Friday, December 27, 2019

The Topic Of Labor Unions Has Been The Focus Of Many...

The topic of labor unions has been the focus of many political debates in recent years, with these discussions having people advocate for and against the unions. Labor unions are organizations that represent a collective group of employees to protect and further their rights and interests. Labor unions were first introduced in the eighteenth century with increasing numbers around the United States and the world, but unfortunately during the past decade, these numbers have drastically decreased. Resulting in less education and achievement of solidarity among employees and companies. Solidarity is the unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest. Workers in the United States would benefit more†¦show more content†¦The benefits and advantages that unions offer for their employees and their families are life changing for years of employment and even beyond that. Work place benefits that are offered are higher wages, safe working co nditions, and job security. The negotiation of better pay and terms of termination are two of the main goals of labor unions for their members. The personal benefits received by members are paid vacations and holidays, fair working schedules, advance training, and unemployment for those when facing a strike. Strikes began occurring in the eighteen hundred and although being rare, they are still occurring today. Employees receive health care benefits of medical, vision, and dental insurances as well as coverage of prescriptions. When the time comes for retirement unions offer pension, 401K, and continued health care during retirement. Not only are there advantages for the employees, but also for the employers. The employers themselves receive many advantages as well. The best benefits that employers receive is employee satisfaction. When being a part of a union needs and wants are met allowing people to become more satisfied with their job, with that satisfaction employee will be more willing to work harder for you. Not only will employees be willing to work harder for you, but you will also have less people leave their jobs or the ability to lose their say and position in the organization. With less turnovers of employees as a company you will save money.Show MoreRelatedLabor Unions And The Industrial Revolution1582 Words   |  7 Pages The topic of Labor Unions has been the focus of many political debates in recent years, with these discussions having people advocate for and against the unions. Labor Unions are an organization that represent a collective group of employees to protect and further theirs rights and interests. Labor Unions were first introduced in the eighteenth century w ith increasing numbers around the United States and the world, but unfortunately during the past decade these numbers have drastically decreasedRead More Labor, Socialism, and Politics to World War I Essay1177 Words   |  5 PagesLabor, Socialism, and Politics to World War I Trade Unionism In the second half of the nineteenth century trade unionism became much more recognized by governments. The government recognized that it is the right of workers to organize. This fundamental common law principle became a freedom of contract or the concept that people should be free to make bargains with each other and that the law should enforce such contracts if necessary. This became legalized in the year 1871 and by theRead MoreTheodore Roosevelt New Nationalism1280 Words   |  6 Pagesfor re-election to the presidency in 1908, deciding to exit politics and go on a yearlong African safari (Ellis, 2001, p. 284). Frustrated with President Taft’s actions, Roosevelt reentered political life in 1910 (Mowry, 1939). In the Osawatomie address, Roosevelt introduced his idea for a New Nationalism. Many of the speech’s components became the bedrock of the Bull Moose campaign used by the Progressive Party in the 1912 election (Spring, 1970). In the address, Roosevelt com pares the struggle forRead MoreMacroeconomics: Should Minimum Wage Be Raised?823 Words   |  4 Pagesindustrial production, often with the focus the effect of government policy on these factors. That leads me to an article that I read in Businessweek titled Making the Economic Case for More Than the Minimum Wage, written by Peter Coy on February 13th, 2014. The article starts with talking about President Obama’s 2014 State of the Union address calling for an increase in the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. There was also a reference in the 2013 State of the Union address, but at that time it was toRead MoreWhat Is The Economic And Financial Impact From China On African Nations1251 Words   |  6 Pagesthese economies are worse or better off then they may have been when the United States was the continents primary financer. I understand, for reason of social policy and Geopolitical shift from west, namely the United States of America but also post-colonial powers, to Asia as economic benefactor... Obama comment of ‘Looking out East† China is now a major market financier, investor, contractor, builder and donor. has been the political playground for emerging powers in the west, Europe and the AmericasRead MoreThe Labor Movement1223 Words   |  5 PagesThe Labor Movement The Labor Movement’s number one concern is to address problems associated with social inequality. The labor movement was created in order to fight for the rights of labor workers. The goal was to have better wages, safe working conditions, and reasonable working hours. Unions were formed in order to achieve this. However, this was always enough. Workers reached a point where they came together and participated in strikes which the main goal was to have their employers listen toRead MoreSummary : Demons Unleashed : Why Did Brexit Happen, And What It Mean?1154 Words   |  5 Pages On Wednesday, April 12, Glen O’Hara presented the topic of: â€Å"Demons Unleashed: Why did Brexit Happen, and What Does It Mean?† He is a professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom. Professor O’Hara gave a detailed argument of the history leading up to Brexit, the vote itself, and the aftermath. He made an interesting argument: voters that were in support of the â€Å"leave† campaign cited immigration as the single most important reason for their decisionRead MoreDebate on Civil War1069 Words   |  5 Pageson the Civil War The American Civil War has without a doubt left a permanent divide on this great nation’s past and present. American historians still debate the causes of a war that began in 1861 between the Union states and Confederacy states. The war can be seen as caused by the principle of slavery, the growing tension between northern and southern ideology or due to a crack in the political system of the time. United States’ history classes focus on teaching students different views as toRead MoreThe Killer Angels and Slavery1591 Words   |  7 Pagesalways be the root of the problem. One prime example of this idea is the American Civil War wherein almost every individual soldier had a different reason for being on the battlefront. One nation whose people had grown into a melting pot had slowly been torn down the center for several decades before the inevitable war came. Slavery seemed to affect everything in the United States during the time leading up to, during, and even after the Civil War. Thus, the issue was unavoidable, and whatsoever conflictRead MoreAn Argument Against Slavery Being Good1612 Words   |  7 Pagesintellectual, are brought together, the relation now existing in the slaveholding States between the two, is, instead of an evil, a good a positive good. ... I hold then, that there never has yet existed a wealthy and civilized society in which one portion of the community did not, in point of fact, live on the labor of the other. ... Calhoun said it on February 6, 1837, is voicing his opposition to sending the issue of abolition to a Senate committee for study, noting that The subject is beyond

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

International Relations During The Cold War - 1750 Words

Final Exam Essay over International Relations This paper will talk about how international relations changed after the cold war in four parts. The first part will be talking about environment. The second part will be talking about religion. The third part is sovereignty. The fourth part will have changes in statehood. The fifth part will talk about gender and then the conclusion. Environment has been growing as an academic subject for the past three decades and now it is on the â€Å"international agenda† (Jackson). Since the human population is nearly doubling, there is a fight for higher standards of living as a threat to the environment. The cause and effect is very simple. If the human population is expanding, the intake of food consumption will increase. The effect is hard but easy to consume, food scarcity. The aftermath of food production overtaxing the land might lead to â€Å"deforestation and desertification† (Jackson). Industrial mass production of food threa tens the depletion of raw materials and energy. While the production is ever so good, there is an accepted fact that the gases released from the production buildings will create chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases. In the book, it tells us that CFC gases will cause damage to the Earth’s ozone layer or the term called is â€Å"Global Warming† (Jackson). â€Å"Global Warming† causes severe air pollution and rising sea levels. Using the term correctly, China is experiencing excessive air pollution due to limited regulation againstShow MoreRelatedInternational Relations During Cold War Era1052 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Title Needed† Conceptual Framework Nuclear Parity as a concept started prevailing in International relations in Cold War era. According to the Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms by US Department of Defense (2005): â€Å"Nuclear parity is a given condition at a given point in time when opposing forces possess nuclear offensive and defensive systems approximately equal in over all combat effectiveness†. As a theoretical concept it is regarding keeping a equilibrium in balance in power, weaponryRead MoreRealism Is The Most Convincing Paradigm For International Relations? Essay1579 Words   |  7 PagesCONVINCING PARADIGM FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS? WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF REALISM AS A THEORY FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS? Realism has dominated international relations theory since emerging in the 1930’s. The era of state conflict lasting from the 1930’s to the end of the cold war in 1947, proved the perfect hostile environment to fit the largely pessimistic view of world politics. While many aspects of realism are still alive in International Relations today; including the dominantRead MorePost-Cold War US Foreign Policy1417 Words   |  6 PagesPost-Cold War US Foreign Relations The Cold War and its ending with the dismantling of the Soviet Union and a great reduction in the threat of communism as a competing system to capitalism and democratic governance changed the focus of US foreign policy. The change did not happen overnight and has ebbed and flowed significantly across time, often associated with the nature of foreign conflicts and US involvement in them but change it did (Saull, 2007, p. 180). The reduction of the size, might andRead MoreEffects Of The Cold War On The World1572 Words   |  7 PagesNguyen The Cold War was a time of conflict that occurred somewhere around 1945 and 1990 although some International scholars held the thought that the Cold War began in 1917 Russian disclosure in any case, it was between the USA and its allies mostly the Western nations and the Eastern coalition led by the USSR however, the two forces did not battle or utilized weapons against one another, it was battled through Nuclear Arms race, intermediary wars, ideological impact and propaganda war and in thisRead MoreRealism And The Cold War843 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is Realism? Realism is defined in the book as a school of thought that explains international relations in terms of power. This basically means that realism is a political view on global issues that puts stress on both the conflict side and the competition side in the scenarios. â€Å"Realists tend to treat political power as separate from, and predominant over, morality, ideology, and other social and economic aspects of lifeâ₠¬  (Goldstein 44). Now after learning all this information about realismRead MoreUS and the Cold War Era1364 Words   |  6 PagesWhile the U.S. maintained a relatively confusing agenda regarding foreign policies during the Cold War era, its attitudes are clearer in the present as globalization has strengthened connections between all international actors and made it more difficult for some to focus on maintaining hostile outlooks. The U.S. has had a long history with Syria and Israel, as the superpower has struggled to keep the two countries from abusing each-other and has, at times, provided the latter with significant financialRead MoreRealism And Liberalism : International Relations, And The Cold War Period939 Words   |  4 PagesRealism and liberalism are the two main theoretical perspectives in International Relations, and both theories provide well developed explanations of the dynamics of the international system on the world stage. A system is a group of units or parts united by some form of regular interaction, in which a change in one unit causes changes in the others. In the international system, the states and sub-state actors, the institutions, and norms regulate their interaction. This implies that these actorsRead MoreTraditional Security vs Human Security1349 Words   |  6 PagesTRADITIONAL SECURITY VS HUMAN SECURITY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS INSTRUCTOR: SURAT HORACHAIKUL 12/13/2012 TRADITIONAL SECURITY VS HUMAN SECURITY 2012 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 2 2. TRADITIONAL SECURITY VS HUMAN SECURITY .................................................................................... 3 2.1. TRADITIONAL SECURITY ....Read MoreA Report On The Sino Russian Relations971 Words   |  4 PagesIt would be a negligence not mention a shift in the Sino-Russian relations. Joseph Nye, a former US assistant secretary of defense and chairman of the US National Intelligence Council, argues that in the wake of the Cold War in 1991 â€Å"†¦ de facto US-China alliance ended and a China-Russia rapprochement begun†. Indeed, the year of 1992 heard the political rhetoric about â€Å"pursuing a ‘constructive partnership’†, which was followed by 1996’s statements of â€Å"strategic partnership†, which resulted in a treatyRead MoreCurrent Events and US Diplomacy on Truman Doctrine957 Words   |  4 Pagesand the Soviet Union for nearly four decades. While President Truman assumed office while inexperienced in global affairs, the doctrine demonstrated his firm stewardship on foreign policy. The doctrine, which was eventually adopted as an internat ional relations policy, was introduced in a speech regarding intentions of the country to help Turkey and Greece with military and economic support for them to avoid falling into the Soviet sphere. The main goal of the doctrine was to help free individuals

