Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Analysis Of The Film A Backstage Musical - 1213 Words

Part One 1. Absolute films: â€Å"A particular type of Non Narrative avant-garde films are the Absolute films, which are completely abstract films†, the films that is nonrepresentational, using form and design to produce its effect and often describable as visual music. 2. Sequence shot: Sequence shot is basically amounting to one long shot that extends for an entire scene or sequence. It is just one shot with what the camera can gather, without any later editing. And so, it allows time and space to express itself, help the viewers to get meaning behind them. 3. Backstage musical: A backstage musical is a genre of music devote to the inner workings of a production, it supports the production of a play or musical revue. The songs performed in this context are considered diegetic numbers in that they occur literally in the plot, though they do not necessarily move the story forward. 4. Diegetic sound: Diegetic sound is sound that is visible or implied in the film, or in other words, it is any sounds that present inside the film’s world. It can be the voice of actors speaking to each other, sounds come from the object on the screen, or music that comes from a sound system or orchestra. Also, Diegetic sound are known as actual or literal sound. Besides, diegetic sound can be either on screen or off screen base on its source within the frame or outside the frame. 5. Cross-cutting: Cross-cutting is the jump back and forth between two or more locations, andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Film Backstage Musical 1225 Words   |  5 PagesLoc Truong Professor: Dr. Avy Valladares Part One 1. Absolute films: â€Å"A particular type of Non Narrative avant-garde films are the Absolute films, which are completely abstract films†, the films that is nonrepresentational, using form and design to produce its effect and often describable as visual music. 2. Sequence shot: Sequence shot is basically amounting to one long shot that extends for an entire scene or sequence. It is just one shot with what the camera can gather, without any later editingRead MoreAn Analysis of Moulin Rouge2590 Words   |  11 Pagesfollowed the success and recognition of Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Strictly Ballroom (1992). All three films were recognized for Luhrmann’s characteristic style. His films feature stylistic choices such as blue and red lighting, the use of rapid cuts and vibrant, period accurate costume. To analyze Luhrmann’s use of the four elements of the stylistic system, I will consider two specific scenes from the film, namely El Tango De Roxanne and the first meeting between the Duke, Christian and Satine. AlthoughRead MoreThe Prestige Analysis2460 Words   |  10 PagesThe Prestige Analysis The Prestige is a film adaptation of the Christopher Priest novel bearing the same name. The story is set in the turn-of-the-century London about two stage magicians, their rivalry, and their obsession to be the best with the artistry and secrecy of illusion. The analysis of The Prestige will examine several aspects of the film including plot, character development, use of sound, use of photography, set design, lighting, and role of the collaborators. Each of these areasRead MoreThe Studio System Essay14396 Words   |  58 Pagesthe business. The Hollywood Studio System: A History is the first book to describe and analyse the complete development, classic operation, and reinvention of the global corporate entities which produce and distribute most of the films we watch. Starting in 1920, Adolph Zukor, head of Paramount Pictures, over the decade of the 1920s helped to fashion Hollywood into a vertically integrated system, a set of economic innovations which was firmly in place by 1930. ForRead MoreMacbeth9435 Words   |  38 Pagesalthough the events in the play differ extensively from the history of the real Macbeth. In the backstage world of theatre, some believe that the play is cursed, and will not mention its title aloud, referring to it instead as the Scottish play. Over the course of many centuries, the play has attracted some of the most renowned actors to the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It has been adapted to film, television,  opera, novels, comic books, and other media. Contents   Ã‚  [hide]   * 1  Characters Read MoreSadie Hawkins Day and Valentine Grams18321 Words   |  74 Pages roses and small pails of chocolates. â€Å"The money that we raise from Academy of Life students are â€Å"Stars for a Night† Elton John and Kiki Dee. â€Å"It was the first time that students from Piedmont danced onstage. In previous years, we did a lot of backstage work like making the sets and decorations,† explains Ms. Casiano. After Piedmont’s performance, the other students from schools in the district performed their own dances and displayed their skills. With over 500 people, the L-Building was too smallRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagestheory focuses attention on the human issues in organization ‘There is nothing so practical as a good theory’ How Roethlisberger developed a ‘practical’ organization theory Column 1: The core contributing social sciences Column 2: The techniques for analysis Column 3: The neo-modernist perspective Column 4: Contributions to business and management Four combinations of science, scientific technique and the neo-modernist approach reach different parts of the organization Level 1: Developing the organiza tion

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

I Had Never Even Heard Of Discourses - 2098 Words

When I first came to RIT, I had never even heard of discourses before, let alone write an entire essay on it in roughly a week. I suppose then that this could be considered a separate discourse itself. When I was in high school, our teachers had us focusing on completing essays solely based on discovering the author’s purpose and using literary elements to support our thesis statements. There it did not matter what our background was; we had to get through the work and were almost required to write it to a perfect state, otherwise it would not be considered as college material. Upon arriving at college, the classwork attitudes changed drastically. Here near perfectionism was not stressed and the backgrounds of students were taken into consideration for classes. With so many discourses present it a classroom, one would think that it would be difficult to accommodate everyone, but for me, it is a discourse that is surprisingly easier to adjust to. Instead of having everyone adju st to one specific discourse, everyone is permitted to their own discourses and contribute to the community. Similarly, Williams explains how these discourses impact conflicts that could arise between students and teachers in the academic classroom. In â€Å"Home and Away: The tensions of community, literacy, and identity,† Bronwyn T. Williams argues to researchers and teachers so that they understand that because everyone comes from different backgrounds. They all will not learn the same way and haveShow MoreRelatedA Discourse Community Of The World Acts And Communicates Is Influenced By One Or A Best Friend?1497 Words   |  6 PagesDiscourse communities are everywhere. Everywhere we and go and almost everything we do relates or falls into a discourse community of some sort. Whether it’s a long, pointless conversation on the phone with a best friend or being part of a school croquet club, it’s part of a unique discourse community in some way. Every discourse has it’s own distinct qualities and almost all have a different way of communicating. These discourses are strong influences on all of our personalities. The way every humanRead MorePersonal Narrative : A New Adventure988 Words   |  4 Pagesa book with dialect I had never been exposed to prior to this event brought on extreme anxiety. The academic challenges this class brought was a huge commitment to take on. The fear of failing my very first high school level course was a very scary thought. To help relax my nervousness, I began to think of all the people who had previously passed the course seventh graders, and began to realize I would also be able to conquer the challenge set before me. The obstacles I had to face were not onlyRead MorePower Of Love Essay1394 Words   |  6 Pagesexciting me? Wherever I looked I saw the great power of love. I saw it the kiss of the bumblebee on the face of the flower. I felt the embrace of vines to the trees and the love filled chattering of the birds. The union of the fragrance with the breeze was exciting me. They were proclaiming the unimaginable power of love which I did not enjoy. I did not understand that love is the emperor of the kingdom of emotions. Today by listening to the love filled sounds of Rucha and Rudraksha I realized a simpleRead MoreDear First Year Writing Assessment Committee1207 Words   |  5 Pagesof this class, I was terribly shy about my writing. I could feel my heart beat every time I was writing around other people. All through high school, I hated to write. I even hated to write small paragraphs because I was scared of seeing red marks all over my paper. I hated red marks so bad that I even start not looking at my papers that got handed back. The idea of people being able to read my writing and me not feel ashamed was never something that I could have fathomed. When I first enter theRead MoreMy Writing Style And Writing890 Words   |  4 PagesWriting was never a known weakness of mine. However, I could never confidently call it a strength. Throughout the course of this semester, my writing style has evolved and I have rid my writing of many habitual mistakes. I have learned to appreciate writing much more, and enjoy the moments where my mind meets words on a paper. Creativity has always been one of my strong suits, but through this course I catered my creativity to compose a variety of essays and speeches. Likewise, public speaking isRead MoreEssay on Psychoanalysis and Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1134 Words   |  5 PagesPsychoanalysis and The Heart of Darkness  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In Lacanian psychoanalysis, telling stories is essential to the analysands (re)cognition of trauma. Julia Kristeva refers to the analysands narrative as an instance of borderline [neurotic] discourse which gives the analyst the impression of something alogical, unstitched, and chaotic (42). She then explores the pleasure (jouissance) that the analysand experiences in the course of Lacans talking cure. For the analysand, the pleasure is inRead MoreMy Goals For This Class Based On The Sensory And Diangelo Reading1173 Words   |  5 Pagesaccepting what I do not know and being open to the concepts I do not know, my last goal was to learn from my reactions towards subject material the may have bothered me by journaling or researching more about the topic. (Sensory DiAngelo, 2012) These goals I set for the class were met at times, but at other times I feel that I did not meet these goals as well as I intended to. The first goal to focus less on grades was mostly met. I found myself not caring about the grades, but then when I had troubleRead MoreWhy You Be So Complex And Open877 Words   |  4 Pages Writing, oh, writing why must you be so complex and open to discussion? This question constantly pops up into my head at every instance in which I strike the keyboard on MacBook Pro. As I’m writing this essay I’m questioning my word choice and the stream of ideas that enter my mind at a rate that I cannot control. Which one is good? Which one is bad? It would be rather easy to write each individual essay with an exact prompt and guideline that the professor provides to ensure the correct ideasRead More Language, Power and Discourse of Sexuality: The case of Governor McGreevey1507 Words   |  7 PagesLanguage, Power and Discourse of Sexuality Foucault asks What are the links between these discourses, these effects of power, and the pleasures that were invested by them? (Foucault, 11). In the case of New Jersey governor it seems clear that power, language and pleasure were very much related in his speech on August 13, 2004, in which he announced his resignation, that he had had an affair with a man, and that he was a gay American. A man in a position of power was both given power andRead MoreHow Conversation Was Topical Cohesion Essay1641 Words   |  7 Pagesprior and projected talk,† (â€Å"Gender Differences in Conversational Coherence† 168). In this, the women were quick to find topics to talk about. Their conversations were personal, even at a young age. They talked about few topics, but expanded on them all. Men were, again, completely different. They talked about many topics and had a hard time finding something to talk about from the beginning. Once they did find something to talk about, they talked a bout it in the abstract instead of making the conversation

