. The voice used by John Malkovich was very effective in giving the viewer a childlike impression of Lenny. Gary Sinise although he was director he himself played George and he obviously knew how he wanted George to be played and he did with an amazing attitude, he gave out the attitude and cunningness of George as is written in the book. In conclusion, the beginning of the book and the beginning of the film are based on the same storyline. The way the scenes are described and presented are really quite different. Gary Sinise is able to create a sense of action and suspense followed by the calm of the willow pool, whilst Steinbeck creates a very rich and calm descriptive opening scene, which contrasts with the violence of what is actually happening.