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Of Mice and Men Curleys wife free essay sample

?John introduced us to a character called Curleys wife, she plays a complex and misfit character as she got so many different sides to her, as sometimes the reader feels sympathetic and unsympathetic about her. John Steinbecks novel of Mice and Men is an example of how the readers perception of a character can change without the character actually changing. Steinbeck uses many different techniques to present Curleys wife such as colour imagery, appearance, metaphors and similes in the early stages of the novel. The effect of these techniques is that the reader creates a mental image of Curleys wife even before she even enters the novel. This perception is further emphasized by Curleys Wifes first appearance in the novel. Steinbeck uses light symbolically to show that she can be imposing when he writes, The rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off. Steinbeck portrays her in a horrible manner; he shows her as unintelligent and unimportant figures. Curleys wife is a prime example of how Steinbeck presents women; she is the most prominent woman in the book, so there are more citations about her. She uses the fact she is a vulnerable female against Crooks and is very racist towards him. ‘Well you keep your trap shut then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny. ’ This is a definite threat to Crooks. This shows that the social attitudes at the time were extremely racist and she chooses him because he is the most weak and least able to defend himself. She was going to accuse him of sexual assault and his black skin she knew would add to the problem. This gives her some status and power despite her because she is the only woman though her unpopular husband actually makes her an outcast on the farm. Nobody will want to converse with her because they fear her husband, and because they would automatically tar her with the same brush as they had him, which is to be extremely unreasonable and disrespectful, not to mention rude and very unfriendly. When Lennie and George arrive at the ranch, Curley’s wife claims to be looking for her husband Curley. But she clearly isn’t just there for that. ‘You’re the new fella’s that just come, ain’t ya? ’ She immediately moves from finding her husband to acquainting herself with them. When Slim arrives and tells her Curley had gone into the house, she leaves in a hurry as though she thought they knew her intentions weren’t actually to find Curley. There are, then, a number of aspects of her character which are less attractive. She flirts with the other men, she does not consider the effect she is having upon them and she is racist. She endangers their positions on the ranch through her behaviour. Throughout the novel, there are also indications she is a victim rather than a floozy. You learn that she dreamt of being in films but it was never going to become a reality. She showed she had always been used by men as none of them ever intended to put her in films: ‘an’ a guy tol’ me he could put me in pitchers. ’ Although she was very naive in believing it, it leaves her bitter in her marriage knowing that this was once on offer for her because she was trapped with no contact with the outside world of wider opportunities. She confesses to Lennie that she isn’t happy and still plans to fulfil her dreams in the future. ‘I coulda made somethin of myseIf maybe I will yet. She confesses that her marriage to Curley isn’t based on love or even lust; it was arranged when she was just in a temper with her mother and on the rebound. ‘I married Curley. Met him out to the Riverside Dance that same night. She thought she’d have more freedom, to fulfil her dreams, but it did not worked out like that. She craves some sort of affection and attention and has clearly kept her feelings hidden away for a long time before her confession to Lennie. ‘I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella. ’ She jumps at the chance to be able to express herself to somebody, somebody who would listen. She obviously is in despair as by now she has lost hope of her dream. She is lonely and never receives any of the love and affection she needs and like any young girl would want. ‘Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time? ’ She always just wants some company and never understands just why nobody would speak with her. She is young, and probably never meant to appear ‘a tramp or ‘a tart. She simply has nothing to do and nobody to talk to. She can put two and two together. She realises her husband has no respect for her. ‘Think I don’t know where they all went? Even Curley. I know where they all went. On the Saturday night, Curley had gone to a brothel with some of the other men who worked on the ranch. Just his absence alone gives us the impression that their marriage lacks love and intimacy. This makes you sympathise with her more, as she is young, beautiful and full of life and her husband still chooses other women over her which surely must make her feel unworthy and insecure as well as lowering her self-esteem. Another part of the novel which makes you sympathise with Curley’s wife is when she dies. ‘The meanness and the planning and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. ’ This shows that after all the stress and things life had placed on her, she has finally relaxed and is at ease. ‘She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young. ’ This again reminds you of how young she was and how she had so much unhappiness in such a short time. Her beauty ruined her in a way, as that was the main cause of her disappointment with acting and also why she ended up marrying Curley. ‘Now her rouged cheeks and her reddened lips made her seem alive. ’ This shows and reminds you of the importance of makeup to her, as even at her death she looks the same. Last of all ‘the curls, tiny little sausages,’ make her seem so young, like a child which automatically again makes you feel sorry for her, and guilty in a way for thinking she was just a floozy in the beginning.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

William Essays - William Shakespeare, Shakespeares Life,

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was a great English playwright, dramatist and poet who lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. No other writer's plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries as his. Shakespeare was born to middle class parents. His father, John, was a Stratford businessman. He was a glove maker who owned a leather shop. John Shakespeare was a well known and respected man in the town. He held several important local governmental positions. William Shakespeare's mother was Mary Arden. Though she was the daughter of a local farmer, she was related to a family of considerable wealth and social standing. Mary Arden and John Shakespeare were married in 1557. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford in 1564. He was one of eight children. The Shakespeare's were well respected prominent people. When William Shakespeare was about seven years old, he probably began attending the Stratford Grammar School with other boys of his social class. Students went to school year round attending school for nine hours a day. The teachers were strict disciplinarians. Though Shakespeare spent long hours at school, his boyhood was probably fascinating. Stratford was a lively town and during holidays, it was known to put on pageants and many popular shows. It also held several large fairs during the year. Stratford was a exciting place to live. Stratford also had fields and woods surrounding it giving William the opportunity to hunt and trap small game. The River Avon which ran through the town allowed him to fish also. Shakespeare's' poems and plays show his love of nature and rural life which reflects his childhood. In London, Shakespeare's career took off. It is believed that he may have become well known in London theatrical life by 1592. By that time, he had joined one of the city's repertory theater companies. These companies were made up of a permanent cast of actors who presented different plays week after week. The companies were commercial organizations that depended on admission from their audience. Scholars know that Shakespeare belonged to one of the most popular acting companies in London called The Lord Chamberlain's Men. Shakespeare was a leading member of the group from 1594 for the rest of his career. By 1594, at least six of Shakespeare's plays had been produced. During Shakespeare's life, there were two monarchs who ruled England. They were Henry the eighth and Elizabeth the first. Both were impressed with Shakespeare which made his name known. There is evidence that he was a member of a traveling theater group, and a schoolmaster. In 1594, he became an actor and playwright for Lord Chamberlain's Men. In 1599, he became a part owner of the prosperous Globe Theater. He also was a part owner of the Blackfriars Theater as of 1609. Shakespeare retired to Stratford in 1613 where he wrote many of his excellent plays. There are many reasons as to why William Shakespeare is so famous. He is generally considered to be both the greatest dramatist the world has ever known as well as the finest poet who has written in the English language. Many reasons can be given for Shakespeare's enormous appeal. His fame basically is from his great understanding of human nature. He was able to find universal human qualities and put them in a dramatic situation creating characters that are timeless. Yet he had the ability to create characters that are highly individual human beings. Their struggles in life are universal. Sometimes they are successful and sometimes their lives are full of pain, suffering, and failure.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Essay about Finicial Effect