Monday, December 9, 2019

Strategic Situation Analysis and Tool †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Situation Analysis and Tool. Answer: Introduction Blackmore Limited is an Australian Company, which manufactures and markets the healthy and diet supplements. This report examines the internal and external analysis of the Blackmore Limited Company. Internal analysis of the company is conducted by analyzing the resources and capabilities of Blackmores. It highlights some of the quality of its management and other resources. Porters five forces analysis and PESTLE technique are used for analyzing external environment of this organization. Furthermore, it includes the SWOT analysis to find out its strengths, weaknesses and opportunities and threats. This report discusses the current situation of Blackmores Limited in the industry. The graphs indicate the financial performance of the company in previous five years. Blackmores Limited was a naturopathic organization in Australia, which was founded by Maurice Blackmore in Brisbane in the year 1938. Now, the company has grown to be a household health and vitamin supplements. It has been a market leader for more than 70 years. Currently, it is offering more than 150 products and serving all the areas in health and vitamins. It distributes the products primarily via supermarkets, retail pharmacy and food shops. In the year 2011, the size and profit of company are growing continually. Balckmores has continuously increased its operating revenue over past few years, due to its large demand from the China for high quality vitamins. The products of company are considered superior by the Australian consumers. Recently, it has developed its product range to mix the infant formula (DataGroup Stifung, 2017). This technique has been proven successful for many New Zealand and Australian based manufacturers. In financial year 2015, the revenue for Blackmores wa s more than $471 million. There was a 34% increase year by year. This growth in the revenue for company is common for the company because it has average rate of 16.6% year on year increase over the period of previous six years, i.e. financial year 2010 to 2015. There are so many competitors in the minerals, vitamins and supplements industry. The major vitamin supplement providers in the industry are Cenovis, Swisse, Berocca and Natures Way (Steiner, 2010). These are the most famous companies for the health and vitamin supplements in Australian market. Consumer preferences and Market Trends As the consumers are becoming more conscious about their health, so they prefer to take the vitamins and other dietary supplements. The sales of Blackmores Company have more than twice in period of 2013 to 2016. Profitability also followed this trend and increased over 300% in same period. The below given graphs show the trends in sales, gross margin, gross profit etc (Financial Times, 2017). The chart indicates that this company has managed its growth effectively by using additional operational volume to support the growth (Financial Times, 2017). The graph shows the revenue, generated by Blackmores in different segments. The senior management of the company is better than other companies in the industry. There is the stable leadership from last 30 years. Marcus Blackmores retains more than 30% stake in the company. The people at top management are committed to core values, like; leadership, trust, best performance and natural approach to health. HR management of the company is very effective. They are focusing on the recruitment and section process, training and high quality staff. Due to this, company was awarded for the best employers award in the year 2005-06. Company is having quality control teams to ensure the highest quality of the suppliers (Kraja Osmani, 2015). The major and significant resources and capabilities, which can be recognized and those provide this company with the viable competitive advantage are like; internal culture, trained staff, research and development of new and existing products, assured quality, brand reputation and awareness (Blackwell Eppler, 2014). It is the primary policy of Blackmores to provide the high quality products to its customers. This constant standard of the quality has clarified trough into reputation of Blackmores. This company has culture, which has developed great relationships among employees and top management. Blackmores is an undoubted leader in the healthcare research and development (Agarwal, Grassl, Pahl, 2012). It is continuously refining its existing products and producing new products. There is innovation in the operations of the company, which is providing it with the more viable competitive advantage. Furthermore, brand reputation is a critical factor to success of firm. According to a market research, Blackmores is the most trusted health care brand in this market. The capabilities in the RD provide it appreciated intellectual capital and knowledge, which is difficult for other companies. SWOT analysis Strengths Blackmores Limited has strong brand name in the Vitamin and supplement industry in Australia. It is the most trusted brand of Vitamin and health supplements. It is one of the oldest brand of vitamin and diet supplements in Australia Supply chain of the company is highly effective and efficient. Consumers can deal with the warehouses of the company directly. 11 years of successive growth in sales Having strong market position can make able to price its products at premium level Weaknesses Blackmores operational strategy is not clearly defined. It uses very common operational strategies. Distribution channel of the company is limited. There are only three retail stores, which sell 57% of products of Blackmores. There is decrease in the bargaining power from major distribution channels. Over-diversified products without any specialization Lack of appropriation product to fit the different market High expenses in research and development Opportunities Blackmores company has opened its online retail store, which may increase in sales of the company It has launched the products the products related to biomedical market and pet care Increased awareness of health and lifestyle issues Shifting demographics of the population in Asia and Australia Threats There are so many competitors in the market, who are deriving intense competition for the Balckmores Company. The chemists can ask for lower prices for implementing discount strategy. Highly regulated market Competitors are using more aggressive strategy High pressure of sale price and cost limitation from retailers and customers Competition from substitutes, for example; liquid vitamins Media and research against the supplements PESTLE analysis There are some political factors, which impact the growth of Blackmores organization in Australia. Political factors generate both opportunities and threats for the company. There are some changes to the government being more liberal, which usually stays for the deregulations and lower rate of taxes for any business. This shows that next three years may bring favorable changes in the political atmosphere in Australia (Warner, 2010). Apart from this, there may some uncertainty and unknown changes by the liberal government. If there will be high involvement of government in the industry, the political changes may generate unfavorable market conditions for the industry. The devaluation of the Australian currency makes it more inexpensive for the foreign customers to purchase the products. It can make the Blackmores products more economical and competitive and give a potential for the development of its business in global markets. This point creates opportunity for the company. There is another factor, which poses threat to the Blackmores Limited. The main factor is weak economy of Australia, which is deriving out from the mining boom. It will lead to the recession and economic downturn. Because various vitamins and health supplements are considered uncompelled spending, this can obstruct the spending in Australian industry, which is the reason behind the 85% sales of Blackmores Limited (Market Report, 2017). Social factors are very important for this industry. The people are giving more focus on their health and there is trend of vitamin and health supplement intakes. The aging population of Australia and their health conditions are requiring more vitamins. It increases the sale of vitamins and other health supplements. Online shopping is viable, whereby the customers are trying to find out the cheapest products available. If the supplements are cheaper outside the Australia, then consumers may prefer to buy the product from outside buyers. There may be some technology factors, like; availability of international shipping and shipping costs are also decreased. It is making the online shopping more worthy. Although, Blackmores limited is taking the advantage of technology advancement (Hopkins, 2015). Blackmores LTD is very much based on the technology and efficient and helping the organization in staying competitive in pharmaceutical industry. The company has created an application for its products, which allows its target customers to get the information about the vitamin supplements. If an organization addresses the environmental issues, then it can be seen as an eco-friendly organization. Blackmores emphasized on this with the building of the company campus, which focuses on minimizing their environmental effect. It is using various techniques for minimizing the wastage of production. The company is continuously finding the ways to reduce the environmental impact of packaging of products and enhance the recycling rates. In Australia, there are various legal diameters and regulatory frameworks, in which the company is running. The companies are abiding by tax laws and policies, trade laws and other legal regulations, which impact the Blackmores limited. Micro-environment analysis Blackmores Limited is facing aggressive competition in Australia and in other countries. From all the companies, Swisse Vitamins is creating the biggest competition for Blackmores in Australia. In East Asia, Blackmores Limited is very small player, which is competing against well-recognized global and domestic brands. As the Vitamin and supplement industry is at the mature stage, so there is not much scope for the growth (Nelson Alkhafaji, 2013). The organizations are not able to differentiate their products, which directed to the price competition conflicts. W hereas the large organizations like; Blackmores is having the competitive advantage because of economies of scale. Small companies in this industry are having benefit of development in the technology by selling products and items online. The foreign manufacturers are also posing the competition by selling their products on cheap rates due to low overhead expenses. The buyers in Australia have limited options, as there are very few vitamin and supplement players in country. It is importing the products from Asia Pacific and generally perceived to buy lower quality products in comparison to Australian products (Grant, 2008). Moreover, recent introduction of online business, Blackmores Limited has to establish better relationships with the major buyers, who produce more than half of its profits. The people are able to buy the products from online stores. As the Blackmores is one of the biggest players the respective industry, so they are considered to have enough power to create long term contracts with the suppliers to reduce production and manufacturing costs. In addition, there are various small suppliers to select (Lynn, 2011). Most of the inputs, which are used by the Blackmores are not very much specialized, so the bargaining power of the suppliers keep on weak its expansion in Asian countries could too develop the choices for suppliers. The vitamin and heath supplement industry in Australia is at the maturity stage of its life cycle. However, there is a growing demand in the vitamins and other health supplements, which is enhanced by the boosted economic conditions in Australia and health awareness among the consumers. The major market share of this industry is covered by two large players, i.e. Swisse and Blackmores. It has made very difficult for the new entrants to enter in this industry. Furthermore, the major barriers to the entry to the market are bounded by requirements of different legal formalities (Thompson Martin, 2010). Threat of substitute products is very low for the Blackmores. Fresh food is the only option for substituting the vitamins and supplements but it is very difficult for the body of human being to absorb nutrients from the food (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2009). It is very difficult for the people, who are in older age and have weak digestive system. Increase in health awareness among people will enhance the demand for vitamins and health supplements. Conclusion This is hereby concluded that Blackmores Limited is a string leader in the vitamin and dietary supplement industry. The company is operating its business by using effective resources and capabilities. External analysis of the company shows that company has sufficient strengths and opportunities to overcome its weaknesses and threats. Using some effective strategies can improve its position in upcoming years. The graphs indicate the growth and sales of the company. It has maintained a better growth by managing all the operating expenses. The profitability and sales of company are also increasing continuously. The position in respective industry is very strong but now there are some competitors, who are posing intense competition for Blackmores. So, the company should use some aggressive strategies to grow in this competitive environment. References Agarwal, R., Grassl, W. Pahl, J, 2012, SWOT: introducing a new strategic planning tool. Journal of Business Strategy, 33 (2), pp. 12. Blackwell, R. Eppler, D, 2014, An Approach to Strategic Situation Analysis: Using Models as Analytical Tools, The Journal of Global Business Management Volume 10, No. 1. DataGroup Stifung, 2017, The Tactical and Strategic Report, Blackmores Limited, Retrieved from https://www.dg-di.com/PureData/Australia/blackmores.html. Financial Times, 2017, Blackmores Ltd., Retrieved from https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/financials?s=BKL:ASX. Grant, R. M, 2008, Contemporary strategy analysis. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., Hoskisson, R. E, 2009, Strategic management: Competitiveness and globalization, concepts and cases. Mason: Cengage Learning, South-Western. Hopkins, J, 2015, One big reason to invest in Blackmores Limited, Retrieved from https://www.fool.com.au/2015/07/16/one-big-reason-to-invest-in-blackmores-limited/. InvestSmart, 2017, Blacckmores Limited (BKL), Retrieved from https://www.investsmart.com.au/shares/asx-bkl/blackmores-limited. Kraja, Y.B. Osmani, E, 2015, Importance of external and internal environment in creation of competitive advantage to smes, European Scientific Journal. Lynn, M, 2011, Segmenting and Targeting Your Market: Strategies and Limitations. Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Market Report, 2017, Blackmores Limited (BKL) - Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review, Sector Publishing Intelligence Limited. Nelson, R.A. Alkhafaji, A, 2013, Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation, and Control in a Dynamic. Routledge Publishers. Steiner, G.A, 2010, Strategic Planning. Simon and Schuster Publications. Thompson, J.L. Martin, F, 2010, Strategic Management: Awareness Change. Cengage Learning. Warner, A.G, 2010, Strategic Analysis and Choice: A Structural Approach, Business Express Book.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Computer Underground Essays (9442 words) - Hacker,