Essay about Finicial Effect Essay about Finicial Effect Cause/Effect Topic: Financial Crisis As the recovery from the financial crisis seems fragile; now, with sequestration taking effect will this drive the national debt higher or will this force our government to play nice and get this country back on its feet. As the recovery from the financial crisis seems fragile, now with sequestration taking effect will this drive the national debt higher or will this force our government to take steps to get this country back on its feet. With mandatory budgets cuts going into effect on March 1, a vast range of government services and millions of people, are going to feel these effects. The Defense Dept. faces up to 46 billion dollar loss in funding, which could open this country up to terriost attacks. Naval ships maybe delayed on their deployments which could result in less attack forces patrolling the waterways. Our troops will not lose any of their pay furthermore up to 800,000 military civilian employees could be laid off in April. Servicemen and women who have lost their lives during combat could see burial delays at Arlington National Cemetery. With the looming budget cuts, 9 percent of unemployed workers collecting unemployment benefits will not receive them. More than 100,000 formerly homeless people would lose their current housing. About 125,000 low income families would be at risk of losing their housing due to cuts in rental assistance. 373,000 seriously mental ill people would lose care with these cuts. Less food would be tested by the FDA. Thousands of people who need HIV medication would not receive this medication under the current budgets cuts, over 400,000 HIV test would be on the chopping block as well. These cuts will also have major impacts on state funding from Public Health, Law Enforcement grants, Child care reduction. National Parks will see several campgrounds and picnic areas closed, which could result in over 300,000 visitor reduction and loss of revenue for those states. Several states have already made cuts to sustain and keep programs in place; with these looming cuts states are going

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Case Study Ziba Design Essay Example

Case Study Ziba Design Essay Example Case Study Ziba Design Essay Case Study Ziba Design Essay It may all come down to Gibbs unique approach to new product development, an intricate process that is entered on understanding consumers in a deep and profound way. New products dont start in the RD lab, before any product development or design work even begins theres a tremendous amount of deep consumer research. People are in search of meaning these days. We have enough stuff to choose from, we have enough companies that give us whatever we desire or what we want. It is now what does it mean to me, its got to be meaningful, and to be meaningful you have to understand your consumer. Discuss what Occurs before Saba Develops a Design or Advertising Program So how do Slabs teams begin to understand customers Through extensive research that In turn Is formulated Into customer Insights. Its a process of uncovering Information Like an archeologist. What makes a product great Great Products dont ask their customer what they should be, great products say this Is what they are. They basically anticipate customer needs, they dont wait for the customer to tell them what they should be and that they delight customers in new and interesting ways. It May all come down to Gibbs unique approach to new reduce development. An intricate process that is centered around understanding consumers in a deep and profound way. When Saba takes on a new client they start the process by asking if they know there customer, a simple question that many cant answer, do they know what motivates them, drives them. Do they know their strategic customer Then they ask, what do you stand for What are your values How are your values manifested in the messages you send out And they are firm about any design being In line with the brand, In really speaking to that targeted customer. Ask a question what subject Is here, what are we trying to do here, what Is the best thing to do here and what is right for the customer, what is right with the brand that makes you understand really well how to put it together. They dont try to create something different that is not going to get you anywhere. They are going to create something meaningful that the consumer authenticates with the brand. Saba Effectively contributes to Brand Recognition for Product Promotions in the Marketplace The definition of Brand Recognition is the extent to which the general public (or an organizations target market) is able to identify a brand by its attributes. Brand recognition is most successful when people can state a brand without being explicitly exposed to the companys name, but rather through visual signifier like logos, slogans and colors. (Investigated) Calla does more than designs products, their efforts contribute to brand recognition. One of Its most recent challenges Involved creating an Integrated experience for consumers for Portland south water front, a thriving urban neighborhood that didnt yet exists. They had to help people

Thursday, November 21, 2019

New Public Management (NPM) as a framework for the comparative Article

New Public Management (NPM) as a framework for the comparative analysis of public administration - Article Example Having said this the study will now move on to summarise Pollitt (2001). Pollitt (2001) begins by stating that the thesis that there is an inevitable and global convergence towards a particular, new style of public management. He notes that despite the evolving literature in support of diversity, some politicians, academics and civil servants continue to preach convergence. He suggests that to better understand this controversial issue, it is necessary to tackle the problem from different perspectives. He states a series of angles that can be compared to see if there is convergence. They include debate, reform decisions, actual practice or results. Pollitt (2001) begins his introduction by reviewing some literature on the convergence towards the "New Public Management"/"Reinventing government" styles of public management reform. According to Pollitt (2001) most of the studies are in favour of divergence and not convergence. These studies include (Flynn and Strehl, 1996; Kickert 1997; Olsen and Peters, 1996; Pollitt and Bouckaert, 2000; Pollitt and Summa 1997; Premfors 1998; Wollman, 1997). This implies that the Orsbone and Gaebler thesis that global pressures are producing an inevitable and inexorable global convergence on what they term "entrepreneurial government" is now being open to criticisms by many academicians. Pollitt (2001) however, also identifies studies that continue to be in favour of this thesis. They include (Halligan, 1996; Kettl, 2000). The main aim of Pollitt (2001) was to develop a concept of convergence that will enable us understand why many commentators continue to invoke convergence in spite of the evidence in support of divergence. Pollitt (2001) asserts that the strategy should be to consider whether the very idea of convergence has value of its own. Pollitt (2001) relates the convergence myth of public administration to the creation myth in art and religion, which has served so many purposes irrespective of whether it is true or false. He identifies four main steps to the argument as follows: The convergence process can be divorced from ideas of global and functional imperatives by summarizing the still developing critique which has been articulated by comparativist scholars. The notion of institutional isomorphism can be used to see that convergence, in the sense of replication of rhetoric forms and practices across the world, may have more to do with government fashions, symbolism and the propagation of norms than with the grim dictates of the global economy or the functional necessity for increased government efficiency. The third adopted by Pollitt involves the acknowledgement that words and concepts can develop lives of their own. According to Pollitt (2001) in the fourth and final step, an analysis of who benefits from a situation of where convergence is more a matter of talk, symbolism and pronouncement that of the day-to-day practices. Pollitt (2001) then goes on to discuss two disclaimers namely that the line of argument advanced his work is not intended to seem Macchiavellien. The second disclaimer is that a partial rehabilitation of the idea of convergence is not in any way to deny the diversity of national regimes and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Factors affecting quality of MRI image.Benefits of circular or square Essay

Factors affecting quality of MRI image.Benefits of circular or square spiral EPI methods - Essay Example For example, if a spin is exposed to a magnetic field different from the expected value due to magnetic susceptibility, geometric distortions will be seen from the MRI image (Reinsberg, Doran, Charles-Edwards, and Leach, 2005). In particular, an increased spin produces MRI signals of low intensity, while high magnetic susceptibility areas are seen as areas of total signal loss (Zhou and Gullapalli, 2006). Figure 1 shows an example of metallic susceptibility distortions in the presence of metallic implants. Magnetic susceptibility In magnetic resonance imaging, tissues are temporarily magnetized by the large magnetic field that the imaged subject is exposed to, with the extent of magnetization varying among tissues that differ in magnetic susceptibility. For example, relative to other tissues, air and bone are less susceptible to magnetization. On the other hand, metallic implants have high magnetic susceptibility as compared to the body tissues. These differences in magnetic suscepti bility cause field inhomogeneity, especially in tissue boundaries, particularly air-tissue and bone-soft tissue boundaries (Zhou and Gullapalli, 2006). That is why magnetic susceptibility distortions are sometimes seen in such boundaries, like the sinuses (Reinsberg, Doran, Charles-Edwards, and Leach, 2005). 1. Discuss various methods to correct for magnetic susceptibility distortions, while maintaining a good EPI image. ... a.) Parameters that can optimize EPI image ESP can be decreased through the use of powerful gradients, such as increased gradient slew rate (~20, 000 T/m/s), increased maximum amplitude (350 mT/m), increased rise time rate, increased accuracy, decreased eddy currents, increased voltage, and decreased field strength. In addition, these parameters decrease signal-to-noise ratio. Meanwhile, a decreased ESP results to a smaller total train length time. In fact, it has been estimated that decreasing ESP to 40 ms limits the distortion to only one pixel wide. Similarly, increased data gathering via decreased frequency- and phase encoding steps and ramp sampling, fast analogue to digital converters and large receiver bandwidth decrease the time in which phase errors can accumulate (McMahon, 2012). On the other hand, phase and read directions can be swapped, so that the phase encoding gradient is along the same axis as susceptibility gradients. Although this may not totally prevent distortion , it shows the image in a more presentable and understandable manner (McMahon, 2012; Zhou and Gullapalli, 2006). Figure 2 shows the decrease in magnetic susceptibility upon converting from left-right phase encoding to anterior-posterior phase encoding. Other ways to minimize magnetic susceptibility distortions include decreasing the resolution, use of SE sequence, increased acquisition matrix and proper shimming before image acquisition. It should be noted, however, that heating of nearby tissues can occur when using fast SE acquisition with a high bandwidth to decrease magnetic susceptibility distortions resulting from metallic implants (Zhou and Gullapalli, 2006). b) Chain of consequences after increasing the receiver bandwidth Receiver bandwidth is a

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Business Modeling Essay Example for Free

Business Modeling Essay Ted Ralley is working on conducting a forecast for the upcoming year for an automobile part company. The data that will be used for this research has been collected from the quarterly sales from the previous four years. Ted wants to determine what is most accurate way to determine the forecast for 2008. The model should also help determined if the economic situation and oil prices are affecting significantly the sales of the company. The two models that were provided were thoroughly analyzed to determine which model was the most appropriate to utilize. These models were a regression model with factors, seasons and an additive Holt-Winters model. The forecasts also show that there is a significant change in the sales with the economic hardship and oil prices. It was concluded that the Regression with Econometric Variables would be the best method to use to forecast the sales for 2008, estimating a 255,927,955 for that year. Background With the economy continuously deteriorating everyone seems to be getting hurt financially, even the automotive industry, which has deepening the economic recession. Automotive part suppliers continued to experience heavy debt and overcapacity caused by production cuts by automakers, specifically including the big 3 (Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Chrysler). The suppliers  are also being pressed by higher energy and input materials’ costs. It has been determined by Industry analyst that automotive companies that accounted for more than $72 billion in sales have filed for chapter 11 protections in 2008. The number of Bankruptcies will continue to rise as the years go by. Domestically, Losing the big 3 to U.S affiliates of foreign- based manufacturers and imports in 2008 have caused a dramatic 50% drop in the market share. Most US suppliers are dependent on these three companies aforementioned. U.S suppliers are currently facing the challenge of penetrating automakers’ supply chains, mostly because these relationships have been long-established with home-market supplies. Ted Ralley is the director of a marketing research for a manufacturer of spare automobiles parts and it’s working on conducting a forecast for the upcoming year. Ted is aware of the forecasting errors and how costly they can be which is why these numbers must be as accurate as possible. In order to perform this forecast, Ted has collected the data on quarterly sales for the previous four years and ran several forecasts using time series forecasting methods. Ted noticed that economic activity and oil prices have impacted significantly the auto part sales and decided that the forecast will be more accurate using econometric variables. Problem Will the econometric variables be a better predictor of sales for the coming year, given the current economic activity and oil prices? Analysis This analysis consisted of the evaluation of the regression model with factors, seasons and the additive Holt-Winters method to generate an accurate forecast of how econometric variables have affected the Auto Parts industry. The analysis involved calculating the errors metrics for the three models (mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), root mean square error (RMSE), MAPE and Theils’ U-statistics (U)) and comparing them against each other. The error metrics were calculated by using the formulas shown below: Table 1.1 Error Metrics Formulas: After studying the data provided it could be determined that there is an upward trend with obvious seasonality. Another factor that played a role in these regressions was the removal of the first two years in order to meet Holt-Winters method guidelines. The first regression was conducted using  Factors was generated by utilizing the data that provided by Ted Ralley from a large manufacturer of spare auto parts for automobiles. The data consisting of the quarterly sales for the previous four years was the dependent variables and independent variables consisted of Time, quarter 2, quarter 3, quarter 4. In this regression quarter 1 was removed in order to avoid over forecasting and binary coding was used to generate dummy factors. After the regression was completed, the independent variables were tested to determine their significance, which was done by performing a regression on the data through Microsoft Excel. Quarter 4 was removed from the model due to the fact that it was statis tically insignificant. This was determined by using backward elimination, which means, a variable that has a P-Value that is greater than .05, is considered insignificant and should be removed from the data and a new regression should be completed. The results from the new regression, shown below, have a P-Value less than .05 being sufficient to reject the null hypothesis (Ha). A very strong positive linear correlation between sales and all the independent variables combined with a 95.47%, leaving an unexplained variance of 4.53 is also demonstrated. According to the textbook â€Å"the most common measure of overall fit is the coefficient of determination (R2)†. Another important measure is the â€Å"standard error (Se), which is derived from the sum of squared residuals for n observations and k predictors† (Poane, Seward, 2013). A smaller Se Indicates a better fit, in this case the Se will be off by around 3.9 million. The coefficients used to run the forecast for 2008 are the following: intercept coefficient + coefficient time x time 1 plus coefficient q2* code for Q2 dummy variable for q2 + plus coefficient q3. Square error was used to find the magnitude of the error; the absolute value of the error to the sale s was found and then preceded to calculate to numerator. Numerator and denominator will be calculated in other to use Thiels’ U. Numerator was calculated as follow: difference between sales minus the sale of initial sale (difference q1-2 sales) /divided by q1 and squared. Bibliography Poane, D., Seward, L. E. (2013). Business Modeling Customized Readings for QNT5040. : Mc Graw Hill Education. Microsoft Office Excel. (2007). Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation. Albright, Winston Zappe (2010). Business Modeling, Selections from 4e – QNT 5040 (4th ed.). Mason: Cengage Learning. Aczel,A Sounderpandian,J (2009). Complete Business Statistics 7th edition (592). : Mc Graw Hill Education. U.S. Automotive Parts Industry Annual Assessment. (2009, April 1). . Retrieved June 6, 2014, from http://trade.gov/mas/manufacturing/OAAI/build/groups/public/@tg_oaai/documents/webcontent/tg_oaai_003759.pdf

Friday, November 15, 2019

Great Gatsby :: essays papers

Great Gatsby 3 Write an essay about the character and function of Nick Carraway. Despite the title, Nick Carraway is the first character we meet, and appropriately his role in The Great Gatsby is crucial; without him the story would lack balance and insight. The first chapter is primarily dedicated in establishing his personality and position in the book, then moving on to Tom and Daisy. Nick is our‘ guide, path finder’ in The Great Gatsby; he relates the story as he has seen it and from what others have told him. He strives at all times to be objective, his comments are balanced, as he says just in the first page of the book–‘ I’m inclined to reserve all judgements’. His objectivity is reinforced throughout to us by his scorn of Gatsby– he thoroughly disapproves of him– he‘ represented everything for which I have unaffected scorn’. Yet there is something–‘ some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life’,‘ an extraordinary gift for hope’ that is attractive to Nick, and requires him to make several attempts at describing it. He registers contempt for much of what Gatsby stands for– the falseness, the criminality, but still he likes him. His ability to laugh at Gatsby and his false airs‘ What was that? . . . The picture of Oxford?’ shows he’s neither charmed nor wholly disgusted by Gatsby. Nick sees him as the best of a‘ rotten crowd’, his approval is always relative– compared to Tom and Daisy his dream like innocence is attractive, though twisted into an impossible goal and only nearly achieved by criminality. But compared to Tom’s ruthless attitude to Myrtle and Wilson, Daisy’s careless abandonment of Gatsby and ultimately their complete inability to see their wrong–‘ if you think I didn’t have my share of suffering . . . I sat down and cried like a baby’– put Gatsby in a much fairer light. As Nick says, Gatsby was‘ worth the whole damn bunch put together’. His amusingly contemptuous remarks show his sense of humour, and although he is straight-laced, we are not bored by him. We are told of his age– thirty, which makes us take his opinions seriously, as he is not some immature unworldly man. Nick is introduced directly, but Gatsby remains a distant character for a good while. The establishment of Nick’s reflective, tolerant personality is essential, as are his limitations, so we don’t just dismiss him as Fitzgerald’s mouthpiece. The fact that he disapproves of Gatsby so early on, helps us to go along with his judgements when he tells us of Gatsby and unfolds the story. Our first mysterious glimpse of Gatsby prepares us for much of what is to