The Computer Underground NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE COMPUTER UNDERGROUND A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MASTER OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY BY GORDON R. MEYER %CompuServe: 72307,1502% %GEnie: GRMEYER% DEKALB, ILLINOIS AUGUST 1989 ABSTRACT Mame: Gordon R. Meyer Department: Sociology Title: The Social Organization of the Computer Underground Major: Criminology Degree: M.A. Aproved by: Date: _____________________________________ ___________ Tesis Director NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT This paper examines the social organization of the "computer underground" (CU). The CU is composed of actors in three roles, "computer hackers," "phone phreaks," and "software pirates." These roles have frequently been ignored or confused in media and other accounts of CU activity. By utilizing a data set culled from CU channels of communication this paper provides an ethnographic account of computer underground organization. It is concluded that despite the widespread social network of the computer underground, it is organized primarily on the level of colleagues, with only small groups approaching peer relationships. Certification: In accordance with departmental and Graduate School policies, this thesis is accepted in partial fulfillment of degree requirements. ______________________ Thesis Director ______________________ Date ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOR CRITIQUE, ADVICE, AND COMMENTS: DR. JAMES L. MASSEY DR. JIM THOMAS DR. DAVID F. LUCKENBILL FOR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT: GALE GREINKE SPECIAL THANKS TO: D.C., T.M., T.K., K.L., D.P., M.H., AND G.Z. THIS WORK IS DEDICATED TO: GEORGE HAYDUKE AND BARRY FREED Introduction The proliferation of home computers has been accompanied by a corresponding social problem involving the activities of so-called "computer hackers." "Hackers" are computer aficionados who "break in" to corporate and government computer systems using their home computer and a telephone modem. The prevalence of the problem has been dramatized by the media and enforcement agents, and evidenced by the rise of specialized private security firms to confront the "hackers." But despite this flurry of attention, little research has examined the social world of the "computer hacker." Our current knowledge in this regard derives from hackers who have been caught, from enforcement agents, and from computer security specialists. The everyday world and activities of the "computer hacker" remain largely unknown. This study examines the way actors in the "computer underground" (CU) organize to perform their acts. The computer underground, as it is called by those who participate in it, is composed of actors adhering to one of three roles: "hackers," "phreakers," or "pirates." To further understanding this growing "social problem," this project will isolate and clarify these roles, and examine how each contributes to the culture as a whole. By doing so the sociological question of how the "underground" is organized will be answered, rather than the technical question of how CU participants perform their acts. Best and Luckenbill (1982) describe three basic approaches to the study of "deviant" groups. The first approach is from a social psychological level, where analysis focuses on the needs, motives, and individual characteristics of the actors involved. Secondly, deviant groups can be studied at a socio-structural level. Here the emphasis is on the distribution and consequences of deviance within the society as a whole. The third approach, the one adopted by this work, forms a middle ground between the former two by addressing the social organization of deviant groups. Focusing upon neither the individual nor societal structures entirely, social organization refers to the network of social relations between individuals involved in a common activity (pp. 13-14). Assessing the degree and manner in which the underground is organized provides the opportunity to also examine the culture, roles, and channels of communication used by the computer underground. The focus here is on the day to day experience of persons whose activities have been criminalized over the past several years. Hackers, and the "danger" that they present in our computer dependent society, have often received attention from the legal community and the media. Since 1980, every state and the federal government has criminalized "theft by browsing" of computerized information (Hollinger and Lanza-Kaduce, 1988, pp.101- 102). In the media, hackers have been portrayed as maladjusted losers, forming "high-tech street gangs" (Chicago Tribune, 1989) that are dangerous to society. My research will show that the computer underground consists of a more sophisticated level of social organization than has been generally recognized. The very fact that CU participants are to some extent "networked" has implications for social control policies that may have been Implemented based on an in- complete understanding of the activity. This project not only offers sociological insight into the organ- ization of deviant associations, but may be helpful to policy makers as well.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

South Africa essays

South Africa essays South Africa is the southernmost part of the continent of Africa. It is one of the earth's oldest and stable landmasses. This is why there are no folded mountain ranges. The only mountain ranges that are similar to that kind of range, would be those in the southern tip. This is where the north-south ranges meet an east-west range in the Paarl area. The rest of the country has been slightly pitted so that interior lakes like the Okovango Delta have no outlet to the sea. Most of the country is at an elevation of 3,000 to 6,500 feet above sea level. South Africa lies north of 35 S latitude and is surrounded on three sides by the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Two large high-pressure areas control the weather in South Africa brought over by both of the oceans, in the winter a belt of depressions moves northward to bring rains to the south. During the summer moist tropical air masses migrate southward, bringing frequent thunderstorms. There are not many rivers in South Africa, and those few are not navigable. The unpredictable rainfall makes drought in the areas a very common problem. The towns and cities cannot depend on a consistent source of water for the year. Water supplies for both the town and the country must be very well planned, so there is no drought. Wells are usually the source for irrigation and general water supply in the countryside, however the urban and industrialized areas need the use of dams. On the major rivers of South Africa it is easy to see many of the plus 360 dams that have been built. These are easily found on the Orange, Vaal, Limpopo, and the Tugela rivers. Many of the dams provide hydroelectric power to the national electricity grid. Located on the upper Orange River are two of the largest dams in South Africa. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project was developed to supply water to the Transvaal industrial area by mid 1990's. Even though there are an abundant amount of dams in the country, t...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