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Abusiveessaycompleted

Child abuse is a topic that causes rage in many discussions throughout he county because it is outrageous actions against innocent children. Many parents question whether discipline can become child abuse. In the essay â€Å"Justice: Childhood Love Lessons† the author, Bell Hooks, shows how love should occur all around one's household and claims that, â€Å"No one can rightfully claim to be loving when behaving abusively† (Hooks, 1 1). To an extent, that is true. However, in my opinion, maintain that this assertion can be right or wrong, depends on how people perceive about love and punishment.Bell Hooks is an educated woman, feminist, and writer who has dedicated her life to teaching people about civil rights that every human being deserves. She wrote an essay in which she addresses her personal view on the way children should not be hit under any circumstances, because it neglects love; according to her, love and abuse cannot coexist. However, it is unfair to claim th at a slap on the hand is considered abuse, and that if parents commit this type of action, they do not love their child.There is a huge difference between physical punishment and child abuse. A child needs to learn right from wrong, and when the child's actions turn out of control, it s acceptable to spank or hit them in the hand. As long as the hitting stays to a minimum degree, physical punishment is not child abuse. Sometimes, the parents may unintentionally abuse their child because of teaching their parents taught them. They claim to be â€Å"loving' while carrying out punishment, and that would absolutely confuse a child on what love and abuse is.To educate a child, sometimes the punishment is necessary, but the extent of violence carried out to supply the discipline can be considered as abusive. Those physical acts are carried out, such as hitting, slapping, or pinching, cannot be called a â€Å"loving action. When kids were whipped and told that these punishments were â₠¬Ëœfor their own good,† or â€Å"parents are doing this because they love their children,† would definitely be misunderstood when they are told they are being whipped because they are being loved.It is manipulative and sends the wrong message to the children. According to Hooks, â€Å"There is nothing that creates more confusions about love in the minds and hearts of children that unkind and/or cruel punishment meted out by the adults they have been taught they should love and respect. † (Hooks, 1) The mindsets for the kids are overlooked in a caddish way. Their approach would be like, â€Å"Oh, I can hit everyone whenever want†, which this shows the child growing up to be an overall abusive kid living over her or his childhood actions.Overall, there kids perceptions would be the same and think it is alright to do the something and hit anyone at anytime they want. The parents are messing up their child's childhood of learning from right to wrong. In fact, spanking a child the first time shows an overall lesson so that the next time they will think about actions before they act. In some way, kids are still kids, they make mistakes and learn from it which shows them not to CT it up again. Continue on spanking them anytime whenever they do something wrong would leave wounded not only on their bodies but also in their hearts and minds.As young children to becoming young adults, Thai concept would stick with them forever and travel with them when they become older and have kids of their own, and this is not a good example to leave on their kids. Loving is supposed to be a good feeling that brings warmth and security to the heart and reminds of wonderful things. If a boy hitting his girlfriend but telling her that he is hitting her because he loves her, he girlfriend would feel uncertain because loving is supposed to be sweet and wonderful, not hurtful-As the same point, it is wrong to tell a child that they are being loved when they are b eing abused or punished.Claiming to be â€Å"loving' while being abusive is as bad as telling someone that you love them, and then pushing them off a cliff to their death. â€Å"No one can rightfully claim to be loving when behaving abusively/' (Hooks, 1). In this statement, Hooks declared that if a parent is hitting their child, then they are showing no love towards the child. In somehow, disagree with Hooks because she uses the word abuse in such a negative form throughout her whole essay. What exactly does â€Å"behaving abusively' mean?If a person sees the words, â€Å"behaving abusively' the person might be thinking a child was hit in the face and now the child has a black eye, which is abuse. However, Hooks takes the definition of â€Å"behaving abusively' as any type of hitting even if it's the least amount of pain like a slap on the hand, which is not abuse. It is natural for a parent to punish there children in one way or another during their childhood. Children are na ughty and naturally misbehave, and they Anton help it because they are learning what is appropriate and inappropriate.In other words punishment of any kind, let it be pinching, flicking or spanking will result in disorientation in a child's mind. This statement is true to some people, false to others, but overall hooks tends to be bias in her argument. She doesn't explore the different variations of physical punishment and how these punishments affect the child's thought about love. There are many different types Of punishment out there in this cruel world, but not all of them can disorientate a child's mind or heart about eve.Simple physical punishments; such as pinching, flicking, and spanking, are carried out on us at a very young age, and all throughout life. Our parents are here to discipline us, to teach us the difference of right and wrong. When we first misbehave, our parents might tell us to â€Å"knock it off' or â€Å"stop† and they may raise their voice when asse rting these commands. We sometimes stop when told to, but sometimes we ignore their commands and keep misbehaving repeatedly. This is where physical punishment comes into play. A form of physical punishment would and will be carried out on us.At first it may be a simple punishment, but gradually the punishments intensify. Once a punishment has been carried out, many of us become cloaked in fear of punishment and from this fear we learn not to do that mistake again. Simple punishment is used for the good of children and to discipline them, â€Å"Dry. David Safari, father five and grandfather of five, CNN asked him to talk to us about his views on spanking. He said he was spanked as a child, spanked his own children when necessary and believes the occasional use of physical punishment not abuse can be an effective tool for parents. Giddier) Now, not all parents are abusive. Some discipline by spanking or punishing them in a form Of a time-out or taking away of a privilege. As long as the punishment does not fit a crime, it is fine to discipline a child. All parents experience a time that they have to punish their children, but it is not because they hate or dislike them, but because the children need to learn and the punishment is carried out to teach them that what they did was wrong. Bell Hooks writes, â€Å"Why was harsh punishment a gesture of love? † (Hooks, 1) Harsh punishment is hundred percent not a gesture of love.It is a gesture of force in which a parent wants their child to listen to them and behave. Light punishment is a tool of teaching and is carried out of love. Punishment itself is not considered as a gesture of love, but may result because of care, a sub-genre of love. Claiming to be loving while behaving abusively is not correct, and is an ironic statement. Parents often do not know the consequences of confusing their children by using great words that do not belong in a situation such as abuse. And as the result, it will misunderstand the children and make them difficult to overcome in many years later.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

World Englishes

World Englishes  refers to the different  varieties of English and for emerging localized or indigenized varieties of English, especially those territories influenced by the United Kingdom or the United States. The study of World Englishes entails of classifying varieties of English used in varied sociolinguistic contexts globally and analyzing how histories of sociolinguistic, multicultural backgrounds and function contexts influence in different regions of the world the use of English. Today, we live in a society which is multilingual for wherever you go, you will be able to meet diverse groups of people who speak individually different tongues. At the same time is when we interact with people from different countries, we hear English with a variety of fluency which often differs from the so-called standard English in terms of pronunciation,  lexis, expression and  grammar (Kubota,  2001). Kashmiri-American linguist Braj B. Kachru, the research pioneer on these linguistic variations and claimed World Englishes  in 1986 initially to refer to the institutionalized varieties of English (Hornberger & McKay, 2010). The term World Englishes is now used to define or describe the nativized and diverse ranges of English spoken in non-native countries, and Kachru (1986) explains that the spreading of English can be categorized into a three concentric circle model that represents the spread and growth of English in the world. In the field of Applied Linguistics, it has been invaluable for researchers to come to grasps with the implications of the omnipresent, highly composite and scary existence of the language. According to Kachru (2003), the world is divided into different circles: the inner circle, countries like United Kingdom, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia where English is the L1 or native language, outer circle, countries like Singapore and Philippines which is a community with large speech, great diversity and distinct characteristics while the expanding circle, Chile and Holland which English is an international language where performance varieties were characterized. English may vary or performs in different ways according to the situations, settings, or contexts in which English employed by the speakers from the three circles mentioned. The world Englishes are the result of these diverse sociocultural contexts and diverse uses of the language in culturally distinct international contexts. The agony in world Englishes is the â€Å"Torn between the norms†- the conflict about whose norm should be followed or legitimized from the different varieties in the face of a checkerboard of English use in the world today. They are the ones who have not had an opportunity to study or learn the language and may not be in a state of ecstasy. The ecstasy: English is everywhere, but not available for all people. It gives privileges to those who learned the language formally in schools or acquired it in an early age. The following approaches, in recent years have been used to study world Englishes: (1) the deficit approach; (2) the deviational approach; (3) the contextualization approach; (4) the variational approach; and (5) the interactional approach. The first two approaches have dominated the field out of the five approaches and believed to be the least insightful. The following are just merely a commentary of the issues which are given the utmost importance for our understanding of English in its world context. The following are thus a critique primarily of the two approaches, and that such approaches reflect in the attitudes. (1) Ontological Issues: Conflict between idealization and reality. The issues of attitudes and identity is the core of the problem which attitudes are only partially determined toward a variety of English by linguistic considerations. With concern in the varieties of English, there are two major positions in the Outer Circle: first, the nativist monomodel position, second the functional polymodel position. The monomodel position is well-articulated in two studies; one by Clifford Prator (1968) and by Randolph Quirk (1988) which is almost a generation apart when presented. Quirk sees language range mainly with reference to three models: the demographic, the econo-cultural, and imperial. In the demographic model, population spread together with the language and resulted in several varieties of English in the Inner Circle. The econo-cultural, it says that language spread even though there is no serious population spread. The imperial model, the spread of the language is the result of political (colonial) domination. The last two models resulted in the endocentric varieties of English in Africa, Asia, and the Philippines over a period of time (see e.g. Kachru 1982 and 1986a). The endocentric models are what Quirk's concerns, and their instructions or teaching implications, the English international currency, and generally, the English language good linguistic health. As to the serious practitioners of applied linguistics, it raises a number of questions relevant to them. The second position relates the formal and functional characteristics of English to appropriate sociolinguistic and interactional contexts.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Animal Cruelty

Animal Cruelty Having a household pet can be both rewarding and inspiring. Because household pets are domesticated, they depend on their owner to provide a safe haven for them. When one decides to have a household pet, a great deal of responsibility needs to be taken to provide food, water, shelter and medical attention for the animal. Pets are voiceless and defenseless. They share the world with us, and it is our responsibility to care for the them. Regrettably, some animals become victim to human violence and abuse. Cruelty or abuse is when a person knowingly or intentionally deprives an animal of food, water or medical care, and maliciously tortures, mutilates, or kills the animal [HSUS 1]. Greater awareness is needed in order to help prevent the unnecessary abuse of animals. The majority of the American household family has at least one pet. Under normal circumstances, these loyal and loving animals are often treated as a member of the family. On the flip side, if the pet lives within a violent household like domestic abuse and drug and alcohol abuse, chances are that the animal too has become victim to human abuse. Animals that are living in this type of violent environment are in great danger because they are powerless. Situations like this often go unreported because animals cannot speak up for themselves. According to Dr. John New, "Each year four million women are abused by a husband or boyfriend. Approximately half of those women have animals, (and) half of those with animals say that the animals are abused or killed† [Covington]. Recently, a great awareness has surfaced between the link of domestic human violence and animal cruelty. The Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) is one of the largest organizations fighting for the humane treatment of animals and raising awareness in defense of animals that are victims of domestic abuse. Every year, the HSUS releases a report of animal cruelty cases. The most recent ... Free Essays on Animal Cruelty Free Essays on Animal Cruelty Rabbits immobilized in wooden stocks with ulcers in their eyes; baby seals being clubbed over the head, and the infamous shock treatment. Broach the subject with an individual and odds are that they have witnessed footage of one or all of the aforementioned practices and are appalled by the cruelty. Appalled yes, willing to stand up and voice their thoughts... not often. There is one significant reason for this unwillingness by some to stand up for the rights of our fellow inhabitants of this planet, personal convenience. We are systematically cutting down the last forest that provides their shelter to farm cattle; we dump toxic chemicals and sewage into the waters in which they live; we wear the tusks of the last few of their species on our arms, and we pour cosmetic products into their eyes, rectums or vaginas to determine the harmful effects they might cause on humans, even though the physiological differentiation between humans and the animals they use is durastic. On a daily bas is most people do not see their own degree of unintentional support towards this global dilemma, but when compiled on paper one must question how mankind can, with conscience, commit these acts which shame us as human beings. Animals possess the same kinds of feelings and emotions as human beings, and without anesthesia, they are subjected to the pain as well. Mankind often fails to give animals the respect and rights they deserve, they are treated as lifeless, unfeeling scientific specimens and items that we may manipulate at our own convenience and for vanity's sake. Laboratory research involving animals is cruel and merciless treatment of helpless creatures. No law requires that cosmetics and household products be tested on animals. Nevertheless, by six o'clock this evening, hundreds of animals will have had their eyes, skin or gastrointestinal systems unnecessarily burned or destroyed (Sequoia, 27). Two of the most famous animal tests are the Draize, or ... Free Essays on Animal Cruelty Animal Cruelty Having a household pet can be both rewarding and inspiring. Because household pets are domesticated, they depend on their owner to provide a safe haven for them. When one decides to have a household pet, a great deal of responsibility needs to be taken to provide food, water, shelter and medical attention for the animal. Pets are voiceless and defenseless. They share the world with us, and it is our responsibility to care for the them. Regrettably, some animals become victim to human violence and abuse. Cruelty or abuse is when a person knowingly or intentionally deprives an animal of food, water or medical care, and maliciously tortures, mutilates, or kills the animal [HSUS 1]. Greater awareness is needed in order to help prevent the unnecessary abuse of animals. The majority of the American household family has at least one pet. Under normal circumstances, these loyal and loving animals are often treated as a member of the family. On the flip side, if the pet lives within a violent household like domestic abuse and drug and alcohol abuse, chances are that the animal too has become victim to human abuse. Animals that are living in this type of violent environment are in great danger because they are powerless. Situations like this often go unreported because animals cannot speak up for themselves. According to Dr. John New, "Each year four million women are abused by a husband or boyfriend. Approximately half of those women have animals, (and) half of those with animals say that the animals are abused or killed† [Covington]. Recently, a great awareness has surfaced between the link of domestic human violence and animal cruelty. The Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) is one of the largest organizations fighting for the humane treatment of animals and raising awareness in defense of animals that are victims of domestic abuse. Every year, the HSUS releases a report of animal cruelty cases. The most recent ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Trees Make Oxygen, People Use Oxygen

Trees Make Oxygen, People Use Oxygen Trees alone can produce enough oxygen to support all human oxygen needs in North America. Trees are important and benefit the environment. A mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year. This quote was by an Arbor Day Foundation report.  For a number of reasons, including tree availability and other photosynthetic plants, human consumption of oxygen produced just by trees can vary dramatically. There is also some question as to how many mature leafy trees are in the United States, but a rough estimate using United States Forest Service (FIA) data would be around 1.5 billion that have reached maturity (assuming they are 20 years old or older). There are approximately three mature trees for every person in the United States... more than enough. Other Tree Oxygen Estimations Here are some other quotes from different sources which may be more or less conservative than  my report: A single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48 lbs./year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings. - ​ McAliney, Mike. Arguments for Land Conservation: Documentation and Information Sources for Land Resources Protection, Trust for Public Land, Sacramento, CA, December, 1993.On average, one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four. - Canadas environmental agency, Environment Canada.Mean net annual oxygen production (after accounting for decomposition) per hectare of trees (100% tree canopy) offsets oxygen consumption of 19 people per year (eight people per acre of tree cover), but ranges from nine people per hectare of canopy cover (four people/ac cover) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to 28 people/ha cover (12 people/ac cover) in Calgary, Alberta. - U.S. Forest Service and International Society of Arboriculture joint publication. Considerations Several of these sources suggest that it all depends on the tree species and their local populations. Other things that will increase oxygen availability to humans is a trees health and where you live when computing tree oxygen availability per person.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

International Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

International Business Strategy - Essay Example 11). The analysis focuses on internationalization of Koyo Jeans through its value chain, strategic abilities, and SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis of Koyo Jeans provides a summary of central issues from value chains and the strategic abilities of the company. It is imperative to align the company’s strength and weaknesses to the available opportunities and threats (Caprarescu, Stancu & Aron, 2013, pg. 52). Concerning the strength of this brand, Koyo Jeans built a strong international reputation over a period of ten years. The firm put in place a computer-based system that is advantageous to control and plan inventory as well as ordering. It is clear that Koyo Jeans built a universal reputation through application for admission to Harbor city, which was an excellent shopping mall. Similarly, strength of the brand was in the creation of low-end products for wholesale at reduced prices. This enabled the short period of an inventory cycle as well as capital returns. Meanwhile, the high-grade brand created a reputable brand name and clientele loyalty in the long term. Cheung, the owner of Koyo Jeans had a strat egy of choosing experienced franchise companies that assured brand quality and reputation. Concerning the weaknesses, the company lacked adequate skilled personnel about rapid expansion. The limited personnel comprised of regional managers and visual merchandisers. At first, Cheung worked alone to expand the company with many mistakes that saw the company risking losses. However, as the company continued to expand, Jeffiny Yau and Grace Kwok joined the company in 2001. Yau had studied fashion design and brought in much help to the company ensuring increased expansion. As the company expanded in terms of scale, Yau moved from the design assistant position to brand manager. Kwok was in charge of all administrative and human resource activities. Second

Friday, November 1, 2019

Muman resource management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Muman resource management - Assignment Example Human resource planning occurs in the broad context of strategic and organizational planning of business involving forecasting the future needs of an organization in terms of human resources and the way in which it will be met. The main perspective of this assignment is to critically analyze the human resources based function of a selected organization and the company which has been selected for the same is Toyota Inc. Toyota: A Detailed Overview Toyota is basically an auto manufacturing company, with its headquartering located in Tokyo, Japan. The name of the company has been abbreviated with the name of Toyota Motor Company (TMC). After the names of General Motors and Volkswagen, Toyota is known as the 3rd largest automobile company of the world. It was 1937, when this great company has been founded by Kiicchiro Toyoda. TMC is basically a subsidiary of Toyota Group, one of the largest conglomerate groups of the world, both in terms of size and revenue recognition as well. The share s of the company are registered on three different stock exchanges of the world, which predominantly are New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), London Stock Exchange (LSE) and Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). Toyota made 7,308,039 of units in the fiscal year 2011. Apart from that, the company also earned net revenue of Japanese Yen (JPY) 18.583 trillion in the fiscal year 2012 with net income of JPY 283.55 billion. The company currently has more than 300,000 employees working in around 60 countries of the world (Financial Highlights of Toyota, 2012). The shares of the company are very famous among the general public and most of the investors think that it would be wonderful choice to invest only in the stocks of Toyota merely because of its high growth rate and strategy to comply with the effective compliance with both internal and external stakeholders. HR planning in Toyota Toyota is one of those companies which bounds with ad hoc and perfect strategies both in marketing and Human Resources v iewpoint. The company complies with all the sufficient knowledge and information about the Human Resources functions and has a great knowledge about all the labor laws (Christopher & Jain, 2010, 475). Toyota Inc equips their human resources manager and heads regarding managing their workforce accordingly and effectively as according to them, it is the most important and essential function for them. The company has a perfect loyalty and promotion system for the employees from which the motivation level of the employees enhanced tremendously well. Toyota is one of those companies which have a very low turnover rate merely because of its human’s friendly strategies. By far and large, it could be said that Toyota Inc is moving with a perfect human resource policy from which they can attract the recognition of more and more employees. Human resource policies refers to the formal guidelines and rules that is put by businesses in place to train, hire, reward and assess the members o f their work force. Sound human resource policy is very essential in the growth of any business or company (Poole, 1999, 457). One of the greatest human resources policy initiated by the company is the utilization of management by objectives (MBO) in which the management gets the employees participated in

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

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

FINAL - Essay Example â€Å"The moral structure of discretion remains essentially the same for all officials because they are all charged to obey and implement the law and respect legal process in exercising their power and judgment† (Victoria 1). Discretion is involved in every matter of professional life for a street-level government employee. A front line officer is usually more involved in dealing with public matters because he/she has to deal with public more than the higher ranked officials do. A front line government officer should exercise his/her discretion in resolving public matters instead of sending every simple case to higher authorities. For example, a police officer should have the power to decide whether he/she should resolve a conflicting situation on his/her own or he/she should send the case to the court to decide on it. However, it depends on the nature of the case. If a case is not very complex and both conflicting parties come to the police officer to suggest a solution for t hem, then the police officer should make the decision on his/her own. Such discretions in day-to-day work not only enhance the ability of front line government offices to the critical decisions but also reduce the load of work for the government agencies. For example, if a police officer resolves simple conflicts between people on his/her own, it will reduce the workload for the court which is usually already burdened with a number of cases. However, sometimes discretion in day-today activities does not work well for the society. The reason is that the reasoning and logic that a person at a higher level can give related to public administration matters is different from the mindset of a person working as a front line government employee. Higher appointments are done based on the level of qualification and intellectual ability of people. Such people can take wise decisions by looking all aspects of matters. For example, a decision that a judge can take is more wise and merit-based th an the decision that a front line police officer takes. Similarly, a decision that the manager of an organization can take for employees is more applicable and rational as compared to the decision that an employee takes for his/her work. Therefore, we can say that the consequences if street-level bureaucrats have discretion in their day-to-day activities vary from case to case. However, the negative consequences are not able to overcome the benefits associated with discretion to day-to-day works, such as, enhanced intellectual ability and reduced workload for government agencies. â€Å"Every elected, appointed, and career official must exercise judgment and discretion in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of office† (Victoria 1). Part: B The fundamental assumption of administrative reformers in the late 1800s and early 1900s that politics could have only adverse effects on administration was true up to some extent. The reason is that the politics of that time had in corporated such elements which could have disturbed the administrative approaches and systems of almost every department. Some of such elements included thirst of power, reducing the rights of others, and political instability. All of these elements played their roles in running the political matters of Central European countries. Such elements could have broken the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Investment Banking Interview Essay Example for Free