John Tyler - Tenth President of the United States

John Tyler - Tenth President of the United States John Tyler was born on March 29, 1790 in Virginia. Not much is known about his childhood though he grew up on a plantation in Virginia. His Mother died when he was only seven. At twelve, he entered the College of William and Mary Preparatory School. He graduated from the College proper in 1807. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1809. Family Ties Tylers father, John, was a planter and  supporter of the American Revolution. He was a friend of Thomas Jefferson and politically active. His mother,  Mary Armistead - died when Tyler was seven. He had five sisters and two brothers. On March 29, 1813, Tyler married  Letitia Christian. She served briefly as First Lady before suffering a stroke and dying while he was president. Together she and Tyler had seven children: three sons and four daughters. On June 26, 1844, Tyler married Julia Gardner while he was president. She was 24 while he was 54. Together they had five sons and two daughters.   John Tyler's Career Before the Presidency From 1811-16, 1823-5, and 1838-40, John Tyler was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. In 1813, he did join the militia but never saw action. In 1816, Tyler was elected to be a U.S. Representative. He strongly opposed every move towards power for the Federal government that he saw as unconstitutional. He eventually resigned. He was Governor of Virginia from 1825-7 until he was elected a U.S. Senator. Becoming President John Tyler was the Vice President under William Henry Harrison in the election of 1840. He was chosen to balance the ticket since he was from the South. He took over upon Harrisons quick demise after only one month in office. He was sworn in on April 6, 1841 and did not have a Vice President because no provisions had been made in the Constitution for one. In fact, many tried to claim that Tyler was actually only Acting President. He fought against this perception and won legitimacy. Events and Accomplishments of John Tyler's Presidency In 1841, John Tylers entire cabinet except for Secretary of State Daniel Webster resigned. This was due to his vetoes of laws creating the Third Bank of the United States. This went against his partys policy. After this point, Tyler had to operate as president without a party behind him. In 1842, Tyler agreed to and Congress ratified the Webster-Ashburton Treaty with Great Britain. This set the boundary between Maine and Canada. The border was agreed upon all the way to Oregon. President Polk would deal in his administration with the Oregon border. 1844 brought the Treaty of Wanghia. According to this treaty, America gained the right to trade in Chinese ports. America also gained the right of extraterritoriality with U.S. citizens were not under the jurisdiction of Chinese law. In 1845, three days before leaving office, John Tyler signed into law the joint resolution allowing for the annexation of Texas. Importantly, the resolution extended 36 degrees 30 minutes as the mark dividing free and slave states through Texas. Post Presidential Period John Tyler did not run for reelection in 1844. He retired to his farm in Virginia and later served as Chancellor of the College of William and Mary. As the Civil War approached, Tyler spoke for secession. He was the only president to join the Confederacy. He died on January 18, 1862 at the age of 71. Historical Significance Tyler was important first of all for setting the precedent of his becoming president as opposed to just Acting President for the rest of his term. He was not able to accomplish much in his administration due to the lack of party support. However, he did sign the annexation of Texas into law. Overall, he is considered to be a sub-par president.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Toward a Personology of the Consumer by Hans Baumgartner Essay

Toward a Personology of the Consumer by Hans Baumgartner - Essay Example The main objective of the study undertaken by Hans Baumgartner is to be able to present a certain perspective on the personology of the consumer. It can be considered as the main basis of the study on the personality psychology. In the achievement of such level of knowledge, the main determinants of consumer behavior can be achieved. The study presented can be considered as a library-based description and exploration of the established concept and updates regarding the research on consumer behavior. It can be considered advantageous in the determination and evaluation of the amount of knowledge in the said field. Consequently, the results gathered in the said field can be considered limited, for that matter, the aims of the said study can be essential to serve as a stimulus for further research. Based on the Handbook of Consumer Behavior, as quoted by the author, the limited information on the determination of the consumer behavior is based on the probabilistic models of the choices that are made by consumers, the neo-Pavlovian conditioning and the role of psychophysiology in consumer research. These concepts can be considered as influences on the choices made by the consumers. Although this is the case, the said concepts are not considered to cover the main personality and behavior of the consumers (Baumgartner , 2002). Based on the point of view of the author, the personality of the consumers can be distinctly identified from the choices that they can make regarding the different products in the market. This can be considered probable since different personalities can be stereotypically judged to have different preference and needs. Choices can be at some point considered as a narrow precept in the determination of the consumer behavior.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Discussion Topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Discussion Topics - Essay Example The act was meant to raise taxes as a strategy to cut down on people’s spending and hence increase the recovery process. However, the measure had insignificant effects on the economy since it targeted businesses, which were already closing down. The worst impacts of the depression were felt on October 29, 1929 when the stock market closed its doors for the first time in what came to be known as the black Tuesday. Most economists attribute the great depression with the fall of stock prices that occurred in the US before it spread to the rest of the world. Having witnessed the impacts of the great depressions, Americans were fearful about similar occurrences. Fear from the great depression hindered people from achieving their financial targets and investing. People were scared about banking and saving in general. On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This thrust America into World War II, and for the next four years. The war occurred during the era of the great depression when America was experiencing massive unemployment. Following the outbreak of the war, the position of women in the society is likely to have been reviewed. As men were recruited into the military, millions of women were left to take care of their families. Some of them took male dominated jobs in the manufacturing and construction industries. In addition, most women took leadership positions in their families as their husbands died in the war. The war changed the role of women in the society and compelled them to take male dominated positions such as politics. Entry of women into politics is also likely to have started during this

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Intermediate accounting Essay Example for Free

Intermediate accounting Essay 1. Distinguish between perpetual and periodic inventory system. Why conduct physical inventory? When should, if any a physical inventory count occur? Perpetual inventory system is a system for determining the cost of goods sold by keeping continuous records of the physical inventory as goods are bought and sold. In other words, under the perpetual inventory system – records are kept of the quantity and usually the cost of individual items of inventory throughout the year, as items are bought and sold. The cost of goods sold is recorded as goods are transferred to customers, and the inventory balance is kept current throughout the year, as items are bought and sold. The physical inventory is important because it is an actual amount of all merchandise on hand at the end of an accounting period. The actual physical count of the product must occur after the Pre-Physical Inventory update is run.   It means that no movements of the product can occur until after the actual count is done.   In other words the product is frozen until a physical count is done on the item.   After the actual count the movement of the individual item within the product group can resume while other products are being count. In periodic inventory system, it is a system for determining the cost of goods sold by deducting the ending inventory (based on a physical count of the inventory) from the beginning inventory plus total purchases over the period. 2. Intangible assets have two main characteristics. They lack physical existence and they are not financial instruments. Costs incurred internally to create intangibles are generally expensed as incurred. Explain the procedure for amortizing intangible assets. Intangible assets are a long-term assets that have no physical substance but have a value based on rights or privileges that accrue to the owner. Intangible assets  dont have the obvious physical value of a  factory or equipment; they can prove very valuable for a firm and can be critical to its long-term success or failure. For example, a company such as Coca-Cola wouldn’t be nearly as  successful was it not for the high value obtained through its brand-name recognition. Although brand recognition is not a physical asset you can see or touch, its positive effects on bottom-line profits can prove extremely valuable to firms such as Coca-Cola, whose brand strength drives global sales year after year. In FASB STATEMENT NO. 142, the useful life of certain intangible assets is difficult to judge, particularly assets that involve contracted or other legally set terms. Companies use the useful life of assets to guide their decisions on whether or not to amortize them on their financial statements. The key factor in determining whether to amortize an â€Å"other† intangible asset is its useful life. If it is indefinite, the asset is not amortized. Although the question of whether an asset’s useful life is definite or indefinite may seem straightforward, certain intangibles—particularly those that are a result of contracted or other legally set terms—are difficult to judge. Prior to the issuance of FASB Statement no. 142, the maximum useful life of an intangible asset was 40 years. Could an asset a company was amortizing over a useful life of less than 40 years now have an indefinite life under Statement no. 142? The answer is â€Å"maybe.† Prior to its implementation companies may not have taken all of the three criteria in Statement no. 142—renewability, costs and modifications—into account in making amortization decisions. Further, it was not an option for an asset to have an indefinite useful life, regardless of how a company evaluated the criteria before Statement no. 142. The limit was 40 years. The bottom line? Even those intangibles that weren’t assigned the full 40-year useful life prior to Statement no. 142 should be evaluated against the statement’s criteria. They may have indefinite useful lives as well. References http://www.sdc.on.ca/sdc6/help/Physical%20Inventory%20Process.htm Jennefer M. Mueller. Journal of Accountancy: Amortization of Certain Intangible Assets. DECEMBER 2004 / Volume 198, Number 6.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Algae :: Sea weed

Recently, I interviewed someone from the Island of Orkney, off the northern shore of Scotland. He described the seas as being nutrient rich and crystal clear. Traditionally, sea weed, (called sea vegetables in Scotland) has been used for herbal remedies, food products, animal food, cosmetics, and fertilizers. Two of the major species I was informed of were Laminaria, and Carrageen Chondrus crispus (Irish moss). Laminaria, (commonly called "kelp") has it has the ability to re-growth extremely fast, making it an almost infinitely sustainable crop. Auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins exist in large amounts, which are used for animal food supplements. Laminaria is the main seaweed used in Scotland, but Red-weed, green-weed, purple-weed, and pinkweed each with its own unique benefits. The various species are used for health products, cosmetics and natural fertilizers for gardens. The seaweed is currently used for animal and human consumption. Red seaweed gel is used for respiratory problems in animals, (particularly horses), and green seaweed gel, is used as an animal food supplement for growth and minerals. For human consumption, Red seaweed extract is used as a general tonic and Red seaweed beautifying cream and a seaweed skin rub for sports people. An interesting fact is that Orkney Gold's Seaweed Supreme won The Scottish Food Award in 1995 and 1996. It is made of different flavored kelp dips which can be substituted for tartar sauce, horse radish, mint sauce, dips for French fries, spread for sandwiches and salad dressings. The old Norse word for seaweed is ‘tang’ and ‘gathering ther tangs’, as it used to wash up on the beaches after each winter storm. It was also the only form of land nutrition available to the crofters and early farmers.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Constructive Discharge