Investment Banking Interview Essay Standard Questions: 1. Walk me through the highlights of your resume. What is your story, walk through the decisions you have made, and how that relates to your current interest in Investment Banking.. 2. Why investment banking? Why our bank? 3. How do you value a company? 4. To what extent have you created and used financial models before? Discuss your excel modeling skills. 5. Why did you choose McCombs? 6. What other firms are you interviewing with and why? Are you interviewing with consulting firms also? What career opportunities are you exploring other than I-Banking? 7. What were your grades in college? What were your grades for the first semester at McCombs? What was your GMAT score? 8. What qualities would you consider most important for a career in I-Banking? What are your greatest strengths? What are your weaknesses? 9. What do you understand the responsibilities of an associate/summer associate to be? 10. Describe a current event in the market (i.e., LTCM at the end of 1998)? 11. What questions do you have for me? Always have at least two questions prepared per bank. Resume-and personality questions: †¢ Why should I take you instead of someone from Wharton? †¢ Why should I pick you over the other qualified candidates at McCombs? †¢ What made you choose your undergraduate institution? Why did you pursue a major in _____? †¢ What was your favorite class at McCombs so far? Why? †¢ What classes are you currently taking to get ready for the summer? †¢ What are your 5-10 year long term career plans? †¢ What are your proudest accomplishments? What is your most challenging professional experience? †¢ Are you a leader or a follower? Give me an example where you were successful in both roles? †¢ What do you do to relax? †¢ Tell me a joke. †¢ Who has influenced you the most, besides family members? †¢ Say you are at a meeting with a client and your MD is giving a presentation. You suddenly notice a mistake in some of the calculations, which you have prepared. Do you mention it? When? What do you say? †¢ What is one skill that you think is most relevant to Banking? †¢ You seem to like marketing, why are you interested in finance? †¢ What is one word that describes you best? †¢ How would your groupmates describe you? How would you characterize yourself in the group dynamic? If I spoke with your groupmates, what would they say you needed to improve? †¢ Highlight your quantitative accomplishments. †¢ Describe an ethical decision you had to make? †¢ What do you read? Whats your favorite book? †¢ As an associate, what tasks would you like to spend most of your time doing? What percent of each day do you see yourself spending on those tasks? †¢ What is in a pitch book? †¢ What’s been your greatest challenge since beginning McCombs? Greatest accomplishment? †¢ Describe a time you failed, why did you fail, what did you learn? †¢ Describe a time you had to work with someone you didn’t like, or with a difficult person. Finance questions: †¢ What is a LBO? Why lever up a firm? †¢ What makes an attractive LBO? †¢ From a Private Equity firm’s perspective and from a modeling perspective: What are the 3 inputs that matter for an LBO Model? o Answer: Leverage Ratio, Equity Contribution, Estimated Returns, †¢ Why might a company choose to issue debt vs. equity? †¢ What could a company do with excess cash on the balance sheet? †¢ How would you calculate a firms WACC? What would you use it for? †¢ What does Beta mean? Where would you find a firms Beta? How and why would you unlever a Beta? †¢ What is the CAPM? †¢ How do you calculate the firm value for the following firm? †¢ What would greater impact a firms valuation, a 10% reduction in revenues or 1% reduction in discount rate? †¢ What major factors affect the yield on a corporate bond? †¢ How would you evaluate the creditworthiness of manufacturer with three factories in different locations throughout the US? †¢ Company A trades at a P/E of 20. Company B trades at a P/E of 10. Both are considering acquiring Company C, which trades at a P/E of 15. For which of the two acquiring companies would the deal be dilutive. For which would it be accretive? Explain why for each. †¢ Suppose you are buying a new fixed asset part cash and part debt. Talk through how it affects all the financial statements. Financial market questions: †¢ Where is the market going? Bond, equity and foreign exchange? Where do you think interest rates will be in the next 12 months? †¢ What happened in the markets in the past three months? †¢ Do you read the Wall Street Journal everyday? Whats on the front page today? †¢ What industry do you follow and what numbers do you look at to determine if a firm is doing well in the industry. Accounting questions: †¢ What are deferred taxes? How do they arise? †¢ What is working capital? How would you calculate it? †¢ What is EBITDA? Why is it so widely used as a proxy for Operating CF in the financial sector? †¢ Say you knew a companys net income. How would you figure out its cash flows? †¢ Walk me through the 3 major financial statements o What are the major line items of a Cash Flow Statement. o What is the difference between the balance sheet and the income statement? †¢ What is goodwill? How does it affect net income? †¢ A firm is using LIFO, and the COGS start decreasing. What are effects on I/S, BS and CFS? †¢ What is the difference between Purchase and Pooling accounting? Under what circumstances would you use one or the other? Questions on Investment Banks: †¢ Do you understand the lifestyle issues associated with this proffesion? Why dont you have an problem with these issues? †¢ What is your greatest concern about investment banking? †¢ Why I-Banking vs. Consulting? Sales Trading? Research? Finance in Industry? †¢ How does your past career qualify you for a position in investment banking? Why are you not going back to prior career? †¢ What do you hope to accomplish over the summer? †¢ What department do you want to work for inside I-banking and why? †¢ Who is in the bulge bracket? †¢ Rank firms on Wall Street and where do we fit? Who is our competition (in the major categories)? What differentiates our firm? What are our firms strengths? Weaknesses? †¢ If you were the CEO of our firm, what major changes would you implement? †¢ Describe a typical day of an investment banking associate? Technical Questions: †¢ What makes a proposed acquisition accretive? †¢ Suppose a proposed acquisition is accretive, how would you make it less accretive? †¢ What are the main factors in determining if a deal will be accretive or dilutive? †¢ Walk me through how the purchase of equipment effects the 3 statements. †¢ Walk me through the effects on the 3 statements given that a firm has to retroactively change the method of depreciation for last year’s financial statements. Previously, the firm’s fixed assets carrying value was $100M, with no salvage value, an estimated useful life of 10 years, and straight line depreciation. The salvage value has been determined to be $50M, but the useful life of the asset and method of depreciation has not changed. o Effect on Cash? Cash Flow Statement? †¢ What is the different factors to consider when choosing between Enterprise Value and Equity Value Comps? †¢ When you are trying to scale down the number of firms in your selected Comp universe, what would you look at to decide which Comps to include and which to pull out of the Comp universe? †¢ What types of discounts/premiums would you apply after determining valuation based on a Comp valuation? Why?

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Darkness and Evil in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Darkness and Evil in Macbeth  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Darkness in our society is indicative of evil. For instance, a black cat, a dark night, and a dark place are all symbolic of diablerie. Authors use these symbols to describe an evil character or setting. William Shakespeare employs the imagery of darkness in Act 4 of his play Macbeth to describe the agents of disorder. The witches, Macbeth, and Scotland are all described as dark because they represent the agents of chaos.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The witches in the first scene of Act 4 are depicted as agents of chaos because of the dark domain around them. The witches meet in a dark cave. The cave is an appropriate setting for the witches because caves tend to represent the under-world and hell, creating a feeling of evil. The witches appearance, "secret, black, and midnight hags" also indicates their evil nature. The witches dark meeting place and dark appearance all emphasize their destructive nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Macbeth in Act 4: consulted with the witches, murdered Macduff's family, and continued to create chaos in Scotland. Macbeth   in Act 4 is described as an agent of disorder, "untitled tyrant   bloody-sceptered". The language in Act 1 that described Macbeth has changed from "noble" and "kind" to the diction of Act 4 witch describes Macbeth as "black Macbeth" and a "tyrant". The Castle that Macbeth lives in, Dunsanine is also indicative of darkness. Dunsanine is similar to the word dungeon a dark and dirty place. In Act 4 Macbeth is an agent of disorder, he murders and he consults witches,   because of this he is described using dark imagery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scotland under the rule of Macbeth is described as, "shrouded   in darkness", by Malcolm. Scotland in Act 4 has fallen off the "Chain   of Being" and is now occupied with the forces of chaos and disorder.   Scotland in Act 4 is filled with "sighs, and groans, and shrieks, that   rent the air". Scotland is described by Ross as, "O Nation Miserable".   All these descriptions of Scotland portray Scotland as a place where the agents of darkness have shrouded the land.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The agents of chaos and disorder were symbolized by darkness in Act 4. The witches were described as, "dark as midnight"; Macbeth was described as , "devilish and dark"; and Scotland was described as "dying". The imagery of darkness also plays an important role in character development.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Baroque Painting Essay