Toy Company Memo To:CEO From:Ken Dilger CC: Date:1/22/2012 Re:Employee Lawsuit In 1964 Congress passed a Civil Rights law that outlawed major forms for discrimination against African Americans and women. One of the major features of this law was Title VII which prohibits discrimination by employers on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964 prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment. The basics of Title VII are that employers may not treat employees more or less favorably because of their religion and employees cannot be required to participate or refrain from participating in a religious activity as a condition of employment. In Title VII, employers must reasonably accommodate its employee’s religious beliefs and practices unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the employer. A reasonable accommodation is one that eliminates the employee’s conflict between his religious practices and work requirements and that does not cause an undue hardship for the employer (Rel, 2011). These accommodations range from the employee needing a day for their Holy Sabbath day, wanting to wear religious garb to work or having flexible work schedules to accommodate religious Holidays. When an employee asks for an accommodation the employer may not simply refuse to do so. If the request is not in best interest of the company because it would result in an undue hardship, the employer must prove the undue hardship that the company would incur. An undue hardship to the company would include anything other than minimal cost to accommodate the religious practice by the employee. Company Response My recommendation on how to respond is that it was never our intent to create a workplace environment so intolerable that our employees would quit. If the employee thought that the change in schedule was so intolerable why didn’t they file a complaint with their manager? Our records show that there was never a verbal or a written complaint with anyone in management. We can also state the fact that no reasonable person would quit their job over a work schedule that allows them to pick which 4 days of the work week can work. This schedule should actually help them avoid a conflict with working on a religious holiday throughout the year. If the employee does not to drop the lawsuit, there are past precedents showing that their lawsuit, based on constructive discharge, will be very hard for them to win. An employee must prove, prima facia, that they have had their rights violated under the religious accommodation rules of Title VII. They must show that they had a bona fide religious belief that conflicts with an employment requirement, that their employer was made aware of the conflict and that they were subjected to an adverse action not complying with the employment requirement. In this lawsuit the employee did none of the three things mentioned above. Proving a constructive discharge claim will be very hard for the employee to do. There are legal precedents showing that like court case Tepper vs Potter (2007) who have failed to show prima facie in their lawsuits when they claim constructive discharge over their religious holiday suits. C 1 LEGAL REFERENCE #1: In Cosme v Henderson, the employee asked for a Monday thru Friday work schedule for his mail route and it was granted by his boss. When the schedule changed to add Saturdays to his mail route, his boss told him not to change his schedule due to his religious beliefs. The employee did change his schedule to work on Saturday and then filed a constructive discharge claim against the company. The courts ruled in favor of the employer due to their reasonable efforts to accommodate the employee. This supports my recommendation that since the employee never filed a complaint then there was no way for us to accommodate a religious belief conflict. 2: In Brenner v Diagnostic Center Hospital, Mr. Brenner, an Orthodox Jew, was allowed to switch his work shifts with other employees to accommodate his Jewish Holiday schedule. Later that year Brener failed to exchange work shifts and did not appear for work when he was required to. He later resigned sighting constructive discharge due to the affect the company would not accommodate his Jewish Holiday schedule. The courts ruled in favor of the Defendant based on their effort t o accommodate his schedule. The case supports my statement that the company’s new work schedule is flexible enough to allow all employees to meet their religious holiday schedule. #3: In Goldmeier v AllState INS, the Goldmeier’s who are Orthodox Jews could not work on Saturdays during the winter months when AllState changed their corporate policy on their work schedule. AllState did not allow an exception when the Goldmeiers asked for one due to the new work schedule. When the Goldmeiers informed AllState about the constructive discharge lawsuit, AllState then allowed them to work on Sunday to make up for their religious conflict on Saturday. The court ruled in favor of AllState on the facts that the employee did not prove prima facia in their lawsuit and that AllState did not intend to create a hostile work environment when changing the work schedule. This supports my recommendation that since the employee did not file a complaint with upper management that they have no claim of constructive discharge. The case also supports my statement that we did not intend to create a hostile environment to make employees quit but rather to accommodate production. C2 LEGAL RECOMMENDATION My first recommendation to avoid lawsuits in the future is to implement a formal complaint system for the employees to use to communicate to management about workplace conditions that they think are unfair. This will help the company correct any problems before they turn into lawsuits. Another recommendation that I would make is not to use a change in workplace environment or schedule to get employees to resign rather than having to fire them. Doing this can lead to a bad workplace environment for management employees who are in place to enforce this rule. My last recommendation is to have an exit interview with anyone leaving the company. This will allow the employee to give insight on why they are leaving and to make sure there are no ill will towards the company. . References Brener v Diagnostic Center Hospital, 671 F. 2d 141, (5th Cir, 1982) Cosme v Henderson, 287, F. 3d 152, 158 (2d Cir, 2002) Goldmeier v AllState Insurance Company, 337, F. 3d 629 (6th Cir, 2003) Religious Accommodation in the Workplace: Your Rights and Obligations, Anti-Defamation League, New York, New York, (2011). Constructive Discharge Constructive Discharge occurs when an employee’s working conditions are considered to be so bad due to a policy or enforcement of that policy that the employee feels compelled to resign from the employer. This Constructive Discharge claim was filed under the section of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 after a work schedule policy change took place. The employee filed this claim post-resignation. This employee has claimed that the change is religious discrimination due to requiring that he work on a religious holy day. To make note to the case, please keep in mind that this employee resigned after the policy took effect at the beginning of the year. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 it is prohibited for any employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This is in regards to any current or former employee. The term â€Å"religion† includes all religious observances, practices, and beliefs. For this case to be proven as religious discrimination under Title VII, the employee must show that he: (1) holds a sincere religious belief that conflicts with an employment requirement; (2) has informed the employer about the conflict; and (3) has been discharged, disciplined or subjected to discriminatory treatment for failing to comply with the conflicting employment requirement. Title VII states that it is the employer’s obligation to reasonably accommodate requests by staff members to practice their sincerely held religious beliefs and observances. For this case, â€Å"Reasonably means that accommodating these practices would not cause hardship or conflict with normal business operations.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Visual Data Displays and Uses in Decision Making

Visual Data Displays and Uses in Decision Making Ronya Bentz, Lasondra Defreeze, Terri Dougherty, Grace Zhao HCS/438 September 24, 2012 Gerald Rintals Visual Data Displays and Uses in Decision Making Studying the measures of central tendency will help to verify if these measures of central tendency for the given data are correct. The information will assist in predicting specific health issues and interventions needed to improve health care. The measure of variation produces a conclusion through the Tele-care monitoring system.The types of central tendency conducted in this study were the mean and median. The description of data in this study uses the five-number summary. Variables were also used to predict key medical events and interventions, based on significance. According to Biddiss, Brownsell, Hawley (2009), â€Å"the data analysis was conducted using statistical software and logistic regression was used to predict the occurrence of key medical events/interventions taken from health care logs of health-care workers. Biddiss, Brownsell, Hawley 2009’s articles explain examples in the text are as follows: The 45 patients studied a total of 8576 alerts were generated. A total of 171 medical events which included the mean number of medical events for the year which was 3. 5, the median 2, and the quartile ranged between 1- 4. The mean average of key alerts per year was 49, with a median of 49, and an interquartile range of 47-51. The average percentage of total alerts that were medical events was 6. 4% with a median of 4 and an interquartile range of 1. 4-8 (p. 227-228).Because the focus of the study determined the average need for medical intervention in congestive heart failure, the use of the measure of central tendency is correct in this study. According to Bennett, Briggs, & Thiola, (2009), â€Å"variation is a measure of how much the data values are spread out. A distribution in which most data are clustered together has a low variation. † (p. 16). In the article, â€Å"predicting need for intervention in individuals with congestive heart failure using a home-based Tele-care monitoring system for 18 months† (Biddiss, Brownsell, & Hawley, 2009, p. 9); the authors monitored 45 elderly individuals with congestive heart failure who entered daily information, based of individual symptoms and health status. There are 14 variables to enter and generate the alert system. Systolic blood pressure| 2541| Heart rate| 1822| Daytime shortness of breath| 803| Need for extra pillows| 576| Night time shortness of breath| 480| Cough| 441| Weight gain| 422| Bloated stomach | 387| Dizziness| 339| Medication adherence| 327| Swollen ankles| 248| Angina| 191| Anxiety| 10| Urine excretion| Eight total alerts 8576| Biddiss, Brownsell, & Hawley, 2009, p. 29). As the data describes, the systolic blood pressure most triggered the alert system. It produced nearly 30% of the total alerts and the heart rate almost 9%. †¢Average of aler ts for 14 characteristics: 612 †¢Median: 405 †¢Distribution is right –skewed because the values are more spread to the right side. The graphing of a bell curve is the representation of the standard normal distribution. Also the table shows the mean value is zero and the standard deviation is one (Bennett, Briggs, & Triola, 2009).In Figure 2 of the study, the values are not depicted by normal distribution as they deviate greatly from the mean. This shows there is no symmetry in the values represented and displays too many variables. Because the study is measuring various variables not necessarily related to one another, it would follow that standard normal distribution would not apply in this study. The results of this study show factors of individuals who took part reported different symptoms and clinicians monitoring these concerns had determined if medical intervention was necessary.Heart rate, blood pressure, and weight were also considered and compared with the data reported by the participants. Because the study relied heavily on self-reporting by the participants, many of the variables were subject to embellishment. The clinical data supports reports of declining health, but in some cases may not correlate with information reported. The conclusions of the study are favorable, as increased monitoring of patients with chronic heart failure may result in occasional interventions that are not neccessary.This study provides an improvement in the knowledge of the patient’s condition and reaction to treatment. Reference Bennett. Briggs. , & Trola (2009). Statistical reasoning for everyday life, (3rd) Chapter 4: Describing Data. Retrieved from www. University of Phoenix. edu. Library database. Biddiss, E. , Brownsell, S. , & Hawley, M. S. (2009, March). Predicting need for intervention in individuals. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 15(5), 226-231. University of Phoenix Library Telecare; 2009, 15:226-231. Retrieved from www. Univers ity of Phoenix . edu. Library database.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

How to Study for Fill in the Blank Tests

How to Study for Fill in the Blank Tests Of all the test question  types, fill-in questions may be the most feared. But this type of question doesnt have to give you an immediate brain drain. There is an effective strategy for preparing for this type of test question. In most cases, the best tool for test preparation is great class notes. When you take good notes from your teachers lecture, you usually have about 85% of the material youll need to prepare for any type of test,  right on hand. Most teachers create tests straight from their lecture notes. When preparing for a fill-in test, your class notes are even more important than ever. If you have been able to record your teachers notes word for word, you may have some fill-in phrases for the test right in front of you already. If youre preparing for a fill-in-the-blank test right now, pull out those class notes and try one of these two study strategies. Strategy 1: Leave Out a Word The great thing about this method is that it actually prepares you for all types of questions. Youll find that this method makes it easy to answer most any essay question, as well as the fill-ins. Read over your class notes and underline new terms, important dates, noteworthy phrases, and the names of key people.Put parentheses around the sentence that contains your key word or phrase.Copy each sentence onto a clean sheet of paper, leaving out the key word or phrase.Leave a blank space where they key word or phrase should go.At the bottom of the paper  containing your sentence (or on a separate page), make a list of the key words and phrases. This will serve as your key.Read over your sentences and attempt to fill in the blanks with correct answers in very light pencil. Consult your notes when necessary.Erase your work and continue this process until you can answer all your fill-in questions with ease.For insurance, read through the relevant chapters in your text to find any words or phrases you didnt find in your notes.Go through the same process of copying sentences and filling in the answers until they all come easily. Strategy 2: Dry Erase Practice Test You can create your own reusable practice test by using the following steps. Make a photocopy of your class notes or textbook pages.White out key words, dates, and definitions.Slip the new page with blank spaces into a plastic sheet protector.Use a dry erase pen to fill in answers. You can easily wipe away your answers to practice again and again.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Using Notepad for PHP

Using Notepad for PHP You dont need any fancy programs to work with the PHP programming language. PHP code is written in plain text. All Windows computers including those running Windows 10 come with a program called Notepad that creates and modifies plain-text documents. Saving PHP Documents In your text editor, just save the PHP source code with a PHP extension. Windows may or may not recognize PHP as a valid system file type, but it doesnt matter. You generally dont want Windows to attempt to execute a PHP script. You could, however, associate PHP as a file type that your favorite text editor manages, so double-clicking a PHP file will open it in that editor. Media Files Saved as PHP Some browser plugins that download media from web pages will incorrectly capture the media files correct extension. The file will save with the correct name, but with a PHP extension. This glitch occurs only occasionally and stems from the media file sourcing from a PHP-enabled page. All you need to do is change the PHP extension to something like MP4. Video-playback programs like VLC accept the MP4 extension without complaining, even if the underlying video type is something else. Writing PHP Unlike some programming and scripting languages, PHP is not sensitive to indentations. Therefore, any indentations you make to your PHP code to aid your readibility are fine. Other Programs to Edit PHP Files Notepad is simple, but its not the only choice. Mac users can use TextEdit. Hardcore programmers (usually, on Linux) rely on environments like Emacs or Vim. Better than using a text editor - which, by design, just edits text, without additional functionality - is to use a text editor optimized for coding. On the Windows platform, programs like Visual Studio Code, BB Edit, UltraEdit, and Notepad not only edit your text but can lint (analyze for errors) and format your code with special colors and related visual cues.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Amendments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Amendments - Essay Example Prior to these amendments, some states had already made their own ratifications of the constitutional contingents, which prompted the need to limit the powers of the federal government with regard to investigation, prosecution and punishment of crime (Calvin, 2009). The original constitution offered very little provisions touching on criminal processes (Calvin, 2009). A majority of the constitutional amendments were mainly focused on addressing issues relating to criminal processes. Fifteen of the twenty six rights contained in the first eight amendments to the constitution focus mainly on addressing the criminal and judicial processes. These amendments were created based on a perspective that emerged in the late 18th century about individual rights. Initially, the amendments were meant to only be applicable to the federal government, but with time, states started adopting most of the provisions in the amendments (David & James, 2008). In order to fully understand the impact of these amendments on the judicial processes in both juvenile and adult courts, it is important to first and foremost understand the phrase â€Å"principles of due process† as used in the 5th amendment (John, 2006). Due process of law implies that all laws be applied equally and fairly to all American citizens, and most importantly those suspected to have committed crimes. The fourth amendment protects citizens from unreasonable seizures and searches of their houses, and their property (John, 2006). This amendment limits the powers of the central government when conducting criminal investigations. The government cannot unlawfully enter a suspect’s house or any of his or her property, papers among other things to look for evidence. Search warranties supported by affirmation or Oath have to be issued so as to enable the police to conduct searches. Interpretations of the amendment by the Supreme Court restricted police searches and seizures only to the suspect’s bodies an d clothes, the things they have in plain sight, the places or things that the accused is in control or which he could reach and property where the police strongly suspect that a person could be in danger (Calvin, 2009). This amendment had a great impact on criminal proceedings. It restricted the powers of the government in investigating crimes (Calvin, 2009). The amendment made it unlawful for the federal police to break in to suspect’s houses with the intention of searching and seizing some of the property purported to provide evidence of a crime. The police need to follow certain procedures, including obtaining a search warrants so as to be able to conduct houses and properties belonging to criminal suspects. The Fifth Amendment protects individuals from ‘double jeopardy’ (Calvin, 2009). This refers to the process of initiating a second trial for a person suspected to have committed the same crime. This amendment requires that before a person is any serious cri minal offence, there must be a thorough investigation by the jury linking him to the offense. This amendment also gives the defendant in a court process the right not to testify against himself, commonly known as the right to remain silent. The main intention of the

Thursday, October 31, 2019

History Of Quality Management As It Relates To The US Air Force Research Paper

History Of Quality Management As It Relates To The US Air Force - Research Paper Example TQM is an approach that can enhance the competitiveness, effectiveness and flexibility of a whole organization that requires planning, organizing and understanding each activity (O’Neill & Sohal, 1999). TQM has been applied to all industries with the focus on quality improvement or achieving overall customer satisfaction. TQM in the US Air Force has its own significance and has been in practice for several decades. As the Federal government realized the need for a smaller military force due to decreasing military threat from the former Soviet Union, the financial support to the military was reduced (Sanchez, 1997). This necessitated the reduction in the size of personnel from each service as well as eliminating many weapon systems. With the reduced number of airmen, seamen and soldiers the need for efficiency became paramount (Moser & Bailey, 1997). TQM training was instituted in all branches of the armed forces and extended to the US defense industries as well. This paper res earches how the application and utility of TQM has evolved and whether it has been able to enhance efficiency in the US Air Force.TQM has further been defined as a process of continuous improvement (Gonsalves, 2002) where continued effort is exerted by everyone in the organization to understand, meet and exceed customer expectations through quality enhancement (Hoang, 2009) where quality includes characteristics such as performance, features, durability, aesthetics and service quality (Lian, 2001). Ho, Duffy and Shih (1999) emphasize that continuous improvement, customer focus, and teamwork form the core of TQM philosophy. TQM is a holistic concept wherein all members of the organization participate in planning and implementing continuous quality improvement (Sanchez, 1997). Deming stated that to achieve success through TQM the managers must whole-heartedly believe in the philosophy and create an environment for the process to function (D’Ron, 1998). Deming also offered sugge stions for the managers to change their traditional mindset which included leadership, training, breaking down the barriers, not focusing on price alone, eliminating quotas and most importantly they should adopt the TQM principles. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) was established by Congress in 1987 to stimulate competition in the US businesses. This is a prestigious award for excellence and quality achievement in the United States. This award was meant to recognize organizations that have outstanding processes and practices, and that focus on continuous improvement and where the practice is measureable. The MBNQA is basically a business review, a formal process to review how the business operates. Its implementation requires visionary leadership, social responsibility, focus on future, focus on results, managing for innovation and valuing employees and other stakeholders (Baldridge Award, 2005). The award is given to organizations that demonstrate exemplary achie vements across seven dimensions - leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, measurement, analysis and knowledge management, human resources focus, process management, and business results.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Modeling an Animal Class Hierarchy by Employing UML Diagrams Assignment

Modeling an Animal Class Hierarchy by Employing UML Diagrams - Assignment Example Inheritance is an important principle in object-oriented programming. It not only serves as an organizational technique, but also allows code to be reused between classes that share certain characteristics. It is also known as â€Å"Is A† relationship because the classes down in the inheritance hierarchy are derived from the higher classes. So an object instantiated from a derived class is also a type of the superclass (Dale, Joyce, & Weems, 2006). Generalization and specialization are the two constituents of an inheritance relationship. The base class, from which the child classes are derived from, is supposed to be the more generic class and the child classes with additional members are considered to be the more specialized classes (Thampi, 2009). For example, a dog class can be considered as a sub class of an animal class. In this case the animal class is more generic class and the dog class is the specialized version of the animal class. To construct the animal class hierarchy, we consider the classes Animal, Fish, Mammal, Shark, Herring, Elephant and Rodent. Animal is modeled as the base class from which all the other classes inherit either directly or indirectly. Fish and Mammal classes are the direct child classes derived from the Animal class. Sharks and herring are types of fishes and hence we can derive these classes from the Fish class. Similarly elephants and rodents are both mammals and hence they can be derived from the Mammal class.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Polymers and its applications