Few can dispute the beauty and grace of the Baroque era. It is difficult to define this era as it was a term later put to the ideas of the age between 1600 and 1750. â€Å"The Baroque grew up at the beginning of the seventeenth century in papal Rome, where, rather than a clearly defined style, it was a tendency, common to all the arts – in short, it was a taste, a fashion† (Conti 3)The artists of this time tried to break away from previous conventions, while at the same time hailing the past geniuses. It focused on a tantalizing mixture of old and new, and on action – a moment caught within a canvas.â€Å"Baroque meant movement, desire for nobility, love of the infinite and the non-infinite, of contrasts and bold fusion of all forms of art. It was as dramatic, exuberant, and theatrical as the preceding period had been serene and restrained. † (Conti 4) In particular, the intricacies of light and shadow perfected by Caravaggio are not just pleasant to the e ye of the past. A camera is now used, and adorning the walls of most houses you find black and white prints, effectively showing the contrasts between deep shadows and gleaming light.What is this, but the every man's attempt to recreate what Caravaggio achieved? The impulse toward the adoption of this idiom (thematic use of light and shade) came from Italy, indeed from a single Italian artist . . . known as Caravaggio†¦ Although his work has been more attacked by some critics than appreciated, there is no doubt that he marked the beginning of a new epoch. . . His paintings showed sturdy peasants, innkeepers and gamblers; and though sometimes they might be dressed as saints, apostles and fathers of the Church they represented reality in its most crude and harsh aspect.(Conti 40-41) Caravaggio was born in 1571, and in his relatively short life time of thirty nine years, he managed to bring Italian art to a whole new level. His subject matter changed over the years and depended la rgely upon his patrons’ desires. While much of his patronage, just like Leonardo de Vinci and Michelangelo before him, depended on the Church, the wealthiest and most dominant force in Italian politics at the time, he was not always in their favor. Caravaggio was a notorious brawler with a dark temperament. This temperament and violence is easily visible in many of his works.While he started his career in the late 1590’s painting young boys playing music or holding flowers, he was without a doubt most famous for his later works with more religious and often violent themes. It is in these works we see his definitive use of light and dark. This technique, recreated by Caravaggio, was called tenebrism, and was in effect a more intense version of an already existing technique called chiaroscuro. This use of light and dark, of shadow and narrow beams of illumination, was highly effective, and has inspired artists for many years since. Indeed, â€Å". . in Caravaggioâ€℠¢s universe there can be no light without darkness.† (Martin 223) This, along with his interesting and highly controversial usage of ordinary folk of the time, helped his works to stand out against others as dramatically as his use of light and shadow. He was a highly valued and famous artists of his time, but while his works influenced some of the greatest artists of all time (including Velazquez and Monet), his fame diminished quickly following his death and until the early 20th Century. Much of the information written about him came from contemporary enemies – either rival artists or critics who did not approve of his works.Many of Caravaggio’s greatest works revolve around subjects involved in movement as well as deep emotion. Rather than have a noble person pose, he not only chose lowly peasants and prostitutes as his subjects, but painted them in the throes of movement or action. This effect acts as a snapshot, a glimpse into the life of the people within t he painting. The effect of a camera could not produce a more fascinating result – a true study of human emotion and activity. Particularly regarding his religious subject matter he fell into controversy.He rarely used the pious perfection of Mannerism for his techniques, instead choosing to use a prostitute to model for the Virgin (Death of the Virgin), and an old man to pose as St. Matthew (St Matthew and the Angel). This choice made him popular and unique in many circles, and earned him an eager and young following. But among the established artist clique and in particular among certain members of the Church, his use of the peasants and the outcasts were thought to be vulgar and sacrilegious, too dark and menacing for display in the Church.He also refused to use existing works of art for his inspiration, instead choosing real life subjects, and did not work from sketches, but used the back of his brush directly on the canvas to outline his images. While he got a lot of bad attention for this â€Å"Caravaggio’s work was not negative; his aim was to restore full coporeal density to the unstable figures of Mannerism. † (Bazin 30) Caravaggio’s life was as tempestuous as many of his paintings and he was involved in several brawls. This, no doubt, contributed to his list of enemies who gave less than generous accounts of his life.Their mission almost succeeded; as his name did not reach the heights of popularity other artists achieved until the 20th Century, even though certain artists were aware of his works and used his influence. In 1606 he killed a young man, and was forced to flee his rich allies of Rome. Arriving in Naples, he was protected by the Colonna family, but after several incidents was forced to flee to Malta and then to Sicily. An attempt was made on his life in 1608 when he returned to Naples, but finally it was a fever that reportedly killed him in 1610.Caravaggio was never out of work, and wherever he went his paintin gs were generally highly prized. Despite his short career, and the lack of an official school, his influence was certainly felt, even if primarily in the rest of Europe and not his homeland of Italy. â€Å"His influence was harvested instead in Spain, and in Flanders and Holland. † (Conti 42) It is also true that this influence pushed the boundaries of time. â€Å"Caravaggio’s direct influence was brief, though intense, and was confined to his immediate followers, many of them foreign-born, who worked in Rome.But the indirect consequences of his work for European art were far reaching and incalculable. † (Kitson 41) The revival of interest in his works in the 20th Century shows his small existing collection of fifty paintings to be of equal caliber to any of the greats and his unique technique can be said to have influenced even modern art. â€Å". . . in the Cicerone (Jacob Burckhardt) categorized Italian painting of the age of Rubens, from the Carracci and Ca ravaggio onwards, not as Baroque but as modern, ‘partly eclectic, partly naturalistic’. † (Turner 36)Of all the paintings Caravaggio created his religious ones are the most riveting. Allegorical and fascinating all at the same time, they teach us something about the subjects and ourselves. The people in Caravaggio’s paintings are bound together by dramatic relationships which raise all the problems of life, grief and death. From his paintings there emerges a pessimistic impression of human destiny, and it was not surprising that Caravaggio’s art opened the way to that anxious exploration of the soul which attracted many of the painters of the seventeenth century.(Bazin 31) We don’t see one of the greatest sacrifices in the world in Carr painting of Abraham Sacrificing Isaac. Instead we see a father pained at sacrificing his son, but determined to do it as God’s wish. As in many of Caravaggio’s paintings, the moment in time caught on canvas displays a moment of emotional anguish or change, and together with his use of shadows and light, the subjects become not just the characters of a story, but real life human beings. There are no halos. No storm clouds representing Gods watching eye.Just a man about to do the unbelievable to his son, who is suddenly given an alternative where before there was none. It is heart wrenching and very effective. Caravaggio abandoned many of the rules and guidelines of the highly successful artists of the Renaissance, whose main focus was the adoration and idolization of the human and the religious experience. This was not out of disrespect as was thought at the time, but instead was his attempt to enhance what had been started by these great masters.Yet this caused many to reject his art, while young artists of the time thrived on his art revolution. Although, they never made as much direct progress as he had himself, they did continue to use aspects of his art, picking and choo sing the more forgiving and less controversial use of light and dark, while at the same time bypassing, or conveniently forgetting, probably the most important focus for the artist himself, that of the use of the ordinary. Probably one of the most effective and realistic paintings of his career was the Incredulity of Saint Thomas.In this painting, all of the features we attribute to Caravaggio are in evidence. Jesus stands to the left of the painting while three old men, Thomas in the foreground, look at the future saint put his finger in the wound in Jesus’ side. At the risk of putting too modern a gloss on his work, one could almost say that Caravaggio was the inventor of the anti-hero in religious art . . . Christ and Saints are dressed in drab clothes . . (they are) tough working men who would not stand out in a crowd . . .Ordinary people press around them in defiance of the Counter-Reformation doctrine that lay people could only approach God through the intermediary of t he clergy. (Kitson 101) All three men are old, Thomas’ coat is torn at the shoulder and there is an expression of amazed incredulity on each of the faces. Caravaggio’s use of light and dark makes the wrinkles on their foreheads stand out all the more. This is an image of the disciples that people never saw before. Even the expression on Jesus’ face is captivating and completely endearing as he guides the doubting hand of Thomas to his wound.The light comes from an unseen point to the left off-canvas and highlights the foreheads, the torn shoulder fabric and the exposed torso of Jesus. There is hardly a better example of the use of light and shadow or the use of the ordinary man as the subject matter. The use of light in this case draws the eye towards the most important parts of the painting, the parts that tell the story. The use of light and shadow also show Thomas progressing from the shadows of doubt into the light of faith and belief – he is further out of the shadows than the other two, a symbolic, yet very natural, move towards illumination.â€Å"What (Caravaggio) excels in is truth to the physical and psychological facts of a situation . . . an insistence on incidental details . . . which corresponds to the way the eye notices small things in moments of crisis. † (Kitson 101) Without a doubt, Caravaggio’s burst onto the art scene in 1600 caused a rippling effect throughout the art world. â€Å"The naturalism of Caravaggio which was to have momentous consequences for the whole of European painting, was the first great liberating force in Baroque art.† (Martin 41) Artwork that was highly sought after and appreciated in his lifetime, yet with a personality that was difficult to get along with, he was an enigmatic character with a trenchant for trouble. His inglorious and early death in 1610 was followed by an equally early dissipation of his influence and descent into ignominy in his own country Very soon, what had been started by Caravaggio was credited to others, and for over 400 years, his influence was seen but not heard.With the visual and symbolic impact of strong light and deep shadows, the modern art scene seeks to exemplify the great works of Caravaggio, a motif which he started all those years ago. And in today’s world it is in little doubt that the use of everyday culture and life is far more interesting a subject than that of the higher unknown. Caravaggio’s genius is in little doubt, and even though it took a little while for his appreciation to be felt again on a large level, it is comforting to know that the boundaries of art were pushed at a time when the world was ‘recovering’ from the Renaissance.Though art was cultivated to a high level during that period, the elite still had something to learn from the everyday man, and understating something in a painting, as Caravaggio did, could have far more of an impact in the long term. Caravaggio p ushed the boundaries on a snobbish world and presented us with the gritty truth. His own life was a series of light periods and dark ones, and to this day his eccentricities have preserved his right as one of the greatest artists of the Baroque era, indeed of all time.Works Cited Conti, Flavio. How to Recognize Baroque Art. Italy: Macdonald Educational Ltd. , 1978. Bazin, Germain. Baroque and Rococo. New York: Thames and Hudson Ltd. , 1998. Martin, John Rupert. Style and Civilization: Baroque. London: Penguin Books, 1989. Turner, Jane (ed. ). From Renaissance to Impressionism(The Grove Dictionary of Art). New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000. Kitson, Michael. The Age of Baroque. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1966. Wikipedia Web Site: Caravaggio Search.