Polymers and its applications ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I take this opportunity to present my votes of thanks to all those guidepost who really acted as lightening pillars to enlighten our way throughout this project that has led to successful and satisfactory completion of this study. We are really grateful to our HOD for providing us with an opportunity to undertake this project in this university and providing us with all the facilities. We are highly thankful to Mr. Harminder Singh for his active support, valuable time and advice, whole-hearted guidance, sincere cooperation and pains-taking involvement during the study and in completing the assignment of preparing the said project within the time stipulated. Lastly, We are thankful to all those, particularly the various friends who have been instrumental in creating proper, healthy and conductive environment and including new and fresh innovative ideas for us during the project, their help, it would have been extremely difficult for us to prepare the project in a time bound framework HISTORY:- Polymers were discovered long before anyone understood what they were. It wasnt until 1920 that German chemist Hermann Staudinger (1881-1965) made his macromolecular hypothesis, suggesting that polymers are actually giant molecules formed by the permanent attachment of countless smaller molecules. INTRODUCTION:- A polymer is a large MOLECULE composed of repeating structural typically connected by chemical bonds like covalent bonds. Polymers are composed of very high molecular masses formed by the combination of large number of simple molecules. GEOMETRY:- Polymers (or macromolecules) are very large molecules made up of smaller units called monomers or repeating units, covalently bonded together. Monomers / Repeat Units The identity of the monomer residues (repeat units) comprising a polymer is its first and most important attribute. Microstructure:- The microstructure of a polymer (sometimes called configuration) relates to the physical arrangement of monomer (which I have explained above) residues along the backbone of the chain. CLASSIFICATION OF POLYMERS:- On the basis of structure- LINEAR POLYMERS BRANCHED POLYMERS CROSS-LINKED POLYMERS On the basis of molecular forces Elastomers Fibers Thermoplastics Thermosetting polymers Thermoplasts: These are the polymers which can be easily softened repeatedly when heated and hardened when cooled with little change in their properties. When heated due to the absence of cross links, they become free to move and and can be moulded into any desired shapes. EXAMPLES- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Polystyrene and Polymethyl methacrylate Thermosets:- These are the polymers which undergo permanent change on heating and can not be remoulded into our desired shape. On heating their cross links get highly linked with each other and becomes hard and infusible. EXAMPLES-Bakelite,formaldehyde etc. PROPERTIES:- Tensile strength Higher tensile strength holds a greater weight before snapping. Tensile strength increases with polymer chain length and crosslinking of polymer chains. Melting point The term melting point when applied to polymers, suggests not a solid-liquid phase transition but a transition from a crystalline or semi-crystalline phase to a solid amorphous phase. Boiling point The boiling point of a polymeric material is strongly dependent on chain length. The polymers with a large degree of polymerization do not exhibit a boiling point because they are decomposed before reaching their respective theoretical boiling point. FUN FACT: The polymer inside disposable diapers is called sodium polyacrylate. It can instantly absorb about 800 times its mass in water. APPLICATIONS OF POLYMERS:- Molecular science has developed enormously in recent eras. Molecular science has a major role in our lives. It has become a necessity in our daily routines we shall talk now about the basic applications of polymers without which life wasnt that easy. We are going to discuss some of the main polymers used in our lives. RUBBER:- HISTORY OF RUBBER: Natural rubber, obtained from the sap of the hevea tree. Rubber was named by the chemist Joseph Priestley who found that a piece of solidified latex gum was good for rubbing out pencil marks on paper. TWO TYPES OF RUBBER ARE THERE:- NATURAL RUBBER VULCANIZED RUBBER (SYNTHETIC RUBBER) NATURAL RUBBER:- Natural rubber is a polymer of isoprene (2-methyl-1, 3-butadiene), with a joined network structure.There is no cross links between the polymer chains. It is not hard and tough. It becomes sticky and soft when heated. It can be easily deformed but regains its original shape after the stress is released. It involves a addition reaction in which one double bond in isoprene open to form a new bond with next unit forming a large chain. VULCANIZED RUBBER:-. A chemical reaction of sulfur (or other vulcanizing agent) with rubber or plastic to cause cross-linking of the polymer chains; it increases strength and resiliency of the polymer chemically; the process involves the formation of cross-linkages between the polymer chains of the rubbers molecules. It was invented by Charles Goodyear in 1839.The formation of cross links formed at the time of vulcanization at the reactive sites makes rubber hard, tough with greater tensile strength. It has very high elasticity, resistance to oxidation and organic solvents. The sulphur bridge in this figure prevents the slip of the chains and rubber can be stretched to a limited extent and when tension is removed the chains try to coil up regain its original shape. OTHER TYPES OF RUBBER:- NEOPRENE RUBBER:- USES: used as insulator, making conveyor belts, printer roller belts are also made from it. SBR (Styrene Butadiene Rubber):-Known as BUNA-S USES: it is used for making automobile tyres and footwears. NITRILE RUBBER:- Recognized as BUNA-N USES:-it is used for making oil seals, manufacture of hoses and tank linkings. REACTIONS INVOLVING IN THERE FORMATIONS:- PLASTICS OR POLYHALO-OLEFINS:- A very useful but common commodity of our life. But nowadays it has become a serious problem due to its problem of degradation which is a process which is a time consuming process. These are called polyhalo-olefins because they are derived from halogen substituted olefins. POLYVINYLCHLORIDE-(PVC):- Its monomer is unit is vinyl chloride. it is prepared by heating vinyl chloride in an inert solvent in the presence of peroxides (eg.dibenzoyl peroxides).It isa hard horny material. It is a thermoplastic polymer and its plasticity can be increased . Fig 15.0 USES:- It is used in manufacturing of rain coats, hand bags, curtain clothes, toys Artificial flooring. As a good insulating material in wires and other electrical goods. For making gramophone records. TEFLON:-(POLYTETRAFLOUROETHYLENE): Tough material resistant to heat and chemical actions such as acids and bases. It is an addition polymer of tetraflouroethylene.It is bad conductor of heat. USES: It is used as a material resistant to heat and chemical attack in household works. For coating articles and cookware to make them non-sticky as non stick utensils For making gaskets, pump packaging, valve, seals, non-lubricated bearings, etc. POLYESTERS:- Fibers represent a very important application of polymeric materials, including many examples from the categories of plastics and elastomers.It involves ester linkages TYPES OF POLYESTERS(FIBRES):- TERYLINE:-It is a polymer of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. Also known as Dacron. USES:- For making cloth by mixing with cotton. For making magnetic recording tapes. NYLON66:-Monomers are hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid. USES:- Used for making bristles of brushes. In textiles and also for making sheets. It is blended with wool to make socks and sweaters. NYLON 6:- its monomer is caprolactum made up of cyclohexane. USES:- It is used in the manufacture of tyre ,cords, fabrics, and ropes. CONCLUSION:- We have tried to give a brief information on polymers .Polymers are everywhere around us and we tried to show a glimpse of polymers applications which are commonly used in our lives like plastics nylon and day to day used commodities. MATERIAL AND FIGURE REFRENCES:- http://www.plastiquarian.com/top.htm http://www.csua.berkely.edu/~ranga/school/me223/nylon.gif http://www.openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2937 http://www.britanica.com/EBchecked/topic/468696/polymer http://www.polymertalk.com/history_of_polymers.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/silicone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/branching_%28chemistry%29 http://www.polymertalk.com/classification_of_polymers.php http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:Wbn5XOJDt:www.cmse.ed.ac.uk/MSE3/Topics/MSE3-polymers.pdf+intoduction+of+polymershl=engl=insig=AHIEtbQ22RNSIoIyoXUP9HtDd-nakz-w http://www.cem.msu.edu/~reusch/VirtualText/polymers.htm

Friday, October 25, 2019

Summary and Analysis of Tale of Melibee :: Canterbury Tales Melibee Essays

Summary and Analysis of Tale of Melibee (The Canterbury Tales) Prologue to the Tale of Melibee: The Host interrupted the Tale of Sir Thopas, pleading with the narrator to desist. He told him that the rhymes were doggerel, and asks him to tell a tale in prose. The narrator agrees and asks for the group's attention once more. Analysis The connecting passages between the tales that Chaucer himself tells are more dramatically fulfilling than the stories themselves, which are little more than comic anecdotes. These passages best illustrate the narrative behind the tales themselves. The tales exist as they relate to one another in a complex set of interactions between the various pilgrims; they are not simply a set of free-standing short stories given a rough context. The tales themselves are products of this interaction; the Tale of Melibee that Chaucer will give is a response to the Host's unfavorable reaction to the Tale of Sir Thopas. The Tale of Melibee: A young man called Melibee, mighty and rich, had a wife named Prudence and a daughter Sophie. One day while he was in the fields he left his wife and daughter in his house. Three of his old foes broke into the house, raped his wife and left his daughter for dead by wounding her in five places  ­ her feet, hands, eyes, nose and mouth. When Melibee returned he began to weep. Prudence consoled him, then asked him to desist and to be as patient as Job. She tells him to call on the counsel of his true friends. His physicians vowed to cure Sophie. They advice him to set guards at his house, but not to attempt vengeance. The younger men, however, advised him to declare war. Prudence agreed with the elders, who did not want to attack the perpetrators in haste. However, Melibee cites Solomon, who advised that no wife or child should ever have mastery over a husband. Melibee and Prudence continue to debate on the subject, discussing every bit of minutiae in the subject debated. Finally she a dvises that he delay his attack on his enemies, telling them that if they will accept peace they shall be forgiven. They came to the court of Melibee and he gives them an option: they can put the punishment in the hands of Melibee or Prudence. The wisest of his enemies admits that they are unworthy to come into his court, and submit to his judgment.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Success Through a Foreign Language

SUCCESS THROUGH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE These are a couple of readings that I have been asked to do for our friends from Russia who visited with us as a part of the Children of Chernobyl Program. I'm going to read a short selection from a motivational book called â€Å"Insight†. This particular reading has to do with the importance of understanding and using foreign languages that might be appropriate to the Russian students, because, certainly, we're living in a world that is getting smaller and smaller and we're going to have to be able to communicate in more than one language if we are going to be successful.The second reading is from †¦ it's the first chapter of a book by Jane Carlson who is the President of Scandinavian Airlines. It's called â€Å"Moments of Truth† and it is a handbook, or manual, for people who are interested in doing a better job of customer service. Scandinavian Airlines has a great reputation for wonderful customer service. Those are the two re adings. The first one is called â€Å"Success through a Foreign Language†. Every year an industrial manufacturer in Virginia grudgingly shells out the cash to send two employees to a language school to learn French.The employees have the technical and managerial abilities for the job but they lack the necessary foreign language skills. The practice of paying for the foreign language training of otherwise qualified employees is common among many employers. Increasingly, however, employers are avoiding this extra expense by emphasizing the requirement for foreign language skills during the hiring process. Richard Moore, Vice-President of the Arlington-Virginia Branch of John and Snow Incorporated, a public health consulting firm, admits that he gives preference to people who know a foreign language, even if the language isn't required for their job.This new trend toward emphasizing foreign language skills is opening doors for many individuals who have risen to the challenge. Wh en they are seeking a new job or advancement at their current company, bilingual and multilingual individuals often have the competitive edge. In fact, in some cases, the need for foreign language speakers is so great that companies go to the language departments, rather than the business departments, of universities, to recruit upcoming graduates.For example, recently 30 Boston University students from the Schools Spanish Program were recruited for jobs in Venezuela. This doesn't mean that you must have a foreign language major to benefit professionally. In fact, despite popular belief, in a business situation, you don't even have to be fluent in a foreign language. According to Lorraine Smith, President of the Language Exchange in Washington, D. C, even knowing a little of a foreign language puts a foreign individual at ease, and consequently, increases the communication and negotiation potential of the situation.Smith points out that from both the foreigner's and your supervisor' s prospective any level of a foreign language proficiency shows a bit more of a commitment to the client and to your business. More than 50 % of the students at the Language Exchange are learning a foreign language for their careers. More than 75 % of the students studying Russian, Spanish or French cite â€Å"career success† as their language learning incentive. However, at the University level, the number of individuals learning a language for career success is much smaller.According to Professor Jeff Delusio this is because younger students expect others will know English. But the Survey Business Person knows that this isn't always true and even when it is the case, by relying on another's language abilities you are abdicating control of the situation. Robert Taylor, President and Co-Founder of Taylor Associates International, Washington, D. C, based Health-care management consulting firm that operates primarily in foreign countries, finds that in his dealings in countries in the Middle East and the South Pacific relying on the natives' English is problematic for other reasons as well.We are unable to ask questions in the way we truly intend, he says. In addition, it's difficult to pick up subtleties of communication. Taylor hasn't found the use of interpreters to be the answer in these situations either. In fact, most linguists and business people agree with him that the potential for miscommunication is great when using interpreters. Not only have most foreign interpreters learnt British English, but also they are often faced with time constraints in order to keep the conversation flowing.As a result, they tend to encapsulate their translations opening the door for more errors. Having an edge in the international market place means meeting its language needs and staying current with the global changes. Currently, Taylor Associates lacks French and Spanish speakers – a fact that has lost it valuable business opportunities in several rapidly d eveloping foreign markets. For example, without French-speaking employees the doors have been closed to the company in the countries of North Africa where there's a strong market for health systems analysts.Similarly, lacking Spanish-speaking employees, Taylor Associates has lost out in Latin America where public health systems are developing at a swift rate. John Snow, on the other hand, owes much of its success to a ready supply of foreign language speakers. The company's combination of expertise in the growing field of public health and the Spanish and French-speaking employees has allowed it to bring its business to approximately 30 countries. Some professional areas have stronger language needs than others, and for certain languages all of the others.For instance, Japanese, Chinese and other Asian languages are in high demand in sales, marketing and trade specialties. And Spanish speakers are needed in development agencies, health-care professions and environmental organization s. With the end of the cold war, Russian and German have become the two fastest-growing foreign languages studied in America. Generally, Russian and German, along with other languages spoken in Eastern European countries, are in great demand in areas of economics and policy consulting by governments, research institutions and large American corporations eager to enter this new market.The Eurasia Foundation in Washington, D. C, a newly-established and independent Government-supported organization, arranges grants for economic and democratic reform in the former Soviet Union. Russian and other Newly Independent State Languages are in demand both for employees of the organization and for recipients of its grants, including the United States and other Western non-profit organizations and businesses. Jim Casual, program officer at Eurasia Foundation, sees a dramatic growth in private industry in these countries and predicts it will only get better.With this upswing in private industry is the need for the Western know-how and assistance, and he says, people who know Russian and N. I. S. Languages have a huge advantage. Foreign language abilities can turn into professional growth in the European Community as well. Currently, French is most commonly used among policy-makers, since the organization is headquartered in Brussels. However, French is not the official language of the European Community. Actually, according to Allan Cuckoff, Spokesman for the European Community delegation in Washington D. C. , there are nine official languages.As a result, the European Community relies heavily on translators. In fact, language translation itself has become a large-growth industry there. Because there is little incentive for policy-makers to learn English, the English speaker who knows another language has an edge. In addition to career success, there are numerous personal benefits in learning a foreign language. For example, the process of learning a foreign language flexes your creative muscle. As you know, the more you exercise your creativity, the more creative you become. Your memory, particularly long-term memory, gets a good workout.In language learning we discover a combination of memory training techniques suitable to your needs, such as word association and rhyming patterns. These techniques can be applied successfully to other situations as well, such as remembering people's names and memorizing vital business statistics. You'll feel more confident when communicating because your interpersonal skills will grow no matter which language is used to converse. You become more open to new cultures and places. Language and culture are inseparable, leading many to see language learning as a form of diversity training.Within the United States, Spanish is the fastest-growing language, and speaking Spanish is a great way to demonstrate your awareness of and sensitivity to the diversities in your nation's population. Before you begin to study a foreign l anguage, develop a successful attitude. Exorcise those ghosts from embarrassing high-school language classes. Many modern language classes are small and interactive, allowing little room for inhibitions. Whether you're in a classroom or teaching yourself, self-confidence is a key. And remember: foreign language learning, especially your first one, is work.Success at it requires practice and patience, in addition to the constant reminders that you CAN do it. Before tackling a foreign language, also ask yourself the following four questions: 1. How will this help me in my career? 2. How will this help me in my personal development? 3. How much of this language do I really need to know? 4. How much of this language do I already know? Your answers to the first two questions should be your goals and your incentives. Don't forget them. The third question is crucial to setting a realistic language goal.If you need to learn Russian or Spanish only for business meetings, focus your attention on the spoken language and steer clear of unnecessary areas, such as historical verb tenses found only in literature. You won't need to know them, and consequently, you won't enjoy learning them. The last question, that is â€Å"How much of this language do I already know? â€Å", will help you realize that you probably already have some of the language under your belt, even if it's just a little bit. Knowing â€Å"uno, due, tres† and the names of your favorite Mexican foods is a warm-up for Spanish.Next recall how Spanish speakers pronounce these common words. For languages such as Japanese, the search for words might be a little more difficult. Instead, start with names, such as â€Å"Kawasaki† or â€Å"Mitsubishi†. Do you hear a pattern? Yes, they are all four-syllable names. Now that you are in the right frame of mind, here are some tips for learning process. Avoid crash courses. Crash courses often teach too much, too quickly not allowing the brain to ab sorb the beginning lessons before the later ones are taught. Language learning is incremental.You have to understand the beginning before going on to the middle. Listen to audio cassettes for pronunciation and cadence, but be warned, some audio cassettes merely have you repeat phrases. This method does not help you retain what you've learned. Look for interactive audio programs that encourage you to answer questions and think in the language. Listen to foreign radio. In most areas there are radio programs and some times entire stations in a foreign language. If you have difficulty finding one of these, inquire at your local public radio station. Watch videos in a foreign language.Whether they are for learning or for pleasure, videos provide a great way to hear the language in the context of natural conversation. Full-length films are loaded with idioms, hand gestures and other cultural and language specific characteristics. When you read in a language, don't try to understand everyt hing. You ought to avoid dictionary dependence. Certainly, you didn't use a dictionary to learn your native language. Instead, skim and read what you can. By going for the gist of the piece you'll enjoy reading more and progress faster. Newspapers and magazines are fantastic vocabulary builders, because you will find plenty of ontextual clues in the pictures and the topics will probably be ones you've already read about in English. Seek out native speakers. If you are unable to visit the country where the language is spoken, find native speakers in your area with whom you can converse. You can get in touch with them through colleges, consulates and cultural centres. Mimic foreigners speaking English as well as their native language. Some teachers start their beginner foreign language classes by having the students imitate foreigners speaking English. It helps the students in their pronunciation of the foreign language.Don't get bored down analyzing the language. Practice is the key to learning a foreign language rather than spending weeks memorizing every form of every verb tense. Practise with the vocabulary you have. The more you converse, the quicker the missing pieces of your vocabulary will fall into place. And, finally, write new vocabulary words and phrases on index cards with the English translation on the back. Index cards easily fit it the coat pockets and handbags and can be pulled out and studied just about anywhere. A few tips on the importance of how you go about learning a little bit about a foreign language.